Rule of Law by Country
What Is Rule of Law?
Rule of Law measures the extent to which agents have confidence in and abide by the rules of society, particularly the quality of contract enforcement, property rights, and the courts. It is part of the World Bank’s Worldwide Governance Indicators, with scores ranging from –2.5 (weak) to 2.5 (strong). Higher values indicate better enforcement of laws and access to justice.
Why Rule of Law Matters to a Country’s Progress
- Reflects investment security, since strong legal frameworks ensure contracts are enforced and property rights protected.
- Promotes social stability, as citizens trust that disputes will be resolved fairly and corruption is less likely.
- Informs policy design, because governments use the indicator to identify weaknesses in judicial systems and reform priorities.
How to Read the Rankings
- A higher score indicates stronger adherence to laws, effective courts, and reliable contract enforcement.
- “Most Recent Year” shows the latest annual score; “Change” shows the difference from the prior year’s value.
- Annual shifts may result from judicial reforms, corruption scandals, or improvements in law enforcement rather than long-term trends.
Implications for Policy & Society
- Low scores often prompt governments to invest in judicial training, expand access to legal aid, and strengthen anti-corruption measures.
- High scores can attract foreign investors and support economic growth, as businesses feel secure enforcing contracts in a predictable legal environment.
- Persistent low rankings highlight the need for institutional reforms, such as improving court efficiency and ensuring judicial independence.
- Monitoring year-over-year changes helps assess the impact of rule-of-law initiatives and guides resource allocation to improve governance.
Ranking Highlights
- El Salvador tops the progress rankings in Rule of Law Index, recording an increase from -0.74 to -0.37. Lithuania follows with a gain from 1.06 to 1.27, while Tuvalu rounds out the top three, rising from 0.82 to 1.01.
- Across all 193 countries, the average year-over-year change was +0.00 pts with a median change of +0.00 pts.
- Overall, 104 countries improved in this area while 87 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 |  El Salvador | -0.37 (2023) | -0.74 (2022) | +0.37 pts |
| 2 |  Lithuania | 1.27 (2023) | 1.06 (2022) | +0.21 pts |
| 3 |  Tuvalu | 1.01 (2023) | 0.82 (2022) | +0.19 pts |
| 4 |  Thailand | 0.25 (2023) | 0.07 (2022) | +0.18 pts |
| 5 |  Algeria | -0.68 (2023) | -0.83 (2022) | +0.15 pts |
| 6 |  Moldova | -0.15 (2023) | -0.29 (2022) | +0.13 pts |
| 7 |  Saudi Arabia | 0.42 (2023) | 0.29 (2022) | +0.13 pts |
| 8 |  Latvia | 1.04 (2023) | 0.92 (2022) | +0.12 pts |
| 9 |  Oman | 0.61 (2023) | 0.50 (2022) | +0.11 pts |
| 10 |  Ireland | 1.63 (2023) | 1.53 (2022) | +0.11 pts |
