The Human Fear is the sixth studio album by Scottish rock band Franz Ferdinand. It is the band's first studio album with drummer Audrey Tait, who replaced original member Paul Thomson in 2021. The Human Fear was recorded at AYR Studios in Scotland and produced by Mark Ralph, who previously served as a mixer and recording engineer on the band's fourth studio album, Right Thoughts, Right Words, Right Action (2013).

The album's title refers to the album's primary lyrical concept of fear and "searching for the thrill of being human via fears", as described by band frontman Alex Kapranos. Kapranos further states that the album touches upon certain types of specific fear, including "fear of social isolation, fear of leaving an institution, [and] fear of leaving or staying in a relationship".