Human Rights and Freedom in Estonia

https://www.humantruth.info/estonia_human_rights_and_freedom.html

By Vexen Crabtree 2019

#Estonia #estonia_freedom #freedom #human_rights #politics

Estonia Republic of Estonia [Country Profile Page]
Status	Independent State
Social and Moral Index	31st best
Location	Europe, Baltic States, Scandinavia
Population	1.3m₁
Life Expectancy	77.14yrs (2017)₂

Estonia performs very well in ensuring human rights and freedom compared to most other countries. Estonia does the best for its average Freedom in the World rating. It does the second-best in supporting press freedom₃. It comes in the best 20 in commentary in Human Rights Watch reports₄. And finally, it does better than average in supporting personal, civil & economic freedoms₅, the rate of gender bias (from 7 indicators)₆ (but bad for Europe), opposing gender inequality₇, LGBT equality₈, its success in fighting anti-semitic prejudice₉, combatting modern slavery₁₀, freethought₁₁ (but high for Europe) and in its nominal commitment to Human Rights₁₂ (but low for Europe).

1. Estonia's Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance

#equality #estonia #eu #freedom #gender_equality #human_rights #morals #politics #prejudice #tolerance

Compared to Europe (2025)₁₃
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₁₃
1	Sweden	5.9
2	Norway	8.0
3	Denmark	8.1
	...
16	Slovenia	29.6
17	Portugal	31.0
18	Italy	32.6
19	Estonia	35.0
20	Malta	38.7
21	Czechia	41.7
22	Cyprus	43.8
23	Lithuania	45.0
24	Latvia	46.3
	Europe Avg	47.37
q=48.

Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance (2025)₁₃
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₁₃
1	Sweden	5.9
2	Norway	8.0
3	Denmark	8.1
	...
22	Italy	32.6
23	Uruguay	34.3
24	Japan	34.7
25	Estonia	35.0
26	USA	38.1
27	Malta	38.7
28	Czechia	41.7
29	Taiwan	42.4
	World Avg	86.35
q=198.

The best countries in the world at ensuring human rights, fostering equality and promoting tolerance, are Sweden, Norway and Denmark₁₄. These countries are displaying the best traits that humanity has to offer. The worst countries are N. Korea, Somalia and Eritrea₁₄.

25 datasets are used to calculate points for each country, including multiple decades of data on supporting press freedom, combatting modern slavery, supporting personal, civil & economic freedoms, its average Freedom in the World rating, commentary in Human Rights Watch reports, its nominal commitment to Human Rights, speed of uptake of HR treaties, opposing gender inequality, the rate of gender bias (from 7 indicators), the year from which women could participate in democracy, its success in fighting anti-semitic prejudice, LGBT equality and freethought. The regions with the best average results per country are Scandinavia, Baltic States and Europe₁₄, whereas the worst are The Middle East, Africa and Asia₁₄.

For more, see:

" Which are the Best Countries for Human Rights, Equality and Tolerance?" by Vexen Crabtree (2025).

Amnesty International's 2023-23 summary on human rights in Estonia stated:

“The lack of comprehensive anti discrimination legislation persisted. The definition of rape was still not based on consent. Parliament adopted amendments to the State Borders Act which violate the European Convention on Human Rights and the UN Refugee Convention. Same-sex couples faced discrimination under the Names Act.”
"The State of the World's Human Rights 2022/23" by Amnesty International (2023)₁₅

The EU has acted on behalf of its member states on many occasions to support, foster, fund and encourage human rights protections in every region of the world, with agreement of its member states through the European Parliament. The protections of workers' rights and their harmonisations (which stops companies moving staff to countries with the weakest laws) has had great effect in stopping workforce abuse₁₆. According to Human Rights Watch's comprehensive review for the year 2017, in addition to vocal and public pronouncements on poor human rights records of many countries, the EU has also acted through economic sanctions, political pressure and used other means to incentivize the adoption of human rights protections, even if these measures harm EU trading₁₇. It is to Estonia's credit that it supports the EU in these actions.