| 11 |  Bulgaria | -0.01 (2023) | -0.11 (2022) | +0.10 pts |
| 12 |  Philippines | -0.42 (2023) | -0.52 (2022) | +0.10 pts |
| 13 |  Bangladesh | -0.50 (2023) | -0.60 (2022) | +0.10 pts |
| 14 |  Italy | 0.39 (2023) | 0.30 (2022) | +0.09 pts |
| 15 |  South Korea | 1.25 (2023) | 1.16 (2022) | +0.09 pts |
| 16 |  Benin | -0.51 (2023) | -0.60 (2022) | +0.09 pts |
| 17 |  Tanzania | -0.37 (2023) | -0.46 (2022) | +0.09 pts |
| 18 |  Montenegro | -0.04 (2023) | -0.13 (2022) | +0.08 pts |
| 19 |  Belize | -0.64 (2023) | -0.72 (2022) | +0.08 pts |
| 20 |  Egypt | -0.18 (2023) | -0.27 (2022) | +0.08 pts |
| 21 |  Bolivia | -1.22 (2023) | -1.30 (2022) | +0.08 pts |
| 22 |  Gambia | -0.37 (2023) | -0.46 (2022) | +0.08 pts |
| 23 |  Morocco | -0.13 (2023) | -0.21 (2022) | +0.08 pts |
| 24 |  Papua New Guinea | -0.54 (2023) | -0.62 (2022) | +0.08 pts |
| 25 |  Somalia | -2.21 (2023) | -2.29 (2022) | +0.07 pts |
| 26 |  India | 0.19 (2023) | 0.11 (2022) | +0.07 pts |
| 27 |  Norway | 1.83 (2023) | 1.76 (2022) | +0.07 pts |
| 28 |  Vietnam | -0.09 (2023) | -0.16 (2022) | +0.07 pts |
| 29 |  Argentina | -0.41 (2023) | -0.48 (2022) | +0.07 pts |
| 30 |  Congo | -1.02 (2023) | -1.09 (2022) | +0.07 pts |
| 31 |  Equatorial Guinea | -1.34 (2023) | -1.41 (2022) | +0.07 pts |
| 32 |  Slovenia | 1.04 (2023) | 0.97 (2022) | +0.07 pts |
| 33 |  Malawi | -0.16 (2023) | -0.22 (2022) | +0.07 pts |
| 34 |  Suriname | -0.06 (2023) | -0.13 (2022) | +0.07 pts |
| 35 |  Kuwait | 0.34 (2023) | 0.28 (2022) | +0.06 pts |
| 36 |  Mexico | -0.81 (2023) | -0.87 (2022) | +0.06 pts |
| 37 |  Azerbaijan | -0.57 (2023) | -0.63 (2022) | +0.06 pts |
| 38 |  Cyprus | 0.63 (2023) | 0.57 (2022) | +0.06 pts |
| 39 |  Rwanda | 0.21 (2023) | 0.15 (2022) | +0.06 pts |
| 40 |  Iraq | -1.69 (2023) | -1.75 (2022) | +0.06 pts |
| 41 |  Barbados | 0.41 (2023) | 0.36 (2022) | +0.05 pts |
| 42 |  Guatemala | -1.08 (2023) | -1.13 (2022) | +0.05 pts |
| 43 |  Grenada | 0.61 (2023) | 0.56 (2022) | +0.05 pts |
| 44 |  Armenia | -0.12 (2023) | -0.17 (2022) | +0.05 pts |
| 45 |  Cambodia | -0.82 (2023) | -0.87 (2022) | +0.05 pts |
| 46 |  Eswatini | -0.60 (2023) | -0.65 (2022) | +0.05 pts |
| 47 |  United Arab Emirates | 0.88 (2023) | 0.84 (2022) | +0.05 pts |
| 48 |  Timor-Leste | -0.83 (2023) | -0.88 (2022) | +0.05 pts |
| 49 |  Venezuela | -2.15 (2023) | -2.20 (2022) | +0.05 pts |
| 50 |  South Africa | 0.09 (2023) | 0.04 (2022) | +0.04 pts |
| 51 |  Bahamas | 0.18 (2023) | 0.14 (2022) | +0.04 pts |
| 52 |  Austria | 1.75 (2023) | 1.70 (2022) | +0.04 pts |
| 53 |  Czech Republic | 1.14 (2023) | 1.10 (2022) | +0.04 pts |
| 54 |  Jordan | 0.26 (2023) | 0.22 (2022) | +0.04 pts |
| 55 |  Serbia | -0.08 (2023) | -0.11 (2022) | +0.04 pts |
| 56 |  Indonesia | -0.15 (2023) | -0.19 (2022) | +0.03 pts |
