What do rights mean for people in the EU?

FRA’s Fundamental Rights Survey collected data from 35,000 people about their experiences, perceptions and opinions on a range of issues that are variously encompassed by human rights. This report presents a small selection of the survey results. It focuses on findings with respect to respondents’ opinions about human – or fundamental – rights; their views and perceptions on the functioning of democratic societies – as a pillar on which human rights can flourish; and on their thoughts on and engagement with public services that have a duty to enforce human rights law and to protect people’s rights.

The results are primarily intended to inform EU institutions, Member State governments and institutions – including National Human Rights Institutions, Equality Bodies and Ombuds Institutions – alongside human rights defenders and civil society organisations, about the place of fundamental rights in EU societies – based on what people think and experience. The findings provide an evidence base to inform action on fundamental rights, which – ultimately – can be used to achieve an impact on fundamental rights in practice and to ensure the effective implementation of fundamental rights obligations.

FRA will publish further results from the survey in 2020–2021, both in report format as well as through an interactive online data explorer.