Conflict and persecution are displacing Christian communities in parts of Africa and Asia, as authoritarian repression and religious nationalism increase pressure elsewhere, a new report reveals. Source: ACN.
Persecuted and Forgotten? A Report on Christians oppressed for their Faith 2024–26 has found that conditions for Christians worsened in 55 per cent of the 18 countries examined. None of the countries assessed recorded an overall improvement.Â
Over the past two years, persecution and oppression of Christians worsened due to extremist violence, authoritarian governments and religious nationalism, all of which are placing increasing pressure on Christian communities, according to the new report published by the international pontifical foundation Aid to the Church in Need (ACN).
The study, which covers the period from August 2024 to June 2026, examines countries where religious freedom violations affecting Christians are considered particularly concerning. In many cases, the report found that persecution had intensified in specific regions, rather than at a national level.
The report also identifies displacement as a major concern, with Christians forming part of a wider exodus of people driven from their homes by conflicts in Africa and Asia, some of it religiously motivated.
According to the latest figures provided by ACN, 413 million Christians live in countries where serious violations of religious freedom occur, and about 220 million Christians worldwide are directly exposed to persecution.
Some of the serious violations are in sub-Saharan Africa, where Islamist militant groups have expanded their reach into large areas of the continent. Six of the 10 countries most affected by terrorism in the 2026 Global Terrorism Index are in Africa, according to data cited in the report.
Another pattern identified by the study is the growing influence of religious nationalism, especially in some parts of Asia.
The report cautions against attributing all this violence to religion alone. Ethnicity, political instability, poverty, and competition for land and other resources often overlap with religious identity. But ACN argues that the religious dimension is also often underestimated, especially outside the affected countries.
These findings come as ACN Australia and New Zealand prepares to commemorate Red November, an international campaign bringing together tens of thousands of Catholics to pray, support and act for Christians who suffer persecution for their faith.
Download the full report: Click here.
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Christian persecution worsens in much of the world, according to new ACN report (ACN)
