A new report compiled by a U.K. Catholic organization has found that 75% of religious persecution throughout the globe targets Christians.
The British branch of Aid to the Church in Need included 33 countries in its study and concluded that the majority of religious persecution was occurring in the Middle East, Africa and Asia.
The obvious countries were named as major persecutors, including China, Iran, North Korea, and Saudi Arabia, but it was also found that countries such as Venezuela, Zimbabwe and even the Holy Land are guilty of religious persecution.
Christians have endured increased persecution in 22 countries among those it studied, with Egypt, Iraq, Nigeria, and Pakistan being among the worst countries for believers to live in. Approximately 100 million Christians worldwide are facing persecution.
"The proportion of countries with a worsening track-record of anti-Christian violence and intimidation would be higher were it not for the fact that in many cases the situation could scarcely have been worse in the first place," the report stated.
Last week, Ann Widdecombe, a British politician, was named as a special envoy on religious freedom for the charity Aid to the Church in Need.
Widdecombe, has repeatedly spoken of her concern over this kind of persecution and that she is "increasingly alarmed" by reports of violence and intimidation against Christians. She also highlighted the inconsistency of the British government's effort to protect the rights of religious minorities domestically and its tendency to turn a blind eye to persecution of Christians overseas.
"It is time to put our heads above the parapet and speak up in the name of Christians suffering for their faith," she said. "I am delighted to support the work of Aid to the Church in Need, which is doing excellent work to help persecuted Christians."