Which are the Best Countries for Human Rights, Equality and Tolerance?

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

By Vexen Crabtree 2025

#afghanistan #equality #human_rights #india #spain #tolerance

The best countries in the world at ensuring human rights, fostering equality and promoting tolerance, are Sweden, Norway and Denmark₁. These countries are displaying the best traits that humanity has to offer. The worst countries are N. Korea, Somalia and Eritrea₁.

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 Europe₁, whereas the worst are The Middle East, Africa and Asia₁.

1. The Criteria: Human Rights & Tolerance

Constituent Data Sets: Human Rights & Tolerance
Human Rights & Tolerance		Overall Results: Best: Sweden, Norway, Denmark Regions: Scandinavia, Baltic States and Europe₁ Worst: N. Korea, Somalia, Eritrea Regions: The Middle East, Africa and Asia₁
1. Press Freedom		Best: Norway, Estonia, Netherlands Worst: Eritrea, N. Korea, China 2010s: Norway, Finland, Netherlands, N. Korea, Eritrea, Turkmenistan 2000s: Finland, Norway, Iceland, N. Korea, Eritrea, Turkmenistan
2. Slavery in the 2020s		Best: Norway, Switzerland, 4-country draw Worst: N. Korea, Eritrea, Mauritania 2020s (so far): Norway, Switzerland, 4-country draw, N. Korea, Eritrea, Mauritania 2010s: Japan, Canada, Taiwan, N. Korea, Eritrea, Burundi
3. Personal, Civil & Economic Freedom		Best: Hong Kong, Switzerland, New Zealand Worst: Libya, Yemen, Iran
4. Freedom in the World		Best: 41-country draw Worst: 14-country draw 2010s: 38-country draw, 5-country draw 2000s: 27-country draw, 5-country draw 1990s: 20-country draw, 9-country draw 1980s: 17-country draw, 7-country draw 1970s: 14-country draw, 6-country draw
5. Human Rights Watch Comments		Best: France, Germany, UK Worst: 10-country draw
6. Nominal Commitment to HR		Best: Argentina, 12-country draw Worst: Kiribati, Bhutan, 4-country draw
7. HR Treaties Lag		Best: Ecuador, Uruguay, Tunisia Worst: Palestine, Marshall Islands, Palau
Constituent Data Sets: Gender Equality
8. Gender Inequality		Best: Denmark, Norway, Switzerland Worst: Yemen, Papua New Guinea, Nigeria 2010s: Denmark, Netherlands, Sweden, Yemen, Chad, Afghanistan 2000s: Sweden, Denmark, Netherlands, Yemen, Saudi Arabia, Niger 1990s: Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Yemen, Pakistan, UAE
9. Gender Biases		Best: Sweden, New Zealand, Australia Worst: Tajikistan, Qatar, Pakistan
10. Year Women Can Vote		Best: New Zealand, Australia, Finland Worst: Saudi Arabia, Vatican City, Kuwait
Constituent Data Sets: Prejudice
11. Anti-Semite Opinions		Best: Laos, Philippines, Sweden Worst: Iraq, Yemen, 2-country draw
12. LGBT Equality		Best: Netherlands, Belgium, Sweden Worst: Syria, Somalia, Saudi Arabia
13. Freedom of Thought		Best: Belgium, Netherlands, Taiwan Worst: 4-country draw

1.1. Press Freedom

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

Press Freedom Higher is better₂
Pos.		2025₂	2010s Avg₂	2000s Low=Good₂
1	Norway	92.31	92.48	0.78
2	Estonia	89.46	87.96	1.64
3	Netherlands	88.64	91.31	1.38
4	Sweden	88.13	90.73	1.94
5	Finland	87.18	92.00	0.75
6	Denmark	86.93	90.59	1.94
7	Ireland	86.92	87.40	1.17
8	Portugal	84.26	84.08	4.13
9	Switzerland	83.98	88.58	2.16
10	Czechia	83.96	83.97	4.00
11	Germany	83.85	87.04	3.51
12	Liechtenstein	83.42	84.04
13	Luxembourg	83.04	87.64	2.75
14	Lithuania	82.27	79.74	4.30
15	Latvia	81.82	80.39	2.61
16	New Zealand	81.37	89.24	2.95
17	Iceland	81.36	87.43	0.84
18	Belgium	80.12	87.16	2.96
19	Trinidad & Tobago	79.71	77.11	4.02
20	UK	78.89	79.11	5.71
q=179.

Press Freedom Higher is better₂
Pos.		2025₂	2010s Avg₂	2000s Low=Good₂
179	Eritrea	11.32	16.12	99.18
178	N. Korea	12.64	15.70	105.03
177	China	14.80	23.52	89.57
176	Syria	15.82	21.90	64.93
175	Iran	16.22	32.18	84.61
174	Afghanistan	17.88	62.44	44.67
173	Turkmenistan	19.14	17.42	96.55
172	Vietnam	19.74	26.43	80.61
171	Nicaragua	22.83	70.04	13.20
170	Russia	24.57	52.87	51.92
169	Egypt	24.74	46.55	46.27
168	Myanmar	25.32	56.63	96.29
167	Djibouti	25.36	29.66	39.31
166	Azerbaijan	25.47	43.98	47.40
165	Belarus	25.73	49.26	57.26
164	Cuba	26.03	30.36	94.43
163	UAE	26.91	61.88	26.68
162	Palestine	27.41	57.47	50.65
161	Saudi Arabia	27.94	38.67	69.15
160	Cambodia	28.18	57.38	28.31
q=179.

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 Index₃

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).

The Press Freedom Index scoring has gone through some changes. In the 2000s, lower scores were given to freer countries. No reports were published for 2010-2012 (so the 2010s actually only has 7 years of data), but after that, higher scores were used to indicate freer countries, and the format and scoring style of the reports was different. All of this is taken into account when according points for SAMDI.

Area	Press Freedom (2025) Higher is better₂	2010s Avg₂	2000s Low=Good₂
Africa...	52.30	62.72	30.87
Asia...	39.69	54.86	43.34
Australasia	70.62	78.93	14.52
Europe...	70.63	77.38	10.81
North America	56.22	70.67	20.34
South America	55.71	70.56	18.39
The Middle East...	34.91	52.98	40.91
World	54.65	65.91	27.44

Note that these are values for the average country, not averages by total regional population.

