India
How well is India respecting people's human rights?
Use the tabs below to explore the scores.
India at a glance
Quality of Life
Economic and Social Rights
(2019)
Summary score
65.1%
How well is India doing compared to what is possible at its level of income?
Right to
0
% of income adjusted benchmark achieved
HRMI score
100%
Very bad
Bad
Fair
Good
Safety from the State
Civil and Political Rights
(2021)
Summary score
4.6
How well is India's government respecting each right?
Right to freedom from
0
Score
10
Very bad
Bad
Fair
Good
Empowerment
Civil and Political Rights
(2021)
Summary score
4.5
How well is India's government respecting each right?
Right to
0
Score
10
Very bad
Bad
Fair
Good
Source: HRMI 2022 rightstracker.org
Quality of Life
India scores 65.1% on Quality of Life when scored against the 'Income adjusted' benchmark.
Compared with the other countries in South Asia, India is performing worse than average on Quality of Life rights (this comparison is calculated using the 'Income adjusted' benchmark).
To change the performance benchmark or assessment standard, please click on ‘Switch view’ above
Safety from the State
India's Safety from the State score of 4.6 out of 10 suggests that many people are not safe from one or more of the following: arbitrary arrest, torture and ill-treatment, forced disappearance, execution or extrajudicial killing.
For the civil and political rights we do not have data for enough countries in South Asia to do a regional comparison. However, compared to the other 40 countries in our sample, India is performing worse than average on the right to be safe from the state.
Empowerment
India's Empowerment score of 4.5 out of 10 suggests that many people are not enjoying their civil liberties and political freedoms (freedom of speech, assembly and association, and democratic rights).
For the civil and political rights we do not have data for enough countries in South Asia to do a regional comparison. However, compared to the other 38 countries in our sample, India is performing worse than average on empowerment rights.
Quality of Life - overview
(2019)
How well is India doing compared to what is possible at its level of income?
Summary score
0
% of income adjusted benchmark achieved
HRMI score
100%
Right to
Very bad
Bad
Fair
Good
Source: HRMI 2022 rightstracker.org
Quality of Life rights (or 'economic and social rights') include the rights to food, health, education, housing, and work. HRMI gives two scores, measuring against two different benchmarks.
India scores 65.1% on Quality of Life when scored against the 'Income adjusted' benchmark. This score takes into account India's resources and how well it is using them to make sure its people's Quality of Life rights are fulfilled.
This score tells us that India is only doing 65.1% of what should be possible right now with the resources it has. Since anything less than 100% indicates that a country is not meeting its current duty under international human rights law, our assessment is that India has a very long way to go to meet its immediate economic and social rights duty.
When measured against the Global best benchmark, comparing India to the best performing countries in the world, India's score is 61.6%, indicating that it has a very long way to go to meet current Global best standards for ensuring all people have adequate food, education, healthcare, housing and work.
Compared with the other countries in South Asia, India is performing worse than average on Quality of Life rights (this comparison is calculated using the 'Income adjusted' benchmark).
To change the performance benchmark or assessment standard, please click on ‘Switch view’ above
Quality of Life - full details
See more detail on how India performs on the
?Right to
0
% of income adjusted benchmark achieved
HRMI score
100%
Right to
Very bad
Bad
Fair
Good
Source: HRMI 2022 rightstracker.org
By sex
How does India perform by sex for
?By sex
0
% of income adjusted benchmark achieved
HRMI score
100%
Very bad
Bad
Fair
Good
Source: HRMI 2022 rightstracker.org
Over time
How does India perform over time for
?Source: HRMI 2022 rightstracker.org
People at risk
Which people in India were identified by human rights experts to be particularly at risk of having their
violated?Interpretation: Larger text = more human rights experts identified this group as being at risk.
Source: HRMI 2022 rightstracker.org
When asked to provide more context about who was particularly unlikely to enjoy their right to education in 2021, our respondents mentioned all of the following:
- People from particular cultural groups or castes, in particular Dalits and Bahujan (especially women and children)
- Denotified and Nomadic Tribes (DNTs), especially in Bihar
- Students, especially those whose schools shifted to online learning because of the Covid-19 pandemic, in the states of Odisha, Karnataka, and West Bengal
- Indigenous groups: the Adivasis
- People with particular religious beliefs or affiliations, especially Muslims (and in particular, Muslim girls in Assam and Uttar Pradesh) as well as Muslim students who attend Muslim-majority universities
- People living in certain geographic locations, such as Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, and Kashmir, as well as the northern and north-eastern regions of India
- Children with certain medical conditions, particularly those who were infected with Covid-19 and had long-term symptoms
- Children of people with certain professions, including children of sex workers
- Children from nomadic tribes
- Young girls, especially those who are forced into early or child marriage
- Children who are homeless or who live in slums
- Stateless people or people without a nationality, especially children
Safety from the State - overview
(2021)
How well is India's government respecting each right?
Summary score
0
Score
10
Right to freedom from
Very bad
Bad
Fair
Good
Source: HRMI 2022 rightstracker.org
India's Safety from the State score of 4.6 out of 10 suggests that many people are not safe from one or more of the following: arbitrary arrest, torture and ill-treatment, forced disappearance, execution or extrajudicial killing.
For the civil and political rights we do not have data for enough countries in South Asia to do a regional comparison. However, compared to the other 40 countries in our sample, India is performing worse than average on the right to be safe from the state.
Over time
Source: HRMI 2022 rightstracker.org
People at risk
Which people in India were identified by human rights experts to be particularly at risk of having their
violated?Interpretation: Larger text = more human rights experts identified this group as being at risk.
Source: HRMI 2022 rightstracker.org
When asked to provide more context about who was especially vulnerable to arbitrary or political arrest and detention by government agents in 2021, our respondents mentioned all of the following:
- People with particular political affiliations or beliefs, especially those who openly criticised Prime Minister Modi, the BJP ruling party, the Indian government more broadly, or any Indian laws or policies
- Dalit and tribal rights activists
- People who protested or engaged in non-violent political activity, in particular students and farmers
- People with particular religious beliefs, particularly Muslims
- Journalists who covered stories on the government and its agents committing acts of violence or discrimination against citizens, especially cases relating to violence against farmers, students, Muslims, human rights defenders, or Dalits
- Journalists who covered cases of sexual violence against women and protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act and Farm Laws
- Journalists in Jammu and Kashmir
- Indigenous people: the Adivasis
- Academics who criticised the government and promoted human rights
- Civil society members, staff of non-governmental organisations, human rights defenders, lawyers, and others who protested against the Citizenship Amendment Act, particularly in Delhi and Uttar Pradesh
- Women in western and central India
- People in Manipur and Nagaland
- Protesters who participated in demonstrations against the Farm Laws
- Kashmiris, especially when openly discussing state-sanctioned violence in Kashmir
- People from particular castes, especially Dalits and Bahujan who violated Covid-19 lockdown policies
- Lawyers who provided legal services to individuals detained for participating in Citizenship Amendment Act and Farm Laws protests
- People suspected of separatist activities, primarily those in Kashmir or those alleged to be part of Maoist groups
- Refugees and asylum seekers, particularly Rohingya individuals
- People of particular nationalities, especially Bangladeshi nationals
- Members of civil society organisations, such as Jammu and Kashmir Coalition of Civil Societies, Association of Parents of Disappeared Persons, as well as of the religious-political organisation, Jamaat-e-Islami
- Human rights advocates, especially those located in Chhattisgarh, Uttar Pradesh, and Delhi
Empowerment - overview
(2021)
How well is India's government respecting each right?
Summary score
0
Score
10
Right to
Very bad
Bad
Fair
Good
Source: HRMI 2022 rightstracker.org
India's Empowerment score of 4.5 out of 10 suggests that many people are not enjoying their civil liberties and political freedoms (freedom of speech, assembly and association, and democratic rights).
For the civil and political rights we do not have data for enough countries in South Asia to do a regional comparison. However, compared to the other 38 countries in our sample, India is performing worse than average on empowerment rights.
Over time
Source: HRMI 2022 rightstracker.org
People at risk
Which people in India were identified by human rights experts to be particularly at risk of having their
violated?Interpretation: Larger text = more human rights experts identified this group as being at risk.
Source: HRMI 2022 rightstracker.org
When asked to provide more context about who was especially vulnerable to restrictions on their rights to assembly and association by the government or its agents in 2021, our respondents mentioned all of the following:
- People from Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, and other Dalit and tribal communities
- People with certain religious beliefs or affiliations, particularly Dalits who practise Christianity, Muslims, and others affiliated with religious minority groups
- People who engaged in non-violent protests or demonstrations, especially those who attempted to protest against the Citizenship Amendment Act and the Farm Laws; students and youth who protested against rising unemployment; and families who protested against the treatment of victims of rape and sexual violence
- People in particular geographic locations, such as anti-Citizenship Amendment Act protestors, especially in Uttar Pradesh; politically active individuals, human rights advocates and NGOs in Jammu and Kashmir; farmers in Punjab (in particular on borders of Delhi); members of labour organisations and unemployed people in Jharkhand; the Naga people in Nagaland; and tribal people in Chhattisgarh
- Indigenous groups: the Adivasis
- Human rights advocates, especially those working on behalf of minority groups
- Professionals, including doctors and healthcare professionals
- People with particular political beliefs or affiliations, largely anyone who opposes or criticises the BJP ruling party
- Members of labour unions and activists, especially those protesting working conditions on May Day
- Kashmiris, regardless of where they were located
- Anyone who attempts to criticise or protest against the government online
Which people are most at risk?
We asked human rights experts to choose from a list of options for which people were particularly at risk of having this right violated. The images below show their answers.
Highlight
in the word clouds below.Quality of Life
People at risk for
Right to education
Interpretation: Larger text = more human rights experts identified this group as being at risk.
People at risk for
Right to food
Interpretation: Larger text = more human rights experts identified this group as being at risk.
People at risk for
Right to health
Interpretation: Larger text = more human rights experts identified this group as being at risk.
People at risk for
Right to housing
Interpretation: Larger text = more human rights experts identified this group as being at risk.
People at risk for
Right to work
Interpretation: Larger text = more human rights experts identified this group as being at risk.
Safety from the State
People at risk for
Right to freedom from arbitrary arrest
Interpretation: Larger text = more human rights experts identified this group as being at risk.
People at risk for
Right to freedom from forced disappearance
Interpretation: Larger text = more human rights experts identified this group as being at risk.
People at risk for
Right to freedom from the death penalty
Interpretation: Larger text = more human rights experts identified this group as being at risk.
People at risk for
Right to freedom from extrajudicial execution
Interpretation: Larger text = more human rights experts identified this group as being at risk.
People at risk for
Right to freedom from torture and ill-treatment
Interpretation: Larger text = more human rights experts identified this group as being at risk.
Empowerment
People at risk for
Right to assembly and association
Interpretation: Larger text = more human rights experts identified this group as being at risk.
People at risk for
Right to opinion and expression
Interpretation: Larger text = more human rights experts identified this group as being at risk.
People at risk for
Right to participate in government
Interpretation: Larger text = more human rights experts identified this group as being at risk.
Behind the numbers
Quality of Life
China is performing better than average in economic and social rights compared with other East Asian countries, according to our income-adjusted benchmark, though it still has significant challenges. We produce scores for China for the rights to food, health, housing and work.
Under the International Covenant on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights, which China has signed, all countries agree to devote their maximum available resources to making things progressively better for their people in these areas.
HRMI has calculated what China could be achieving at its current level of income. The scores are given as a percentage of that realistic potential achievement.
China’s best scores are for the right to health, where it is achieving 98.4% of what we calculate should be possible, and for the right to food (96.4%). For these rights, China is doing nearly as well as it possibly could, given its level of income. It could still afford to make some gains now, but then would need to increase its income to make further improvements.
Of the four quality of life rights we measure, China needs to improve the most in the right to housing, where it is currently achieving only 87.2% of what we calculate should be possible at its level of income.
We further break the right to housing down into scores for the right to sanitation and the right to water.
With a GDP per capita of US$10,144 we calculate that China has the resources to ensure all of its people have running water and toilets in their homes. The good news is that China’s scores have been steadily improving since 2007, when the nation scored 74.5%.
However, China’s right to sanitation score of 83.9% shows that many people are missing out, even though China could afford to do better. If China efficiently used its available resources, it could achieve a score of 100%, which would mean that over 129 million additional Chinese would gain access to basic sanitation in their homes.
If China improved its performance for the right to water from 90.6% to 100%, over 106 million more people would have water on their premises.
When it comes to the right to food, if China lifted its score to 100%, over 2.5 million more children under five years old would have enough nutritious food to grow well – that would mean all children in China under five would have enough nutritious food to grow well. This is an achievable goal.
With a current score of 96.4%, China has improved only a little in respecting people’s right to food over the last 11 years.
On the right to work, China’s score has climbed up to 93.7% in 2019 from 62.2% in 2007, meaning many fewer people have been living in poverty over the last decade. Still, the latest score means 76 million Chinese are unnecessarily living in absolute poverty (living on less that $3.20 per day, measured in 2011 PPP$), and the government is only doing a ‘fair’ job at ensuring people have subsistence income.
China comes in second in the world in ensuring people’s right to health is fulfilled, with a score of 98.4%, when using the low and middle income assessment standard (when using the high income standard, China still comes in third in the world). For countries doing this well with their current level of income, an increase of income will be necessary to make significant further improvements. This is the right where China is most constrained by resources – for all of the other rights we measure, China should already be able to do nearly as well as any country in the world, at its current level of income.
People at risk
While China has room for improvement in all the rights we measure, a further consideration is inequity. There are several groups of people who our experts identified as being at higher risk of missing out. These include:
- People with lower social or economic status
- People from ethnic minorities, including Tibetans, Uyghurs, Mongolians, and Kazakhs
- Human rights advocates, protestors, and anyone who criticises the government
- People living in rural areas, particularly older people, and women
- Disabled people
- Detainees
- People from religious minorities, particularly those practising Falun Gong, Christianity, or Islam
- Internally displaced people
See the people at risk tab on the Rights Tracker for the full lists. The data also show a strong connection between political activity, especially criticism of the government, and lack of enjoyment of economic and social rights.
Room for improvement
All our Quality of Life scores show that China could make significant improvements to its people’s lives, even without more resources.
If China were using its resources more efficiently to ensure its people’s wellbeing, it could achieve 100% for all the rights we measure. Yet, while its best score is close to that mark—98.4% on the right to health — its worst score — 87.2% on the right to housing — is far from that level.
If China better upheld its rights obligations, and achieved a full 100% score on all the rights we measure, we would see millions more Chinese people living lives of dignity, even without income growth. For example, if China reached 100% we would see the following number of extra people benefitting:
- If China were to operate at its full potential given its current resources, we would expect an additional 2.5 million children under five to grow well and not be stunted.
- If China were operating at best practice, each year we would expect an extra 56,900 newborn babies to survive until their fifth birthday.
- If China were reaching its full potential, given its income constraints, an extra 343,300 15-year-olds could eventually reach the age of 60.
- If China used its resources efficiently, an additional 129 million people could have a toilet at home, and an extra 109 million people could have access to water in their homes.
- If China were operating at its full potential given its current resources, it could lift 76 million people out of absolute poverty.
Safety from the State
China scores 2.8 out of 10 for our overall Safety from the State category, telling us that many people are at risk of arbitrary or political arrest or detention, torture and ill-treatment, forced disappearance, execution, or extrajudicial killing. This is one of the lowest scores in our sample of 31 countries.
China’s worst score in this category is 1 out of 10 for freedom from the death penalty, the lowest score among all the countries we measure.
The human rights experts we surveyed said that agents of the state, particularly police, had total impunity to engage in torture of those detained.
Respondents overwhelmingly agreed that human rights advocates, protestors, and people who criticised the government were at particular risk of rights violations, especially arbitrary arrest and detention, forced disappearance, and torture and ill-treatment.
Survey respondents said that information about executions was deliberately obfuscated by the Chinese government, blurring the line between extrajudicial and judicial executions.
People from ethnic minorities were at extra risk of all five Safety from the State rights. Respondents noted that Uyghur people, and other ethnic minorities, were commonly detained incommunicado in concentration camps.
Other vulnerable groups include:
- People from ethnic minorities, including Tibetans, Uyghurs, Mongolians, and Kazakhs
- Human rights advocates, protestors, and anyone who criticises the government
- Detainees and those accused of crimes
- People from religious minorities, particularly those practising Falun Gong, Christianity, or Islam
- Internally displaced people
- People in Tibet, Xinjiang, and Hong Kong
Among other East Asian countries and territories where we measure these rights, China has the lowest scores for all five Safety from the State rights.
Right to Freedom from Arbitrary Arrest and Detention in East Asia
Summary score
0
Score
10
Right to Freedom from Forced Disappearance in East Asia
Summary score
0
Score
10