Government Effectiveness by Country
What Is Government Effectiveness?
Government Effectiveness measures perceptions of the quality of public services, civil service and administration, policy formulation, and implementation. It is part of the World Bank’s Worldwide Governance Indicators, with scores ranging from –2.5 (weak) to 2.5 (strong). Higher scores indicate more capable and credible government institutions.
Why Government Effectiveness Matters to a Country’s Progress
- Reflects institutional capacity, since strong effectiveness means policies are more likely to be well designed and implemented.
- Influences investor confidence, as businesses seek stable environments where public services function reliably.
- Affects citizen trust, because effective governments deliver services and uphold commitments, reducing social friction.
How to Read the Rankings
- A higher score indicates better government performance; a lower score signals weaker public institutions.
- “Most Recent Year” shows the latest annual score; “Change” shows the difference from the prior year’s value.
- Year-to-year shifts may result from policy reforms, administrative reorganizations, or data revisions rather than long-term trends.
Implications for Policy & Society
- Low scores often prompt reforms in civil service, digital government systems, and policy evaluation processes.
- High scores can attract foreign investment and drive economic growth, as effective administration reduces bureaucratic delays.
- Persistent low rankings highlight the need for capacity-building programs, public sector training, and anti-corruption efforts.
- Monitoring annual changes helps evaluate the impact of governance reforms and guides resource allocation to strengthen institutions.
Ranking Highlights
- Antigua and Barbuda tops the progress rankings in Government Effectiveness, recording an increase from -0.16 to 0.38. El Salvador follows with a gain from -0.32 to 0.05, while Dominica rounds out the top three, rising from -0.10 to 0.26.
- Across all 193 countries, the average year-over-year change was +0.01 pts with a median change of -0.01 pts.
- Overall, 95 countries improved in this area while 98 worsened. Click on a country to open the full country scorecard and see how it performs across a range of key indicators.
| Rank | Country | Most Recent Year | Previous Year | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Antigua and Barbuda | 0.38 (2023) | -0.16 (2022) | +0.54 pts |
| 2 |  El Salvador | 0.05 (2023) | -0.32 (2022) | +0.37 pts |
| 3 |  Dominica | 0.26 (2023) | -0.10 (2022) | +0.36 pts |
| 4 |  Bulgaria | 0.05 (2023) | -0.27 (2022) | +0.32 pts |
| 5 |  United Arab Emirates | 1.60 (2023) | 1.30 (2022) | +0.31 pts |
| 6 |  Montenegro | 0.25 (2023) | -0.03 (2022) | +0.27 pts |
| 7 |  Oman | 0.27 (2023) | 0.02 (2022) | +0.25 pts |