| 57 |  Romania | 0.44 (2023) | 0.40 (2022) | +0.03 pts |
| 58 |  Syria | -2.04 (2023) | -2.07 (2022) | +0.03 pts |
| 59 |  Nicaragua | -1.28 (2023) | -1.31 (2022) | +0.03 pts |
| 60 |  Poland | 0.46 (2023) | 0.43 (2022) | +0.03 pts |
| 61 |  Bahrain | 0.47 (2023) | 0.44 (2022) | +0.03 pts |
| 62 |  Libya | -1.77 (2023) | -1.80 (2022) | +0.03 pts |
| 63 |  Namibia | 0.45 (2023) | 0.42 (2022) | +0.03 pts |
| 64 |  Ukraine | -0.89 (2023) | -0.92 (2022) | +0.03 pts |
| 65 |  Kazakhstan | -0.45 (2023) | -0.48 (2022) | +0.03 pts |
| 66 |  Burundi | -1.25 (2023) | -1.28 (2022) | +0.03 pts |
| 67 |  Nigeria | -0.89 (2023) | -0.91 (2022) | +0.03 pts |
| 68 |  Spain | 0.82 (2023) | 0.80 (2022) | +0.02 pts |
| 69 |  Togo | -0.53 (2023) | -0.55 (2022) | +0.02 pts |
| 70 |  Chad | -1.35 (2023) | -1.37 (2022) | +0.02 pts |
| 71 |  Uzbekistan | -0.83 (2023) | -0.85 (2022) | +0.02 pts |
| 72 |  Germany | 1.55 (2023) | 1.53 (2022) | +0.02 pts |
| 73 |  North Korea | -1.64 (2023) | -1.66 (2022) | +0.02 pts |
| 74 |  Guinea-Bissau | -1.44 (2023) | -1.45 (2022) | +0.02 pts |
| 75 |  Iceland | 1.72 (2023) | 1.70 (2022) | +0.02 pts |
| 76 |  Qatar | 0.93 (2023) | 0.92 (2022) | +0.02 pts |
| 77 |  Peru | -0.54 (2023) | -0.55 (2022) | +0.02 pts |
| 78 |  Australia | 1.52 (2023) | 1.51 (2022) | +0.01 pts |
| 79 |  Panama | -0.35 (2023) | -0.36 (2022) | +0.01 pts |
| 80 |  Haiti | -1.36 (2023) | -1.38 (2022) | +0.01 pts |
| 81 |  Yemen | -1.84 (2023) | -1.85 (2022) | +0.01 pts |
| 82 |  Côte d'Ivoire | -0.46 (2023) | -0.47 (2022) | +0.01 pts |
| 83 |  Switzerland | 1.76 (2023) | 1.75 (2022) | +0.01 pts |
| 84 |  Eritrea | -1.76 (2023) | -1.77 (2022) | +0.01 pts |
| 85 |  Malaysia | 0.57 (2023) | 0.56 (2022) | +0.01 pts |
| 86 |  Afghanistan | -1.65 (2023) | -1.66 (2022) | +0.01 pts |
| 87 |  Denmark | 1.91 (2023) | 1.90 (2022) | +0.01 pts |
| 88 |  Finland | 1.97 (2023) | 1.96 (2022) | +0.01 pts |
| 89 |  Russia | -1.19 (2023) | -1.20 (2022) | +0.01 pts |
| 90 |  Mauritius | 0.81 (2023) | 0.80 (2022) | +0.01 pts |
| 91 |  Paraguay | -0.58 (2023) | -0.59 (2022) | +0.01 pts |
| 92 |  Cuba | -0.45 (2023) | -0.46 (2022) | +0.01 pts |
| 93 |  Georgia | 0.18 (2023) | 0.17 (2022) | +0.01 pts |
| 94 |  Mauritania | -0.64 (2023) | -0.65 (2022) | +0.01 pts |
| 95 |  Hungary | 0.43 (2023) | 0.42 (2022) | +0.01 pts |
| 96 |  Nauru | -0.02 (2023) | -0.02 (2022) | +0.01 pts |
| 97 |  Turkmenistan | -1.49 (2023) | -1.49 (2022) | +0.00 pts |
| 98 |  Mali | -0.98 (2023) | -0.98 (2022) | +0.00 pts |
| 99 |  Mongolia | -0.18 (2023) | -0.19 (2022) | +0.00 pts |
| 100 |  Albania | -0.16 (2023) | -0.17 (2022) | +0.00 pts |
| 101 |  China | -0.04 (2023) | -0.04 (2022) | +0.00 pts |
| 102 |  Cabo Verde | 0.40 (2023) | 0.40 (2022) | +0.00 pts |
| 103 |  Cameroon | -1.04 (2023) | -1.04 (2022) | +0.00 pts |
| 104 |  Democratic Republic of the Congo | -1.67 (2023) | -1.67 (2022) | +0.00 pts |
