About 4.1 billion people, half of the global population, suffer some degree of religious persecution in 24 countries, according to an aid agency report that identified a disturbing rise in anti-Christian incidents in Western countries.
“Europe and North America witnessed a significant rise in attacks against Christian sites and believers,” states Aid to the Church in Need’s (ACN) report, “Religious Freedom in the World Report 2025.”
The study found that nearly 5.4 billion people, two-thirds of humanity, reside in countries where serious religious freedom violations are committed. Researchers cited two categories of persecution defined by the late Pope Francis in 2016: explicit persecution and “polite persecution,” with the latter consisting of more subtle “legal, cultural or international pressures.”
The report identifies a lack of accountability in the West as a core issue.
“While polite persecution is distinct from criminal activities with a Christian animus, such as attacks on believers or churches, the failure to take action against such behavior, when other forms of hate crimes are tackled, is a symptom of polite persecution,” the report states.
It expressed particular concern for the 35 million square kilometer (13.5 million square miles) region of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE). The report notes that several nations within the OSCE region under-report incidents targeting Christians.
“Acts evidencing animus against Christians, including criminality, continue to affect the OSCE region with data suggesting that things are getting worse,” the report notes. “Yet many OSCE Participating States have done little to quantify just how bad the issues are within their borders.”
The report points to under-reporting in Scandinavia, noting that only Finland has reported hate incidents against Christians since 2023.
The United States also showed a “noticeable increase in the vandalism of churches and other Christian sites, and where the government has not published any official data,” the report states.
The report credits civil society groups for uncovering the “hard truth” that attacks on Christians and their places of worship are becoming much more common in the U.S. The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops recorded 56 incidents against church assets in 2024, followed by 19 more between January and June 2025.
“Among the most notable attacks was the setting off of an explosive device at the altar of a church in Pennsylvania on 6 May 2025, and multiple acts of arson in churches in October 2024 in Massachusetts, Arizona and Florida,” the report states.
European countries also face significant challenges. Recent figures show 1,000 anti-Christian incidents in France in 2023 and 600 cases of church vandalism in Greece. In Canada, 24 church buildings became targets for arson between 2021 and 2024.
“Similar spikes were observed in Spain, Italy, the United States and Croatia, including desecrations of places of worship, physical assaults on clergy, and disruptions of religious services – often driven by ideological hostility, militant activism, or anti-religious extremism,” the report observes.
In parts of the OSCE region, including Armenia, Azerbaijan, Ukraine and Russia, authorities have jailed conscientious objectors who refused military service on religious or ethical grounds. Religious groups in Türkiye, meantime, face “systematic restrictions on worship, expression and legal equality.”
Western democracies like Belgium place faith-based institutions under growing legal pressure to provide services such as abortion and assisted suicide. The report adds that Belgian religious leaders have endured penalties for refusing women’s ordination.
While noting that Australia generally protects religious freedom, the report expresses concern over recent developments.
“In Australia, religious freedom has been legally protected in the past, but recent developments have raised concerns,” it states.
Some Australian states now require faith-based healthcare providers to refer services that conflict with their beliefs. The report highlights one instance where a state confiscated a Catholic hospital because it would not provide abortion services.
The report also condemns Australia’s use of offshore detention centers in Nauru.
“Human rights groups and Catholic bishops have condemned the conditions there as inhumane,” the study states. “Many asylum seekers – often fleeing religious persecution – remain in prolonged detention. As of November 2024, over 100 people were held in Nauru, the highest number since 2013.”
While Pacific nations like New Zealand and Timor-Leste maintain strong protections, the report suggests that internal unrest and geopolitical pressure create debate over religion’s public role in Papua New Guinea. Following deadly riots in February 2024, Prime Minister James Marape promoted a Christian national identity. Parliament subsequently passed a bill declaring the country a Christian nation, though religious leaders warned the move might undermine cultural diversity.
During his September 2024 visit to Papua New Guinea, Pope Francis urged respect for human dignity and denounced violence, including witchcraft-related abuses.
“The growing politicization of religion and external influences may threaten religious freedom and pluralism in the country,” the report concludes.
