Europe sees rise in anti‑Christian hate crimes, report shows

An Austrian interior‑ministerial report for 2025 recorded a 20 % increase in anti‑Christian offences, rising to 133 incidents compared with the previous year. The total number of religion‑motivated hate crimes fell slightly to 696, with anti‑Muslim offences still the most common (264), followed by anti‑Jewish (247) and anti‑Christian (133). The Austrian data highlighted attacks on churches, graves and monuments, including vandalism of crosses, theft of relics such as bones of Saint Severin and a Jesus‑child figurine, and threats against clergy.

Anja Tang, head of the Observational Institute for Intolerance and Discrimination against Christians in Europe (OIDAC), warned that similar trends are evident across the continent. French authorities report a more than 70 % surge in attacks on Christians, German churches have faced arson and vandalism, and a Polish study found nearly half of surveyed priests experienced verbal or physical aggression in the past year. Tang noted that Islamist motives are often cited, and the OSCE has recently issued a guideline on anti‑Christian hate crimes, signalling growing political attention to the issue.