| 8 |  Saudi Arabia | 0.80 (2023) | 0.58 (2022) | +0.21 pts |
| 9 |  Egypt | -0.24 (2023) | -0.45 (2022) | +0.21 pts |
| 10 |  Costa Rica | 0.26 (2023) | 0.05 (2022) | +0.21 pts |
| 11 |  Dominican Republic | 0.13 (2023) | -0.07 (2022) | +0.20 pts |
| 12 |  Nigeria | -0.85 (2023) | -1.04 (2022) | +0.19 pts |
| 13 |  Jordan | 0.39 (2023) | 0.19 (2022) | +0.19 pts |
| 14 |  New Zealand | 1.53 (2023) | 1.34 (2022) | +0.19 pts |
| 15 |  Albania | 0.25 (2023) | 0.06 (2022) | +0.19 pts |
| 16 |  China | 0.68 (2023) | 0.49 (2022) | +0.18 pts |
| 17 |  Samoa | 0.49 (2023) | 0.31 (2022) | +0.18 pts |
| 18 |  Singapore | 2.32 (2023) | 2.14 (2022) | +0.17 pts |
| 19 |  Chile | 0.72 (2023) | 0.55 (2022) | +0.17 pts |
| 20 |  Saint Lucia | 0.07 (2023) | -0.10 (2022) | +0.17 pts |
| 21 |  Poland | 0.42 (2023) | 0.26 (2022) | +0.16 pts |
| 22 |  Italy | 0.61 (2023) | 0.45 (2022) | +0.16 pts |
| 23 |  Rwanda | 0.39 (2023) | 0.23 (2022) | +0.16 pts |
| 24 |  Paraguay | -0.46 (2023) | -0.61 (2022) | +0.15 pts |
| 25 |  Comoros | -1.54 (2023) | -1.68 (2022) | +0.15 pts |
| 26 |  Indonesia | 0.58 (2023) | 0.44 (2022) | +0.14 pts |
| 27 |  Moldova | -0.16 (2023) | -0.31 (2022) | +0.14 pts |
| 28 |  Luxembourg | 1.91 (2023) | 1.77 (2022) | +0.14 pts |
| 29 |  Georgia | 0.79 (2023) | 0.65 (2022) | +0.14 pts |
| 30 |  Liechtenstein | 1.63 (2023) | 1.49 (2022) | +0.14 pts |
| 31 |  Ukraine | -0.36 (2023) | -0.50 (2022) | +0.14 pts |
| 32 |  Sri Lanka | -0.25 (2023) | -0.39 (2022) | +0.14 pts |
| 33 |  Croatia | 0.71 (2023) | 0.58 (2022) | +0.13 pts |
| 34 |  Armenia | -0.18 (2023) | -0.31 (2022) | +0.13 pts |
| 35 |  Libya | -1.64 (2023) | -1.76 (2022) | +0.12 pts |
| 36 |  Nepal | -0.81 (2023) | -0.92 (2022) | +0.11 pts |
| 37 |  India | 0.48 (2023) | 0.37 (2022) | +0.11 pts |
| 38 |  Bosnia and Herzegovina | -0.97 (2023) | -1.06 (2022) | +0.10 pts |
| 39 |  Philippines | 0.15 (2023) | 0.06 (2022) | +0.09 pts |
| 40 |  Venezuela | -1.60 (2023) | -1.69 (2022) | +0.09 pts |
| 41 |  Switzerland | 2.13 (2023) | 2.05 (2022) | +0.09 pts |
| 42 |  Mexico | -0.20 (2023) | -0.28 (2022) | +0.08 pts |
| 43 |  Zimbabwe | -1.17 (2023) | -1.25 (2022) | +0.08 pts |
| 44 |  Liberia | -1.36 (2023) | -1.43 (2022) | +0.08 pts |
| 45 |  Honduras | -0.80 (2023) | -0.87 (2022) | +0.07 pts |
| 46 |  Togo | -0.58 (2023) | -0.65 (2022) | +0.07 pts |
| 47 |  Bangladesh | -0.70 (2023) | -0.76 (2022) | +0.07 pts |
| 48 |  Burundi | -1.20 (2023) | -1.26 (2022) | +0.06 pts |
| 49 |  Gambia | -0.59 (2023) | -0.65 (2022) | +0.06 pts |
| 50 |  South Sudan | -2.33 (2023) | -2.39 (2022) | +0.06 pts |
| 51 |  Australia | 1.59 (2023) | 1.53 (2022) | +0.06 pts |
| 52 |  Qatar | 1.20 (2023) | 1.14 (2022) | +0.06 pts |
| 53 |  Democratic Republic of the Congo | -1.69 (2023) | -1.75 (2022) | +0.06 pts |
| 54 |  Bahrain | 0.70 (2023) | 0.64 (2022) | +0.06 pts |
| 55 |  Lithuania | 1.05 (2023) | 0.99 (2022) | +0.06 pts |
