Human Rights Watch investigates and reports on abuses happening in all corners of the world. They are roughly 450 people of 70-plus nationalities who are country experts, lawyers, journalists, and others who work to protect the most at risk, from vulnerable minorities and civilians in wartime, to refugees and children in need. We direct our advocacy towards governments, armed groups and businesses, pushing them to change or enforce their laws, policies and practices. To ensure our independence, we refuse government funding and corporate ties. We partner with organizations large and small across the globe to protect embattled activists and to help hold abusers to account and bring justice to victims.

Contact details

Website:
https://www.hrw.org/

Address:
 350 Fifth Avenue, 34th Floor. New York, NY. 10118-3299 USA |

Country:
United States

Sub-region:
Northern America

Areas of focus

Geographics of focus
United States
Operating languages
Arabic , Chinese , English , French , Other , Spanish

Organisation details

Business model
Non-profit
Year founded
1978
Institutional affiliations
No affiliation
Founded by
Founders: N/A
Founder gender: N/A
Leadership
Leader(s) (2025): Federico Borello
Leader gender: Male
Leader(s) (2024): Tirana Hassan
Leader gender: Female
Leader(s) (2023): Tirana Hassan
Leader gender: Female
Staff size
2025
Human Rights Watch
189
United States average
47
Global average
87
2024
Human Rights Watch
7
2023
Human Rights Watch
205
% Female staff
2025
Human Rights Watch
43%
United States average
51%
Global average
50%
2024
Human Rights Watch
71%
2021
Human Rights Watch
64%
Age (years)
Human Rights Watch
48
United States average
43
Global average
33
% Female researchers
2025
Human Rights Watch
45%
United States average
49%
Global average
47%
2021
Human Rights Watch
70%

Organisational performance

Publications
2024
Human Rights Watch
62
United States average
61
Global average
57
2023
Human Rights Watch
51
Financials
2020
Human Rights Watch
$75,995,592
United States average
$39,717,707
Global average
$216,603,722
2019
Human Rights Watch
$84,899,356

Social

Facebook
Likes (2022)
Human Rights Watch
2,784,127
United States average
82,046
Global average
32,422
Likes (2021)
Human Rights Watch
2,796,139
Likes (2019)
Human Rights Watch
2,704,181
Twitter
Followers (2025)
Human Rights Watch
4,978,175
United States average
50,809
Global average
19,789
Followers (2024)
Human Rights Watch
5,079,127
Followers (2022)
Human Rights Watch
4,973,058
Subscribers (2025)
Human Rights Watch
146,000
United States average
19,308
Global average
7,405
Subscribers (2024)
Human Rights Watch
139,000
Subscribers (2023)
Human Rights Watch
127,000
Instagram
Followers (2025)
Human Rights Watch
1,415,037
United States average
73,597
Global average
18,493
Followers (2024)
Human Rights Watch
1,380,945
Followers (2022)
Human Rights Watch
1,153,779
Followers (2025)
Human Rights Watch
666,000
United States average
24,321
Global average
15,800
Followers (2024)
Human Rights Watch
611,000

Data notes

Last updated: 09/03/2025
Rating of data accuracy (find out more) : Authenticated
Data sources consulted: Organisation´s website
Have we got something wrong?: Contact us to update this record. There is more information in the database, you can download it here.