In the 2000s, lower scores were better. In the 2010s and later, higher scores were better. This is because of changes in way that the Press Freedom Index produced its statistics.

1.2. Slavery in the 2020s

#burundi #eritrea #human_rights #indonesia #slavery

Slavery in the 2020s Lower is better₄
Pos.		Total Per 1000₄	2010s Per 1000
1=	Switzerland	0.50	1.70
1=	Norway	0.50	1.80
3=	Germany	0.60	2.00
3=	Sweden	0.60	1.60
3=	Denmark	0.60	1.60
3=	Netherlands	0.60	1.80
7	Belgium	1.00	2.00
8=	Japan	1.10	0.30
8=	Ireland	1.10	1.70
10	Finland	1.40	1.70
11	Mauritius	1.50	1.00
12=	Australia	1.60	0.60
12=	Lesotho	1.60	4.20
12=	New Zealand	1.60	0.60
15	Taiwan	1.70	0.50
16=	UK	1.80	2.10
16=	Canada	1.80	0.50
16=	Botswana	1.80	3.40
19=	Uruguay	1.90	1.00
19=	Austria	1.90	1.70
q=160.

Slavery in the 2020s Lower is better₄
Pos.		Total Per 1000₄	2010s Per 1000
160	N. Korea	104.60	104.60
159	Eritrea	90.30	93.00
158	Mauritania	32.00	21.40
157	Saudi Arabia	21.30	1.90
156	Turkey	15.60	6.50
155	Tajikistan	14.00	4.50
154	UAE	13.40	1.70
153=	Russia	13.00	5.50
151=	Afghanistan	13.00	22.20
149=	Kuwait	13.00	1.50
150	Ukraine	12.80	6.40
149	Macedonia	12.60	8.70
148	Myanmar	12.10	11.00
147	Turkmenistan	11.90	11.20
146	Albania	11.80	6.90
145	Belarus	11.30	10.90
144	Kazakhstan	11.10	4.20
143=	Azerbaijan	10.60	4.50
141=	Pakistan	10.60	16.80
141=	Papua New Guinea	10.30	10.30
q=160.

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.₅. Some industries (diamond, clothing, coal) from some countries (Burundi₆, Eritrea₆, Indonesia₇) are a particular concern. The Walk Free Foundation, say in their 2023 report that 50 million people are living in modern slavery₆.

For more, see:

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

“At its core, modern slavery is a manifestation of extreme inequality. It is a mirror held to power, reflecting who in any given society has it and who does not.”
Walk Free Foundation₆ (2023)

“In the modern world there have been new, disguised forms of slavery to avoid the international abhorrence [of traditional slavery]: debt bondage in India, chattel slavery in North Africa, sham adoption of children for labour purposes in the Middle East, marriage as a form of enslavement in Islamic countries and new forms of slavery in areas like Afghanistan.”
"A History of Sin" by Oliver Thomson (1993)₅

The Global Slavery Index was published for the first time in 2013 amidst ongoing concern that child marriage, human trafficking, exclusive economic bondage to landlords, forced unpaid work and other abusive practices constitute forms of 'modern slavery'. Its publishers, the Walk Free Foundation, say that in 2016, 40.3 million people were living in modern slavery. They didn't include the types of abuse orchestrated by the companies that Naomi Klein highlighted - it's not clear that it is slavery, even though it is very inhumane.

“Modern slavery is a destructive, personal crime and an abuse of human rights. It is a widespread and profitable criminal industry but despite this it is largely invisible, in part because it disproportionately affects the most marginalised. [There are] two major external drivers - highly repressive regimes, in which populations are put to work to prop up the government, and conflict situations which result in the breakdown of rule of law, social structures, and existing systems of protection.”
"Global Slavery Index" by Walk Free Foundation (2023)₈

Combatting modern slavery is complex, as the globalized world of indirect economic effects means that it is often difficult (especially for consumers) to detect which products involve slavery and forced labour, and therefore, many consumers are directly contributing to the profits of human rights abusers.

The HTF did consider researching when each country abolished slavery and giving each a point per year, therefore rewarding those countries that were first to abolish it. This historical ranking could have a 50% weight and the Global Slavery Index a 50% weight. However, it is clear that countries that were involved in slavery were the first to come to abolish it (e.g. Spain in 1542), and therefore, such a historical index would be unfair.

Slavery in the 2020s By Global Region:

Area	2020s (so far) Per 1000₄	2010s Per 1000
Africa...	6.90	9.65
Asia...	9.89	7.95
Australasia	4.50	3.83
Europe...	5.64	3.80
North America	5.86	2.75
South America	5.83	2.23
The Middle East...	9.02	4.10
World	7.15	6.54

Note that these are values for the average country, not averages by total regional population.

1.3. Personal, Civil & Economic Freedom

#freedom #politics

Personal, Civil & Economic Freedom Lower is better₉
Pos.		2014 Rank₉
1	Hong Kong	1
2	Switzerland	2
3	New Zealand	3
4	Ireland	4
5	Denmark	5
6=	UK	6
6=	Canada	6
6=	Australia	6
9	Finland	9
10	Netherlands	10
11=	Luxembourg	11
11=	Austria	11
13=	Norway	13
13=	Germany	13
15	Sweden	15
16	Malta	16
17	Belgium	17
18	Czechia	18
19	Portugal	19
20	Lithuania	20
q=159.

Personal, Civil & Economic Freedom Lower is better₉
Pos.		2014 Rank₉
159	Libya	159
158	Yemen	158
157	Iran	157
156	Syria	156
155	Central African Rep.	155
154	Venezuela	154
153	Myanmar	153
152	Algeria	152
151	Congo, DR	151
150	Angola	150
149	Guinea	149
148	Zimbabwe	148
147=	Chad	146
145=	Pakistan	146
145=	Egypt	144
143=	Saudi Arabia	144
143	Mauritania	143
142	Ethiopia	142
141	China	141
140	Nigeria	140
q=159.

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)₁₀

For more, see:

"Human Rights" by Vexen Crabtree (2019).

