Adobe Stock
CV NEWS FEED // The watchdog organization International Christian Concern (ICC) recently released its Global Persecution Index for 2025, outlining the countries where Christians face the most danger.
The index outlines the 20 most dangerous countries for Christians, as well as growing trends in persecution, such as the use of technology to monitor and target Christians, transnational efforts to suppress the faith, and rise of religious nationalism, especially Islam.
“This report is more than a list; it is a testament to the endurance of the persecuted church and a clarion call for the global church to act,” ICC states. “It highlights the most egregious violators of religious freedom in 2024, cataloging the countries, terrorist organizations, and government leaders whose actions have systematically targeted Christians.”
The index reports that the countries where Christians are regularly tortured and killed for the faith are all located in Africa and Asia. One such example is North Korea, in which the index states, “Christians languish in prisons or labor camps, where they are tortured, raped, and killed.”
In each area facing persecution, the index highlighted key issues and ways to address the issues.
In Africa, the main challenges include terrorism and extremism, inter-religious violence, government persecution, and radicalization. ICC suggested strengthening religious freedom laws, promoting interfaith dialogue, increasing international pressure, and addressing root causes of persecution, such as poverty and political instability.
The main challenges in the Middle East and North Africa include government opposition, social pressure, and extremism, which ICC proposed countering with international advocacy, interfaith dialogue, education and awareness, and supporting the persecuted.
The ICC describes itself as “a global ministry with about 100 staff members and subcontractors,” 20 of whom are full-time and based in the United States. The organization serves various roles from rescuing persecuted Christians to building churches in minority-Christian countries.