| 56 |  South Korea | 1.40 (2023) | 1.35 (2022) | +0.06 pts |
| 57 |  Uganda | -0.55 (2023) | -0.61 (2022) | +0.06 pts |
| 58 |  Djibouti | -0.73 (2023) | -0.79 (2022) | +0.06 pts |
| 59 |  Guinea-Bissau | -1.43 (2023) | -1.49 (2022) | +0.05 pts |
| 60 |  Tonga | -0.12 (2023) | -0.17 (2022) | +0.05 pts |
| 61 |  Somalia | -1.98 (2023) | -2.03 (2022) | +0.05 pts |
| 62 |  Pakistan | -0.58 (2023) | -0.62 (2022) | +0.05 pts |
| 63 |  Netherlands | 1.63 (2023) | 1.58 (2022) | +0.05 pts |
| 64 |  Uzbekistan | -0.28 (2023) | -0.33 (2022) | +0.05 pts |
| 65 |  Morocco | -0.04 (2023) | -0.08 (2022) | +0.05 pts |
| 66 |  Cambodia | -0.31 (2023) | -0.35 (2022) | +0.05 pts |
| 67 |  Thailand | 0.17 (2023) | 0.13 (2022) | +0.04 pts |
| 68 |  Ireland | 1.59 (2023) | 1.55 (2022) | +0.04 pts |
| 69 |  Brazil | -0.55 (2023) | -0.59 (2022) | +0.04 pts |
| 70 |  Congo | -1.33 (2023) | -1.37 (2022) | +0.04 pts |
| 71 |  North Macedonia | -0.05 (2023) | -0.08 (2022) | +0.03 pts |
| 72 |  Senegal | 0.07 (2023) | 0.04 (2022) | +0.03 pts |
| 73 |  Sweden | 1.60 (2023) | 1.57 (2022) | +0.03 pts |
| 74 |  Burkina Faso | -0.83 (2023) | -0.85 (2022) | +0.03 pts |
| 75 |  Kenya | -0.30 (2023) | -0.33 (2022) | +0.03 pts |
| 76 |  Denmark | 2.02 (2023) | 1.99 (2022) | +0.03 pts |
| 77 |  Ethiopia | -0.77 (2023) | -0.79 (2022) | +0.02 pts |
| 78 |  Czech Republic | 1.11 (2023) | 1.09 (2022) | +0.02 pts |
| 79 |  Mozambique | -0.72 (2023) | -0.74 (2022) | +0.02 pts |
| 80 |  Angola | -1.01 (2023) | -1.03 (2022) | +0.02 pts |
| 81 |  Sierra Leone | -1.16 (2023) | -1.17 (2022) | +0.01 pts |
| 82 |  Ghana | -0.09 (2023) | -0.11 (2022) | +0.01 pts |
| 83 |  Japan | 1.63 (2023) | 1.62 (2022) | +0.01 pts |
| 84 |  Guatemala | -0.90 (2023) | -0.91 (2022) | +0.01 pts |
| 85 |  Mali | -1.14 (2023) | -1.15 (2022) | +0.01 pts |
| 86 |  Azerbaijan | -0.03 (2023) | -0.04 (2022) | +0.01 pts |
| 87 |  Papua New Guinea | -0.80 (2023) | -0.81 (2022) | +0.01 pts |
| 88 |  Cyprus | 0.74 (2023) | 0.73 (2022) | +0.01 pts |
| 89 |  Guinea | -0.91 (2023) | -0.91 (2022) | +0.01 pts |
| 90 |  Tanzania | -0.46 (2023) | -0.46 (2022) | +0.01 pts |
| 91 |  Latvia | 0.70 (2023) | 0.69 (2022) | +0.01 pts |
| 92 |  Bhutan | 0.57 (2023) | 0.56 (2022) | +0.01 pts |
| 93 |  Kazakhstan | 0.15 (2023) | 0.14 (2022) | +0.00 pts |
| 94 |  Haiti | -2.23 (2023) | -2.23 (2022) | +0.00 pts |
| 95 |  Uruguay | 0.85 (2023) | 0.85 (2022) | +0.00 pts |
| 96 |  Kyrgyzstan | -0.89 (2023) | -0.89 (2022) | 0.00 pts |
| 97 |  Malawi | -0.86 (2023) | -0.85 (2022) | -0.01 pts |
| 98 |  Cabo Verde | 0.01 (2023) | 0.02 (2022) | -0.01 pts |
| 99 |  Palau | 0.44 (2023) | 0.45 (2022) | -0.01 pts |
| 100 |  Iceland | 1.56 (2023) | 1.56 (2022) | -0.01 pts |
| 101 |  Botswana | 0.43 (2023) | 0.44 (2022) | -0.01 pts |
| 102 |  Saint Kitts and Nevis | 0.38 (2023) | 0.39 (2022) | -0.01 pts |