Personal, Civil & Economic Freedom By Global Region:

Personal, Civil & Economic Freedom (2014)₉
	Area	Lower is better Rank₉
	Africa...	114.2
	Asia...	94.6
	Australasia	36.0
	Europe...	33.9
	North America	64.2
	South America	83.3
	The Middle East...	111.3
	World	79.7

Note that these are values for the average country, not averages by total regional population.

1.4. Freedom in the World

#freedom #human_rights #hungary #politics #USA

Freedom in the World Lower is better
Pos.		2024 Score	2010s Avg	2000s Avg	1990s Avg	1980s Avg	1970s Avg
1=	Norway	1.0	1.0	1.0	1.0	1.0	1.0
1=	Canada	1.0	1.0	1.0	1.0	1.0	1.0
1=	Cape Verde	1.0	1.0	1.2	2.0	5.9	5.8
1=	Slovakia	1.0	1.1	1.2	2.4	6.4	6.7
1=	Chile	1.0	1.1	1.3	2.1	5.2	5.3
1=	San Marino	1.0	1.0	1.0	1.0		2.0
1=	Costa Rica	1.0	1.0	1.2	1.4	1.0	1.0
1=	St Vincent & Grenadines	1.0	1.0	1.5	1.5	1.8	2.0
1=	St Lucia	1.0	1.0	1.3	1.5	1.7	2.5
1=	Cyprus	1.0	1.0	1.0	1.0	1.6	3.3
1=	Denmark	1.0	1.0	1.0	1.0	1.0	1.0
1=	Dominica	1.0	1.0	1.0	1.3	1.9	2.3
1=	Portugal	1.0	1.0	1.0	1.1	1.6	3.4
1=	Slovenia	1.0	1.0	1.1	1.7
1=	Palau	1.0	1.0	1.2	1.5
1=	Czechia	1.0	1.0	1.2	1.7	6.4	6.7
1=	Finland	1.0	1.0	1.0	1.0	1.8	2.0
1=	New Zealand	1.0	1.0	1.0	1.0	1.0	1.0
1=	Netherlands	1.0	1.0	1.0	1.0	1.0	1.0
1=	Germany	1.0	1.0	1.1	1.5
q=205.

Freedom in the World Lower is better
Pos.		2024 Score	2010s Avg	2000s Avg	1990s Avg	1980s Avg	1970s Avg
205=	Sudan	7.0	7.0	7.0	7.0	5.3	5.7
203=	Central African Rep.	7.0	6.4	4.9	4.2	6.2	6.9
201=	Turkmenistan	7.0	7.0	7.0	6.8
199=	Tajikistan	7.0	6.2	5.6	6.3
197=	Equatorial Guinea	7.0	7.0	6.6	7.0	6.8	6.4
195=	Belarus	7.0	6.5	6.3	5.0
193=	Eritrea	7.0	7.0	6.5	5.3
191=	Somalia	7.0	7.0	6.7	7.0	7.0	6.8
189=	Azerbaijan	7.0	6.1	5.5	5.4
187=	Myanmar	7.0	5.7	7.0	7.0	6.8	6.2
185=	S. Sudan	7.0	6.4
183=	Afghanistan	7.0	5.9	5.8	6.9	6.9	6.3
181=	Iran	7.0	6.0	6.0	6.2	5.6	5.5
179=	N. Korea	7.0	7.0	7.0	7.0	7.0	7.0
191=	Saudi Arabia	6.5	7.0	6.8	6.9	6.4	6.0
189=	Uzbekistan	6.5	6.9	6.8	6.5
187=	Chad	6.5	6.5	5.9	5.7	6.7	6.4
185=	UAE	6.5	6.1	5.7	5.6	5.1	5.3
183=	China	6.5	6.5	6.5	6.9	6.1	6.6
181=	Congo, DR	6.5	6.2	6.0	6.3	6.5	6.4
q=205.

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).

Freedom in the World By Global Region:

Area	Freedom in the World (2024) Lower is better Score	2010s Avg	2000s Avg	1990s Avg	1980s Avg	1970s Avg
Africa...	4.8	4.5	4.4	4.8	5.6	5.5
Asia...	5.0	4.7	4.7	4.9	4.9	4.9
Australasia	1.8	1.8	1.9	1.8	2.2	2.1
Europe...	2.2	1.9	2.0	2.2	2.7	3.0
North America	2.7	2.2	2.2	2.4	2.7	3.0
South America	2.6	2.6	2.5	2.8	3.4	4.1
The Middle East...	5.4	5.1	5.0	5.2	4.9	4.9
World	3.7	3.4	3.4	3.6	4.2	4.3

Note that these are values for the average country, not averages by total regional population.

1.5. Human Rights Watch Comments

#human_rights

Human Rights Watch Comments Higher is better₁₁
Pos.		2017 Score₁₁
1=	UK	9
1=	France	9
1=	Germany	9
4=	Canada	8
4=	Netherlands	8
6=	Sweden	7
6=	Ireland	7
8=	Finland	6
8=	Luxembourg	6
8=	Belgium	6
11=	Greece	5
11=	Cyprus	5
11=	Czechia	5
11=	Denmark	5
11=	Romania	5
11=	Estonia	5
11=	Portugal	5
11=	Bulgaria	5
11=	Spain	5
11=	Malta	5
q=123.

Human Rights Watch Comments Higher is better₁₁
Pos.		2017 Score₁₁
123=	Pakistan	-10
121=	Burundi	-10
119=	Iran	-10
117=	N. Korea	-10
115=	Malaysia	-10
113=	Saudi Arabia	-10
111=	Sudan	-10
109=	Syria	-10
107=	Afghanistan	-10
105=	Congo, DR	-10
113=	Eritrea	-9
111=	Myanmar	-9
109=	Libya	-9
107=	Somalia	-9
109=	Turkmenistan	-8
107=	Algeria	-8
105=	Russia	-8
103=	Central African Rep.	-8
105=	Egypt	-7
103=	Equatorial Guinea	-7
q=123.

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).

Human Rights Watch Comments By Global Region:

Human Rights Watch Comments (2017)₁₁
	Area	Higher is better Score₁₁
	Africa...	-5.6
	Asia...	-5.0
	Australasia	0.0
	Europe...	3.5
	North America	0.2
	South America	-1.8
	The Middle East...	-5.4
	World	-1.9

Note that these are values for the average country, not averages by total regional population.

