Human Rights and Freedom in Canada

Canada [Country Profile Page]
Status	Independent State
Social and Moral Index	10th best
Location	North America, The Americas
Population	37.1m1
Life Expectancy	82.66yrs (2017)2

When it comes to ensuring human rights and freedom, Canada leads the world, setting excellent examples. Canada does the best when it comes to its average Freedom in the World rating. It does the second-best in eliminating modern slavery₃. It comes in the best 20 when it comes to commentary in Human Rights Watch reports₄ (one of the highest in The Americas), the rate of gender bias (from 7 indicators)₅ (the lowest in The Americas), supporting personal, civil & economic freedoms₆ (amongst the best in The Americas), its success in fighting anti-semitic prejudice₇ (one of the best in The Americas) and in opposing gender inequality₈ (the best in The Americas). And finally, it does better than average in LGBT equality₉, supporting press freedom₁₀ (one of the best in The Americas), its nominal commitment to Human Rights₁₁ and in freethought₁₂. Canada actively seeks to protect human rights at home and internationally, and has developed a culture that is tolerant, where it is frowned upon to behave in a prejudiced manner. Although Human Rights Watch does have some criticism when it comes to protecting the rights of Indigenous peoples and the placement of children in immigration detention₁₃.

1. Canada's Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance
2. Human Rights & Tolerance
   1. Press Freedom
   2. Slavery
   3. Personal, Civil & Economic Freedom
   4. Freedom in the World
   5. Human Rights Watch Comments
   6. Nominal Commitment to HR
   7. HR Treaties Lag
3. Gender Equality
   1. Gender Inequality
   2. Gender Biases
   3. Year Women Can Vote
4. Prejudice
   1. Anti-Semite Opinions
   2. LGBT Equality
   3. Freedom of Thought
5. Links

---

1. Canada's Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance

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

Compared to The Americas (2025)14
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank14
1	Canada	19.5
2	Uruguay	24.5
3	Costa Rica	33.7
4	Chile	37.0
5	Argentina	44.2
6	USA	47.6
7	Brazil	54.0
8	Bolivia	56.2
9	Peru	56.4
10	Panama	59.1
11	Mexico	59.8
12	Ecuador	60.3
13	Jamaica	63.3
	The Americas Avg	71.8
q=35.

Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance (2025)14
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank14
1	Sweden	8.5
2	Denmark	13.5
3	Norway	13.5
4	Netherlands	14.5
5	New Zealand	16.0
6	Iceland	18.3
7	Canada	19.5
8	Austria	20.6
9	Luxembourg	21.6
10	Finland	22.1
11	Australia	22.2
12	Germany	23.0
	World Avg	87.8
q=200.

The best countries in the world at ensuring human rights, fostering equality and promoting tolerance, are Sweden, Denmark and Norway₁₅. These countries are displaying the best traits that humanity has to offer. The worst countries are Somalia, The Vatican City and Sudan₁₅.

The data sets used to calculate points for each country are statistics on supporting press freedom, eliminating 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 Europe₁₅, whereas the worst are Melanesia, The Middle East and Micronesia₁₅.

For more, see:

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

Amnesty International's 2023-23 report needed to say little about Canada: "Marginalized groups faced intersecting inequities, systemic discrimination and barriers to the realization of their human rights. The right to assembly was often under threat, particularly for Indigenous land defenders"₁₆.

2. Human Rights & Tolerance

2.1. Press Freedom

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

Press Freedom Lower is better10
Pos.		201310
1	Finland	638
2	Netherlands	648
3	Norway	652
	...
17	Germany	1024
18	Costa Rica	1208
19	Namibia	1250
20	Canada	1269
21	Belgium	1294
22	Poland	1311
23	Slovakia	1325
24	Cyprus	1383
	The Americas Avg	2853
	World Avg	3249
q=178.

Amongst the best in The Americas Canada comes 20th in the world in terms of supporting press freedom.

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 Index₁₇

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).

2.2. Slavery

#burundi #eritrea #france #human_rights #indonesia #slavery

Slavery Lower is better3
Pos.		2018 % Victims3
1	Japan	0.03
2=	Canada	0.05
2=	Taiwan	0.05
4	Australia	0.06
5=	New Zealand	0.06
6	Chile	0.08
7=	Mauritius	0.10
7=	Uruguay	0.10
9	Costa Rica	0.13
10=	USA	0.13
10=	Argentina	0.13
12	Hong Kong	0.14
	The Americas Avg	0.25
	World Avg	0.65
q=167.

Canada ranks 2nd-best in the world with regard to eliminating modern slavery; only Japan does better.