| 103 |  Niger | -0.64 (2023) | -0.63 (2022) | -0.01 pts |
| 104 |  Portugal | 0.99 (2023) | 1.00 (2022) | -0.01 pts |
| 105 |  Tajikistan | -0.77 (2023) | -0.76 (2022) | -0.02 pts |
| 106 |  Finland | 1.74 (2023) | 1.75 (2022) | -0.02 pts |
| 107 |  Russia | -0.71 (2023) | -0.70 (2022) | -0.02 pts |
| 108 |  Trinidad and Tobago | -0.04 (2023) | -0.03 (2022) | -0.02 pts |
| 109 |  Belize | -0.38 (2023) | -0.36 (2022) | -0.02 pts |
| 110 |  Andorra | 1.48 (2023) | 1.50 (2022) | -0.02 pts |
| 111 |  North Korea | -1.48 (2023) | -1.46 (2022) | -0.02 pts |
| 112 |  Maldives | -0.13 (2023) | -0.11 (2022) | -0.02 pts |
| 113 |  Brunei | 1.40 (2023) | 1.42 (2022) | -0.02 pts |
| 114 |  France | 1.14 (2023) | 1.17 (2022) | -0.02 pts |
| 115 |  Zambia | -0.66 (2023) | -0.64 (2022) | -0.02 pts |
| 116 |  Suriname | -0.97 (2023) | -0.94 (2022) | -0.02 pts |
| 117 |  Equatorial Guinea | -1.32 (2023) | -1.30 (2022) | -0.02 pts |
| 118 |  Monaco | 2.02 (2023) | 2.05 (2022) | -0.02 pts |
| 119 |  Central African Republic | -1.74 (2023) | -1.71 (2022) | -0.02 pts |
| 120 |  Cameroon | -0.91 (2023) | -0.88 (2022) | -0.02 pts |
| 121 |  Côte d'Ivoire | -0.36 (2023) | -0.33 (2022) | -0.03 pts |
| 122 |  Guyana | -0.29 (2023) | -0.27 (2022) | -0.03 pts |
| 123 |  Slovenia | 1.04 (2023) | 1.07 (2022) | -0.03 pts |
| 124 |  Vanuatu | -0.57 (2023) | -0.54 (2022) | -0.03 pts |
| 125 |  Syria | -1.79 (2023) | -1.75 (2022) | -0.04 pts |
| 126 |  Seychelles | 0.62 (2023) | 0.66 (2022) | -0.04 pts |
| 127 |  Tunisia | -0.30 (2023) | -0.26 (2022) | -0.04 pts |
| 128 |  United States | 1.22 (2023) | 1.26 (2022) | -0.04 pts |
| 129 |  Namibia | 0.03 (2023) | 0.07 (2022) | -0.04 pts |
| 130 |  Mauritania | -0.76 (2023) | -0.73 (2022) | -0.04 pts |
| 131 |  Yemen | -2.28 (2023) | -2.23 (2022) | -0.04 pts |
| 132 |  Grenada | -0.01 (2023) | 0.04 (2022) | -0.04 pts |
| 133 |  Laos | -0.64 (2023) | -0.60 (2022) | -0.05 pts |
| 134 |  Mongolia | -0.47 (2023) | -0.42 (2022) | -0.05 pts |
| 135 |  Turkmenistan | -1.21 (2023) | -1.16 (2022) | -0.05 pts |
| 136 |  Barbados | 0.38 (2023) | 0.43 (2022) | -0.05 pts |
| 137 |  Nicaragua | -1.08 (2023) | -1.04 (2022) | -0.05 pts |
| 138 |  Vietnam | 0.13 (2023) | 0.17 (2022) | -0.05 pts |
| 139 |  Türkiye | -0.25 (2023) | -0.20 (2022) | -0.05 pts |
| 140 |  Benin | -0.22 (2023) | -0.17 (2022) | -0.05 pts |
| 141 |  Canada | 1.52 (2023) | 1.57 (2022) | -0.05 pts |
| 142 |  Madagascar | -1.02 (2023) | -0.97 (2022) | -0.05 pts |
| 143 |  Solomon Islands | -0.73 (2023) | -0.68 (2022) | -0.05 pts |
| 144 |  Chad | -1.48 (2023) | -1.42 (2022) | -0.06 pts |
| 145 |  Mauritius | 0.71 (2023) | 0.77 (2022) | -0.06 pts |
| 146 |  Serbia | 0.01 (2023) | 0.07 (2022) | -0.06 pts |
| 147 |  Eritrea | -1.79 (2023) | -1.73 (2022) | -0.06 pts |
| 148 |  Lesotho | -0.95 (2023) | -0.89 (2022) | -0.07 pts |
