Scandinavians find economic, social and cultural rights more at risk in their home countries
The right to a healthy environment and access to social security consistently rank among the top five most threatened rights in Sweden, Norway, and Denmark, according to respondents in a new report on public awareness and support for human rights in the three Scandinavian countries.
Human rights matter to the people of Scandinavia. Despite varying awareness and knowledge in the three countries, 82 percent of the respondents say that human rights are important to them. Also, most Scandinavians think that human rights have caused positive change in their countries.
At the same time, there appears to be a widespread perception across all three countries that economic, social, and cultural rights are at risk, and more so than civil and political rights. In fact, the right to a healthy environment and access to social security consistently rank among the top five most threatened rights in each country. Other identified human rights under threat are, among others, the right to freedom from discrimination, the right to social security, and health.
“Scandinavia has a long tradition of strong welfare systems and democracy-based institutions. But we are living in unstable times, where war in Europe, global warming, and political and economic uncertainty may make people worry about their fundamental rights. Human rights are key in addressing the great challenges of our times and must therefore be kept at the centre of policymaking”, says Louise Holck, Executive Director of the Danish Institute of Human Rights, and chair of the European Network of National Human Rights Institutions (ENNHRI).
The Scandinavian report – made in a joint effort between the Norwegian Human Rights Institution, the Swedish Institute for Human Rights, and the Danish Institute for Human Rights – is based on a survey conducted in August 2024 among 7.500 people, a representative sample of 2.500 respondents in each country. The report examines how people of Scandinavia perceive human rights issues, highlighting differences and similarities in awareness and opinions.
“The survey highlights that human rights align with values held by Scandinavians and are not seen as imposing undue restrictions on politics, revealing an understanding of the importance of minority protection and human rights in general, built on a foundation of the separation of powers”, says Adele Matheson Mestad, Director of the Norwegian Human Rights Institution.
However, practical application reveals a divide when these rights face real-world challenges. Notably, the findings indicate that many Scandinavians are willing to accept some level of surveillance that compromises privacy, likely due to their high trust in public institutions. Despite this trust, it is troubling that a minority have altered their online behavior out of concern for government surveillance, suggesting a potential chilling effect on freedom of speech, she says.
There are considerable differences in the awareness of human rights across the countries. Swedish respondents appear to have the highest level of awareness, while Danish respondents demonstrate lowest awareness. Also, respondents with higher human rights awareness seem to be more supportive of human rights but are also the ones most worried about the human rights situation in their countries.
Understanding the public perception of human rights is central.
“Public perception shapes the societal and political environment in which human rights are protected, or potentially violated. Also, understanding the public view is essential for identifying gaps between legal protections and lived realities, revealing whether citizens feel their rights are upheld or at risk”, says Fredrik Malmberg, director, Swedish Institute for Human Rights Despite the agreement on which rights are most threatened in the three Nordic countries, the degree to which Swedes, Norwegians and Danes think that human rights are under pressure, varies considerably. Swedes are more likely to be worried about their rights than Norwegians and Danes.
Dowload report