Christian Persecution: Is the Worst Yet to Come?

"The world still does not get it. The persecution of Christians is real, it is horrifically violent often, and it is spreading at an unprecedented rate in modern times,' said Open Doors USA President David Curry.

The grim-faced Curry unveiled the group's 2015 Worldwatch list today in Washington, D.C.

Each January, OD unveils its list of the world's top 50 persecuting countries of Christians. So, what's different this year compared to the 2014 list?

The 2015 list documents the worst persecution of Christians in the modern era and "perhaps the worst is yet to come," Curry explained.

He said Open Doors can confirm that 4,344 people were executed or murdered for their Christian faith in 2014. That is more than double the number for 2013. The numbers are likely much higher, but OD uses only figures that can be verified.

Curry said more than half of the global victims this year were killed in Nigeria (2,484)at the hands of the Islamic terrorist group Boko Haram.

Despite the rise of the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria--for the thirteenth year in a row-- North Korea remains the world's top persecutor of Christians. Iraq is listed as No. 3 on the list and Syria at No. 4.

Among differences this year:

Last year only one African country (Somalia) was listed in the top 10. This year there are four: Somalia (2), Sudan (6), Eritrea (9) and Nigeria (10).

For more from David Curry, watch our CBN News interview below: