2025 Annual Report on Human Rights and Democracy in the World

This year’s EU Report on Human Rights and Democracy in the World is looking back at a year that has been remarkable for the persistence and variety of conflicts, and for widespread shifts away from an international rules-based order to one based on autocratic power, where self-interest takes precedence over solidarity. 

The EU continues to act in a world characterised by fear and uncertainty. For the EU, the compass of universal human rights has kept us on a steady course, charted in the EU Action Plan on Human Rights and Democracy, and the EU Report on Human Rights and Democracy follows the same structure. The 2025 Annual Report on Human Rights and Democracy in the World presents stories about protecting and empowering individuals, building resilient, inclusive and democratic societies, promoting a global system for human rights and democracy, harnessing opportunities and addressing challenges and ensuring we deliver by working with our partners.

As this report attests, promoting and defending human rights and democracy around the world is a long-term commitment for the EU, requiring collective efforts that often need time to bring results. But working with partners to preserve and improve human dignity, basic freedoms and justice contributes to creating a solid and lasting foundation on which we can all build prosperity through sustainable development. 

Learning from the unprecedented challenges of 2025, the EU carries on working to uphold human rights and democracy, and is proud to continue to promote these important stories of hope and impact.

Read the 2025 EU Report on Human Rights and Democracy Annual Report