The taking of slaves has been an unwholesome feature of Human cultures since prehistory₁₈. Private households and national endeavours have frequently been augmented with the use of slaves. The Egyptian and Roman empires both thrived on them for both purposes. Aside from labourers they are often abused sexually by their owners and their owners' friends₁₉. The era of colonialism and the beginnings of globalisation changed nothing: the imprisonment and forced movements of labour continued to destroy many lives except that new justifications were invented based on Christian doctrine and the effort to convert non-Christians. By 1786 over 12 million slaves had been extracted from Africa and sent to colonial labour camps, with a truly atrocious condition of life₂₀. But they were not the only ones to blame; in Africa internal nations such as the Asantes sold and bought tens of thousands of slaves₂₁.

The abolition of the slave trade was a long and slow process. Until a relatively modern time, even philosophers, religious leaders and those concerned with ethics justified, or ignored, the problem of slavery₂₂. The first abolitionists were always the slaves themselves. Their protests and rebellions caused the industry to become too expensive to continue. After that, it was the economic costs of maintain slave colonies that led the British to reject and then oppose the slave trade globally. Finally, the enlightenment-era thinkers of France encouraged moral and ethical thinking including the declaration of the inherent value of human life and human dignity₂₃. A long-overdue wave of compassionate and conscientious movements swept across the West, eliminating public support for slavery, until the industries and churches that supported it had no choice but to back down.

'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 the vulnerable.₂₄. Some industries (diamond, clothing, coal) from some countries (Burundi₂₅, Eritrea₂₅, Indonesia₂₆) are a particular concern. The Walk Free Foundation, say that in 2016, 40.3 million people were living in modern slavery₂₇.

For more, see:

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

"Victims of human rights abuses associated with Canadian mining companies operating abroad have had limited redress in Canada. However, in a potentially ground-breaking decision in November [2017], the British Columbia Court of Appeal ruled that a civil claim against the Canadian firm, Nevsun Resources, for alleged used of forced labor at an Eritrean mine could be heard in Canada"₁₃.

2.3. Personal, Civil & Economic Freedom

#freedom #politics

Personal, Civil & Economic Freedom Lower is better6
Pos.		2014 Rank6
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
	The Americas Avg	72.4
	World Avg	79.7
q=159.

Amongst the lowest in The Americas Canada is 6th-best in the world with regard to 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)₂₈

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
1=	Slovakia	1.0
1=	Chile	1.0
1=	San Marino	1.0
1=	Costa Rica	1.0
1=	St Vincent & Grenadines	1.0
1=	St Lucia	1.0
1=	Cyprus	1.0
1=	Denmark	1.0
1=	Dominica	1.0
	The Americas Avg	2.7
	World Avg	3.7
q=205.

Canada is best in the world in terms of 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).

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
4	Canada	8
5=	Netherlands	8
6	Sweden	7
7=	Ireland	7
8	Finland	6
9=	Luxembourg	6
9=	Belgium	6
11	Greece	5
12=	Cyprus	5
	The Americas Avg	-0.8
	World Avg	-1.9
q=123.

Canada is positioned 4th-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 better11
Pos.		2009 Treaties11
1	Argentina	24
2=	Chile	23
2=	Costa Rica	23
	...
58	Finland	19
59=	Netherlands	19
59=	Nicaragua	19
59=	Canada	19
59=	Kazakhstan	19
59=	Luxembourg	19
59=	Greece	19
59=	Ireland	19
	The Americas Avg	16.5
	World Avg	15.1
q=194.

Canada comes 51st 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 better29
Pos.		2019 Avg Yrs/Treaty29
1	Ecuador	2.15
2	Uruguay	2.25
3	Tunisia	3.65
	...
26	Germany	5.62
27	Austria	5.68
28	Belarus	5.71
29	Canada	5.73
30	Cyprus	5.81
31	Argentina	5.90
32	Hungary	5.91
33	Mongolia	6.26
	The Americas Avg	8.45
	World Avg	10.02
q=195.

Regarding speed of uptake of HR treaties, Canada is 29th 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

Canada is notable for its equality between the sexes.

See:

• "Religion Versus Womankind" by Vexen Crabtree

3.1. Gender Inequality

#gender #gender_equality #human_rights #misogyny #women

Gender Inequality Lower is better8
Pos.		20158
1	Switzerland	0.04
2	Denmark	0.04
3	Netherlands	0.04
	...
15	Spain	0.08
16	Italy	0.08
17	Portugal	0.09
18	Canada	0.10
19	France	0.10
20	Israel	0.10
21	Japan	0.12
22	Cyprus	0.12
	The Americas Avg	0.39
	World Avg	0.36
q=159.