| 149 |  Sao Tome and Principe | -0.90 (2023) | -0.84 (2022) | -0.07 pts |
| 150 |  Myanmar | -1.75 (2023) | -1.69 (2022) | -0.07 pts |
| 151 |  Timor-Leste | -0.84 (2023) | -0.77 (2022) | -0.07 pts |
| 152 |  Bolivia | -0.64 (2023) | -0.56 (2022) | -0.07 pts |
| 153 |  United Kingdom | 1.16 (2023) | 1.24 (2022) | -0.08 pts |
| 154 |  Estonia | 1.26 (2023) | 1.34 (2022) | -0.08 pts |
| 155 |  Panama | -0.21 (2023) | -0.13 (2022) | -0.08 pts |
| 156 |  Iraq | -1.39 (2023) | -1.30 (2022) | -0.09 pts |
| 157 |  Colombia | -0.08 (2023) | 0.01 (2022) | -0.09 pts |
| 158 |  Israel | 1.15 (2023) | 1.24 (2022) | -0.09 pts |
| 159 |  Romania | -0.09 (2023) | 0.00 (2022) | -0.09 pts |
| 160 |  Peru | -0.49 (2023) | -0.40 (2022) | -0.09 pts |
| 161 |  Argentina | -0.38 (2023) | -0.28 (2022) | -0.09 pts |
| 162 |  Gabon | -0.78 (2023) | -0.69 (2022) | -0.09 pts |
| 163 |  Fiji | 0.49 (2023) | 0.59 (2022) | -0.10 pts |
| 164 |  Eswatini | -0.88 (2023) | -0.78 (2022) | -0.10 pts |
| 165 |  Germany | 1.19 (2023) | 1.29 (2022) | -0.10 pts |
| 166 |  Kuwait | 0.01 (2023) | 0.11 (2022) | -0.10 pts |
| 167 |  Afghanistan | -1.99 (2023) | -1.88 (2022) | -0.11 pts |
| 168 |  Malaysia | 0.88 (2023) | 0.99 (2022) | -0.12 pts |
| 169 |  Lebanon | -1.58 (2023) | -1.46 (2022) | -0.12 pts |
| 170 |  Cuba | -0.48 (2023) | -0.35 (2022) | -0.12 pts |
| 171 |  Tuvalu | -0.45 (2023) | -0.31 (2022) | -0.14 pts |
| 172 |  Austria | 1.33 (2023) | 1.46 (2022) | -0.14 pts |
| 173 |  Iran | -1.02 (2023) | -0.88 (2022) | -0.14 pts |
| 174 |  Belarus | -0.99 (2023) | -0.85 (2022) | -0.14 pts |
| 175 |  Norway | 1.80 (2023) | 1.94 (2022) | -0.14 pts |
| 176 |  Micronesia | 0.23 (2023) | 0.38 (2022) | -0.15 pts |
| 177 |  South Africa | -0.26 (2023) | -0.11 (2022) | -0.15 pts |
| 178 |  Slovakia | 0.23 (2023) | 0.38 (2022) | -0.15 pts |
| 179 |  Bahamas | 0.27 (2023) | 0.42 (2022) | -0.15 pts |
| 180 |  Algeria | -0.67 (2023) | -0.51 (2022) | -0.16 pts |
| 181 |  Marshall Islands | 0.07 (2023) | 0.23 (2022) | -0.16 pts |
| 182 |  Hungary | 0.37 (2023) | 0.53 (2022) | -0.16 pts |
| 183 |  Spain | 0.75 (2023) | 0.92 (2022) | -0.17 pts |
| 184 | Ecuador | -0.49 (2023) | -0.31 (2022) | -0.18 pts |
| 185 |  Belgium | 1.04 (2023) | 1.23 (2022) | -0.19 pts |
| 186 |  Jamaica | 0.41 (2023) | 0.60 (2022) | -0.20 pts |
| 187 |  Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | 0.07 (2023) | 0.32 (2022) | -0.24 pts |
| 188 |  Kiribati | -0.10 (2023) | 0.17 (2022) | -0.26 pts |
| 189 |  Nauru | -0.07 (2023) | 0.20 (2022) | -0.27 pts |
| 190 |  Sudan | -1.98 (2023) | -1.69 (2022) | -0.29 pts |
| 191 |  Greece | 0.15 (2023) | 0.45 (2022) | -0.30 pts |
| 192 |  Malta | 0.40 (2023) | 0.80 (2022) | -0.41 pts |
| 193 |  San Marino | 1.20 (2023) | 1.77 (2022) | -0.57 pts |
Source: World Bank. Only countries with complete data (both points within the past 10 years) are shown.