1.6. 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
2=	Ecuador	23
2=	Germany	23
2=	Mexico	23
2=	Peru	23
2=	Spain	23
2=	Slovenia	23
2=	Paraguay	23
2=	Serbia	23
2=	Sweden	23
2=	Uruguay	23
14=	Italy	22
14=	Denmark	22
14=	Croatia	22
14=	Belgium	22
14=	Austria	22
19=	Brazil	21
19=	Montenegro	21
q=194.

Nominal Commitment to HR Higher is better₁₂
Pos.		2009 Treaties₁₂
194=	Kiribati	3
192=	Bhutan	3
192=	Malaysia	4
190=	Palau	4
188=	Myanmar	4
186=	Marshall Islands	4
188=	Nauru	5
186=	Singapore	5
184=	Micronesia	5
182=	Tuvalu	5
184=	Pakistan	6
182=	Tonga	6
180=	Brunei	6
178=	St Lucia	6
180=	UAE	7
178=	Grenada	7
176=	Sao Tome & Principe	7
174=	N. Korea	7
172=	Indonesia	7
175=	Eritrea	8
q=194.

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).

Nominal Commitment to HR By Global Region:

Nominal Commitment to HR (2009)₁₂
	Area	Higher is better Treaties₁₂
	Africa...	14.8
	Asia...	12.7
	Australasia	8.7
	Europe...	19.5
	North America	14.5
	South America	20.2
	The Middle East...	12.4
	World	15.1

Note that these are values for the average country, not averages by total regional population.

1.7. HR Treaties Lag

#human_rights #international_law #micronesia #politics #small_islands

HR Treaties Lag Lower is better₁₃
Pos.		2019 Avg Yrs/Treaty₁₃
1	Ecuador	2.15
2	Uruguay	2.25
3	Tunisia	3.65
4	Colombia	3.68
5	Costa Rica	4.05
6	Mexico	4.08
7	Chile	4.12
8	Philippines	4.19
9	Bulgaria	4.24
10	Panama	4.26
11	Senegal	4.32
12	Namibia	4.36
13	Egypt	4.52
14	Spain	4.60
15	Peru	4.64
16	Sweden	4.88
17	Ukraine	4.94
18	Mali	4.97
19	Norway	5.05
20	Denmark	5.06
q=195.

HR Treaties Lag Lower is better₁₃
Pos.		2019 Avg Yrs/Treaty₁₃
195	Palestine	17.21
194	Marshall Islands	16.34
193	Palau	16.34
192	Tuvalu	16.33
191	Sao Tome & Principe	16.17
190	Nauru	16.16
189	Solomon Islands	15.81
188	Kiribati	15.80
187	Somalia	15.71
186	Micronesia	15.55
185	Tonga	15.55
184	Brunei	15.29
183	Papua New Guinea	15.23
182	Singapore	15.02
181	St Kitts & Nevis	15.00
180	Myanmar	14.93
179	Samoa	14.85
178	Fiji	14.85
177	Comoros	14.82
176	UAE	14.81
q=195.

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).

The data for each country's date of signing comes from "Human Development Report" by United Nations (2019)₁₄.

Countries that were founded after a treaty are given one years' leeway to sign, before the days start adding up. And, the total penalty for any treaty maxes out at 20 years. This is to protect the formula against undue single-issue skew.

The mere fact that a country has signed a treaty does not indicate how well it is being implemented. But it signals to the world that HR is a symbolic good; and the more that signal in a positive way, the more likely it is that citizens and international bodies will pressurize governments into governing well, and protecting the Human Rights of its citizens.

HR Treaties Lag By Global Region:

HR Treaties Lag (2019)₁₃
	Area	Lower is better Avg Yrs/Treaty₁₃
	Africa...	9.88
	Asia...	10.97
	Australasia	14.35
	Europe...	9.09
	North America	9.70
	South America	6.06
	The Middle East...	10.37
	World	10.02

Note that these are values for the average country, not averages by total regional population.

1.8. Gender Inequality

#gender #gender_equality #human_rights #misogyny #women

Gender Inequality Lower is better₁₅
Pos.		2022₁₅	2010s Avg	2000s Avg	1990s Avg
1	Denmark	0.01	0.03	0.06	0.09
2	Norway	0.01	0.04	0.08	0.11
3	Switzerland	0.02	0.04	0.08	0.12
4	Sweden	0.02	0.04	0.05	0.08
5	Netherlands	0.03	0.04	0.07	0.11
6	Finland	0.03	0.05	0.08	0.09
7	UAE	0.04	0.14	0.53	0.76
8	Singapore	0.04	0.06	0.15	0.26
9	Iceland	0.04	0.07	0.12	0.16
10	Luxembourg	0.04	0.07	0.15	0.18
11	Belgium	0.05	0.07	0.11	0.16
12	Austria	0.05	0.08	0.13	0.18
13	Italy	0.06	0.09	0.16	0.22
14	Spain	0.06	0.08	0.13	0.16
15	Slovenia	0.06	0.07	0.14	0.24
16	S. Korea	0.06	0.09	0.12	0.26
17	Australia	0.07	0.11	0.14	0.18
18=	Ireland	0.07	0.11	0.19	0.21
18=	Canada	0.07	0.11	0.14	0.18
20	Germany	0.07	0.08	0.11	0.15
q=166.

Gender Inequality Lower is better₁₅
Pos.		2022₁₅	2010s Avg	2000s Avg	1990s Avg
166	Yemen	0.81	0.80	0.81	0.81
165	Papua New Guinea	0.74	0.69	0.68
164	Nigeria	0.68	0.68	0.68
163	Chad	0.68	0.70
162	Somalia	0.67
161	Afghanistan	0.66	0.70	0.69
160	Liberia	0.66	0.66	0.66
159	Benin	0.65	0.66	0.65	0.67
158	Guinea-Bissau	0.63	0.63
157	Guinea	0.63	0.63
156	Haiti	0.62	0.64	0.60
155	Niger	0.62	0.67	0.75
154	Ivory Coast	0.62	0.63
153	Sierra Leone	0.61	0.63	0.66
152	Burkina Faso	0.61	0.60	0.63	0.67
151	Mali	0.61	0.66	0.65
150	Congo, DR	0.61	0.65	0.66
149	Mauritania	0.60	0.62	0.69
148	Gambia	0.59	0.62
147	Congo, (Brazzaville)	0.58	0.61	0.62
q=166.

