Human Rights

Human rights are rights that all people have, regardless of their country, gender, ethnicity, or other traits. Human rights include — among others — physical integrity rights, such as not being killed or tortured; civil rights, such as the freedoms to practice your religion and to move unrestricted in your country; and political rights, such as the freedoms to assemble without restrictions and to voice your views.

The protection of human rights allows people to live the lives they want to and fulfil their potential. The United Nations General Assembly therefore on December 10, 1948, proclaimed the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. It for the first time identified many human rights that should be universally protected across all countries and people.

Many organizations and researchers study the extent to which people around the world enjoy these rights in practice. This page brings this data and research together to show how the extent of human rights has changed over time, how their protection differs across countries, and whether countries have specific institutions that work to protect them.