Persecution Worsened in 10 of 18 Countries — and Improved in None, ACN's 2026 Report Finds
Aid to the Church in Need's Persecuted and Forgotten? report describes a "mass exodus" of Christians from conflict zones in Africa and Asia, rising state repression in China, Iran and Nicaragua, and more than 700 anti-Christian incidents in India in 2025
The short answer
Aid to the Church in Need's Persecuted and Forgotten? report, launched on 27 October 2026 and covering August 2024 to June 2026, found that conditions for Christians deteriorated in 10 of the 18 countries examined, including China, Nigeria and Pakistan, and that none improved overall. It describes a "mass exodus" of Christians from conflict zones, reports at least a million Christians among more than 3.5 million internally displaced people in Nigeria, a decline of more than 80% in Syria's Christian population since 2011, doubled arrests of Christians in Iran, and more than 700 incidents of anti-Christian violence in India in 2025.
Every two years, the Catholic charity Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) publishes Persecuted and Forgotten?, a close look at the countries where it considers Christians' situation most serious. The 2026 edition, launched on Tuesday 27 October, makes hard reading.
The Headline Finding
The report covers August 2024 to June 2026 and examines 18 countries. Conditions for Christians deteriorated in 10 of them — including China, Nigeria and Pakistan. None recorded an overall improvement.
"ACN's 2026 Persecuted and Forgotten? report found conditions for Christians worsened in 10 of 18 countries — including China, Nigeria and Pakistan — and improved in none, with a "mass exodus" from conflict zones in Africa and Asia."
Click to copy and share"Millions of Christians are part of a mass exodus of those displaced in conflict zones, some of it religiously motivated. This has spread, turning entire swathes of countries in Africa and Asia into danger zones." — Persecuted and Forgotten? 2026
Africa: Displacement on a Massive Scale
- Nigeria: at least a million Christians are among more than 3.5 million internally displaced people, according to the report, fleeing bandits, ethnic militias and jihadists in the north and Middle Belt.
- Burkina Faso: Islamist militants reportedly control at least 40% of the country.
- Mali and Mozambique: killings, abductions and destroyed churches.
ACN notes that six of the ten countries most affected by terrorism in the 2026 Global Terrorism Index are in Africa. One survivor, Solomon Ako, 33, told ACN that militants who kidnapped him near Zaria demanded he convert — and when he refused, beat and chained him.
The Middle East: A Heartland Emptying
Syria's Christian population has fallen by more than 80% since 2011, the report says, highlighting the suicide attack on Mar Elias Church in Damascus that killed 23. This month's funeral massacre in Jordan shows the danger reaching countries long known for coexistence.
Governments Tightening Their Grip
- China: intensified pressure on underground churches — detentions, closures and tighter control of teaching and online content.
- Iran: arrests of Christians doubled over a 12-month period.
- Nicaragua: clergy arrested and exiled, church institutions seized, ordinations restricted.
Religious Nationalism
The report records more than 700 incidents of anti-Christian violence in India in 2025 and links the spread of state anti-conversion laws to rising attacks. In Pakistan, it highlights the abduction, forced conversion and marriage of Christian girls and young women, and ongoing danger from blasphemy accusations.
Read It Carefully
ACN is careful not to oversimplify. "Rarely is religious animosity the sole driver of acts of hatred towards Christians," the report says. "Mostly it forms part of a matrix of factors which can include ethnicity, access to resources, poverty and politics." It's a useful companion to Open Doors' World Watch List, which ranks 50 countries with a different method.
Pray This Sunday
The report lands days before the International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church on Sunday 1 November. Pick one country from it, and pray.
ACN's 2026 Persecuted and Forgotten? report found conditions for Christians worsened in 10 of 18 countries — including China, Nigeria and Pakistan — and improved in none, with a "mass exodus" from conflict zones in Africa and Asia.
Biblical Perspective
Jesus warned, "If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also" (John 15:20) — and promised, "In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world" (John 16:33). Hebrews calls us to "remember those in prison as if you were together with them" (Hebrews 13:3).
"In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world."
— John 16:33 (NIV)
Pray With Us
Lord Jesus, You have overcome the world. We lift up the millions of Christians driven from their homes — in Nigeria, Burkina Faso, Syria and beyond — and those imprisoned in China, Iran and Nicaragua. Shelter the displaced, free the captives, protect the girls of Pakistan, and give Your church courage to remain. Amen.
Declarations to Speak
- ›The persecuted church is not forgotten!
- ›Jesus has overcome the world!
- ›We will remember those in chains!
Take Action
- 1Choose one of the 18 countries and pray for it every day this week.
- 2Bring this report to your church's prayer time on Sunday 1 November.
- 3Read ACN's full report and share one story from it.
"Persecution of Christians worsened in 10 of 18 countries and improved in none, says ACN's new report. Millions are on the move. Pray this Sunday."
Pray & Speak Life Over This Story
Don't just read — respond in faith. Click below to declare that you have prayed over this story and spoken life into it. Our prayers and words have power to change the world.
"Death and life are in the power of the tongue." — Proverbs 18:21
Your Prayers & Words Have Power
Every time you pray over a story and speak life, you are partnering with Heaven to see God's Kingdom come on earth. When believers around the world agree in prayer, mountains move. Keep praying over these matters — your consistency in intercession is changing the world.
"The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much." — James 5:16
Prayer Is Powerful — So Is Action.
You've prayed. Now take it further. Join or start an outreach group in your area and take the love of Jesus to the streets. Every act of love, every meal shared, every prayer prayed in person is the Kingdom advancing in your community.
"Faith without works is dead." — James 2:26
Questions people are asking
What is the Persecuted and Forgotten? report?
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A report published every two years by the Catholic charity Aid to the Church in Need (ACN), examining countries where it considers the situation of Christians of particular concern. The 2026 edition, launched on 27 October 2026, covers August 2024 to June 2026 and examines 18 countries.
Where did persecution of Christians get worse according to ACN's 2026 report?
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Conditions deteriorated in 10 of the 18 countries examined, including China, Nigeria and Pakistan. None recorded an overall improvement.
How many Christians are displaced in Nigeria?
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According to ACN's 2026 report, at least a million Christians are among more than 3.5 million internally displaced people in Nigeria.
Sources & further reading
About the Author
Daniel Ziedins
Founder & Editor-in-Chief
Daniel Ziedins is the founder and editor-in-chief of Thy Kingdom News. A passionate believer with a heart for revival, missions, and seeing God's Kingdom advance across the earth, Daniel created this platform to report on what God is doing in the nations — the stories the mainstream media won't tell. He is also the creator of LoveOnTheWorldMap.com, a global initiative to map acts of God's love worldwide. Daniel believes that every testimony, every revival report, and every prayer answered is evidence that the Kingdom of God is here and advancing.
"In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world."
John 16:33 (NIV)
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