| 105 |  Estonia | 1.43 (2023) | 1.43 (2022) | +0.00 pts |
| 106 |  France | 1.18 (2023) | 1.18 (2022) | +0.00 pts |
| 107 |  Mozambique | -1.03 (2023) | -1.03 (2022) | 0.00 pts |
| 108 |  Sierra Leone | -0.83 (2023) | -0.83 (2022) | 0.00 pts |
| 109 |  Senegal | -0.27 (2023) | -0.27 (2022) | -0.01 pts |
| 110 |  Bhutan | 0.67 (2023) | 0.67 (2022) | -0.01 pts |
| 111 |  Liechtenstein | 1.71 (2023) | 1.72 (2022) | -0.01 pts |
| 112 |  Croatia | 0.36 (2023) | 0.37 (2022) | -0.01 pts |
| 113 |  Lesotho | -0.48 (2023) | -0.47 (2022) | -0.01 pts |
| 114 |  Andorra | 1.48 (2023) | 1.49 (2022) | -0.01 pts |
| 115 |  Kenya | -0.33 (2023) | -0.32 (2022) | -0.01 pts |
| 116 |  Monaco | 1.48 (2023) | 1.49 (2022) | -0.01 pts |
| 117 |  Antigua and Barbuda | 0.38 (2023) | 0.39 (2022) | -0.01 pts |
| 118 |  Zambia | -0.53 (2023) | -0.52 (2022) | -0.01 pts |
| 119 |  Netherlands | 1.64 (2023) | 1.66 (2022) | -0.01 pts |
| 120 |  Nepal | -0.46 (2023) | -0.45 (2022) | -0.02 pts |
| 121 |  United Kingdom | 1.40 (2023) | 1.41 (2022) | -0.02 pts |
| 122 |  Guinea | -1.11 (2023) | -1.10 (2022) | -0.02 pts |
| 123 |  Luxembourg | 1.75 (2023) | 1.77 (2022) | -0.02 pts |
| 124 |  Palau | 0.94 (2023) | 0.95 (2022) | -0.02 pts |
| 125 |  Slovakia | 0.60 (2023) | 0.62 (2022) | -0.02 pts |
| 126 |  Ghana | -0.10 (2023) | -0.08 (2022) | -0.02 pts |
| 127 |  Fiji | 0.31 (2023) | 0.33 (2022) | -0.02 pts |
| 128 |  Tajikistan | -1.28 (2023) | -1.26 (2022) | -0.02 pts |
| 129 |  Djibouti | -1.13 (2023) | -1.10 (2022) | -0.02 pts |
| 130 |  Japan | 1.54 (2023) | 1.56 (2022) | -0.02 pts |
| 131 |  Saint Kitts and Nevis | 0.48 (2023) | 0.50 (2022) | -0.02 pts |
| 132 |  Solomon Islands | -0.26 (2023) | -0.24 (2022) | -0.02 pts |
| 133 |  New Zealand | 1.71 (2023) | 1.73 (2022) | -0.02 pts |
| 134 |  Madagascar | -0.98 (2023) | -0.95 (2022) | -0.03 pts |
| 135 |  Singapore | 1.75 (2023) | 1.78 (2022) | -0.03 pts |
| 136 |  Tunisia | -0.14 (2023) | -0.11 (2022) | -0.03 pts |
| 137 |  Comoros | -1.34 (2023) | -1.32 (2022) | -0.03 pts |
| 138 |  Kyrgyzstan | -1.17 (2023) | -1.15 (2022) | -0.03 pts |
| 139 |  Laos | -0.83 (2023) | -0.80 (2022) | -0.03 pts |
| 140 |  Guyana | -0.34 (2023) | -0.31 (2022) | -0.03 pts |
| 141 |  Seychelles | 0.43 (2023) | 0.46 (2022) | -0.03 pts |
| 142 |  Belarus | -1.25 (2023) | -1.22 (2022) | -0.03 pts |
| 143 |  Colombia | -0.46 (2023) | -0.43 (2022) | -0.03 pts |
| 144 |  Sri Lanka | -0.09 (2023) | -0.06 (2022) | -0.03 pts |
| 145 |  Ethiopia | -0.67 (2023) | -0.64 (2022) | -0.03 pts |
| 146 |  Dominican Republic | -0.13 (2023) | -0.09 (2022) | -0.04 pts |
| 147 |  Kiribati | 0.59 (2023) | 0.63 (2022) | -0.04 pts |
| 148 |  Zimbabwe | -1.28 (2023) | -1.24 (2022) | -0.04 pts |
| 149 |  United States | 1.33 (2023) | 1.37 (2022) | -0.04 pts |
