Faith Under Fire: 300 Million Christians Persecuted Worldwide

A chilling new report on global religious freedom paints a harrowing picture of the growing persecution faced by Christians worldwide. The 2025 Global Persecution Index, released by International Christian Concern (ICC), reveals that 300 million Christians are enduring unimaginable suffering for their faith, with threats ranging from harassment and violence to imprisonment and death.

The 116-page report provides a country-by-country analysis of religious persecution, identifying repressive regimes, extremist ideologies, and terror groups responsible for many of these atrocities. While the statistics are grim, the individual stories of faith and resilience are even more staggering.

North Korea: A Living Nightmare for Christians

At the top of the list is North Korea, described as a “giant prison state” where Christianity is viewed as an existential threat to the regime. ICC President Jeff King did not mince words in detailing the horrors faced by believers in this isolated nation.

“If you’re a Christian, they’ll kill you slowly,” King stated. “They will take your children, your parents, and your entire family. Everyone will die.”

Estimates suggest that over one million Christians have been brutally murdered under the North Korean regime. The cost of following Christ in North Korea is not merely death—it is death with unspeakable suffering.

Other Troubling Findings

The report sheds light on numerous other countries where Christians are facing grave threats:

• Russia: Hundreds of religious heritage sites in Ukraine have been destroyed, signaling targeted attacks against Christian culture and communities amidst the war.
• Africa: Radical Islamist groups continue to spread terror, engaging in beheadings, sexual violence, and forced displacement of Christians across the continent.
• Nicaragua: President Daniel Ortega’s regime has targeted Catholic churches for years and has recently expanded its oppression to evangelical Christians, imprisoning pastors and attacking worshippers.

“Persecution Leads to Growth”: Hope Amid Despair

Despite the grim realities outlined in the report, ICC President Jeff King shared a profound truth that resonates deeply with the Christian faith: persecution often fuels church growth.

One of the most striking examples is Iran, where decades of government oppression have driven people away from Islam. The underground Christian church is now believed to be the fastest-growing in the world.

“It’s a beautiful irony,” King said. “When regimes or groups try to snuff out faith, they often end up planting the seeds of revival. God wins in the end.”

Faith Tested and Triumphant

The 2025 Global Persecution Index is a sobering reminder of the cost of following Christ in many parts of the world. It is a call to action for believers to pray, advocate, and support their brothers and sisters enduring unimaginable suffering for their faith.

As the Apostle Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 4:8-9:
“We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed.”

While the flames of persecution rage, the enduring faith of millions of Christians around the world shines as a beacon of hope and a testament to the power of God’s unwavering love.

Let us not remain silent. Let us stand in solidarity with the persecuted church and proclaim that, even in the darkest valleys, faith triumphs over fear, and light overcomes the darkness.