Human Rights

The index captures the extent to which people are free from government violence and coercion, protected by property rights, and able to exercise freedoms of movement, religion, expression, and association.

Scale: 0 to 1 (higher = stronger human rights protections).

Direction of Change

HUMAN RIGHTS HAVE SIGNIFICANTLY IMPROVED BUT NOT CONSOLIDATED

The index shows that human rights protections in Bosnia and Herzegovina improved significantly from the 1995 baseline but did not strengthen consistently or durably. The most dramatic rise occurs between 1995 and the early 2000s, when scores increase sharply and reach their highest levels. From the mid-2000s through the early 2010s, values remain relatively stable at this elevated range, marking the most favourable period in the series. After 2015, however, the index began to decline gradually, with noticeable dips in the early 2020s. Although the 2024 level remains well above the immediate post-war starting point, it is clearly below the peak achieved during the 2000s. Overall, the trajectory reflects substantial early gains followed by a long period of stagnation and mild deterioration rather than continuous improvement.

Global Rank

Compared with all geographic entities listed in the Index

Note: Population-weighted averages for Europe and the world.

Regional Rank

Compared with six former Yugoslav countries and Albania

Note: In 1995, Montenegro, Serbia, and Kosovo were part of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia.

1995 (highest → lowest): Slovenia, Albania, North Macedonia, Croatia, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina.

2024 (highest → lowest): Slovenia/Croatia, Montenegro, Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina/Kosovo, North Macedonia, Serbia.

Conclusion

Human rights in Bosnia and Herzegovina rose sharply after the war, stabilised for more than a decade, and have since weakened slightly, leaving 2024 levels above the baseline but below the mid-2000s peak.

Source: V-Dem (2025) – processed by Our World in Data.