France, the UK, and Germany have recorded the highest number of anti-Christian hate crimes in Europe, according to the Vienna-based Observatory on Intolerance and Discrimination against Christians (OIDAC) Europe Report 2025. The report identified 2,211 anti-Christian hate crimes across the continent last year.
Personal attacks rose to 274, up from 232 in the previous report. The study also highlighted a significant spike in arson targeting churches and Christian sites, documenting 94 arson attacks — nearly double the previous year’s total — with one-third (33) taking place in Germany.
Overall, the report recorded 516 hate-motivated crimes, a figure that climbs to 1,503 when including theft and break-ins at religious sites.
According to OIDAC, the countries with the highest levels of anti-Christian offenses were France, the UK, Germany, Spain, and Austria.
Some of the most serious incidents included:
• The killing of a 76-year-old monk during an attack on the Monastery of Santo Espíritu del Monte in Gilet, Spain;
• A man shot dead by ISIS militants during Sunday Mass in Istanbul in January 2024;
• The near-destruction of a Catholic church in Saint-Omer, France, following an arson attack.
