Human Rights and Freedom in Nepal

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

By Vexen Crabtree 2019

#human_rights #nepal #nepal_slavery #slavery

Nepal [Country Profile Page]
Status	Independent State
Social and Moral Index	112th best
Location	Asia
Population	28.1m₁
Life Expectancy	68.45yrs (2017)₂

Nepal does relatively well in ensuring human rights and freedom, compared to many other countries. Nepal does better than average in combatting modern slavery₃, commentary in Human Rights Watch reports₄, freethought₅, LGBT equality₆, supporting press freedom₇ and in its average Freedom in the World rating. But, there's bad news too. Nepal does worse than average in supporting personal, civil & economic freedoms₈ (still low for Asia), opposing gender inequality₉ and in its nominal commitment to Human Rights₁₀.

1. Nepal's Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance

#equality #freedom #gender_equality #human_rights #morals #nepal #politics #prejudice #tolerance

Compared to Asia (2025)₁₁
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₁₁
1	Japan	34.7
2	Taiwan	42.4
3	Cyprus	43.8
	...
15	Timor-Leste (E. Timor)	95.1
16	Sri Lanka	95.2
17	India	97.2
18	Nepal	97.6
19	Kyrgyzstan	99.6
20	Russia	103.5
21	Lebanon	104.1
22	Azerbaijan	107.4
23	Malaysia	107.5
	Asia Avg	103.00
q=52.

Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance (2025)₁₁
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₁₁
1	Sweden	5.9
2	Norway	8.0
3	Denmark	8.1
	...
110	Tunisia	95.5
111	Samoa	95.7
112	India	97.2
113	Nepal	97.6
114	Benin	97.7
115	Mali	98.6
116	Vanuatu	98.7
117	Kyrgyzstan	99.6
	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 Denmark₁₂. These countries are displaying the best traits that humanity has to offer. The worst countries are N. Korea, Somalia and Eritrea₁₂.

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 Europe₁₂, whereas the worst are The Middle East, Africa and Asia₁₂.

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 Nepal stated:

“The authorities carried out arbitrary arrests to limit freedom of expression and security forces continued to use unnecessary and excessive force to disperse protests. At least one protester was shot dead. Efforts toward securing truth, justice and reparation for crimes under international law and other human rights violations committed during the 1996-2006 conflict remained grossly inadequate. The authorities failed to carry out credible and independent investigations into deaths in custody.”
"The State of the World's Human Rights 2022/23"
Amnesty International (2023)₁₃

“Nepal´s transitional justice process has been plagued by a lack of political will from all parties, as well as the military. At least 13,000 people were killed and over 1,300 were forcibly disappeared during the country´s decade-long conflict [1996-2006], yet political leaders continue to neglect calls for accountability.”
"World Report 2018"
Human Rights Watch (2018)₁₄

2. Human Rights & Tolerance Datasets

2.1. Press Freedom

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

Press Freedom Higher is better₇
Pos.		2025₇
1	Norway	92.31
2	Estonia	89.46
3	Netherlands	88.64
	...
86	Argentina	56.14
87	Malaysia	56.09
88	Greece	55.37
89	Nepal	55.20
90	Northern Cyprus	54.84
91	Benin	54.60
92	Bolivia	54.09
93	Ecuador	53.76
	Asia Avg	39.69
	World Avg	54.65
q=179.

In terms of supporting press freedom, Nepal comes 89th in the world.

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 Index₁₅

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).

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

Press Freedom	2000s Average	2010s Average
Nepal:	61.42	66.49
World Rank:	161st	⇡ 107th
World Avg:	27.44	65.91

2.2. Slavery in the 2020s

#burundi #eritrea #human_rights #indonesia #slavery

Slavery in the 2020s Lower is better₃
Pos.		Total Per 1000₃
1=	Switzerland	0.50
1=	Norway	0.50
3=	Germany	0.60
	...
35	Liberia	3.10
36=	Chile	3.20
36=	Costa Rica	3.20
38=	Nepal	3.30
38=	Togo	3.30
38=	Italy	3.30
38=	USA	3.30
42=	Latvia	3.40
	Asia Avg	9.89
	World Avg	7.15
q=160.

Nepal is positioned 38th in the world with regard to 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.₁₆. Some industries (diamond, clothing, coal) from some countries (Burundi₁₇, Eritrea₁₇, Indonesia₁₈) are a particular concern. The Walk Free Foundation, say in their 2023 report that 50 million people are living in modern slavery₁₇.

For more, see:

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

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

Slavery	2010s Average	2020s Average
Nepal:	6.00	3.30
World Rank:	113th	⇡ 38th
World Avg:	6.54	7.15

2.3. Personal, Civil & Economic Freedom

#freedom #politics

Personal, Civil & Economic Freedom Lower is better₈
Pos.		2014 Rank₈
1	Hong Kong	1
2	Switzerland	2
3	New Zealand	3
	...
81=	Benin	79
82	Brazil	82
83	Tajikistan	83
84	Nepal	84
85=	Barbados	85
85=	Rwanda	85
87	India	87
88=	Burkina Faso	88
	Asia Avg	94.6
	World Avg	79.7
q=159.

Nepal comes 84th 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)₁₉

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
	...
98=	Bolivia	3.0
98=	Hungary	3.0
100=	Papua New Guinea	3.5
100=	Nepal	3.5
100=	Mexico	3.5
100=	Indonesia	3.5
100=	Philippines	3.5
100=	Serbia	3.5
	Asia Avg	5.0
	World Avg	3.7
q=205.