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).

Gender Inequality By Global Region:

Area	Gender Inequality (2022) Lower is better₁₅	2010s Avg	2000s Avg	1990s Avg
Africa...	0.53	0.55	0.60	0.62
Asia...	0.33	0.37	0.45	0.52
Australasia	0.37	0.36	0.35	0.28
Europe...	0.12	0.15	0.20	0.26
North America	0.35	0.38	0.42	0.46
South America	0.37	0.41	0.46	0.53
The Middle East...	0.33	0.39	0.50	0.61
World	0.34	0.37	0.41	0.44

Note that these are values for the average country, not averages by total regional population.

1.9. Gender Biases

#gender #gender_equality #prejudice #women

Gender Biases Lower is better₁₆
Pos.		2022 %₁₆
1	Sweden	31.8₁₇
2	New Zealand	34.4₁₈
3	Australia	37.0₁₈
4	Germany	40.2₁₈
5	Canada	41.1₁₈
6	Norway	42.1₁₉
7	Andorra	43.1₁₈
8	Netherlands	44.2₁₇
9	USA	50.7₁₈
10	Finland	52.5₁₉
11	Spain	53.5₁₇
12	Switzerland	56.9₁₉
13	France	57.2₁₉
14	UK	57.7₁₉
15	Slovenia	61.1₁₇
16	Japan	63.4₁₈
17	Italy	64.4₁₉
18	Greece	64.9₁₈
19	Hungary	67.3₁₉
20	Argentina	74.3₁₈
q=88.

Gender Biases Lower is better₁₆
Pos.		2022 %₁₆
88	Tajikistan	99.9₁₈
87	Qatar	99.8₁₇
86	Pakistan	99.8₁₈
85	Libya	99.7₁₈
84	Indonesia	99.7₁₈
83	Egypt	99.6₁₈
82	Malaysia	99.5₁₈
81	Nigeria	99.5₁₈
80	Philippines	99.5₁₈
79	Mali	99.5₁₉
78	Bangladesh	99.4₁₈
77	Myanmar	99.4₁₈
76	Rwanda	99.1₁₇
75	India	99.1₁₇
74	Ghana	99.0₁₇
73	Haiti	98.9₁₇
72	Iraq	98.9₁₈
71	Ethiopia	98.9₁₈
70	Azerbaijan	98.7₁₇
69	Yemen	98.7₁₇
q=88.

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.

Gender Biases By Global Region:

Gender Biases (2022)₁₆
	Area	Lower is better %₁₆
	Africa...	98.10
	Asia...	94.24
	Australasia	35.72
	Europe...	69.08
	North America	78.72
	South America	86.15
	The Middle East...	96.05
	World	83.93

Note that these are values for the average country, not averages by total regional population.

1.10. 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
11=	Belarus	1919
11=	Germany	1919
11=	Netherlands	1919
11=	Ukraine	1919
11=	Luxembourg	1919
11=	Czechia	1919
11=	Poland	1919
20=	Canada	1920
q=189.

Year Women Can Vote Lower is better
Pos.		Total Year
189	Vatican City	0
188	Saudi Arabia	0
187	Kuwait	2005
186	Qatar	2003
185=	Oman	1994
183=	Moldova	1994
183	Kazakhstan	1993
182	Samoa	1990
181	Namibia	1989
180=	Central African Rep.	1986
178=	Djibouti	1986
178	Liechtenstein	1984
177=	Iraq	1980
175=	Vanuatu	1980
175=	Marshall Islands	1979
173=	Micronesia	1979
171=	Palau	1979
172	Zimbabwe	1978
171	Guinea-Bissau	1977
170	Portugal	1976
q=189.

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).

Year Women Can Vote By Global Region:

Year Women Can Vote
	Area	Lower is better Year
	Africa...	1961
	Asia...	1907
	Australasia	1962
	Europe...	1895
	North America	1946
	South America	1950
	The Middle East...	1838
	World	1930

Note that these are values for the average country, not averages by total regional population.

1.11. 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 better₂₀
Pos.		2014 %₂₀
1	Laos	0
2	Philippines	3
3	Sweden	4
4	Netherlands	5
5	Vietnam	6
6	UK	8
7=	Denmark	9
7=	USA	9
9	Tanzania	12
10=	Thailand	13
10=	Czechia	13
12=	Canada	14
12=	New Zealand	14
12=	Australia	14
15=	Norway	15
15=	Ghana	15
15=	Finland	15
18=	Brazil	16
18=	Singapore	16
18=	Nigeria	16
q=101.

Anti-Semite Opinions Lower is better₂₀
Pos.		2014 %₂₀
101	Iraq	92
100	Yemen	88
99=	Libya	87
97=	Algeria	87
97	Tunisia	86
96	Kuwait	82
95=	Bahrain	81
93=	Jordan	81
93=	Morocco	80
91=	Qatar	80
89=	UAE	80
90	Lebanon	78
89	Oman	76
88	Egypt	75
87	Saudi Arabia	74
86=	Greece	69
84=	Turkey	69
84	Malaysia	61
83	Armenia	58
82	Iran	56
q=101.

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 Jews₂₁_,₂₂_,₂₃_,₂₄. 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 East₂₅, which are undergoing their own Dark Age. Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Morocco, Indonesia, Pakistan and Turkey see the most oppressive and violent actions towards Jews₂₆_,₂₇. Jews in Muslim countries face a host of restrictions and "ceaseless humiliation and regular pogroms"₂₈. 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 males₂₉.

For more, see:

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

Anti-Semite Opinions By Global Region:

Anti-Semite Opinions (2014)₂₀
	Area	Lower is better %₂₀
	Africa...	45.9
	Asia...	48.2
	Australasia	14.0
	Europe...	29.9
	North America	28.2
	South America	31.6
	The Middle East...	77.8
	World	36.8

Note that these are values for the average country, not averages by total regional population.

