Introducing our Composite Human Rights Scores

In a previous Article, we delved into the intricacies of a composite human rights index, weighing its merits and drawbacks. We were initially hesitant, but the composite human rights dataset that has emerged is now a source of pride—a powerful tool that allows us (and you!) to tell nuanced and compelling narratives about each country’s overall human rights performance.

Subscribers to the Rights Intelligence dataset gain access not only to human rights scores spanning approximately 190 countries over 16 years on three dimensions of human rights:

-          Economic and Social Rights

-          Safety from the State

-          Empowerment Rights

But ALSO a time series revealing composite performance across all three dimensions. 

This composite human rights score is derived through a meticulous 'weighted worst rank methodology.'

Drawing inspiration from the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), which emphasises the equality of different rights, we adhere to the principle that a country's overall performance can only be as strong as its weakest dimension score. In other words, to improve its composite score, a nation must address and improve the areas where it performs the poorest.

These data tell some fascinating stories. Let us share a couple with you.

Composite human rights scores for Hong Kong and Indonesia

Source: Rights Intelligence 2023 dataset

Hong Kong: Navigating Challenges

The story of Hong Kong's composite score unfolds dramatically, experiencing a notable decline between 2007 and 2022. The most significant drops occurred in 2019 and 2020, coinciding with the introduction of the National Security Law. Initially, up to 2013, Economic and Social Rights Performance (ESRP) was Hong Kong's weakest dimension. However, as democratic freedoms eroded, Empowerment Rights surpassed ESRP as the lowest-scoring dimension in 2014, eventually converging on China's scores. The data vividly illustrate the impact of political changes on human rights dynamics.

Indonesia: A Positive Trajectory

Indonesia's journey paints a contrasting picture. Starting at 104th out of 180 countries in 2007, by 2022 it had ascended to 61st. Initially lagging in Economic and Social Rights Performance (ESRP), particularly in basic sanitation and subsistence-level income, Indonesia has been undergoing a remarkable transformation. The percentage of households with toilets surged from 55% in 2007 to 88% in 2022, and the population living in absolute poverty plummeted from 61% to 20%. These substantial improvements in ESRP meant that by 2019, Indonesia’s worst dimension score flipped to Safety from the State. This wasn’t because Indonesia’s Safety score deteriorated; rather, from 2007 - 2020 it was pretty flat. But small improvements on Safety since then have propelled Indonesia’s overall composite score further upward in 2021 and 2022, as shown in the chart.  

Indonesia’s commitment to improvements across several areas has driven positive change, reflecting a trend we hope will persist!

How can our data help answer the questions that matter to you?

Can Rights Intelligence help inform your Sovereign ESG investment strategy?

Can our data help you identify future winners, or get out of a market where human rights are deteriorating?

Which dimension of human rights matters most for the things you are interested in? 

Have questions? Get in touch any time.