What is human rights index in Papua New Guinea?

Human rights index in Papua New Guinea was 0.805 in 2025, according to V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.

What is the highest human rights index recorded in Papua New Guinea?

The highest recorded value was 0.831 in 2020.

What is the lowest human rights index recorded in Papua New Guinea?

The lowest recorded value was 0.313 in 1915.

How does Papua New Guinea rank for human rights index?

Papua New Guinea ranks 73rd out of 176 countries with data for 2025.

Is human rights index rising or falling in Papua New Guinea?

Over the last ten years it is down 0.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.

Where does this Papua New Guinea data come from?

The figures come from V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Human Rights Index. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Human Rights Index in Papua New Guinea

Name: Human Rights Index in Papua New Guinea
Creator: V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data
License: CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)

Papua New Guinea: Human Rights Index was 0.805 in 2025. ▲ Rising

Latest (2025)

0.805

Change on year

up 0.1%

World rank

73rd

of 176 countries

All-time high

0.831

in 2020

All-time low

0.313

in 1915

Years of data

126

1900–2025

Human Rights Index in Papua New Guinea, 1900–2025

Source: V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.

Analysis

Papua New Guinea recorded 0.805 for human rights index in 2025.

That represents a change of up 0.1% on the previous year and down 0.2% over ten years.

Over the whole period, human rights index in Papua New Guinea peaked at 0.831 in 2020 and was at its lowest, 0.313, in 1915.

Papua New Guinea ranks 73rd of 176 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 126 years of available data.

Human Rights Index in Papua New Guinea, year by year

Annual values for Human Rights Index in Papua New Guinea, 1900 to 2025.
Year	Value	Change
1900	0.317	—
1901	0.317	+0.0%
1902	0.317	+0.0%
1903	0.317	+0.0%
1904	0.317	+0.0%
1905	0.317	+0.0%
1906	0.317	+0.0%
1907	0.317	+0.0%
1908	0.317	+0.0%
1909	0.317	+0.0%
1910	0.317	+0.0%
1911	0.317	+0.0%
1912	0.317	+0.0%
1913	0.317	+0.0%
1914	0.317	+0.0%
1915	0.313	-1.3%
1916	0.313	+0.0%
1917	0.313	+0.0%
1918	0.313	+0.0%
1919	0.313	+0.0%
1920	0.313	+0.0%
1921	0.313	+0.0%
1922	0.313	+0.0%
1923	0.313	+0.0%
1924	0.313	+0.0%
1925	0.313	+0.0%
1926	0.313	+0.0%
1927	0.313	+0.0%
1928	0.313	+0.0%
1929	0.313	+0.0%
1930	0.313	+0.0%
1931	0.313	+0.0%
1932	0.313	+0.0%
1933	0.313	+0.0%
1934	0.313	+0.0%
1935	0.313	+0.0%
1936	0.313	+0.0%
1937	0.313	+0.0%
1938	0.313	+0.0%
1939	0.313	+0.0%
1940	0.313	+0.0%
1941	0.313	+0.0%
1942	0.313	+0.0%
1943	0.313	+0.0%
1944	0.313	+0.0%
1945	0.337	+7.7%
1946	0.513	+52.2%
1947	0.513	+0.0%
1948	0.513	+0.0%
1949	0.513	+0.0%
1950	0.519	+1.2%
1951	0.519	+0.0%
1952	0.519	+0.0%
1953	0.519	+0.0%
1954	0.519	+0.0%
1955	0.519	+0.0%
1956	0.519	+0.0%
1957	0.519	+0.0%
1958	0.519	+0.0%
1959	0.519	+0.0%
1960	0.562	+8.3%
1961	0.562	+0.0%
1962	0.562	+0.0%
1963	0.562	+0.0%
1964	0.566	+0.7%
1965	0.588	+3.9%
1966	0.588	+0.0%
1967	0.588	+0.0%
1968	0.588	+0.0%
1969	0.588	+0.0%
1970	0.6	+2.0%
1971	0.6	+0.0%
1972	0.6	+0.0%
1973	0.611	+1.8%
1974	0.611	+0.0%
1975	0.823	+34.7%
1976	0.823	+0.0%
1977	0.823	+0.0%
1978	0.823	+0.0%
1979	0.823	+0.0%
1980	0.818	-0.6%
1981	0.818	+0.0%
1982	0.818	+0.0%
1983	0.818	+0.0%
1984	0.818	+0.0%
1985	0.818	+0.0%
1986	0.818	+0.0%
1987	0.818	+0.0%
1988	0.818	+0.0%
1989	0.821	+0.4%
1990	0.821	+0.0%
1991	0.821	+0.0%
1992	0.821	+0.0%
1993	0.821	+0.0%
1994	0.821	+0.0%
1995	0.821	+0.0%
1996	0.821	+0.0%
1997	0.821	+0.0%
1998	0.821	+0.0%
1999	0.821	+0.0%
2000	0.821	+0.0%
2001	0.821	+0.0%
2002	0.821	+0.0%
2003	0.821	+0.0%
2004	0.821	+0.0%
2005	0.821	+0.0%
2006	0.821	+0.0%
2007	0.821	+0.0%
2008	0.821	+0.0%
2009	0.821	+0.0%
2010	0.812	-1.1%
2011	0.808	-0.5%
2012	0.805	-0.4%
2013	0.806	+0.1%
2014	0.806	+0.0%
2015	0.807	+0.1%
2016	0.806	-0.1%
2017	0.796	-1.2%
2018	0.808	+1.5%
2019	0.81	+0.2%
2020	0.831	+2.6%
2021	0.811	-2.4%
2022	0.813	+0.2%
2023	0.809	-0.5%
2024	0.804	-0.6%
2025	0.805	+0.1%

