Religious persecution has existed as long as religion itself. Throughout history, certain religious groups have faced oppression, discrimination, and violence because of their beliefs. In the modern world, millions still suffer from harassment, imprisonment, and even death due to their faith. But which religion today endures the most widespread and extreme persecution globally?
What is religious persecution?
Religious persecution refers to oppression, discrimination, or harassment directed at adherents of a certain religion or belief system. It can take many forms:
- Physical violence, including murder, assault, or destruction of property
- Imprisonment or detention for religious beliefs
- Government restrictions on religious practices and expressions of faith
- Social hostilities from the general population or other groups
- Economic discrimination based on religion
Persecution stems from a few key motivations:
- Desire for religious conformity and intolerance of differing beliefs
- Nationalism tied to a dominant religious identity
- Authoritarian government control over religion
- Religious extremism that rejects and targets other faiths
Measuring global religious persecution
Various organizations track and analyze religious persecution worldwide to identify trends and the faith groups most at risk. Here are some of the leading annual reports:
- Pew Research Center – Each year produces a report analyzing restrictions on religion by governments and social groups worldwide.
- United States Commission on International Religious Freedom – US federal government commission that reports on religious persecution abroad, designating “countries of concern.”
- Open Doors World Watch List – Ranks 50 countries where Christians face the most severe persecution.
- Aid to the Church in Need – Catholic organization that publishes persecution reports focused on discrimination against Christians.
These reports use a combination of surveys, news monitoring, and on-the-ground research to quantify and analyze acts of religious persecution across the globe. Some key factors measured include:
- Physical violence related to religion
- Government restrictions on religious practices
- Harassment of religious groups
- Religion-related terrorism and mob violence
- Arrests and forced conversions
- Destruction of religious sites
Most persecuted religions today
Christianity
Available data indicates that Christians face the most widespread persecution globally. Recent reports find:
- Pew Research Center reports 90,000 Christians were killed for faith-related reasons in 2019.
- Open Doors estimates 360 million Christians face “high levels” of persecution worldwide.
- Aid to the Church in Need reports over 300 million Christians experience “religious freedom violations.”
Key facts on the persecution of Christians worldwide:
- Christian persecution spans many regions, with hotspots in the Middle East, Asia, and Africa.
- Countries with highest reported abuses against Christians include North Korea, Afghanistan, Nigeria, Iraq, and Syria.
- Forms of persecution faced include forced conversions, church bombings, physical violence, unjust imprisonment, and denial of rights.
- Islamic extremism is a major driver of Christian persecution, along with authoritarian governments.
Islam
Muslims also face harassment and violence in many parts of the world:
- In 2017, Muslims were targeted in over 11,500 hatred-related incidents globally, reports ODIHR.
- Discrimination against Muslims is rising in India, with reports of social exclusion, job discrimination, and violent attacks by Hindu nationalists against Muslims.
- China severely restricts religious freedom for its Muslim population, with an estimated 1 million Uyghur Muslims held in “re-education camps.”
- Myanmar’s Rohingya Muslims have faced brutal persecution and killings from the Buddhist majority.
However, persecution against Muslims is more localized compared to the widespread abuse Christians face globally.
Judaism
Jews face continued discrimination and violence worldwide:
- In 2019, there were over 850 reported anti-Semitic attacks in just the United States, including deadly shootings at synagogues.
- Jewish populations feel increasingly threatened in Europe. Anti-Semitic attacks rose over 19% across Germany, France, and the UK from 2016 to 2017 per CNN.
- The Middle East has seen Jewish populations dramatically decline. Israel is now the only Middle Eastern country with a growing Jewish population.
However, anti-Semitism appears more limited than the broader discrimination Christians and Muslims face globally.
Other religions
Other faiths face restrictions and violence on a smaller geographic scale:
- Hindus and Buddhists are periodically attacked in South Asia by Islamic extremist groups.
- Baha’is face severe persecution in Iran and other parts of the Middle East.
- Falun Gong practitioners are brutally oppressed in China, with an estimated tens of thousands imprisoned.
But no data indicates these other religious groups experience persecution on the scale of Christianity and Islam globally.
Why are Christians and Muslims persecuted?
A few key factors drive the severe persecution Christians and Muslims face worldwide:
Extremism
Religious extremism often targets other faith groups. For example, Islamic extremists have carried out deadly attacks against Christians in the Middle East and Muslims in some parts of Asia. Hindu nationalists perpetrate violence against Muslims and Christians in India.
Authoritarian governments
Governments that exert strict control over religious activities tend to oppress certain faith groups. China severely restricts Muslim practices among the Uighur minority. North Korea brutally represses Christian believers under its atheistic regime.
Sectarian violence
Ongoing tensions between religious groups contributes to discrimination and conflict. Sunni-Shia divisions drive persecution of both groups in parts of the Middle East. Violence between Christians and Muslims also flares up in countries like Nigeria and the Central African Republic.
Nationalism
Linking national identity to the majority religious group leads to minorities being viewed as outsiders. This fuels abuses against Christians in India and Muslims in Myanmar, for example.
The state of religious persecution: Key facts
Some top figures that capture the severity and breadth of religious persecution worldwide:
- Over 5 billion people live in countries with high religious persecution according to Pew Research.
- A 2021 Pew report found restrictions on religion increasing globally, with over 40% of countries having high or very high levels of restrictions.
- Research shows Christians were harassed in 138 countries in 2019. Muslims were harassed in 135 nations, and Jews in 77.
- 318 Christians are killed every month globally due to faith-related discrimination and violence per Open Doors estimates.
- The 50 countries where Christians face the worst persecution are located in Asia, the Middle East, and Africa according to Open Doors.
Conclusion
Religious persecution unfortunately remains a widespread global issue affecting millions. Based on current data, Christians face the most widespread and extreme discrimination, harassment, and violence worldwide due to their faith. Muslims also experience significant persecution globally, although more regionally concentrated in areas like Asia and the Middle East. Addressing rising religious intolerance, especially religious nationalism and extremism, remains an urgent human rights issue worldwide.