Here Are The 10 Most Dangerous Countries For Christians To Celebrate Christmas

As Christians throughout the United States celebrate Christmas, tens of millions of their fellow believers face intense persecution for their beliefs and could be endangered if they choose to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ.

Last year, at least 365 million Christians were persecuted for faith, including thousands who were killed and nearly 300,000 who were displaced, according to persecution watchdog Open Doors. Open Doors, which puts out a top fifty watchlist every year tracking persecution, said that violent attacks on Christians have only increased in recent years, especially throughout Sub-Saharan Africa. 

“Those things are rising because the church is rising, because the church is growing, because the church is having impact and influence in areas, and the gates of hell are trying to stamp that out,” Open Doors President Ryan Brown told The Daily Wire. 

While many Christians in the West celebrate the birth of Jesus at their churches and with their friends and family, there are many countries where doing so would be dangerous. 

Here are ten of the worst places for persecution around the world, according to Open Doors.

1. North Korea 

The one non-Islamic country on the list, communist North Korea is notorious for its state enforced atheism and hatred of Christianity. Whole families can be sent to work camps if someone is found with a Bible in the Hermit Kingdom. 

According to Open Doors, there are around 400,000 Christians in the DPRK who regularly face heavy persecution. 

”Those in power see Christianity as being subversive and being a threat to their power. And in some cases they make an association because they see that as some kind of a tie to the West,” Brown told The Daily Wire. “In other cases it’s just this idea that anybody willing to lay down their life for something other than the state scares them.”

Brown said that many Christians who have successfully escaped North Korea will return to the country to “seek to live as Christ called them to live, to work and minister to their neighbors.”

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2. Somalia 

Known for its constant instability, Somalia is also a very dangerous country for the few hundreds of Christians estimated to live in the country. The predominant form of persecution there comes from Islamic radicals opposed to the growth of Christianity.

Somalia is the first Sub-Saharan country on the list, a region Brown said has been seeing increased violence. 

“There’s been a continued upsurge in violence throughout sub-Saharan Africa where there is a massive issue right now where a total of over 16.2 million Christians in [the region] that have been displaced,” he said. 

Brown urges Christians to join the “Arise Africa” campaign which seeks to bring awareness to the widespread persecution in Sub-Saharan Africa. He urged them to pray for the African church and find ways to support them with educational and material needs.

3. Libya 

This North African neighbor to Egypt was long ruled by dictator Muammar Gaddafi until 2011. The vast majority of Libyans are Sunni Muslims who adhere to Sharia Law. Libya is also home to just 35,000 Christians which is less than 1% of the country’s population.

According to the U.S. Department of State, “Muslims who converted to another religion faced intense social and economic pressure to renounce their faith and return to Islam.”

4. Eritrea

Located on the western bank of the Red Sea, Eritrea borders Sudan, Ethiopia, and Djibouti. While Christians make up nearly half (47%) of Eritrea’s population, they face deep challenges as the dictatorial government doesn’t tolerate Christianity outside of three recognized denominations. At least 1,000 Christians are currently estimated to be imprisoned there without having faced any formal charges.

5. Yemen

Christians are subject to intense persecution from Islamic radicals in Yemen, which is located at the southern tip of the Arabian Peninsula. In 2024, the Islamic Houthi rebels attacked numerous commercial ships and oil tankers passing through the Red Sea on their way to the Suez Canal, successfully disrupting a major international shipping lane.

According to Open Doors, only a small number of Christians live in Yemen. Like many other Islamic countries, people who convert to Christianity can face severe consequences, even from their families, for their decision.

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6. Nigeria

While Nigeria is home to some very large churches, more Christians are killed in Nigeria than in any other country. In 2023, it was reported that over 4,100 Christians were killed in the African country, largely due to Islamic persecution. 

“There were more people killed in Nigeria last year than all other places in the globe combined, nearly about 80% of those that were martyred for their faith occurred in Nigeria,” Brown said of those killed for their Christian faith. “In many ways, Nigeria is kind of a concentrated reflection of what we are seeing throughout Sub-Saharan Africa.”

Last year, over 150 Christians were killed during Christmas Eve attacks by Islamic Fulani herdsmen.

7. Pakistan

Pakistan’s four million Christians also face intense persecution for their faith and are often openly prosecuted. According to Open Doors, 1.8% of the population identify as Christian, but due to Pakistan’s strict blasphemy laws, very few can talk about their faith.

“Pakistan’s notorious blasphemy laws are often used to target minority groups, but Christians are disproportionately affected – in fact, roughly a quarter of all blasphemy accusations target Christians.”

Pakistani Christians also face “institutionalised discrimination” and are given “occupations that are deemed low, dirty and degrading – such as working as a sewer cleaner or on a brick kiln – are reserved for Christians by the authorities. Many are referred to as ‘chura’, a derogatory term meaning ‘filthy’.”

8. Sudan 

Returning to Sub-Saharan Africa, Sudan’s two million Christians face intense persecution that has only been exacerbated by the civil unrest in the country as the National Army and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) battle it out for control. Millions of people, including Christians, have been displaced due to the fighting.

Brown said that Christians will often be targeted and mistreated in refugee camps and not be given access to equal support and aid.

9. Iran

Iran’s government targets Christians in Iran with a number of oppressive laws, including making conversion to Christianity illegal.

“The government views conversion as an attempt by the West to undermine Islam and the Islamic government of Iran,” Open Doors reports. “This means that anyone who is discovered to be a member of a house church can be charged with a crime against national security, which can lead to long prison sentences.”

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10. Afghanistan

Only a few thousand Christians are estimated to be in Afghanistan, but they face intense cultural persecution from the Taliban, which has no tolerance for Christianity.

The next World Watch report from Open Doors comes out in January, and Brown urges Christians to try to remember their persecuted brethren through prayer and support on a more frequent basis. He said that much of the persecution is happening in places where the church is actually growing and active.

“Even in those places it seems most dark, and yes it is dark and yes there is evil, but that evil is there because there is a hope there, because there is a light there, because the church is present and the church is working,” he said.

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