If we were to believe the government’s promises and self-praise, we should be among the best. However, the reality is quite different – according to the Human Rights Index 2024, published by World of Statistics, Slovenia ranked only 41st on the list. Instead of being in the company of the Scandinavian countries and Baltic Estonia, which lead the ranking, Slovenia has remained in an unenviable position, far from the promised standards.
Our country has even been overtaken by Croatia (37th place), while Panama (42nd) is behind us. For a European Union member state that likes to present itself as a model of the rule of law and democracy, this result is anything but encouraging.
At the top of the ranking are Estonia, Sweden, Denmark, and Ireland, which set standards in the field of human rights with their strong institutional structures and transparent government operations. Slovenia, however, ranks alongside countries such as Greece and Romania, which indicates a similar set of problems – from an ineffective judiciary to low levels of trust in institutions.
Human Rights Index 2024
1. Estonia🇪🇪
2. Sweden🇸🇪
3. Denmark🇩🇰
4. Ireland🇮🇪
5. New Zealand🇳🇿
6. Belgium🇧🇪
7. Czechia🇨🇿
8. Switzerland🇨🇭
9. Iceland🇮🇸
10. Spain🇪🇸
11. Finland🇫🇮
12. Luxembourg🇱🇺
13. Germany🇩🇪
14. Norway🇳🇴
15. Latvia🇱🇻
16. Chile🇨🇱
17. Taiwan🇹🇼
18. Costa Rica🇨🇷
19.…— World of Statistics (@stats_feed) August 31, 2025
What does 41st place mean?
The result is a warning that, despite declarations, key challenges remain unresolved: questionable independence of the judiciary, lack of media freedom, and a gap between legal protection of rights and actual implementation in practice.
Slovenia is thus getting further and further from the most developed democracies and risks remaining in a grey area where there is no progress, but regression is not out of the question.
Is the whole of Europe really envious of us?
If Slovenia wants to improve its position, empty words and complacent repetition of phrases about being an “exemplary European country” with claims that the whole of Europe envies us will not suffice. Measures are needed that will truly strengthen trust in institutions, transparency in decision-making, and the protection of human rights.
The government, which likes to present itself as reformist and progressive, also bears responsibility for this, but so far, there are no results to show for it. As long as self-praise prevails over actual measures, Slovenia will remain in an unenviable 41st place – or fall even further behind.
Sara Kovač
