A new report from the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) reveals the highest number of countries persecuting Christians in recorded history, with faith communities facing imprisonment, violence and even death simply for practicing their beliefs.
From state-imposed religious conformity in China to escalating sectarian bloodshed in Nigeria, the 2025 USCIRF Annual Report paints a dire global picture: that worship itself has become a capital offense in parts of the world.
U.S. lawmakers are now calling for an update of foreign policy, arguing that the erosion of religious freedom abroad poses a direct threat to American security and democratic values at home.
“Religious freedom is not just a Western value, it’s a human right,” said Rep. Mark Alford, R-Mo., during a January USCIRF hearing on violations of freedom of religion or belief (FoRB) against Christians abroad. “And when violated anywhere, it should concern freedom-loving people everywhere.”
The commission’s report identifies nearly 30 countries where people of all faiths, including Christians, are systematically targeted. Globally, 16 nations are designated as “Countries of Particular Concern,” while 12 others are placed on a “Special Watch List.” More than 2,300 individuals are currently imprisoned worldwide solely for their religious beliefs.
Nowhere is that violence more lethal than in Nigeria, where USCIRF reports over 80% of religion-based murders in 2024 occurred.
Rebecca Dali, founder of the Center for Caring, Empowering and Peace Initiatives and a former captive of Boko Haram, was one of several witnesses to share her violent reality, having documented thousands of killings by the extremist group.
“Let us acknowledge that there are too many killings in Nigeria,” Dali said. “All Nigerian Christians, Muslims, and traditional worshippers are among those killed. And violence will never end violence. All Nigerians, be they Christian or Muslim, want to live together in peace.”
In China, persecution is evolving with technology and state-enforced “Sinicization” of religion. Grace Drexel, daughter of detained Pastor Ezra Jin Mingri and a national security analyst, explained how Chinese authorities are erasing Christian identity.
“When the government demands Sinicization in practice, it means removing crosses and replacing them with portraits of Xi Jinping, replacing hymns with revolutionary party songs, rewriting sermons to align with socialist core values, and installing facial recognition cameras in sanctuaries,” she said.
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Drexel warned that the threat extends beyond borders, with believers increasingly targeted even after fleeing to supposed safe havens.
And in post-Assad Syria and Iran, the full toll remains obscured. An estimated 1,300 people have died in sectarian violence following the collapse of Syria’s central authority. But experts testify that these numbers are just an estimate.
Ryan Brown, advocacy director for Open Doors, specifically tracks Christian persecution and provides emergency aid and trauma relief in at least 70 countries. The organization’s 2025 World Watch List estimates that 388 million Christians now face high levels of persecution or discrimination – an increase of 8 million from the previous year.
Brown noted that persecution in places like Syria often stems not from direct government action but from the weak rule of law and the state’s inability to establish order. He calls on the church to remain vigilant in prayer.
“I can’t tell you how many folks I’ve met who’ve been in prison who’ve told me they’ve taken such comfort in knowing that they’re not forgotten, that there’s a body of believers around the globe consistently lifting them up in prayer,” Brown said.
As USCIRF presses the U.S. government to strengthen its response, advocates stress that defending religious freedom is both a moral imperative and a strategic necessity in an increasingly volatile world.