Nepal is positioned 100th in the world regarding 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 Nepal (for the ranks, lower is better):

Freedom in the World	1970s Average	1980s Average	1990s Average	2000s Average	2010s Average
Nepal:	5.4	3.6	3.4	4.3	3.7
World Rank:	106th	⇡ 67th	⇣ 93rd	⇣ 131st	⇡ 115th
World Avg:	4.3	4.2	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
	...
38=	Norway	1
38=	Panama	1
40=	Ukraine	0
40=	Nepal	0
40=	S. Korea	0
43=	Guatemala	-1
43=	Armenia	-1
43=	Ivory Coast	-1
	Asia Avg	-5.0
	World Avg	-1.9
q=123.

Nepal comes 40th in the world regarding 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 better₁₀
Pos.		2009 Treaties₁₀
1	Argentina	24
2=	Chile	23
2=	Costa Rica	23
	...
132=	Gambia	13
132=	Equatorial Guinea	13
132=	Antigua & Barbuda	13
132=	Nepal	13
132=	Djibouti	13
137=	Ethiopia	12
137=	Haiti	12
137=	Dominica	12
	Asia Avg	12.7
	World Avg	15.1
q=194.

Nepal ranks 125th in the world regarding 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 better₂₀
Pos.		2019 Avg Yrs/Treaty₂₀
1	Ecuador	2.15
2	Uruguay	2.25
3	Tunisia	3.65
	...
86	Luxembourg	9.67
87	Nigeria	9.71
88	Vietnam	9.72
89	Nepal	9.76
90	S. Korea	9.89
91	Niger	9.89
92	Barbados	9.94
93	Algeria	9.95
	Asia Avg	10.97
	World Avg	10.02
q=195.

With regard to speed of uptake of HR treaties, Nepal is positioned 89th in the world.

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

The 1950s saw a late rush of 43 countries, including Nepal and many developing nations, move to cease preventing women from voting. Nepal is an unequal country, with male rights dominating those of women.

“Nepal has the third highest rate of child marriage in Asia–37 percent of girls are married before 18, and 10 percent by 15. Progress toward ending the practice has stalled. In 2016, the government launched a national strategy to end child marriage by 2030, but they have yet to announce any practical action plan.”
"World Report 2018" by Human Rights Watch (2018)₁₄

See:

"Religion Versus Womankind" by Vexen Crabtree (2007)

3.1. Gender Inequality

#gender #gender_equality #human_rights #misogyny #women

Gender Inequality Lower is better₉
Pos.		2022₉
1	Denmark	0.01
2	Norway	0.01
3	Switzerland	0.02
	...
121	Cambodia	0.49
122	Syria	0.49
123=	Ethiopia	0.50
123=	Nepal	0.50
125	Swaziland	0.50
126	Bangladesh	0.50
127	Burundi	0.50
128	Senegal	0.51
	Asia Avg	0.33
	World Avg	0.34
q=166.

With regard to opposing gender inequality, Nepal ranks 123rd in the world.

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).

In the 1990s, Npeal was amongst the top 10 worst countries in the world for Gender Inequality. However, as data on more countries became available from the 2000s and as its situation slowly improved, its ranking rose in following decades.

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

Gender Inequality	1990s Average	2000s Average	2010s Average
Nepal:	0.71	0.61	0.51
World Rank:	107th	⇣ 123rd	⇡ 121st
World Avg:	0.44	0.41	0.37

3.2. 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
	...
84=	Haiti	1950
85=	Antigua & Barbuda	1951
85=	Grenada	1951
85=	Nepal	1951
85=	Dominica	1951
85=	St Kitts & Nevis	1951
85=	St Vincent & Grenadines	1951
91=	Bolivia	1952
	Asia Avg	1907
	World Avg	1930
q=189.

Nepal is positioned 85th in the world in terms of the year from which women could participate in democracy.

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. LGBT Equality

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

Same-sex relationships are not recognized by the government₁₄, leading to legal bias and discrimination when access services and rights that couples normally enjoy.

LGBT Equality Higher is better₆
Pos.		2017 Score₆
1	Netherlands	103
2	Belgium	90
3	Sweden	86
	...
77=	Seychelles	25
77=	Panama	25
77=	Vietnam	25
77=	Nepal	25
77=	Cuba	25
82=	Paraguay	20
82=	Philippines	20
82=	Central African Rep.	20
	Asia Avg	-02.1
	World Avg	12.6
q=196.

Nepal is positioned 66th 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 violence₂₁. 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 laws₂₂. Despite this, homosexual activity is outlawed in around 80 countries₂₁. 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).

4.2. Freedom of Thought

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

Freedom of Thought Lower is better₅
Pos.		2021₅
1=	Belgium	1.0
1=	Taiwan	1.0
1=	Netherlands	1.0
	...
73=	Haiti	2.8
73=	Portugal	2.8
73=	Georgia	2.8
73=	Nepal	2.8
73=	Latvia	2.8
73=	Monaco	2.8
73=	Jamaica	2.8
73=	Mauritius	2.8
	Asia Avg	3.7
	World Avg	3.0
q=196.

Nepal is positioned 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 Rights₂₃. It affirms that it is a basic human right that all people are free to change their beliefs and religion as they wish₂₄. 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 era₂₅ of the 19th century. In democratic countries, freedom of belief and religion is now taken for granted₂₆. In 2016 a study found that over 180 countries in the world had come to guarantee freedom of religion and belief₂₇. The best countries at doing so are Belgium, The Netherlands and Taiwan₅_,₂₈ and the worst: Afghanistan, N. Korea, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia₅_,₂₉.

Long-term studies have shown that religious violence and persecution both decrease in cultures where religious freedom is guaranteed₃₀. Despite this, there still are many who are strongly against freedom of belief₂₄, 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 religion₃₁ and "the denial of religious freedoms is inevitably intertwined with the denial of other freedoms"₃₂ 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).