The best in The Americas in terms of opposing gender inequality, Canada is positioned 18th-best 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).

3.2. Gender Biases

#gender #gender_equality #prejudice #women

Gender Biases Lower is better5
Pos.		2022 %5
1	Sweden	31.830
2	New Zealand	34.431
3	Australia	37.031
4	Germany	40.231
5	Canada	41.131
6	Norway	42.132
7	Andorra	43.131
8	Netherlands	44.230
9	USA	50.731
10	Finland	52.532
11	Spain	53.530
12	Switzerland	56.932
	The Americas Avg	82.90
	World Avg	83.93
q=88.

Canada comes 5th-best in the world regarding 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
	...
17=	Luxembourg	1919
17=	Czechia	1919
17=	Poland	1919
20	Canada	1920
21=	USA	1920
21=	Albania	1920
23	Lithuania	1921
24=	Sweden	1921
	The Americas Avg	1947
	World Avg	1930
q=189.

Regarding the year from which women could participate in democracy, Canada ranks 20th 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

4.1. Anti-Semite Opinions

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

Anti-Semite Opinions Lower is better7
Pos.		2014 %7
1	Laos	0
2	Philippines	3
3	Sweden	4
	...
9	Tanzania	12
10=	Thailand	13
10=	Czechia	13
12	Canada	14
13=	New Zealand	14
13=	Australia	14
15	Norway	15
16=	Ghana	15
	The Americas Avg	29.7
	World Avg	36.8
q=101.

Regarding its success in fighting anti-semitic prejudice, Canada comes 13rd-best in the world (amongst the best in The Americas).

Anti-Semitism is the world given to irrational racism against Jews. It is not the same as anti-Judaism (involving 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 Jews_33,34,35,36. As Christianity rose to power in the West and presided over the Dark Ages, there were widespread violent outbursts against Jews of the most persistent and horrible kind. The Crusades were frequently 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 East₃₇, which are undergoing their own Dark Age. Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Morocco, Indonesia, Pakistan and Turkey see the most oppressive and violent actions towards Jews_38,39. Jews in Muslim countries face a host of restrictions and "ceaseless humiliation and regular pogroms"₄₀. 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 males₄₁.

For more, see:

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

4.2. LGBT Equality

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

“Prime Minister Trudeau's government has taken significant steps domestically to advance the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people, including passing legislation to protect transgender people from discrimination and creating a non-binary gender option on passports. [...] In November, Prime Minister Trudeau apologized to members of the LGBT community for actions the government took through the late 1980s against thousands of workers in the military and the Canadian public service. The government also announced in May that it would pardon and expunge records for any Canadians who were charged, and who still have on their records, criminal offences that are no longer on the books.”

"World Report 2018" by Human Rights Watch (2018)₁₃

LGBT Equality Higher is better9
Pos.		2017 Score9
1	Netherlands	103
2	Belgium	90
3	Sweden	86
	...
17=	Andorra	63
17=	New Zealand	63
17=	Portugal	63
20	Canada	62
21	Colombia	58
22	Finland	57
23	Austria	56
24	Ireland	53
	The Americas Avg	26.1
	World Avg	12.6
q=196.

Canada comes 20th in the world in terms of 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 violence₄₂. 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 laws₄₃. Despite this, homosexual activity is outlawed in around 80 countries₄₂. 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 better12
Pos.		202112
1=	Belgium	1.0
1=	Netherlands	1.0
1=	Taiwan	1.0
	...
84	Argentina	2.8
85=	Slovakia	2.8
85=	Venezuela	2.8
85=	Canada	2.8
88	Switzerland	3.0
89=	Belize	3.0
89=	Lesotho	3.0
89=	Laos	3.0
	The Americas Avg	2.7
	World Avg	3.0
q=196.

Regarding freethought, Canada ranks 65th in the world.

Freedom of Religion and Freedom of Belief are upheld in Article 18 the United Nation's Universal Declaration of Human Rights₄₄. It affirms that it is a basic human right that all people are free to change their beliefs and religion as they wish₄₅. 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 era₄₆ of the 19th century. In democratic countries, freedom of belief and religion is now taken for granted₄₇. In 2016 a study found that over 180 countries in the world had come to guarantee freedom of religion and belief₄₈. The best countries at doing so are Taiwan, Belgium and The Netherlands_12,49 and the worst: Afghanistan, N. Korea, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia_12,50.

Long-term studies have shown that religious violence and persecution both decrease in cultures where religious freedom is guaranteed₅₁. Despite this, there still are many who are strongly against freedom of belief₄₅, 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 religion₅₂ and "the denial of religious freedoms is inevitably intertwined with the denial of other freedoms"₅₃ 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).