2. Human Rights & Tolerance Datasets

2.1. Press Freedom

#democracy #freedom #Freedom_of_Speech #Good_Governance #mass_media #politics #UK

Press Freedom Higher is better₃
Pos.		2025₃
1	Norway	92.31
2	Estonia	89.46
3	Netherlands	88.64
4	Sweden	88.13
5	Finland	87.18
6	Denmark	86.93
7	Ireland	86.92
8	Portugal	84.26
9	Switzerland	83.98
10	Czechia	83.96
11	Germany	83.85
12	Liechtenstein	83.42
	Europe Avg	70.63
	World Avg	54.65
q=179.

Estonia comes 2nd-best in the world in terms of supporting press freedom, after Norway.

The freedom to investigate, publish information, and have access to others' opinion is a fundamental part of today's information-driven world, and is linked with Freedom of Speech and Good Governance. Scores on the Press Freedom Index are calculated according to indicators including pluralism - the degree to which opinions are represented in the media, media independence of authorities, self-censorship, legislation, transparency and the infrastructure that supports news and information, and, the level of violence against journalists which includes lengths of imprisonments. The index "does not take direct account of the kind of political system but it is clear that democracies provide better protection for the freedom to produce and circulate accurate news and information than countries where human rights are flouted". The rankings are used as one of the datasets of the Social and Moral Development Index₁₈

It must be noted that press freedom is not an indicator of press quality and the press itself can be abusive; the UK suffers in particular from a popular brand of nasty reporting that infuses several of its newspapers who are particularly prone to running destructive and often untrue campaigns against victims. The Press Freedom Index notes that "the index should in no way be taken as an indicator of the quality of the media in the countries concerned".

For more, see:

"Human Rights" by Vexen Crabtree (2019).

Estonia is one of only 19 countries who in 2025 had better press freedom than in the 2010s.

Averages by decade for Estonia (for the ranks, lower is better):

Press Freedom	2000s Average	2010s Average
Estonia:	1.64	87.96
World Rank:	6th	⇣ 9th
World Avg:	27.44	65.91

2.2. Slavery in the 2020s

#burundi #eritrea #human_rights #indonesia #slavery

Slavery in the 2020s Lower is better₁₀
Pos.		Total Per 1000₁₀
1=	Switzerland	0.50
1=	Norway	0.50
3=	Germany	0.60
	...
52=	Mongolia	4.00
53=	Vietnam	4.10
53=	Angola	4.10
53=	Estonia	4.10
56=	Uganda	4.20
56=	Guyana	4.20
56=	Argentina	4.20
56=	Czechia	4.20
	Europe Avg	5.64
	World Avg	7.15
q=160.

Estonia ranks 53rd in the world in terms of combatting modern slavery.

Modern slavery includes forced labour (often of the under-age), debt bondage (especially generational), sexual slavery, chattel slavery and other forms of abuse, some of which can be surprisingly difficult to detect, but often target those fleeing from warzones, and poverty-stricken vulnerable.₁₉. Some industries (diamond, clothing, coal) from some countries (Burundi₂₀, Eritrea₂₀, Indonesia₂₁) are a particular concern. The Walk Free Foundation, say in their 2023 report that 50 million people are living in modern slavery₂₀.

For more, see:

"The Historical Slave Trade and Modern Slavery" by Vexen Crabtree (2018).

Averages by decade for Estonia (for the ranks, lower is better):

Slavery	2010s Average	2020s Average
Estonia:	3.60	4.10
World Rank:	73rd	⇡ 53rd
World Avg:	6.54	7.15

2.3. Personal, Civil & Economic Freedom

#freedom #politics

Personal, Civil & Economic Freedom Lower is better₅
Pos.		2014 Rank₅
1	Hong Kong	1
2	Switzerland	2
3	New Zealand	3
	...
18	Czechia	18
19	Portugal	19
20	Lithuania	20
21=	Estonia	21
21=	Poland	21
23	USA	23
24	Latvia	24
25	Iceland	25
	Europe Avg	33.9
	World Avg	79.7
q=159.

Estonia comes 21st in the world in terms of supporting personal, civil & economic freedoms.

The Human Freedom Index published by the Fraser Institute is...

