Open Doors release 2022 World Watch List with new country in No. 1 spot

There is a new World Watch list of the top 50 countries that see the most Christian persecution in the world. 

In 2021, North Korea took the number one spot for the hardest country to live as a Christian. As of 2022, it takes the number two spot being beaten out by Afghanistan for the country's Islamic oppression from extremists.

Since Open Doors starting their list in 1992, North Korea has been and remained in the number one spot. The reason for the shift was due to Afghanistan’s takeover by the Taliban last August.

"Before the Taliban, it was not great, but it was good," says one evacuated Afghan in an interview with Christianity Today. "[Now] Christians are living in fear, in secret, totally underground."

The organization also notes that North Korea hasn't gotten any better in it's treatment towards Christians by moving to the second spot. In fact, a new anti–reactionary thought law has resulted in an increase of Christian arrests and house church closures.

The next countries on the list are Somalia in the third spot, Libya in number four, and Yemen in the fifth spot. The whole list can be viewed here. 

While the continent of Africa has the most Christians per capita in the world according to a study released in 2018, it also has four countries that made it on the top 10 for the World Watch List, including Nigeria in the seventh spot. 

"This year’s findings indicate seismic changes in the persecution landscape," says David Curry, president of Open Doors USA. 

According to the findings in 2021 from Open Doors, 360 million Christians live in nations with high levels of persecution or discrimination. That’s 1 in 7 Christians worldwide, including 1 in 5 believers in Africa, 2 in 5 in Asia, and 1 in 15 in Latin America.