More than half of the global population lives in a country where people are actively persecuted for their religious beliefs, according to the 2023 Religious Freedom in the World report.

The report was released on the first day of Religious Freedom Week, in which the U.S. Catholic bishops have invited Catholics to pray for greater religious liberty both in the U.S. and around the world from June 22–29.

Aid to the Church in Need, a Catholic charity, published the report, which put 28 countries in the “red” category for religious freedom, which denotes religious persecution. Those countries are home to more than 4 billion people and make up about 51.6% of the global population.

Two of the most populous countries in the world, China and India, were found to be among the worst religious persecutors.

Other notable offenders include Nigeria, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Somalia, Saudi Arabia, and North Korea.