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.

To see how Rule of Law connects with broader measures of governance, explore our full analysis: How Rule of Law and Government Effectiveness Rise and Fall Together.

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.

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.

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