| 150 |  Iran | -1.06 (2023) | -1.02 (2022) | -0.04 pts |
| 151 |  Portugal | 1.07 (2023) | 1.11 (2022) | -0.04 pts |
| 152 |  Bosnia and Herzegovina | -0.35 (2023) | -0.31 (2022) | -0.04 pts |
| 153 |  Micronesia | 0.64 (2023) | 0.69 (2022) | -0.05 pts |
| 154 |  Tonga | 0.55 (2023) | 0.60 (2022) | -0.05 pts |
| 155 |  Samoa | 0.90 (2023) | 0.95 (2022) | -0.05 pts |
| 156 |  Costa Rica | 0.39 (2023) | 0.44 (2022) | -0.05 pts |
| 157 |  Brunei | 0.89 (2023) | 0.93 (2022) | -0.05 pts |
| 158 |  Gabon | -0.87 (2023) | -0.82 (2022) | -0.05 pts |
| 159 |  Uruguay | 0.72 (2023) | 0.77 (2022) | -0.05 pts |
| 160 |  Brazil | -0.31 (2023) | -0.26 (2022) | -0.05 pts |
| 161 |  Türkiye | -0.51 (2023) | -0.46 (2022) | -0.05 pts |
| 162 |  Marshall Islands | 0.68 (2023) | 0.73 (2022) | -0.05 pts |
| 163 |  Belgium | 1.30 (2023) | 1.35 (2022) | -0.05 pts |
| 164 |  Saint Lucia | 0.61 (2023) | 0.66 (2022) | -0.06 pts |
| 165 |  Central African Republic | -1.76 (2023) | -1.70 (2022) | -0.06 pts |
| 166 |  Sao Tome and Principe | -0.70 (2023) | -0.63 (2022) | -0.06 pts |
| 167 |  Lebanon | -1.17 (2023) | -1.10 (2022) | -0.06 pts |
| 168 |  Chile | 0.63 (2023) | 0.69 (2022) | -0.06 pts |
| 169 |  Botswana | 0.39 (2023) | 0.46 (2022) | -0.07 pts |
| 170 |  North Macedonia | -0.17 (2023) | -0.10 (2022) | -0.07 pts |
| 171 |  Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | 0.57 (2023) | 0.65 (2022) | -0.07 pts |
| 172 |  Angola | -1.10 (2023) | -1.02 (2022) | -0.08 pts |
| 173 |  Honduras | -1.10 (2023) | -1.02 (2022) | -0.08 pts |
| 174 |  South Sudan | -2.14 (2023) | -2.06 (2022) | -0.08 pts |
| 175 |  Malta | 0.70 (2023) | 0.79 (2022) | -0.08 pts |
| 176 |  Sweden | 1.60 (2023) | 1.69 (2022) | -0.08 pts |
| 177 |  Myanmar | -1.62 (2023) | -1.53 (2022) | -0.09 pts |
| 178 |  Canada | 1.47 (2023) | 1.57 (2022) | -0.09 pts |
| 179 |  Uganda | -0.48 (2023) | -0.37 (2022) | -0.10 pts |
| 180 |  Jamaica | -0.18 (2023) | -0.07 (2022) | -0.10 pts |
| 181 |  Dominica | 0.63 (2023) | 0.73 (2022) | -0.11 pts |
| 182 |  Greece | 0.21 (2023) | 0.33 (2022) | -0.11 pts |
| 183 |  Trinidad and Tobago | -0.28 (2023) | -0.17 (2022) | -0.11 pts |
| 184 |  Liberia | -1.03 (2023) | -0.92 (2022) | -0.12 pts |
| 185 |  Maldives | -0.08 (2023) | 0.04 (2022) | -0.12 pts |
| 186 |  Burkina Faso | -0.74 (2023) | -0.61 (2022) | -0.13 pts |
| 187 |  Israel | 0.78 (2023) | 0.95 (2022) | -0.16 pts |
| 188 |  Vanuatu | 0.14 (2023) | 0.32 (2022) | -0.18 pts |
| 189 |  Pakistan | -0.86 (2023) | -0.67 (2022) | -0.19 pts |
| 190 |  Niger | -0.71 (2023) | -0.50 (2022) | -0.21 pts |
| 191 |  San Marino | 1.48 (2023) | 1.75 (2022) | -0.27 pts |
| 192 | Ecuador | -0.96 (2023) | -0.62 (2022) | -0.34 pts |
| 193 |  Sudan | -1.67 (2023) | -1.26 (2022) | -0.41 pts |
Source: World Bank. Only countries with complete data (both points within the past 10 years) are shown.