What is human rights index in Saudi Arabia?

Human rights index in Saudi Arabia was 0.178 in 2025, according to V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.

What is the highest human rights index recorded in Saudi Arabia?

The highest recorded value was 0.178 in 2025.

What is the lowest human rights index recorded in Saudi Arabia?

The lowest recorded value was 0.062 in 1903.

How does Saudi Arabia rank for human rights index?

Saudi Arabia ranks 166th out of 176 countries with data for 2025.

Is human rights index rising or falling in Saudi Arabia?

Over the last ten years it is up 7.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.

Where does this Saudi Arabia 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 Saudi Arabia

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

Saudi Arabia: Human Rights Index was 0.178 in 2025. ▲ Rising

Latest (2025)

0.178

Change on year

up 3.5%

World rank

166th

of 176 countries

All-time high

0.178

in 2025

All-time low

0.062

in 1903

Years of data

237

1789–2025

Human Rights Index in Saudi Arabia, 1789–2025

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

Analysis

The most recent figure for human rights index in Saudi Arabia is 0.178, measured in 2025. That is the highest value across all 237 years on record.

That represents a change of up 3.5% on the previous year and up 7.2% over ten years.

Over the whole period, human rights index in Saudi Arabia peaked at 0.178 in 2025 and was at its lowest, 0.062, in 1903.

That places Saudi Arabia 166th out of 176 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the bottom quarter.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 237 years of available data.

Averages by decade

Decade	Average	Lowest	Highest	Years
1780s	0.097	0.097	0.097	1
1790s	0.097	0.097	0.097	10
1800s	0.097	0.097	0.097	10
1810s	0.1041	0.097	0.168	10
1820s	0.0888	0.069	0.168	10
1830s	0.069	0.069	0.069	10
1840s	0.069	0.069	0.069	10
1850s	0.069	0.069	0.069	10
1860s	0.069	0.069	0.069	10
1870s	0.069	0.069	0.069	10
1880s	0.069	0.069	0.069	10
1890s	0.069	0.069	0.069	10
1900s	0.0641	0.062	0.069	10
1910s	0.062	0.062	0.062	10
1920s	0.0645	0.062	0.087	10
1930s	0.0977	0.086	0.103	10
1940s	0.103	0.103	0.103	10
1950s	0.1128	0.104	0.119	10
1960s	0.1267	0.121	0.129	10
1970s	0.126	0.124	0.13	10
1980s	0.1624	0.162	0.163	10
1990s	0.1649	0.162	0.166	10
2000s	0.1576	0.152	0.166	10
2010s	0.1644	0.14	0.174	10
2020s	0.1598	0.147	0.178	6

Countries ranked near Saudi Arabia

163 Rwanda 0.194 compare
164 Yemen 0.192 compare
165 China 0.179 compare
167 Sudan 0.171 compare
168 Equatorial Guinea 0.169 compare
168 Tajikistan 0.169 compare

See the full ranking of 176 places →

More social development data for Saudi Arabia

Political Rights Rating 7 (2025)
Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of asy 448 (2025)
Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of ori 2,368 (2025)
Electoral democracy 0 (2025)
Key features of democracy 0.016 (2025)
Freedom of Expression Index 0.092 (2025)
Freedom of Association Index 0.026 (2025)
Electoral Democracy Index 0.016 (2025)
Participatory Democracy Index 0.026 (2025)
Liberal Democracy Index 0.047 (2025)

All data for Saudi Arabia →

Frequently asked questions

What is human rights index in Saudi Arabia?: Human rights index in Saudi Arabia was 0.178 in 2025, according to V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest human rights index recorded in Saudi Arabia?: The highest recorded value was 0.178 in 2025.
What is the lowest human rights index recorded in Saudi Arabia?: The lowest recorded value was 0.062 in 1903.
How does Saudi Arabia rank for human rights index?: Saudi Arabia ranks 166th out of 176 countries with data for 2025.
Is human rights index rising or falling in Saudi Arabia?: Over the last ten years it is up 7.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Saudi Arabia 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.

Download this data

CSV · JSON — 237 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).

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: 07 August 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.