Global Human Rights Are Declining as the 2025 Global Rights Project Report Reveals Record Levels of State Atrocities

Global human rights are facing a serious downturn, according to the newly released 2025 Global Rights Project (GRIP) report, produced by researchers at the University of Rhode Island’s Center for Nonviolence and Peace Studies. Drawing on decades of global data and original field research, the report paints a detailed and troubling picture of how governments across the world are increasingly engaging in inhumane treatment, repression, and state-led violence, while public understanding and demand for human rights remains dangerously low.

At the heart of the report is data from the CIRIGHTS Data Project, the world’s largest quantitative human rights dataset. Using the most recent available figures, researchers found that 2022 marked an all-time high for state-committed atrocities, with 47 countries meeting the criteria for brutality-based abuses. These include widespread killings of civilians, torture, political imprisonment, and forced disappearances carried out by states or groups working with state support.

What the GRIP Report Measures and Why It Matters

The GRIP report is now in its third annual edition and differs from many human rights rankings by focusing on measurable patterns of abuse, rather than intent alone. Earlier editions graded countries on a 100-point scale using data from sources such as the U.S. Department of State, Amnesty International, and the United Nations. The 2025 report shifts focus toward original research conducted by faculty and students, alongside long-term trend analysis using CIRIGHTS data.

One of the most striking conclusions is that human rights violations rise when public demand for accountability is weak. According to the report’s authors, democratic systems only improve rights protections when citizens are informed and willing to punish leaders who violate them. When that pressure disappears, governments face fewer consequences for abusive behavior.

Atrocities Are Becoming More Persistent, Not Less

The data shows that atrocities are not only increasing but also becoming long-term patterns in many countries. Between 2000 and 2022, 20 countries committed atrocities for at least 16 years, indicating deeply entrenched systems of repression. Four countries—Bangladesh, Pakistan, Venezuela, and India—were identified as having committed such abuses every single year during that 22-year period.

Researchers also note a strategic shift among authoritarian leaders. Rather than committing large-scale violence that attracts international attention, many now rely on smaller but sustained acts of repression, allowing atrocities to continue under the radar. Nearly 99% of countries that engage in widespread extrajudicial killings also practice torture and deny fair trials, highlighting how human rights violations tend to cluster rather than occur in isolation.

The United States Is Not Exempt from Risk

One of the more unsettling sections of the report focuses on the United States, which researchers classify as being at high risk for mass atrocities in the coming years. This assessment is based on multiple factors, including crackdowns on women’s rights, restrictions on protest, attacks on free speech and education, and the use of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in ways that researchers describe as repressive.

The report also highlights the growing involvement of the military in domestic roles, such as crowd control and immigration enforcement. Survey data collected during protests in Los Angeles in June and July 2025 found that trust in the U.S. military declined among people with immigrant friends and colleagues. While the report notes that the U.S. judiciary could serve as a critical safeguard, it warns that institutional protections are being increasingly tested.

Americans Struggle to Define Human Rights

Another major finding centers on public understanding of human rights in the U.S. In a 2025 survey of 3,333 Americans, only 34.2% were able to correctly define what human rights are. Nearly 40% provided partial definitions, while the remaining respondents either misunderstood the term, gave unserious answers, or admitted uncertainty.

Researchers argue that this knowledge gap stems from how rights are taught in the U.S., often framed narrowly around domestic constitutional rights rather than international human rights standards. The report also finds that Americans tend to support human rights protections more strongly for authorized immigrants than for unauthorized ones, revealing a clear divide between principle and practice.

Digital Repression Is Rapidly Expanding

Beyond physical violence, the report emphasizes the rise of digital repression. Governments are increasingly using surveillance technologies, censorship laws, and legal intimidation to silence journalists and critics. In Pakistan, laws such as the Anti-Terrorist Act and Defamation Ordinance have been used to arrest reporters, censor media, and justify online surveillance under the guise of national security and religious protection.

Kuwait presents a more nuanced case. While some freedom of expression exists, authorities actively monitor online activity, restrict websites, and rely on defamation and security laws to pressure critics. The report stresses that repression has evolved alongside technology, shifting from print and radio censorship to social media, online news platforms, and encrypted communication.

Militarization of Society After COVID-19

One global trend identified in the report is societal militarization, which has accelerated since the end of the COVID-19 pandemic. Armed forces originally tasked with defending against external threats are now more involved in law enforcement, crowd control, immigration enforcement, and even media oversight. Researchers warn that this blurring of civilian and military roles undermines democratic norms and increases the risk of rights violations.

Survey data shows that these developments are polarizing public opinion. Political identity strongly influences whether people see domestic military deployment as a necessary security measure or a dangerous erosion of civil liberties.

Iranian Public Attitudes Reveal Cracks in Repression

The report also includes findings from a 2024 survey of 2,667 Iranian citizens, which examined perceptions of security forces. Respondents expressed particularly negative views of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, describing it as more corrupt and violent than other forces. Attitudes toward security personnel were also shaped by appearance, with conservative attire signaling ideological loyalty to some respondents while alienating those who support women’s rights.

Researchers found that Iranian authorities frequently point to failed protest movements in other countries, such as Syria, to discourage dissent. However, the data suggests that this strategy is losing effectiveness, as many citizens continue to support nonviolent resistance despite government intimidation.

Why This Report Matters Going Forward

The 2025 GRIP report argues that the world is entering a period of heightened instability. With atrocities increasing, repression becoming more technologically sophisticated, and public understanding of human rights eroding, the conditions for large-scale abuse are growing rather than shrinking.

At the same time, the report emphasizes that outcomes are not inevitable. Strong courts, informed citizens, independent media, and sustained international pressure can still play decisive roles in protecting human rights. But without renewed commitment—both domestically and globally—the cost of violations will continue to fall, making abuses more likely.

Research Paper Link: https://www.uri.edu/cas/grip/