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Human rights index (V-Dem)

What this indicator measures

This V-Dem index estimates the extent to which people are protected from torture, political killings and forced labor, have property rights, and enjoy freedom of movement, religion, expression and association.

How to read this?

The closer the index is to 1, the more basic human rights are respected; the closer it is to 0, the less they are.

Ranking : ranked from highest to lowest

Ctrl + scroll: zoom · drag: pan
173countries with data
0.96maximum · Estonia
0.74median
0.02minimum · North Korea
2025data year(s)

In brief

The "Human rights index (V-Dem)" ranking covers 173 countries and territories. Lowest value: North Korea (0.02). Highest value: Estonia (0.96). Median: 0.74 (data: 2025). The top 10% of countries exceed 0.93, while the bottom 10% stay below 0.25. By continent, the median is highest in Europe (0.91) and lowest in Asia (0.49).

Median by continent

Lower Higher
  • Europe 0.91 (39)
  • Oceania 0.87 (6)
  • North America 0.83 (15)
  • South America 0.81 (12)
  • Africa 0.6 (51)
  • Asia 0.49 (47)

Why this indicator matters

This index brings several basic rights together into a single number. It allows a quick comparison of how far people are protected from state violence and can exercise their freedoms.

What makes this indicator vary

Respect for rights depends on the political regime, institutions, the justice system, security and the country's history. Conflicts, crises or changes of power can make it vary fairly quickly.

Reading precautions

The index combines many rights: an average score can hide large differences between them. It comes from expert assessments by the V-Dem project, so it reflects judgment. It does not replace a detailed analysis.

