Human Rights and Freedom in Taiwan

Taiwan Republic of China [Country Profile Page]
Status	Proto Independent State
Social and Moral Index	27th best
Capital	Taipei
Land Area
Location	Asia
Groupings	Small Islands
Population
GNI
ISO3166-1 Codes	TW, TWN, 1581
Internet Domain	.tw2
Currency	Dollar (TWD)3
Telephone	+8864

When it comes to ensuring human rights and freedom, Taiwan leads the world, setting excellent examples. Taiwan performs the best for its average Freedom in the World rating and in freethought₅. It comes in the best 20 for combatting modern slavery₆. And finally, it does better than average in supporting press freedom₇ (the best in Asia), supporting personal, civil & economic freedoms₈ (one of the best in Asia) and in LGBT equality in the 2020s₉. In 2019, Taiwan became the first Asian country to legalise same-sex marriage₁₀.

1. Taiwan's Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance
2. Human Rights & Tolerance Datasets
   1. Press Freedom
   2. Slavery in the 2020s
   3. Personal, Civil & Economic Freedom
   4. Freedom in the World
3. Prejudice Datasets
   1. LGBT Equality in the 2020s
   2. Freedom of Thought
4. Links

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1. Taiwan's Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance

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

Compared to Asia (2025)11
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank11
1	Japan	31.6
2	Taiwan	41.3
3	S. Korea	44.8
4	Cyprus	48.6
5	Israel	64.4
6	Northern Cyprus	79.1
7	Hong Kong	79.6
8	Mongolia	80.4
9	Georgia	81.4
10	Philippines	81.7
11	Thailand	83.0
12	Timor-Leste (E. Timor)	83.5
13	Nepal	92.7
	Asia Avg	103.00
q=52.

Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance (2025)11
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank11
1	Sweden	7.8
2	Netherlands	8.7
3	Denmark	8.8
	...
25	Czechia	38.0
26	Costa Rica	38.8
27	Estonia	40.2
28	Taiwan	41.3
29	S. Korea	44.8
30	Slovakia	46.3
31	Poland	46.8
32	USA	47.4
	World Avg	89.80
q=199.

The best countries in the world at ensuring human rights, fostering equality and promoting tolerance, are Sweden, The Netherlands and Denmark₁₂. These countries are displaying the best traits that humanity has to offer. The worst countries are Somalia, Eritrea and Saudi Arabia₁₂.

31 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 report on Taiwan was quite short: "Despite another court ruling permitting the marriage of transnational same-sex partners, limitations on same-sex marriage remained in place. A Constitutional Court ruling required the government to strengthen privacy safeguards"₁₃.

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
	...
21	Canada	78.75
22	Austria	78.12
23	Spain	77.35
24	Taiwan	77.04
25	France	76.62
26	Jamaica	75.83
27	S. Africa	75.71
28	Namibia	75.35
	Asia Avg	39.69
	World Avg	54.65
q=179.

With regard to supporting press freedom, Taiwan is positioned 24th in the world (the best in Asia).

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 Index₁₄

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).

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

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

Press Freedom	2000s  Average	2010s  Average
Taiwan:	11.39	75.78
World Rank:	52nd	⇡  46th
World Avg:	27.44	65.91

2.2. Slavery in the 2020s

#burundi #eritrea #human_rights #indonesia #slavery

Slavery in the 2020s Lower is better6
Pos.		Total Per 10006
1=	Switzerland	0.50
1=	Norway	0.50
3=	Germany	0.60
	...
12=	Australia	1.60
12=	Lesotho	1.60
12=	New Zealand	1.60
15	Taiwan	1.70
16=	UK	1.80
16=	Canada	1.80
16=	Botswana	1.80
19=	Uruguay	1.90
	Asia Avg	9.89
	World Avg	7.15
q=160.

Taiwan is 15th-best in the world regarding 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 the poverty-stricken vulnerable.₁₅. Some industries (diamond, clothing, coal) from some countries (Burundi₁₆, Eritrea₁₆, Indonesia₁₇) are a particular concern. The Walk Free Foundation, say in their 2023 report, that 50 million people are living in modern slavery₁₆, and, nearly two-thirds of those in forced labour are employed at the end of supply chains working for large multinationals that creating products consumed by rich countries₁₈.

