“Freedom of religion is a fundamental human right as guaranteed in Article 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. This right allows individuals the freedom to choose and practice their religion or beliefs without undue interference” — the European Conservatives and Reformists Group (ECR) of the European Parliament emphasizes the importance of this right and advocates for its protection, highlighting the need for action against religious persecution worldwide.
“It is time for Europe to step up and protect Christians and defend freedom of religion as a fundamental human right, as Christianity is in danger in Europe” — ECR Group says.
In contrast to Europe, Christianity in Asia—not only in communist countries but also in countries dominated by other religions—is not in decline, but is experiencing modest growth. Despite the fact that Christians are a religious minority in most Asian countries, they have significant influence in society and politics. Although historic Christian churches are also present on this continent, the increasingly prominent role of the Catholic Church deserves particular attention.
For quite some time, many people in Asia have viewed the Catholic Church as a sleeping lion, or a sleeping giant. Yet Catholics are not sleeping at all; on the contrary, they are active and visible in many areas. The Philippines is Asia’s largest Catholic country, with Catholics making up around 80% of the population. The Catholic Church has become an important part of everyday life in the country. Churches are always full, and Masses and other church gatherings are lively and joyful.
Christianity has long been a driving force in South Korean society. South Korea is one of the most Christian countries in Asia, with around 30% of the population identifying as Christian in some way.
At the same time, it is true that many religious practices in the region represent syncretic—that is, blended—forms of Christianity and local beliefs. As a result, statistics on the number of Christians may underestimate their actual numbers, since questionnaires often require respondents to choose between two religions.
We are witnessing a process in which, while the Christian population is declining in Europe and North America, the center of gravity of Christianity is gradually shifting toward Asia. Evidence of this is the fact that between 2020 and 2025, the Christian population grew by an average of 1.6% per year.
Christians in Asia among most persecuted in world, over 388 million Christians faced discrimination and persecution for their faith across the world last year, with nine Asian countries listed among the top 15 nations where Christians face extreme levels of hostility, says the new report from US-based Christian rights group Open Doors.
Two out of every five Christians in Asia faced persecution for their faith compared to one out of five in Africa and one out of seven worldwide, says Open Doors’ World Watch List 2026. The report covers the period from October 2024 to September 2025, and found that the number of persecuted Christians increased to 388 million from 380 million in the previous year.
North Korea was ranked as the most dangerous country to be a Christian for the 24th consecutive year. The report said that North Korea’s communist regime’s “dictatorial paranoia against the Christian community” fuels persecution of Christians. It said that between 50,000 and 70,000 Christians are thought to be held in forced labour camps in North Korea, with “abundant evidence” of “brutal interrogations” against fugitives repatriated from China.
This measures the number and severity of violent incidents against Christians and the degree of pressure exerted against the practice of their faith in 5 spheres of life: private, family, community, national life, and church life.
During the reported period, a total of 4,849 Christians were murdered, 4,712 Christians were detained, and 3,632 Churches and Christian properties were attacked. The previous report recorded 4,476 killings of Christians and 7,679 attacks on Churches and Christian properties.