Full ranking

ranked from highest to lowest

RankCountryValueYear
1er🇪🇪 Estonia0.962025
2e🇸🇪 Sweden0.962025
3e🇩🇰 Denmark0.962025
4e🇮🇪 Ireland0.962025
5e🇧🇪 Belgium0.962025
6e🇨🇭 Switzerland0.952025
6e🇮🇸 Iceland0.952025
8e🇨🇿 Czechia0.952025
8e🇳🇿 New Zealand0.952025
10e🇫🇮 Finland0.952025
10e🇳🇴 Norway0.952025
12e🇱🇺 Luxembourg0.952025
13e🇪🇸 Spain0.942025
14e🇩🇪 Germany0.942025
14e🇱🇻 Latvia0.942025
16e🇺🇾 Uruguay0.932025
17e🇨🇷 Costa Rica0.932025
18e🇨🇱 Chile0.932025
18e🇹🇼 Taiwan0.932025
20e🇯🇵 Japan0.932025
21e🇧🇧 Barbados0.922025
21e🇵🇱 Poland0.922025
23e🇫🇷 France0.922025
24e🇲🇹 Malta0.922025
25e🇱🇹 Lithuania0.912025
25e🇸🇷 Suriname0.912025
27e🇬🇭 Ghana0.912025
27e🇰🇷 South Korea0.912025
27e🇳🇱 Netherlands0.912025
30e🇦🇹 Austria0.912025
30e🇨🇻 Cape Verde0.912025
32e🇦🇺 Australia0.912025
33e🇸🇨 Seychelles0.92025
34e🇮🇹 Italy0.92025
35e🇨🇦 Canada0.92025
36e🇨🇾 Cyprus0.92025
37e🇸🇹 São Tomé & Príncipe0.892025
38e🇹🇹 Trinidad & Tobago0.892025
39e🇭🇷 Croatia0.892025
40e🇳🇦 Namibia0.882025
40e🇸🇮 Slovenia0.882025
42e🇲🇪 Montenegro0.882025
42e🇻🇺 Vanuatu0.882025
44e🇬🇲 Gambia0.882025
45e🇬🇷 Greece0.882025
46e🇷🇴 Romania0.882025
47e🇯🇲 Jamaica0.882025
48e🇩🇴 Dominican Republic0.872025
48e🇵🇦 Panama0.872025
50e🇲🇺 Mauritius0.872025
50e🇹🇱 Timor-Leste0.872025
52e🇦🇱 Albania0.872025
53e🇧🇷 Brazil0.872025
54e🇸🇧 Solomon Islands0.862025
54e🇸🇰 Slovakia0.862025
54e🇿🇦 South Africa0.862025
57e🇧🇬 Bulgaria0.852025
58e🇬🇾 Guyana0.852025
59e🇧🇼 Botswana0.852025
60e🇬🇧 United Kingdom0.842025
61e🇲🇩 Moldova0.842025
62e🇱🇷 Liberia0.842025
63e🇧🇯 Benin0.842025
63e🇵🇹 Portugal0.842025
65e🇱🇸 Lesotho0.842025
66e🇺🇸 United States0.832025
67e🇦🇷 Argentina0.822025
68e🇭🇳 Honduras0.822025
69e🇱🇰 Sri Lanka0.822025
70e🇧🇦 Bosnia & Herzegovina0.812025
71e🇸🇳 Senegal0.812025
72e🇲🇼 Malawi0.812025
73e🇵🇬 Papua New Guinea0.812025
73e🇵🇾 Paraguay0.812025
75e🇲🇳 Mongolia0.82025
76e🇦🇲 Armenia0.82025
76e🇵🇪 Peru0.82025
78e🇭🇺 Hungary0.792025
79e🇸🇱 Sierra Leone0.792025
80e🇲🇰 North Macedonia0.792025
81e🇬🇦 Gabon0.792025
82e🇮🇱 Israel0.792025
83e🇫🇯 Fiji0.772025
84e🇿🇲 Zambia0.772025
85e🇬🇹 Guatemala0.772025
86e🇨🇴 Colombia0.772025
87e🇭🇹 Haiti0.742025
88e🇳🇵 Nepal0.742025
89e🇧🇴 Bolivia0.742025
90e🇰🇪 Kenya0.742025
91e🇲🇾 Malaysia0.742025
92e🇷🇸 Serbia0.732025
93e🇲🇻 Maldives0.722025
94e🇸🇬 Singapore0.722025
95e🇧🇹 Bhutan0.72025
96e🇨🇮 Côte d’Ivoire0.72025
96e🇬🇪 Georgia0.72025
98e🇪🇨 Ecuador0.692025
99e🇱🇧 Lebanon0.692025
100e🇹🇳 Tunisia0.692025
101e🇳🇬 Nigeria0.672025
102e🇹🇿 Tanzania0.672025
103e🇯🇴 Jordan0.672025
104e🇲🇬 Madagascar0.652025
105e🇳🇪 Niger0.652025
106e🇲🇦 Morocco0.652025
107e🇮🇩 Indonesia0.632025
108e🇧🇩 Bangladesh0.632025
109e🇲🇽 Mexico0.632025
110e🇦🇴 Angola0.622025
111e🇭🇰 Hong Kong SAR China0.612025
112e🇲🇱 Mali0.612025
113e🇹🇬 Togo0.62025
114e🇺🇦 Ukraine0.582025
115e🇵🇭 Philippines0.562025
116e🇬🇼 Guinea-Bissau0.562025
117e🇮🇳 India0.532025
118e🇮🇶 Iraq0.522025
119e🇰🇿 Kazakhstan0.512025
119e🇲🇷 Mauritania0.512025
121e🇸🇻 El Salvador0.512025
122e🇨🇲 Cameroon0.512025
123e🇰🇼 Kuwait0.492025
124e🇲🇿 Mozambique0.482025
125e🇰🇬 Kyrgyzstan0.482025
125e🇹🇭 Thailand0.482025
127e🇰🇲 Comoros0.482025
128e🇵🇰 Pakistan0.472025
129e🇧🇫 Burkina Faso0.462025
130e🇸🇴 Somalia0.452025
131e🇴🇲 Oman0.452025
132e🇨🇫 Central African Republic0.442025
133e🇩🇿 Algeria0.422025
134e🇨🇩 Congo - Kinshasa0.422025
135e🇩🇯 Djibouti0.42025
136e🇹🇷 Türkiye0.42025
137e🇻🇳 Vietnam0.382025
138e🇿🇼 Zimbabwe0.382025
139e🇺🇿 Uzbekistan0.372025
140e🇶🇦 Qatar0.362025
141e🇬🇳 Guinea0.352025
142e🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates0.342025
143e🇨🇬 Congo - Brazzaville0.332025
144e🇱🇾 Libya0.322025
145e🇸🇾 Syria0.322025
146e🇺🇬 Uganda0.322025
147e🇻🇪 Venezuela0.312025
148e🇪🇹 Ethiopia0.32025
149e🇨🇺 Cuba0.32025
150e🇧🇭 Bahrain0.32025
151e🇦🇿 Azerbaijan0.292025
152e🇹🇩 Chad0.282025
153e🇧🇮 Burundi0.272025
154e🇷🇺 Russia0.272025
155e🇰🇭 Cambodia0.262025
156e🇮🇷 Iran0.252025
157e🇪🇬 Egypt0.232025
158e🇧🇾 Belarus0.222025
159e🇸🇿 Eswatini0.212025
160e🇷🇼 Rwanda0.192025
161e🇾🇪 Yemen0.192025
162e🇨🇳 China0.182025
163e🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia0.182025
164e🇸🇩 Sudan0.172025
165e🇬🇶 Equatorial Guinea0.172025
165e🇹🇯 Tajikistan0.172025
167e🇱🇦 Laos0.142025
168e🇹🇲 Turkmenistan0.112025
169e🇲🇲 Myanmar (Burma)0.12025
170e🇳🇮 Nicaragua0.082025
171e🇪🇷 Eritrea0.052025
172e🇦🇫 Afghanistan0.042025
173e🇰🇵 North Korea0.022025

Frequently asked questions

Which country has the highest value for "Human rights index (V-Dem)"?

The highest value is in Estonia, at 0.96 (2025).

Which country has the lowest value for "Human rights index (V-Dem)"?

The lowest value is in North Korea, at 0.02 (2025).

What is the world median value of "Human rights index (V-Dem)"?

The world median is 0.74, calculated across 173 countries: half of the countries are above it, the other half below.

What is the value of "Human rights index (V-Dem)" for France?

France scores 0.92 (2025), ranking 23 out of 173 countries (ranked from highest to lowest).

Where does the "Human rights index (V-Dem)" data come from?

It comes from V-Dem (Varieties of Democracy), version 16 – via Our World in Data. Site last updated: November 8, 2026. Each country is shown with the year of its most recent value.

What does the human rights index contain?

It combines protection from torture, political killings and forced labor, property rights, and freedom of movement, religion, expression and association.

How do I read the scale?

The index ranges from zero to one. The closer it gets to one, the more basic human rights are respected. The closer it gets to zero, the less they are.

Source and update

Source : V-Dem (Varieties of Democracy), version 16 – via Our World in Data. Site last updated: November 8, 2026.

Indicators in the same category : Civil Liberties & Human Rights