Almost 2000 Christians were murdered in incidents of faith-based violence globally in the two years to October 2025. That’s according to a new report by a US-based persecution watchdog.

The 2026 Global Christian Relief Red List has been compiled using information from a Violent Incidents Database which tracks more than a dozen categories of religious violence worldwide.

Between 1 November 2023 and 31 October 2025, it found at least 1,972 verified Christian murders tied to religious violence. Nigeria has emerged as the most dangerous place to be a Christian. Second on the list is the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) which saw 447 Christians murdered during that period. Ethiopia is third with 177 believers murdered. Completing the ‘top five’ of countries where it is most dangerous to be a Christian, is Russia with 167 Christians  murdered and Mozambique which saw 94 believers killed because of their faith.

The List found that while the drivers of the killings differ across contexts, they share several underlying conditions: weak or uneven state protection, the presence of Islamic State-affiliated groups that deliberately target civilians, and a persistent lack of accountability for perpetrators. 

Despite the bleak statistics, Global Christian Relief’s President and CEO Brian Orme said there is reason for hope.

!Again and again, the Church under pressure shows a resilience that cannot be explained by circumstance alone," he said. "Faith continues in homes, in small gatherings, in whispered prayers, and in forgiveness offered where it should not be expected.

"Remember this above all: These believers are not 'them.' They are us. We share one faith, one hope, and one calling. To bear witness to their suffering is not a burden placed on the Church—it is part of our shared life together.”