“... a broad measure of human freedom, understood as the absence of coercive constraint. It uses 79 distinct indicators of personal and economic freedom in the following areas: Rule of Law, Security and Safety, Movement, Religion, Association, Assembly, and Civil Society, Expression, Relationships, Size of Government, Legal System and Property Rights, Access to Sound Money, Freedom to Trade Internationally, Regulation of Credit, Labor, and Business. [...]
The highest levels of freedom are in Western Europe, Northern Europe, and North America (Canada and the United States. The lowest levels are in the Middle East and North Africa, South Asia, and sub-Saharan Africa. [...]
Countries in the top quartile of freedom enjoy a significant higher per capita income ($37,147) [compared with] the least-free quartile [at] $8,700). The HFI finds a strong correlation between human freedom and democracy.”
"The Human Freedom Index" by The Fraser Institute (2016)₂₂

For more, see:

"Human Rights" by Vexen Crabtree (2019).

2.4. Freedom in the World

#freedom #human_rights #hungary #politics #USA

Freedom in the World Lower is better
Pos.		2024 Score
1=	Norway	1.0
1=	Canada	1.0
1=	Cape Verde	1.0
	...
23=	Japan	1.0
23=	Luxembourg	1.0
23=	Kiribati	1.0
23=	Estonia	1.0
23=	Austria	1.0
23=	Taiwan	1.0
23=	Spain	1.0
23=	Belgium	1.0
	Europe Avg	2.2
	World Avg	3.7
q=205.

Estonia ranks best in the world when it comes to its average Freedom in the World rating.

Freedom House's long-standing annual report has been running since the 1970s, collecting data on political rights (PR) and civil liberties (CL). Their reports rate countries as "Free", "Partially Free" or "Not Free", however the results here are based on their numerical values. Many countries score the best combination of scores (1 and 1), which is why the table of results show many places equally placed in 1st place. In the past two decades, some well-established democracies like the USA and Hungary have been falling. Whilst most of the world in general is improving rights and freedoms over time, the 2020s has seen some regression.

For more, see:

" Which are the Best Countries for Human Rights, Equality and Tolerance?" by Vexen Crabtree (2025).

Averages by decade for Estonia (for the ranks, lower is better):

Freedom in the World	1990s Average	2000s Average	2010s Average
Estonia:	2.1	1.2	1.0
World Rank:	61st	⇡ 37th	⇡ 1st
World Avg:	3.6	3.4	3.4

2.5. Human Rights Watch Comments

#human_rights

Human Rights Watch Comments Higher is better₄
Pos.		2017 Score₄
1=	UK	9
1=	France	9
1=	Germany	9
	...
13=	Czechia	5
13=	Denmark	5
13=	Romania	5
13=	Estonia	5
13=	Portugal	5
13=	Bulgaria	5
13=	Spain	5
13=	Malta	5
	Europe Avg	3.5
	World Avg	-1.9
q=123.

Estonia ranks 11th-best in the world when it comes to commentary in Human Rights Watch reports.

Human Rights Watch comments concentrate mostly on negative issues, however, they also make positive comments for those countries that engage in human rights defence around the world, or who make improvements at home. By adding up positive and negative comments (including double-points for negatives that involve large scales and crimes against humanity), the Social and Moral Index turns HRW commentary into quantified values. Some countries may be unfairly penalized because HRW have not examined them, and, some countries "get away" with abuses if they manage to hide it, or if it goes unnoticed - a negative point has been given for those countries in which HRW specifically state that access to investigators has been barred. The points were limited to a minimum of -10 because there are some points at which things are so bad, with abuses affecting so many, it is difficult to be more specific about the depths of the issues.

For more, see:

"Human Rights" by Vexen Crabtree (2019).

2.6. Nominal Commitment to HR

#human_rights

Nominal Commitment to HR Higher is better₁₂
Pos.		2009 Treaties₁₂
1	Argentina	24
2=	Chile	23
2=	Costa Rica	23
	...
74=	El Salvador	18
75=	Mongolia	17
75=	Timor-Leste (E. Timor)	17
75=	Estonia	17
75=	Turkmenistan	17
75=	Turkey	17
75=	Morocco	17
75=	Guinea	17
	Europe Avg	19.5
	World Avg	15.1
q=194.

