What is Fair and Just?

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Human Rights

Distribution Of Human Rights Index

The variable ranges from 1 (most rights) to 0 (least rights).

Source: Our World in Data; Varieties of Democracy (V-Dem), 2022

Human Rights Index 1789-2022

Source: Our World in Data; Varieties of Democracy (V-Dem), 2022

Human Rights Index 2022

Source: Our World in Data; Varieties of Democracy (V-Dem), 2022

Protected Rights

The top graph captures the extent that people are free from government torture, political killings, and forced labor and enjoying freedoms of property rights, movement, religion, expression, and association. The Global North, in general, has the highest protection of human rights with the Global South generally lower.


Human Rights have seen a set back in recent years.


Globally, human rights are more protected than in the previous centuries. In the 18th century human rights – including physical integrity, private rights, and political liberties – were poorly protected by governments. The 20th century has seen an improvement in human rights with setbacks seen during world wars and in the 1970s.

Although we are currently at a general historically high protection of human rights, recent years have seen a set back in the protection of human rights.

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