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
1El Salvador flag El Salvador-0.37 (2023)-0.74 (2022)+0.37 pts
2Lithuania flag Lithuania1.27 (2023)1.06 (2022)+0.21 pts
3Tuvalu flag Tuvalu1.01 (2023)0.82 (2022)+0.19 pts
4Thailand flag Thailand0.25 (2023)0.07 (2022)+0.18 pts
5Algeria flag Algeria-0.68 (2023)-0.83 (2022)+0.15 pts
6Moldova flag Moldova-0.15 (2023)-0.29 (2022)+0.13 pts
7Saudi Arabia flag Saudi Arabia0.42 (2023)0.29 (2022)+0.13 pts
8Latvia flag Latvia1.04 (2023)0.92 (2022)+0.12 pts
9Oman flag Oman0.61 (2023)0.50 (2022)+0.11 pts
10Ireland flag Ireland1.63 (2023)1.53 (2022)+0.11 pts
11Bulgaria flag Bulgaria-0.01 (2023)-0.11 (2022)+0.10 pts
12Philippines flag Philippines-0.42 (2023)-0.52 (2022)+0.10 pts
13Bangladesh flag Bangladesh-0.50 (2023)-0.60 (2022)+0.10 pts
14Italy flag Italy0.39 (2023)0.30 (2022)+0.09 pts
15South Korea flag South Korea1.25 (2023)1.16 (2022)+0.09 pts
16Benin flag Benin-0.51 (2023)-0.60 (2022)+0.09 pts
17Tanzania flag Tanzania-0.37 (2023)-0.46 (2022)+0.09 pts
18Montenegro flag Montenegro-0.04 (2023)-0.13 (2022)+0.08 pts
19Belize flag Belize-0.64 (2023)-0.72 (2022)+0.08 pts
20Egypt flag Egypt-0.18 (2023)-0.27 (2022)+0.08 pts
21Bolivia flag Bolivia-1.22 (2023)-1.30 (2022)+0.08 pts
22Gambia flag Gambia-0.37 (2023)-0.46 (2022)+0.08 pts
23Morocco flag Morocco-0.13 (2023)-0.21 (2022)+0.08 pts
24Papua New Guinea flag Papua New Guinea-0.54 (2023)-0.62 (2022)+0.08 pts
25Somalia flag Somalia-2.21 (2023)-2.29 (2022)+0.07 pts
26India flag India0.19 (2023)0.11 (2022)+0.07 pts
27Norway flag Norway1.83 (2023)1.76 (2022)+0.07 pts
28Vietnam flag Vietnam-0.09 (2023)-0.16 (2022)+0.07 pts
29Argentina flag Argentina-0.41 (2023)-0.48 (2022)+0.07 pts
30Congo flag Congo-1.02 (2023)-1.09 (2022)+0.07 pts
31Equatorial Guinea flag Equatorial Guinea-1.34 (2023)-1.41 (2022)+0.07 pts
32Slovenia flag Slovenia1.04 (2023)0.97 (2022)+0.07 pts
33Malawi flag Malawi-0.16 (2023)-0.22 (2022)+0.07 pts
34Suriname flag Suriname-0.06 (2023)-0.13 (2022)+0.07 pts
35Kuwait flag Kuwait0.34 (2023)0.28 (2022)+0.06 pts
36Mexico flag Mexico-0.81 (2023)-0.87 (2022)+0.06 pts
37Azerbaijan flag Azerbaijan-0.57 (2023)-0.63 (2022)+0.06 pts
38Cyprus flag Cyprus0.63 (2023)0.57 (2022)+0.06 pts
39Rwanda flag Rwanda0.21 (2023)0.15 (2022)+0.06 pts
40Iraq flag Iraq-1.69 (2023)-1.75 (2022)+0.06 pts
41Barbados flag Barbados0.41 (2023)0.36 (2022)+0.05 pts
42Guatemala flag Guatemala-1.08 (2023)-1.13 (2022)+0.05 pts
43Grenada flag Grenada0.61 (2023)0.56 (2022)+0.05 pts
44Armenia flag Armenia-0.12 (2023)-0.17 (2022)+0.05 pts
45Cambodia flag Cambodia-0.82 (2023)-0.87 (2022)+0.05 pts
46Eswatini flag Eswatini-0.60 (2023)-0.65 (2022)+0.05 pts
47United Arab Emirates flag United Arab Emirates0.88 (2023)0.84 (2022)+0.05 pts
48Timor-Leste flag Timor-Leste-0.83 (2023)-0.88 (2022)+0.05 pts
49Venezuela flag Venezuela-2.15 (2023)-2.20 (2022)+0.05 pts