Estonia comes 75th in the world in terms of its nominal commitment to Human Rights.

There are many international agreements on human rights, and, many mechanisms by which countries can be brought to account for their actions. Together, these have been the biggest historical movement in the fight against oppression and inhumanity. Or, putting it another way: these are rejected mostly by those who wish to oppress inhumanely. None of them are perfect and many people object to various components and wordings, but, no-one has come up with, and enforced, better methods of controlling the occasional desires that states and peoples have of causing angst for other states and peoples in a violent, unjust or inhumane way. Points are awarded for the number of human rights agreements ratified by the country, plus the acceptance of the petition mechanisms for disputes. The maximum possible score in 2009 was 24.

For more, see:

"Human Rights" by Vexen Crabtree (2019).

2.7. HR Treaties Lag

#human_rights #international_law #micronesia #politics #small_islands

HR Treaties Lag Lower is better₂₃
Pos.		2019 Avg Yrs/Treaty₂₃
1	Ecuador	2.15
2	Uruguay	2.25
3	Tunisia	3.65
	...
134	Moldova	11.99
135	Kyrgyzstan	12.04
136	Botswana	12.05
137	Estonia	12.06
138	Gambia	12.12
139	Ivory Coast	12.14
140	Trinidad & Tobago	12.26
141	Turkmenistan	12.35
	Europe Avg	9.09
	World Avg	10.02
q=195.

Estonia is positioned 137th in the world regarding speed of uptake of HR treaties.

Human Rights (HR) Treaties Lag is a count of how long it took each country to sign each of 11 key HR treaties. From the date of the first signatory of each treaty, all other countries have one point added to their score for each day they delayed in signing. Results are presented as average time in years to sign each one. The lower a country's score, the more enthusiastically it has taken on international Human Rights Treaties - which are, of course, minimal standards of good governance. The slowest are the countries of Micronesia, Melanesia, Australasia and Polynesia all lagged by over 12 years per treaty. The best regions are The Americas, Scandinavia and the Mediterranean.

For more, see:

" Which are the Best Countries for Human Rights, Equality and Tolerance?" by Vexen Crabtree (2025).

3. Gender Equality Datasets

Estonia is notable for its equality between the sexes and this has been a feature of the country's culture for quite some time.

See:

"Religion Versus Womankind" by Vexen Crabtree (2007)

3.1. Gender Inequality

#gender #gender_equality #human_rights #misogyny #women

Gender Inequality Lower is better₇
Pos.		2022₇
1	Denmark	0.01
2	Norway	0.01
3	Switzerland	0.02
	...
24	New Zealand	0.09
25	Israel	0.09
26	Croatia	0.09
27	Estonia	0.10
28	UK	0.10
29	Belarus	0.10
30	Lithuania	0.10
31	Poland	0.11
	Europe Avg	0.12
	World Avg	0.34
q=166.

Estonia ranks 27th in the world in terms of opposing gender inequality.

The UN Human Development Reports include statistics on gender equality which take into account things like maternal mortality, access to political power (seats in parliament) and differences between male and female education rates. Gender inequality is not a necessary part of early human development. Although a separation of roles is almost universal due to different strengths between the genders, this does not have to mean that women are subdued, and, such patriarchalism is not universal in ancient history. Those cultures and peoples who shed, or never developed, the idea that mankind ought to dominate womankind, are better cultures and peoples than those who, even today, cling violently to those mores.

For more, see:

"Gender Equality" by Vexen Crabtree (2023).

Averages by decade for Estonia (for the ranks, lower is better):

Gender Inequality	1990s Average	2000s Average	2010s Average
Estonia:	0.35	0.22	0.13
World Rank:	39th	⇡ 33rd	⇡ 27th
World Avg:	0.44	0.41	0.37

3.2. Gender Biases

#gender #gender_equality #prejudice #women

Gender Biases Lower is better₆
Pos.		2022 %₆
1	Sweden	31.8₂₄
2	New Zealand	34.4₂₅
3	Australia	37.0₂₅
	...
21	Serbia	77.6₂₅
22	Singapore	77.6₂₅
23	Bulgaria	78.2₂₆
24	Estonia	78.3₂₄
25	Uruguay	78.6₂₄
26	Chile	79.9₂₅
27	Hong Kong	80.8₂₅
28	Poland	81.4₂₄
	Europe Avg	69.08
	World Avg	83.93
q=88.