1.12. LGBT Equality

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

LGBT Equality Higher is better₃₀
Pos.		2017 Score₃₀
1	Netherlands	103
2	Belgium	90
3	Sweden	86
4	Brazil	81
5	Spain	79
6=	France	78
6=	S. Africa	78
8	Uruguay	77
9=	Norway	72
9=	Denmark	72
9=	Iceland	72
12	UK	72
13=	Mexico	70
13=	Luxembourg	70
15	Argentina	69
16=	Malta	63
16=	Andorra	63
16=	New Zealand	63
16=	Portugal	63
20	Canada	62
q=196.

LGBT Equality Higher is better₃₀
Pos.		2017 Score₃₀
196	Syria	-84
195	Somalia	-79
194	Saudi Arabia	-72
193	Sudan	-67
192	Qatar	-54
191	Solomon Islands	-44
190=	Morocco	-42
188=	Libya	-42
188=	Tunisia	-39
186=	Senegal	-39
184=	Cameroon	-39
182=	Guinea	-39
184=	Kuwait	-37
182=	Algeria	-37
182	UAE	-34
181	Mauritania	-32
180=	Tuvalu	-30
178=	Uzbekistan	-30
176=	Angola	-30
174=	Comoros	-30
q=196.

Discrimination against Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) folk is rife across the world. Legal restrictions co-exist alongside social stigmatisation and physical violence₃₁. 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 laws₃₂. Despite this, homosexual activity is outlawed in around 80 countries₃₁. 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).

LGBT Equality By Global Region:

LGBT Equality (2017)₃₀
	Area	Higher is better Score₃₀
	Africa...	-10.4
	Asia...	-02.1
	Australasia	07.1
	Europe...	46.9
	North America	16.6
	South America	44.2
	The Middle East...	-18.8
	World	12.6

Note that these are values for the average country, not averages by total regional population.

1.13. Freedom of Thought

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

Freedom of Thought Lower is better₃₃
Pos.		2021₃₃
1=	Belgium	1.0
1=	Taiwan	1.0
1=	Netherlands	1.0
4=	Ecuador	1.3
4=	Bolivia	1.3
4=	Sao Tome & Principe	1.3
4=	Nauru	1.3
4=	France	1.3
9=	Sweden	1.5
9=	Iceland	1.5
9=	Norway	1.5
9=	Congo, (Brazzaville)	1.5
13=	Guinea-Bissau	1.7
13=	Mongolia	1.7
13=	S. Africa	1.7
16=	St Kitts & Nevis	1.8
16=	Namibia	1.8
16=	Mozambique	1.8
16=	Micronesia	1.8
16=	USA	1.8
q=196.

Freedom of Thought Lower is better₃₃
Pos.		2021₃₃
196=	N. Korea	5.0
194=	Afghanistan	5.0
192=	Pakistan	5.0
190=	Saudi Arabia	5.0
192=	Brunei	4.8
190=	Mauritania	4.8
188=	UAE	4.8
186=	Maldives	4.8
184=	Sudan	4.8
182=	Yemen	4.8
180=	Iran	4.8
185=	Bahrain	4.5
183=	Egypt	4.5
181=	China	4.5
179=	Indonesia	4.5
177=	Qatar	4.5
175=	Syria	4.5
173=	Somalia	4.5
171=	Bangladesh	4.5
169=	Eritrea	4.5
q=196.

Freedom of Religion and Freedom of Belief are upheld in Article 18 the United Nation's Universal Declaration of Human Rights₃₄. It affirms that it is a basic human right that all people are free to change their beliefs and religion as they wish₃₅. 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 era₃₆ of the 19th century. In democratic countries, freedom of belief and religion is now taken for granted₃₇. In 2016 a study found that over 180 countries in the world had come to guarantee freedom of religion and belief₃₈. The best countries at doing so are Belgium, The Netherlands and Taiwan₃₃_,₃₉ and the worst: Afghanistan, N. Korea, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia₃₃_,₄₀.

Long-term studies have shown that religious violence and persecution both decrease in cultures where religious freedom is guaranteed₄₁. Despite this, there still are many who are strongly against freedom of belief₃₅, 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 religion₄₂ and "the denial of religious freedoms is inevitably intertwined with the denial of other freedoms"₄₃ 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).

Freedom of Thought By Global Region:

Freedom of Thought (2021)₃₃
	Area	Lower is better₃₃
	Africa...	3.1
	Asia...	3.7
	Australasia	2.6
	Europe...	2.6
	North America	2.8
	South America	2.6
	The Middle East...	4.3
	World	3.0

Note that these are values for the average country, not averages by total regional population.

2. Overall Results by Country

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

The overall scores are simply an average of each countries' position in all of the data sets that make up this category. Countries only receive a ranking if they have at least 7 different data points across the data sets. The overall results for each country are listed alongside their position in the Social and Moral Development Index.

Pos.		Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance (2025) Lower is better Avg Rank₄₄	Social & Moral Lower is better Avg Rank₄₅
1	Sweden	5.9	32.6
2	Norway	8.0	30.5
3	Denmark	8.1	27.3
4	Netherlands	9.0	32.9
5	Iceland	12.5	40.1
6	New Zealand	12.9	40.0
7	Canada	14.9	41.9
8	Austria	15.0	37.4
9	Luxembourg	15.8	40.5
10	Finland	15.8	34.4
11	Australia	16.8	40.0
12	Belgium	17.5	39.6
13	Germany	19.8	38.9
14	UK	22.7	42.1
15	Ireland	23.7	39.3
16	Switzerland	25.3	32.2
17	Spain	25.4	45.5
18	France	26.3	41.8
19	Slovenia	29.6	44.7
20	Costa Rica	30.8	55.7
21	Portugal	31.0	48.5
22	Italy	32.6	46.4
23	Uruguay	34.3	55.3
24	Japan	34.7	38.6
25	Estonia	35.0	55.6
26	USA	38.1	58.5
27	Malta	38.7	57.6
28	Czechia	41.7	53.5
29	Taiwan	42.4	53.9
30	Cyprus	43.8	55.1
31	Lithuania	45.0	63.6
32	Latvia	46.3	62.9
33	Chile	47.0	61.5
34	S. Korea	48.4	50.0
35	Poland	48.8	57.8
36	Slovakia	51.0	60.4
37	Barbados	51.7	70.4
38	Liechtenstein	52.3	45.1
39	San Marino	53.1	65.7
40	Argentina	54.0	69.5
41	St Vincent & Grenadines	54.2	84.1
42	Greece	54.4	59.6
43	Croatia	56.3	64.2
44	Dominica	57.3	78.6
45	Andorra	58.8	76.6
46	Hungary	59.0	57.9
47	Mauritius	60.0	63.5
48	S. Africa	60.4	87.8
49	Jamaica	61.8	78.4
50	Romania	62.6	70.3
q=198.