Papua New Guinea compared with similar countries

Papua New Guinea's 0.805 is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 0.6365, 1.3× the median. (46 countries reporting)
Papua New Guinea's 0.805 is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 0.728, 1.1× the median. (22 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

Decade	Average	Lowest	Highest	Years
1900s	0.317	0.317	0.317	10
1910s	0.315	0.313	0.317	10
1920s	0.313	0.313	0.313	10
1930s	0.313	0.313	0.313	10
1940s	0.3954	0.313	0.513	10
1950s	0.519	0.519	0.519	10
1960s	0.5754	0.562	0.588	10
1970s	0.7137	0.6	0.823	10
1980s	0.8183	0.818	0.821	10
1990s	0.821	0.821	0.821	10
2000s	0.821	0.821	0.821	10
2010s	0.8064	0.796	0.812	10
2020s	0.8122	0.804	0.831	6

Countries ranked near Papua New Guinea

70 Bosnia and Herzegovina 0.814 compare
71 Senegal 0.812 compare
72 Malawi 0.806 compare
73 Paraguay 0.805 compare
75 Mongolia 0.801 compare
76 Armenia 0.8 compare
76 Peru 0.8 compare

See the full ranking of 176 places →

More social development data for Papua New Guinea

Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 7,727 (2025)
Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 644 (2025)
Political Rights Rating 4 (2025)
Electoral democracy 1 (2025)
Political rights rating fh, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
Political rights rating fh, gaps filled 4 (2025)
Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0.0001 units per person (2025)
Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 644 (2025)
Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0.0007 units per person (2025)
Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)

All data for Papua New Guinea →

Frequently asked questions

What is human rights index in Papua New Guinea?: Human rights index in Papua New Guinea was 0.805 in 2025, according to V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest human rights index recorded in Papua New Guinea?: The highest recorded value was 0.831 in 2020.
What is the lowest human rights index recorded in Papua New Guinea?: The lowest recorded value was 0.313 in 1915.
How does Papua New Guinea rank for human rights index?: Papua New Guinea ranks 73rd out of 176 countries with data for 2025.
Is human rights index rising or falling in Papua New Guinea?: Over the last ten years it is down 0.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Papua New Guinea data come from?: The figures come from V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Human Rights Index. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Human Rights Index in Papua New Guinea. Statizoid, drawing on V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Retrieved 07 November 2026, from https://social-development.statizoid.com/stat/human-rights-index-vdem/papua-new-guinea/

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About this data

Indicator: Human Rights Index
Source: V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence: CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage: 176 places, 30,202 data points, 1789–2025
Last refreshed: 30 October 2026

Central estimate of the extent to which people are free from government torture, political killings, and forced labor, they have property rights, and enjoy the freedoms of movement, religion, expression, and association.