Estonia is 24th in the world with regard to the rate of gender bias (from 7 indicators).

The Gender Social Norms Index (GSNI) looks at gender biases across seven criteria; the % given here is for the total people who are biased across any of those criteria. By subtracting the value from 100%, you can see that those who do well on this index, you are seeing a count of those who do not appear to be biased against women in any of the criteria, and so, doing well on this index is a very positive sign for any country.

The data was included in UN (2022) with full results in Annex table AS6.7.1; their data stems for ranges between 2005 and 2022, depending on the country in question.

3.3. Year Women Can Vote

#christianity #gender_equality #human_rights #politics #women

Year Women Can Vote Lower is better
Pos.		Total Year
1	New Zealand	1893
2	Australia	1902
3	Finland	1906
4	Norway	1913
5=	Denmark	1915
5=	Iceland	1915
7	Russia	1917
8=	Latvia	1918
8=	Estonia	1918
8=	Kyrgyzstan	1918
11=	Austria	1919
11=	Slovakia	1919
	Europe Avg	1895
	World Avg	1930
q=189.

With regard to the year from which women could participate in democracy, Estonia ranks 8th-best in the world.

Women now have equal rights in the vast majority of countries across the world. Although academic literature oftens talks of when a country "grants women the right to vote", this enforces a backwards way of thinking. Women always had the right to vote, however, they were frequently denied that right. The opposition to women's ability to vote in equality with man was most consistently and powerfully opposed by the Catholic Church, other Christian organisations, Islamic authorities and some other religious and secular traditionalists.

For more, see:

"Gender Equality" by Vexen Crabtree (2023).

4. Prejudice Datasets

4.1. Anti-Semite Opinions

#antisemitism #christianity #germany #indonesia #jordan #judaism #laos #morocco #netherlands #pakistan #philippines #religion #religious_violence #saudi_arabia #spain #sweden #turkey #UK #vietnam

Anti-Semite Opinions Lower is better₉
Pos.		2014 %₉
1	Laos	0
2	Philippines	3
3	Sweden	4
	...
27=	China	20
28	Portugal	21
29=	Ivory Coast	22
29=	Estonia	22
31	Japan	23
32=	Trinidad & Tobago	24
32=	Argentina	24
32=	Mexico	24
	Europe Avg	29.9
	World Avg	36.8
q=101.

Estonia is positioned 30th in the world when it comes to its success in fighting anti-semitic prejudice.

Anti-Semitism is the word given to irrational racism against Jews. It's not the same as anti-Judaism (arguments against the religion) nor the same as anti-Zionism (arguments against Israel). In history, influential Christian theologians concocted the arguments against Jews that led, very early on, to widespread Christian action against Jews₂₇_,₂₈_,₂₉_,₃₀. As Christianity rose to power in the West and presided over the Dark Ages, there were repeated violent outbursts against Jews of the most horrible kind. Entire Crusades were aimed at them and the feared Spanish Inquisition paid Jews particular attention. The horror of the holocaust instigated by German Nazis in the 1940s was followed (finally) by the era of European human rights and a movement against racism in general.

The places that are the least anti-Semitical are a few countries of south-east Asia (Laos, the Philippines and Vietnam) and some of the secular liberal democracies of Europe (Sweden, the Netherlands and the UK). The worst countries for antisemitism are Islamic states of the Middle East₃₁, which are undergoing their own Dark Age. Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Morocco, Indonesia, Pakistan and Turkey see the most oppressive and violent actions towards Jews₃₂_,₃₃. Jews in Muslim countries face a host of restrictions and "ceaseless humiliation and regular pogroms"₃₄. In 2004 the European Union Monitoring Center on Racism and Xenophobia reported on violent anti-Jew crimes in the EU and found that that largest group of perpetrators were young Muslim males₃₅.

For more, see:

"Anti-Semitism" by Vexen Crabtree (2017).