50South Africa flag South Africa0.09 (2023)0.04 (2022)+0.04 pts
51Bahamas flag Bahamas0.18 (2023)0.14 (2022)+0.04 pts
52Austria flag Austria1.75 (2023)1.70 (2022)+0.04 pts
53Czech Republic flag Czech Republic1.14 (2023)1.10 (2022)+0.04 pts
54Jordan flag Jordan0.26 (2023)0.22 (2022)+0.04 pts
55Serbia flag Serbia-0.08 (2023)-0.11 (2022)+0.04 pts
56Indonesia flag Indonesia-0.15 (2023)-0.19 (2022)+0.03 pts
57Romania flag Romania0.44 (2023)0.40 (2022)+0.03 pts
58Syria flag Syria-2.04 (2023)-2.07 (2022)+0.03 pts
59Nicaragua flag Nicaragua-1.28 (2023)-1.31 (2022)+0.03 pts
60Poland flag Poland0.46 (2023)0.43 (2022)+0.03 pts
61Bahrain flag Bahrain0.47 (2023)0.44 (2022)+0.03 pts
62Libya flag Libya-1.77 (2023)-1.80 (2022)+0.03 pts
63Namibia flag Namibia0.45 (2023)0.42 (2022)+0.03 pts
64Ukraine flag Ukraine-0.89 (2023)-0.92 (2022)+0.03 pts
65Kazakhstan flag Kazakhstan-0.45 (2023)-0.48 (2022)+0.03 pts
66Burundi flag Burundi-1.25 (2023)-1.28 (2022)+0.03 pts
67Nigeria flag Nigeria-0.89 (2023)-0.91 (2022)+0.03 pts
68Spain flag Spain0.82 (2023)0.80 (2022)+0.02 pts
69Togo flag Togo-0.53 (2023)-0.55 (2022)+0.02 pts
70Chad flag Chad-1.35 (2023)-1.37 (2022)+0.02 pts
71Uzbekistan flag Uzbekistan-0.83 (2023)-0.85 (2022)+0.02 pts
72Germany flag Germany1.55 (2023)1.53 (2022)+0.02 pts
73North Korea flag North Korea-1.64 (2023)-1.66 (2022)+0.02 pts
74Guinea-Bissau flag Guinea-Bissau-1.44 (2023)-1.45 (2022)+0.02 pts
75Iceland flag Iceland1.72 (2023)1.70 (2022)+0.02 pts
76Qatar flag Qatar0.93 (2023)0.92 (2022)+0.02 pts
77Peru flag Peru-0.54 (2023)-0.55 (2022)+0.02 pts
78Australia flag Australia1.52 (2023)1.51 (2022)+0.01 pts
79Panama flag Panama-0.35 (2023)-0.36 (2022)+0.01 pts
80Haiti flag Haiti-1.36 (2023)-1.38 (2022)+0.01 pts
81Yemen flag Yemen-1.84 (2023)-1.85 (2022)+0.01 pts
82Côte d'Ivoire flag Côte d'Ivoire-0.46 (2023)-0.47 (2022)+0.01 pts
83Switzerland flag Switzerland1.76 (2023)1.75 (2022)+0.01 pts
84Eritrea flag Eritrea-1.76 (2023)-1.77 (2022)+0.01 pts
85Malaysia flag Malaysia0.57 (2023)0.56 (2022)+0.01 pts
86Afghanistan flag Afghanistan-1.65 (2023)-1.66 (2022)+0.01 pts
87Denmark flag Denmark1.91 (2023)1.90 (2022)+0.01 pts
88Finland flag Finland1.97 (2023)1.96 (2022)+0.01 pts
89Russia flag Russia-1.19 (2023)-1.20 (2022)+0.01 pts
90Mauritius flag Mauritius0.81 (2023)0.80 (2022)+0.01 pts
91Paraguay flag Paraguay-0.58 (2023)-0.59 (2022)+0.01 pts
92Cuba flag Cuba-0.45 (2023)-0.46 (2022)+0.01 pts
93Georgia flag Georgia0.18 (2023)0.17 (2022)+0.01 pts
94Mauritania flag Mauritania-0.64 (2023)-0.65 (2022)+0.01 pts
95Hungary flag Hungary0.43 (2023)0.42 (2022)+0.01 pts
96Nauru flag Nauru-0.02 (2023)-0.02 (2022)+0.01 pts
97Turkmenistan flag Turkmenistan-1.49 (2023)-1.49 (2022)+0.00 pts
98Mali flag Mali-0.98 (2023)-0.98 (2022)+0.00 pts
99Mongolia flag Mongolia-0.18 (2023)-0.19 (2022)+0.00 pts