For more, see:

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

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

Slavery	2010s  Average	2020s  Average
Taiwan:	0.50	1.70
World Rank:	2nd	⇣  15th
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
	...
23	USA	23
24	Latvia	24
25	Iceland	25
26	Taiwan	26
27	Slovakia	27
28	Italy	28
29	Chile	29
30	Romania	30
	Asia Avg	94.6
	World Avg	79.7
q=159.

One of the lowest in Asia Taiwan ranks 26th in the world regarding 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
	...
25=	Kiribati	1.0
25=	Estonia	1.0
25=	Austria	1.0
25=	Taiwan	1.0
25=	Spain	1.0
25=	Belgium	1.0
25=	Barbados	1.0
25=	Andorra	1.0
	Asia Avg	5.0
	World Avg	3.7
q=205.

Taiwan ranks best in the world with regard to its average Freedom in the World rating.

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

For more, see:

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

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

Freedom in the World	1970s  Average	1980s  Average	1990s  Average	2000s  Average	2010s  Average
Taiwan:	5.2	4.7	2.7	1.6	1.3
World Rank:	97th	⇡  82nd	⇡  76th	⇡  58th	⇡  48th
World Avg:	4.3	4.2	3.6	3.4	3.4

3. Prejudice Datasets

3.1. LGBT Equality in the 2020s

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

LGBT Equality in the 2020s Higher is better9
Pos.		Total Score9
1=	Germany	4.88
1=	Spain	4.88
3	Portugal	4.81
	...
55=	Sint Eustatius	1.62
55=	Saba	1.62
57	Israel	1.58
58	Taiwan	1.57
59	Cayman Islands	1.35
60	Falkland Islands	1.33
61	S. Korea	1.26
62	Nepal	1.25
	Asia Avg	-2.88
	World Avg	-1.21
q=215.

Taiwan comes 58th in the world in terms of LGBT equality in the 2020s.

Discrimination against Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) folk is rife across the world. Legal restrictions co-exist alongside social stigmatisation and physical violence₂₀. LGBT tolerance and equal rights have been fought for country-by-country against tightly entrenched cultural and religious opposition. Adult consensual sexual activity is a Human Right and protected by privacy laws₂₁. Despite this, it is illegal to be homosexual in over 60 countries (as of 2025)₂₂. The Vexen LGBT Equality Index as part of the Social and Moral Development Index grants points to each country depending on its LGBT stance since the 1970s_23,24. Europe is by far the least prejudiced region, but in the Middle East and Africa cultural prejudice 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 (2025).

"Taiwan has become the first Asian country to legalise same-sex marriage [... and] has long been seen as a trailblaizer for LGBT rights in Asia"₁₀. Under Qing dynasty law and Japanese colonial rule (1895–1945), sodomy was criminalized (i.e., specifically impacting on male homosexuality), but this was removed in the 1950s.

ILGA researchers in 2017 found that Taiwan had legal protections against anti-LGBT employment discrimination.

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

LGBT Equality	1970s  Average	1980s  Average	1990s  Average	2000s  Average	2010s  Average	2020s  Average
Taiwan:	0.50	0.50	0.50	0.50	0.65	1.57
World Rank:	7th	⇣  13th	⇣  20th	⇣  72nd	⇣  87th	⇡  58th
World Avg:	-2.98	-2.87	-2.60	-2.15	-1.10	-1.21

3.2. Freedom of Thought

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

Freedom of Thought Lower is better5
Pos.		20215
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
	Asia Avg	3.7
	World Avg	3.0
q=196.

In terms of freethought, Taiwan comes best in the world.

Freedom of Religion and Freedom of Belief are upheld in Article 18 the United Nation's Universal Declaration of Human Rights₂₅. It affirms that it is a basic human right that all people are free to change their beliefs and religion as they wish₂₆. 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 era₂₇ of the 19th century. In democratic countries, freedom of belief and religion is now taken for granted₂₈. In 2016 a study found that over 180 countries in the world had come to guarantee freedom of religion and belief₂₉. The best countries at doing so are Belgium, The Netherlands and Taiwan_5,30 and the worst: Afghanistan, N. Korea, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia_5,31.

Long-term studies have shown that religious violence and persecution both decrease in cultures where religious freedom is guaranteed₃₂. Despite this, there still are many who are strongly against freedom of belief₂₆, 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 religion₃₃ and "the denial of religious freedoms is inevitably intertwined with the denial of other freedoms"₃₄ 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).