Human Rights and Development
Human Rights and Development is a research topic within Sociology and Political Science. Science Explorer counts 17k research works in it since 1951. 20.3% of them reached the world's top 10% most cited for their field and year.
This cluster of papers explores the intersection of human rights and development within the context of global governance, focusing on the critique and implementation of Millennium Development Goals, challenges in achieving sustainable development, social inequality, and the use of indicators to measure progress. It also delves into the implications of a rights-based approach, international cooperation, and the evolving landscape of human rights in the pursuit of equitable development.
- Human Rights
- Development
- Global Governance
- Millennium Development Goals
- Social Inequality
- Indicators
- Sustainable Development Goals
- Aid and Development
- Rights-Based Approach
- International Cooperation
- Research works
- 17k fractional, since 1951
- In the world top 10%
- 3.4k per year above
- Top-10% rate
- 20.3% share of its works in the world top 10%
- Growth, 2013–17 → 2018–22
- +19% the tick is no change
Which countries lead Human Rights and Development research?
By volume, the United States and the United Kingdom publish the most (477 and 302 works in 2022–2025).
By volume, 2022–2025
- 1 United States 477 works
- 2 United Kingdom 302 works
- 3 South Africa 253 works
- 4 Brazil 244 works
- 5 India 239 works
- 6 Germany 177 works
- 7 Indonesia 115 works
- 8 Nigeria 100 works
- 9 Australia 99 works
- 10 Canada 99 works
How concentrated that is
The same countries as shares of everything the list above accounts for. A node where two countries do two thirds of the work and one spread evenly across twelve read alike as a ranking and not at all alike here.
Shares of the rows listed above, not of the whole node.
Which institutions lead Human Rights and Development research?
By volume in 2022–2025, Institute for Peace Research and Security Policy publishes the most Human Rights and Development research, followed by University of Pretoria and University of the Western Cape.
By volume, 2022–2025
- 1 Institute for Peace Research and Security PolicyGermany 63 works
- 2 University of PretoriaSouth Africa 35 works
- 3 University of the Western CapeSouth Africa 23 works
- 4 University of the WitwatersrandSouth Africa 22 works
- 5 University of South AfricaSouth Africa 22 works
- 6 University of OxfordUnited Kingdom 20 works
- 7 University of JohannesburgSouth Africa 19 works
- 8 North-West UniversitySouth Africa 18 works
- 9 University of the Free StateSouth Africa 18 works
- 10 London School of Economics and Political ScienceUnited Kingdom 15 works
Where is Human Rights and Development research done?
The largest centres of Human Rights and Development research in 2022–2025 are London (United Kingdom), Hamburg (Germany), Pretoria (South Africa) and New York (United States). Among places with at least 20 works in it, it is an unusually large share of all research in Cape Town, Pretoria and Hamburg.
Largest cities, 2022–2025
- 1 London United Kingdom 80 works
- 2 Hamburg Germany 70 works
- 3 Pretoria South Africa 64 works
- 4 New York United States 55 works
- 5 Johannesburg South Africa 45 works
- 6 Washington D.C. United States 43 works
- 7 São Paulo Brazil 34 works
- 8 Paris France 32 works
- 9 Nairobi Kenya 31 works
- 10 Sydney Australia 30 works
Where it is the local speciality
- Cape TownZA · 27.9 works20×
- PretoriaZA · 63.9 works15×
- HamburgDE · 70.1 works13×
Location quotient: how much more of its research is in Human Rights and Development than the world average.
Where is the best place to study Human Rights and Development?
Among universities, judged by research, University of the Witwatersrand, North-West University and University of Pretoria score highest, combining excellence, specialisation, size, growth and international reach. Research strength is one signal when choosing where to study; it does not measure teaching.
One dot per university in the table below. The upper left is the interesting corner: small places doing unusually strong work.
| # | University | Score | Top 10% | Specialisation | Works | Growth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of the WitwatersrandSouth Africa | 56.7 | 25.1% | 15.8× | 22 | +1.7% |
| 2 | North-West UniversitySouth Africa | 56.7 | 16.5% | 18.8× | 18 | +118.7% |
| 3 | University of PretoriaSouth Africa | 55.8 | 9.8% | 23.9× | 35 | +50.1% |
| 4 | London School of Economics and Political ScienceUnited Kingdom | 54.5 | 32.3% | 17.9× | 14 | -23.2% |
| 5 | University of the Free StateSouth Africa | 54.1 | 17.2% | 22.0× | 18 | +74.0% |
| 6 | Utrecht UniversityNetherlands | 53.9 | 65.9% | 4.7× | 8 | +38.1% |
| 7 | University of South AfricaSouth Africa | 51.3 | 19.1% | 14.7× | 22 | +11.1% |
| 8 | University of Cape TownSouth Africa | 51.3 | 14.9% | 12.1× | 13 | +45.6% |
| 9 | University of JohannesburgSouth Africa | 50.9 | 26.7% | 8.8× | 19 | -12.8% |
| 10 | Stellenbosch UniversitySouth Africa | 50.7 | 22.8% | 9.6× | 12 | +43.5% |
Universities only. Score blends excellence (30%), specialisation (25%), size (20%), growth (15%) and international reach (10%), 2015–2022; growth compares 2010–14 with 2015–19.
Is Human Rights and Development research growing?
Output in 2018–2022 was 19% higher than in 2013–2017, peaking in 2025. The fastest-growing topics are Human Rights and Development.
The same series as a ribbon — one cell per year, darker for more. The line above answers how much; this answers when.
Which topics inside it are moving
Growth and decline on one axis around a shared zero. Two lists side by side hide the thing that matters: whether the growth dwarfs the decline, or the other way round.