100Albania flag Albania-0.16 (2023)-0.17 (2022)+0.00 pts
101China flag China-0.04 (2023)-0.04 (2022)+0.00 pts
102Cabo Verde flag Cabo Verde0.40 (2023)0.40 (2022)+0.00 pts
103Cameroon flag Cameroon-1.04 (2023)-1.04 (2022)+0.00 pts
104Democratic Republic of the Congo flag Democratic Republic of the Congo-1.67 (2023)-1.67 (2022)+0.00 pts
105Estonia flag Estonia1.43 (2023)1.43 (2022)+0.00 pts
106France flag France1.18 (2023)1.18 (2022)+0.00 pts
107Mozambique flag Mozambique-1.03 (2023)-1.03 (2022)0.00 pts
108Sierra Leone flag Sierra Leone-0.83 (2023)-0.83 (2022)0.00 pts
109Senegal flag Senegal-0.27 (2023)-0.27 (2022)-0.01 pts
110Bhutan flag Bhutan0.67 (2023)0.67 (2022)-0.01 pts
111Liechtenstein flag Liechtenstein1.71 (2023)1.72 (2022)-0.01 pts
112Croatia flag Croatia0.36 (2023)0.37 (2022)-0.01 pts
113Lesotho flag Lesotho-0.48 (2023)-0.47 (2022)-0.01 pts
114Andorra flag Andorra1.48 (2023)1.49 (2022)-0.01 pts
115Kenya flag Kenya-0.33 (2023)-0.32 (2022)-0.01 pts
116Monaco flag Monaco1.48 (2023)1.49 (2022)-0.01 pts
117Antigua and Barbuda flag Antigua and Barbuda0.38 (2023)0.39 (2022)-0.01 pts
118Zambia flag Zambia-0.53 (2023)-0.52 (2022)-0.01 pts
119Netherlands flag Netherlands1.64 (2023)1.66 (2022)-0.01 pts
120Nepal flag Nepal-0.46 (2023)-0.45 (2022)-0.02 pts
121United Kingdom flag United Kingdom1.40 (2023)1.41 (2022)-0.02 pts
122Guinea flag Guinea-1.11 (2023)-1.10 (2022)-0.02 pts
123Luxembourg flag Luxembourg1.75 (2023)1.77 (2022)-0.02 pts
124Palau flag Palau0.94 (2023)0.95 (2022)-0.02 pts
125Slovakia flag Slovakia0.60 (2023)0.62 (2022)-0.02 pts
126Ghana flag Ghana-0.10 (2023)-0.08 (2022)-0.02 pts
127Fiji flag Fiji0.31 (2023)0.33 (2022)-0.02 pts
128Tajikistan flag Tajikistan-1.28 (2023)-1.26 (2022)-0.02 pts
129Djibouti flag Djibouti-1.13 (2023)-1.10 (2022)-0.02 pts
130Japan flag Japan1.54 (2023)1.56 (2022)-0.02 pts
131Saint Kitts and Nevis flag Saint Kitts and Nevis0.48 (2023)0.50 (2022)-0.02 pts
132Solomon Islands flag Solomon Islands-0.26 (2023)-0.24 (2022)-0.02 pts
133New Zealand flag New Zealand1.71 (2023)1.73 (2022)-0.02 pts
134Madagascar flag Madagascar-0.98 (2023)-0.95 (2022)-0.03 pts
135Singapore flag Singapore1.75 (2023)1.78 (2022)-0.03 pts
136Tunisia flag Tunisia-0.14 (2023)-0.11 (2022)-0.03 pts
137Comoros flag Comoros-1.34 (2023)-1.32 (2022)-0.03 pts
138Kyrgyzstan flag Kyrgyzstan-1.17 (2023)-1.15 (2022)-0.03 pts
139Laos flag Laos-0.83 (2023)-0.80 (2022)-0.03 pts
140Guyana flag Guyana-0.34 (2023)-0.31 (2022)-0.03 pts
141Seychelles flag Seychelles0.43 (2023)0.46 (2022)-0.03 pts
142Belarus flag Belarus-1.25 (2023)-1.22 (2022)-0.03 pts
143Colombia flag Colombia-0.46 (2023)-0.43 (2022)-0.03 pts
144Sri Lanka flag Sri Lanka-0.09 (2023)-0.06 (2022)-0.03 pts
145Ethiopia flag Ethiopia-0.67 (2023)-0.64 (2022)-0.03 pts
146Dominican Republic flag Dominican Republic-0.13 (2023)-0.09 (2022)-0.04 pts
