Data and sources
By the numbers
Every number on this page carries its source. Figures from the reports link to the exact PDF page; those from other organizations link to the original document.
How the count grew, report by report
Scroll slowly: the line advances with each report.
Report VII · July 2025
The archive only holds the cover of Report VI: it has no total.
Report VII, p. 9Attacks per year
As counted in Report VII. 2023 was the worst year.
Report VII, p. 14- 201893
- 201988
- 202064
- 202156
- 2022173
- 2023321
- 2024183
- 2025 (to July)32
Against whom, and against what?
The 1,010 attacks in Report VII, by type.
Report VII, p. 18- Against clergy and religious362
- Churches: sieges and bans244
- Thefts and desecrations103
- Against lay people98
- Graffiti and hate messages92
- Closures of organizations, media and projects75
- Confiscations36
Clergy and religious outside Nicaragua
Banished, expelled or barred from returning: 302 according to Report VII. Each dot is one person; the report's breakdown by role adds up to one fewer.
- 4 bishopsReport VII, p. 20
- 149 priestsReport VII, p. 20
- 13 seminariansReport VII, p. 20
- 3 deaconsReport VII, p. 20
- 132 women religiousReport VII, p. 20
301
Banned processions
Acts of popular piety blocked by the police since 2019, cumulative.
- To August 20233,240
- To July 20249,688
- To July 202516,564
Not only the Catholic Church
70
attacks on evangelical churches
April 2018 to August 2023, with 21 pastors in exile. Only Report IV carries this count.
Report IV, p. 30Religious organizations shut down by the State
Legal registrations revoked, by year and by denomination (count based on the official gazette).
Confidencial, 11-01-2025- 2022311
- 202399
- 2024909
- January 2025 (1st week)5
- Evangelical1,185
- Catholic132
118 cancelled and 14 voluntarily dissolved
- Other (Jewish, Islamic, Hindu)6
What other organizations report
+200
Catholic clergy forced into exile, deported or denied re-entry since 2022
Human Rights Watch, 01-2026452
Nicaraguans, at least, stripped of their nationality since February 2023
Countrywide total, not only religious figures.
ONU · GHREN, 30-10-2025+5,500
organizations shut down by the government: roughly 80% of active groups
Human Rights Watch, 01-202614,000
police, up to that number, deployed in Holy Week 2025 to prevent processions
In 2024 it was about 4,000.
USCIRF, 04-03-202631
priests and seminarians detained and expelled to the Vatican between October 2023 and January 2024
ONU · GHREN, 15-03-2024Nicaragua on the World Watch List
Rank among the 50 countries where it is most dangerous to be a Christian (lower = worse).
Open Doors, 01-20262022
61.º (outside the top 50)
outside the top 50 · 56 points
2023
50.º
rank · 65 points
2024
30.º
rank · 70 points
2025
30.º
rank · 71 points
2026
32.º
rank · 71 points
What international bodies conclude
ONU · GHREN
Persecution as a possible crime against humanity
The UN Group of Experts finds that some acts constitute, prima facie, crimes against humanity, based on more than 1,900 interviews and 9,300 documents.
ONU · GHREN, 30-10-2025- +1,900
- interviews
- 9,300
- documents
Each square = 100 documents
U.S. State Dept.
Country of Particular Concern
Since 29 December 2023 Nicaragua has been on the list of countries engaged in systematic violations of religious freedom.
U.S. State Dept., 05-2024U.S. · CPCCountry of Particular Concern12 · 29 · 2023CIDH
Enforced disappearance of Bishop Mata
The Inter-American Commission so describes the detention of the bishop emeritus of Estelí since 29 June 2026, and describes a systematic pattern against bishops, priests, religious and lay people since 2018.
CIDH, 16-07-2026days without verified freedom since 29 June 2026, according to the IACHR. As of 16 July, the IACHR had no independent information on his whereabouts.
USCIRF
Over 16,500 religious activities banned
The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom cites that figure, and over 1,000 acts of repression against the Catholic Church since 2018, documented by civil society.
USCIRF, 04-03-2026+16,500religious activities banned
Each dot = 100 activities
Open Doors
From 61st to 30th in two years
In its World Watch List, the pressure score rose from 56 to 71 out of 100 between 2022 and 2026. Pressure on church life is 14.2 out of 16.7.
Open Doors, 01-2026rank
30
61 → 30
↑ higher on the line = more persecution
USCIRF
Eleven pastors, up to 15 years in prison
The Mountain Gateway pastors were sentenced in 2024 to 12 to 15 years and a fine of about US$80 million, then exiled to Guatemala.
USCIRF, 04-202512–15years in prison
≈ US$80 million fine
What has been said
2023
«They are a crude kind of dictatorship.»
Papa Francisco · Interview with Infobae · 10-03-2023EFE / swissinfo, 10-03-2023Our translation.Attributed: reported by media; we did not find the official text. 2024
«I continue to follow with concern everything that is happening in Nicaragua»
Papa Francisco · New Year’s Angelus · 01-01-2024Confidencial, 01-01-2024Our translation. 2024
«moved the authorities closer to their goal of removing the obstacle of organized Christian voices critical of the Government»
Grupo de Expertos de la ONU · Report to the Human Rights Council · 15-03-2024ONU · GHREN, 15-03-2024 2025
«Sermons are censored. Religious leaders are surveilled, detained, expelled and stripped of their nationality. Processions are banned.»
Jan-Michael Simon · Chair, UN Group of Experts · 30-10-2025ONU · GHREN, 30-10-2025 2026
«The regime aims to silence the Church and weaken its influence by forced exile (including denationalization and revocation of citizenship), arbitrary detention, and the cancellation of legal status.»
Open Doors · World Watch List 2026 · 01-2026Open Doors, 01-2026 2026
«the persecution of the Catholic Church prevents many people from freely expressing and practicing their faith.»
Comisión Interamericana de Derechos Humanos · Press release 128/26 · 16-07-2026CIDH, 16-07-2026Our translation.
How to read these numbers
- 01
Dr. Molina's figures are a cumulative count. Each report revisits the past and adds events that were not known before, so one report's yearly totals do not match another's. The yearly series here all come from Report VII.
- 02
Figures from different organizations are not added together: each counts with its own method and period. The number of expelled priests, for instance, varies depending on who counts and since when.
- 03
A lower number does not always mean less persecution. Open Doors warns that some 2026 figures dropped because people are afraid to report.
- 04
Everything here is public and verifiable. If a quote could not be checked against its original source, we mark it “Attributed” and say which outlet reports it.
Looking for a specific figure?
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