360 million Christians persecuted in 2021 for their faith, Open Doors report shows

The tendencies of persecution and oppression of Christians have grown worldwide in 2021, the data published by the Open Doors International show. According to the report, approximately 360 million Christians are suffering a high degree of persecution and discrimination worldwide.

Given the numbers, one out of seven Christians was a victim of persecution and discrimination for their faith in Christ: one out of six in Africa, two out of five in Asia, and one out of twelve in Latin America.

For the second consecutive year, each country on the Open Doors watchlist has been classified as having a “high” or “extreme” degree of persecution.

In 2021, the first three locations where Christians have suffered the harshest conditions were Afghanistan, North Korea, and Somalia.

The statistics show that 5,898 Christians were killed, 5,110 churches were attacked, 6,175 Christians were imprisoned, and 3,829 were kidnapped.

Compared to the previous year, persecuted Christians increased by approximately 20 million. The data used to draft the report was collected between October 1, 2020, and September 30, 2021.

The criteria used for the Open Doors index include:

  • Private life: if Christians can hold religious objects
  • Family life: if Christians can express their faith in their own families or celebrate religious holidays.
  • Community life: if they can live without being discriminated in their own communities.
  • National life: if the government allows Christians to express their faith publicly.
  • Church life: if Christians can celebrate holidays together and build churches.
  • Violence: if they are or are not victims of community violence.

Open Doors Organization is a worldwide network of Christian NGOs that observe Christians’ situations worldwide.

Photography courtesy of Gerald Herbert / Associated Press

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