147Kiribati flag Kiribati0.59 (2023)0.63 (2022)-0.04 pts
148Zimbabwe flag Zimbabwe-1.28 (2023)-1.24 (2022)-0.04 pts
149United States flag United States1.33 (2023)1.37 (2022)-0.04 pts
150Iran flag Iran-1.06 (2023)-1.02 (2022)-0.04 pts
151Portugal flag Portugal1.07 (2023)1.11 (2022)-0.04 pts
152Bosnia and Herzegovina flag Bosnia and Herzegovina-0.35 (2023)-0.31 (2022)-0.04 pts
153Micronesia flag Micronesia0.64 (2023)0.69 (2022)-0.05 pts
154Tonga flag Tonga0.55 (2023)0.60 (2022)-0.05 pts
155Samoa flag Samoa0.90 (2023)0.95 (2022)-0.05 pts
156Costa Rica flag Costa Rica0.39 (2023)0.44 (2022)-0.05 pts
157Brunei flag Brunei0.89 (2023)0.93 (2022)-0.05 pts
158Gabon flag Gabon-0.87 (2023)-0.82 (2022)-0.05 pts
159Uruguay flag Uruguay0.72 (2023)0.77 (2022)-0.05 pts
160Brazil flag Brazil-0.31 (2023)-0.26 (2022)-0.05 pts
161Türkiye flag Türkiye-0.51 (2023)-0.46 (2022)-0.05 pts
162Marshall Islands flag Marshall Islands0.68 (2023)0.73 (2022)-0.05 pts
163Belgium flag Belgium1.30 (2023)1.35 (2022)-0.05 pts
164Saint Lucia flag Saint Lucia0.61 (2023)0.66 (2022)-0.06 pts
165Central African Republic flag Central African Republic-1.76 (2023)-1.70 (2022)-0.06 pts
166Sao Tome and Principe flag Sao Tome and Principe-0.70 (2023)-0.63 (2022)-0.06 pts
167Lebanon flag Lebanon-1.17 (2023)-1.10 (2022)-0.06 pts
168Chile flag Chile0.63 (2023)0.69 (2022)-0.06 pts
169Botswana flag Botswana0.39 (2023)0.46 (2022)-0.07 pts
170North Macedonia flag North Macedonia-0.17 (2023)-0.10 (2022)-0.07 pts
171Saint Vincent and the Grenadines flag Saint Vincent and the Grenadines0.57 (2023)0.65 (2022)-0.07 pts
172Angola flag Angola-1.10 (2023)-1.02 (2022)-0.08 pts
173Honduras flag Honduras-1.10 (2023)-1.02 (2022)-0.08 pts
174South Sudan flag South Sudan-2.14 (2023)-2.06 (2022)-0.08 pts
175Malta flag Malta0.70 (2023)0.79 (2022)-0.08 pts
176Sweden flag Sweden1.60 (2023)1.69 (2022)-0.08 pts
177Myanmar flag Myanmar-1.62 (2023)-1.53 (2022)-0.09 pts
178Canada flag Canada1.47 (2023)1.57 (2022)-0.09 pts
179Uganda flag Uganda-0.48 (2023)-0.37 (2022)-0.10 pts
180Jamaica flag Jamaica-0.18 (2023)-0.07 (2022)-0.10 pts
181Dominica flag Dominica0.63 (2023)0.73 (2022)-0.11 pts
182Greece flag Greece0.21 (2023)0.33 (2022)-0.11 pts
183Trinidad and Tobago flag Trinidad and Tobago-0.28 (2023)-0.17 (2022)-0.11 pts
184Liberia flag Liberia-1.03 (2023)-0.92 (2022)-0.12 pts
185Maldives flag Maldives-0.08 (2023)0.04 (2022)-0.12 pts
186Burkina Faso flag Burkina Faso-0.74 (2023)-0.61 (2022)-0.13 pts
187Israel flag Israel0.78 (2023)0.95 (2022)-0.16 pts
188Vanuatu flag Vanuatu0.14 (2023)0.32 (2022)-0.18 pts
189Pakistan flag Pakistan-0.86 (2023)-0.67 (2022)-0.19 pts
190Niger flag Niger-0.71 (2023)-0.50 (2022)-0.21 pts
191San Marino flag San Marino1.48 (2023)1.75 (2022)-0.27 pts
192Ecuador flag Ecuador-0.96 (2023)-0.62 (2022)-0.34 pts
193Sudan flag 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.