Pos.		Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance (2025) Lower is better Avg Rank₄₄	Social & Moral Lower is better Avg Rank₄₅
51	Brazil	63.1	72.9
52	Trinidad & Tobago	63.1	77.3
53	Bulgaria	63.3	68.9
54	Cape Verde	64.6	87.8
55	Panama	65.3	79.8
56	Serbia	66.2	76.2
57	Bahamas	66.6	82.1
58	Israel	66.8	66.1
59	Montenegro	67.7	72.2
60	Hong Kong	68.6
61	Bolivia	69.7	91.2
62	St Lucia	69.9	87.8
63	Kiribati	70.1	113.7
64	Namibia	70.3	97.7
65	Ecuador	70.6	80.1
66	Belize	71.3	90.6
67	Monaco	71.7	50.4
68	Mongolia	71.8	90.3
69	Ukraine	72.3	79.5
70	Peru	72.7	80.3
71	Mexico	73.5	80.3
72	Marshall Islands	75.0	121.0
73	Seychelles	75.4	82.8
74	Suriname	76.1	97.2
75	Bosnia & Herzegovina	76.4	79.7
76	Tuvalu	76.7	114.3
77	Albania	77.0	77.6
78	Macedonia	77.3	78.1
79	Dominican Rep.	77.6	86.5
80	Micronesia	78.2	114.6
81	Georgia	78.7	84.5
82	St Kitts & Nevis	79.1	88.6
83	Northern Cyprus	79.1	79.1
84	Colombia	79.2	81.8
85	El Salvador	79.2	86.5
86	Senegal	80.3	98.6
87	Botswana	80.4	94.2
88	Palau	80.7	97.2
89	Paraguay	81.3	93.5
90	Armenia	81.9	86.9
91	Nauru	82.3	123.6
92	Moldova	83.3	80.5
93	Honduras	84.5	99.3
94	Ghana	85.0	93.3
95	Guatemala	85.4	92.8
96	Guyana	85.5	96.0
97	Philippines	86.1	83.4
98	Grenada	86.1	85.1
99	Singapore	86.3	54.5
100	Fiji	86.9	90.0
q=198.

Pos.		Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance (2025) Lower is better Avg Rank₄₄	Social & Moral Lower is better Avg Rank₄₅
101	Antigua & Barbuda	87.1	81.4
102	Nicaragua	91.8	99.0
103	Thailand	92.6	73.0
104	Venezuela	92.8	95.8
105=	Lesotho	94.3	105.5
105=	Turkey	94.3	84.1
107	Burkina Faso	94.9	109.1
108	Timor-Leste (E. Timor)	95.1	108.9
109	Sri Lanka	95.2	70.0
110	Tunisia	95.5	78.4
111	Samoa	95.7	107.6
112	India	97.2	88.6
113	Nepal	97.6	95.7
114	Benin	97.7	110.5
115	Mali	98.6	113.0
116	Vanuatu	98.7	104.6
117	Kyrgyzstan	99.6	97.3
118	Kosovo	100.6	91.5
119	Sao Tome & Principe	101.2	105.5
120	Tonga	101.3	99.6
121	Mozambique	101.6	121.2
122	Tanzania	102.4	108.0
123	Russia	103.5	87.1
124	Sierra Leone	103.7	116.3
125	Lebanon	104.1	97.3
126	Belarus	104.3	87.0
127	Kenya	104.3	100.5
128	Madagascar	104.4	109.9
129	Morocco	105.3	85.0
130	Azerbaijan	107.4	97.1
131	Malaysia	107.5	71.9
132	Indonesia	108.1	88.0
133	Zambia	108.3	110.7
134	Uganda	108.6	107.1
135	Kuwait	108.6	87.6
136	Solomon Islands	108.9	118.3
137	Papua New Guinea	109.0	121.6
138	Gabon	109.0	111.2
139	Haiti	109.8	118.7
140	Gambia	109.9	110.5
141	China	110.2	80.7
142	Niger	110.5	117.3
143	Kazakhstan	110.7	90.1
144	Tajikistan	110.9	111.3
145	Ivory Coast	111.5	114.2
146	Maldives	111.8	90.7
147	Liberia	113.0	118.7
148	Jordan	113.6	92.4
149	Vietnam	114.1	82.4
150	Bangladesh	114.8	103.2
q=198.

Pos.		Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance (2025) Lower is better Avg Rank₄₄	Social & Moral Lower is better Avg Rank₄₅
151	Malawi	115.2	111.8
152	Bhutan	115.7	101.2
153	Togo	115.9	110.2
154	Algeria	116.2	98.3
155	Bahrain	117.2	91.3
156	Nigeria	117.6	111.9
157	Rwanda	117.7	108.2
158	S. Sudan	118.1	145.0
159	Comoros	118.2	122.8
160	Egypt	118.7	102.9
161	Qatar	119.7	86.0
162	Guinea-Bissau	119.7	118.3
163	Cambodia	120.5	110.3
164	Cuba	122.3	85.5
165	Oman	122.3	96.6
166	UAE	122.9	81.0
167	Uzbekistan	125.1	102.7
168	Congo, (Brazzaville)	125.8	117.0
169	Central African Rep.	126.3	129.5
170	Cameroon	126.5	113.5
171	Zimbabwe	127.5	121.5
172	Guinea	127.5	119.0
173	Laos	127.8	116.7
174	Ethiopia	130.4	112.8
175	Libya	131.7	115.1
176	Burundi	133.4	117.8
177	Swaziland	134.0	115.0
178	Brunei	134.5	89.3
179	Yemen	134.6	124.4
180	Angola	134.7	135.4
181	Pakistan	135.7	113.2
182	Djibouti	137.0	118.1
183	Iraq	137.3	123.2
184	Iran	137.8	99.6
185	Congo, DR	138.2	126.2
186	Mauritania	139.0	120.0
187	Chad	139.4	127.9
188	Syria	140.0	118.3
189	Palestine	144.8
190	Sudan	146.0	130.4
191	Equatorial Guinea	146.1	135.6
192	Saudi Arabia	146.2	102.2
193	Myanmar	146.5	118.7
194	Turkmenistan	149.7	116.6
195	Afghanistan	153.0	135.7
196	Eritrea	156.7	142.0
197	Somalia	161.2	156.3
198	N. Korea	163.8	113.1
q=198.