4.2. LGBT Equality

#equality #homosexuality #human_rights #ICCPR #intolerance #sexuality #tolerance

“In January 2017, Estonia became the first former Soviet republic to recognize same-sex marriages entered into abroad. In July 2017, Estonia held its first Pride Parade in 10 years. Despite these significant steps, the government has yet to implement the 2016 Cohabitation Act that would give people in same-sex civil partnerships the same rights as married couples, including in relation to property and adoption.”
"World Report 2018" by Human Rights Watch (2018)₃₆

LGBT Equality Higher is better₈
Pos.		2017 Score₈
1	Netherlands	103
2	Belgium	90
3	Sweden	86
	...
27=	Peru	50
28	Hungary	49
29	Israel	48
30=	Estonia	45
30=	Honduras	45
30=	Bolivia	45
30=	Croatia	45
30=	Slovenia	45
	Europe Avg	46.9
	World Avg	12.6
q=196.

Estonia is positioned 30th in the world regarding LGBT equality.

Discrimination against Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) folk is rife across the world. Legal restrictions co-exist alongside social stigmatisation and physical violence₃₇. LGBT tolerance and equal rights have been fought for country-by-country across the world, often against tightly entrenched cultural and religious opposition. Adult consensual sexual activity is a Human Right, protected by privacy laws₃₈. Despite this, homosexual activity is outlawed in around 80 countries₃₇. The Social & Moral LGBT Equality Index was created to compare countries and regions, granting points to each country for a variety of factors including how long gay sex has been criminalized and the extent of LGBT legal rights. Graded negative points are given for criminality of homosexuality, unequal ages of consent, legal punishments and for not signing international accords on LGBT tolerance. The signs in many developed countries are positive, and things are gradually improving. Europe is by far the least prejudiced region (Scandinavia in particular being exemplary). The Middle East and then Africa are the least morally developed, where cultural bias goes hand-in-hand with state intolerance, all too often including physical violence.

For more, see:

"LGBT Rights Across the World: Which are the Best and Worst Countries?" by Vexen Crabtree (2017).

4.3. Freedom of Thought

#europe #freedom_of_belief #freethought #human_rights #netherlands #religion #religious_tolerance #secularism #the_enlightenment

Freedom of Thought Lower is better₁₁
Pos.		2021₁₁
1=	Belgium	1.0
1=	Taiwan	1.0
1=	Netherlands	1.0
	...
66=	Kyrgyzstan	2.8
66=	Dominica	2.8
66=	Slovakia	2.8
66=	Estonia	2.8
66=	Lithuania	2.8
66=	Peru	2.8
66=	Ireland	2.8
66=	Haiti	2.8
	Europe Avg	2.6
	World Avg	3.0
q=196.

Estonia ranks 65th in the world regarding freethought.

Freedom of Religion and Freedom of Belief are upheld in Article 18 the United Nation's Universal Declaration of Human Rights₃₉. It affirms that it is a basic human right that all people are free to change their beliefs and religion as they wish₄₀. No countries voted against this (although eight abstained). This right was first recognized clearly in the policies of religious toleration of the Netherlands and elsewhere in Europe in the post-enlightenment era₄₁ of the 19th century. In democratic countries, freedom of belief and religion is now taken for granted₄₂. In 2016 a study found that over 180 countries in the world had come to guarantee freedom of religion and belief₄₃. The best countries at doing so are Belgium, The Netherlands and Taiwan₁₁_,₄₄ and the worst: Afghanistan, N. Korea, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia₁₁_,₄₅.

Long-term studies have shown that religious violence and persecution both decrease in cultures where religious freedom is guaranteed₄₆. Despite this, there still are many who are strongly against freedom of belief₄₀, including entire cultures and many individual communities of religious believers. Their alternative is that you are not free to believe what you want and they often state that you cannot change religion without being punished (often including the death penalty): this is bemoaned as one of the most dangerous elements of religion₄₇ and "the denial of religious freedoms is inevitably intertwined with the denial of other freedoms"₄₈ and the solution is, everywhere, to allow religious freedom and the freedom of belief.

For more, see:

"Freethought - Freedom of Belief and Freedom of Religion" by Vexen Crabtree (2022).