Human rights have a positive effect on economic growth

Human rights have a positive effect on economic growth
According to a new analysis from the Danish Institute of Human Rights, investment in freedom and participation rights might have positive impacts on economic growth.

By investing in human rights, the economic growth rate of a country is likely to increase.

This is one of the key findings from the analysis “ Human Rights and Economic Growth ”, in which researchers from the Institute investigate how freedom and participation rights interact with economic growth.

Rights to freedom of speech, freedom and assembly and association and electoral self-determination have a significant positive effect on economic growth.
Stinne Skriver Jørgensen, co-author.

“Using a dynamic panel data estimation method on 167 countries between the years 1981 to 2011, we can see that the rights to freedom of speech, freedom and assembly and association and electoral self-determination have a significant positive effect on economic growth”, says co-author Stinne Skriver Jørgensen.

No trade-off

According to Stinne Skriver Jørgensen, observers have argued that investments in human rights are a burden on economic growth. But this, she argues, is wrong:

Globally, there is no trade-off between human rights and economic growth.
Stinne Skriver Jørgensen, co-author.

“Our analysis shows this is not to be true. Globally, there is no trade-off between human rights and economic growth”, says Stinne Skriver Jørgensen.

Regional differences

Furthermore, says Stinne Skriver Jørgensen, the effect of human rights investments differ globally from region to region:

“In Sub-Saharan Africa, Europe and Central Asia our analysis finds a significant, positive long-run effect of human rights investments on economic growth.”