3. Overall Results by Region

#antisemitism #equality #freedom #freethought #gender #gender_equality #homosexuality #human_development #human_rights #international_law #mass_media #misogyny #morals #politics #prejudice #religious_tolerance #slavery #tolerance #women

Area	Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance (2025) Lower is better Avg Rank₄₄	Social & Moral Lower is better Avg Rank₄₅
Africa...	110.04	119.0
Asia...	103.00	92.0
Australasia	79.23	95.6
Baltic States	44.60	55.7
Central America	70.81	91.7
Europe...	47.37	55.7
Melanesia	102.51	108.7
Micronesia	77.25	104.0
North America	69.05	82.7
Polynesia	74.26	87.3
Scandinavia...	15.20	31.5
Small Islands...	80.95	89.4
South America	67.51	83.9
The Americas...	71.80	81.5
The Balkans	71.52	70.7
The Caribbean...	74.41	83.9
The Mediterranean	76.94	71.0
The Middle East...	114.30	94.1
World	86.35	88.8

The table here shows overall results for this category, compared with each region's average score on the Social and Moral Development Index. Regional values are calculated as an average of national results, not by total regional population. The tables below show results for each data set for each region.

Human Rights & Tolerance Data Sets by Region:

Area	Press Freedom (2025) Higher is better₂	Slavery in the 2020s Lower is better Per 1000₄	Personal, Civil & Economic Freedom (2014) Lower is better Rank₉	Freedom in the World (2024) Lower is better Score	HRW (2017) Higher is better Score₁₁	Nominal Commitment to HR (2009) Higher is better Treaties₁₂	HR Treaties Lag (2019) Lower is better Avg Yrs/Treaty₁₃
Africa...	52.30	6.90	114.2	4.8	-5.6	14.8	9.88
Asia...	39.69	9.89	94.6	5.0	-5.0	12.7	10.97
Australasia	70.62	4.50	36.0	1.8	0.0	8.7	14.35
Baltic States	84.52	4.53	21.7	1.3	5.0	17.0	11.49
Central America	50.14	6.35	75.0	3.4	0.0	19.6	6.83
Europe...	70.63	5.64	33.9	2.2	3.5	19.5	9.09
Melanesia	64.78	10.30	67.5	2.8	-3.0	9.8	14.77
North America	56.22	5.86	64.2	2.7	0.2	14.5	9.70
Polynesia	73.01	1.60	3.0	1.5		9.8	13.57
Scandinavia...	87.56	1.44	14.7	1.0	4.8	20.2	7.02
Small Islands...	63.59	5.29	60.2	2.3	0.2	10.3	12.87
South America	55.71	5.83	83.3	2.6	-1.8	20.2	6.06
The Americas...	55.99	5.84	72.4	2.7	-0.8	16.5	8.45
The Balkans	60.03	9.20	51.1	3.3	0.0	20.6	10.16
The Caribbean...	60.50	6.44	66.0	2.5	-4.0	11.3	11.63
The Mediterranean	52.03	5.94	76.1	3.5	-0.8	18.3	8.79
The Middle East...	34.91	9.02	111.3	5.4	-5.4	12.4	10.37
World	54.65	7.15	79.7	3.7	-1.9	15.1	10.02

Gender Equality Data Sets by Region:

Area	Gender Inequality (2022) Lower is better₁₅	Gender Biases (2022) Lower is better %₁₆	Year Women Can Vote Lower is better Year
Africa...	0.53	98.10	1961
Asia...	0.33	94.24	1907
Australasia	0.37	35.72	1962
Baltic States	0.11	78.28	1919
Central America	0.39	91.38	1952
Europe...	0.12	69.08	1895
Melanesia	0.54		1970
North America	0.35	78.72	1946
Polynesia	0.35	34.44	1953
Scandinavia...	0.04	51.16	1915
Small Islands...	0.33	86.44	1959
South America	0.37	86.15	1950
The Americas...	0.36	82.90	1947
The Balkans	0.14	73.59	1942
The Caribbean...	0.37	93.17	1947
The Mediterranean	0.21	82.62	1950
The Middle East...	0.33	96.05	1838
World	0.34	83.93	1930

Prejudice Data Sets by Region:

Area	Anti-Semite Opinions (2014) Lower is better %₂₀	LGBT Equality (2017) Higher is better Score₃₀	Freedom of Thought (2021) Lower is better₃₃
Africa...	45.9	-10.4	3.1
Asia...	48.2	-02.1	3.7
Australasia	14.0	07.1	2.6
Baltic States	28.7	33.3	2.8
Central America	38.5	31.4	3.0
Europe...	29.9	46.9	2.6
North America	28.2	16.6	2.8
Polynesia	14.0	-02.4	2.8
Scandinavia...	13.5	67.3	2.2
Small Islands...	35.7	02.8	2.7
South America	31.6	44.2	2.6
The Americas...	29.7	26.1	2.7
The Balkans	43.2	35.3	2.6
The Caribbean...	27.3	-01.1	2.8
The Mediterranean	55.9	17.0	3.3
The Middle East...	77.8	-18.8	4.3
World	36.8	12.6	3.0

4. The Social and Moral Development Index

The data sets form part of the calculations for the Human Truth Foundation's Social and Moral Development Index.

The Social and Moral Development Index concentrates on moral issues and human rights, violence, public health, equality, tolerance, freedom and effectiveness in climate change mitigation and environmentalism, and on some technological issues. A country scores higher for achieving well in those areas, and for sustaining that achievement in the long term. Those countries towards the top of this index can truly said to be setting good examples and leading humankind onwards into a bright, humane, and free future. See: Which are the Best Countries in the World? The Social and Moral Development Index.