Rule of law

207 countries, 2024. Unit: score 0-100.

First in the ranking
91.8 /100
Finland
Median country
54.5 /100
half above, half below
Range
19.0 to 91.8
Somalia - Finland

How to read it

Across 207 countries worldwide, the highest value is in Finland (91.8 /100) and the lowest in Somalia (19.0 /100).

The median country is at 54.5 /100: half are above, half below.

Rule of Law (RL) captures perceptions of the extent to which agents respect and follow the rules of society, including contract enforcement, property rights, the police, courts, and the likelihood of crime and violence. Governance score is a linear transformation of the governance estimate using hypothetical worst-case and base-case countries. It is an absolute score ranging from 0-100. Larger values correspond to…

Compare selected countries · on the world map

Source: World Bank, Worldwide Governance Indicators · licence

Rule of law over time

/100

Ranking of countries

2024
In chart Continent Share of the highest value
1Finland91.8Europe
2Denmark91.5Europe
3Norway90.5Europe
4Switzerland87.3Europe
5Luxembourg87.3Europe
6Liechtenstein86.7Europe
7Sweden86.7Europe
8Netherlands86.3Europe
9Austria85.8Europe
10New Zealand85.7Oceania
11Iceland85.0Europe
12Germany84.9Europe
13Ireland84.4Europe
14Greenland84.1North America
15Japan83.0Asia
16Estonia82.5Europe
17Australia82.3Oceania
18Canada82.1North America
19Singapore81.6Asia
20Andorra81.2Europe
21Lithuania80.6Europe
22Monaco80.1Europe
23Belgium79.0Europe
24United Kingdom78.8Europe
25Tuvalu78.0Oceania
26Aruba78.0North America
27Czechia77.4Europe
28Palau77.1Oceania
29San Marino76.9Europe
30South Korea76.2Asia
31Latvia75.7Europe
32American Samoa75.7Oceania
33New Caledonia75.6Oceania
34Portugal75.4Europe
35Samoa75.1Oceania
36Guam74.8Oceania
37French Polynesia74.5Oceania
38Slovenia73.8Europe
39France73.8Europe
40Federated States of Micronesia73.8Oceania
41United States73.5North America
42Uruguay73.3South America
43Spain73.0Europe
44Hong Kong72.8Asia
45Macao71.6Asia
46Marshall Islands71.3Oceania
47Cayman Islands71.3North America
48Bermuda70.7North America
49Bhutan70.6Asia
50Kiribati70.5Oceania
51Barbados69.5North America
52Malta69.5Europe
53Tonga68.9Oceania
54Chile68.9South America
55Cyprus68.8Asia
56Mauritius68.0Africa
57Italy67.6Europe
58Costa Rica67.6North America
59Antigua and Barbuda67.3North America
60Israel67.3Asia
61Seychelles67.2Africa
62Saint Kitts and Nevis67.1North America
63Qatar67.1Asia
64Brunei67.1Asia
65United States Virgin Islands66.9North America
66Poland66.9Europe
67Slovakia66.6Europe
68Puerto Rico66.4North America
69Grenada66.3North America
70Saint Lucia65.6North America
71Saint Vincent and the Grenadines65.6North America
72United Arab Emirates65.5Asia
73Oman64.7Asia
74Cabo Verde64.3Africa
75Vanuatu64.2Oceania
76Dominica63.8North America
77Croatia63.5Europe
78Romania63.4Europe
79Malaysia62.9Asia
80Namibia62.6Africa
81Botswana62.3Africa
82Fiji62.2Oceania
83Greece62.1Europe
84Nauru61.3Oceania
85Bahamas61.3North America
86Kuwait60.9Asia
87Saudi Arabia60.6Asia
88Hungary60.3Europe
89Montenegro60.1Europe
90Jordan59.9Asia
91Bahrain59.9Asia
92Solomon Islands59.6Oceania
93Georgia59.5Asia
94Rwanda58.7Africa
95Ghana57.9Africa
96Kosovo57.9Europe
97Maldives57.7Asia
98South Africa57.3Africa
99Bulgaria56.4Europe
100India56.3Asia
101Jamaica55.6North America
102Mongolia55.2Asia
103Albania54.9Europe
104Armenia54.5Asia
105Malawi54.4Africa
106Moldova54.2Europe
107Dominican Republic53.8North America
108Serbia53.5Europe
109Senegal53.4Africa
110Indonesia53.4Asia
111Suriname53.4South America
112Thailand53.3Asia
113North Macedonia53.1Europe
114Argentina52.6South America
115Sri Lanka52.5Asia
116Panama52.4North America
117Nepal51.7Asia
118Vietnam51.6Asia
119Bosnia and Herzegovina51.5Europe
120Guyana51.2South America
121São Tomé and Principe50.9Africa
122Tunisia50.7Africa
123Morocco50.6Africa
124Trinidad and Tobago50.6North America
125Kazakhstan50.4Asia
126The Gambia50.2Africa
127Belize50.1North America
128Lesotho50.0Africa
129Benin49.9Africa
130Brazil49.3South America
131Kenya49.0Africa
132Azerbaijan48.6Asia
133Peru48.3South America
134Tanzania48.0Africa
135Colombia47.3South America
136Zambia47.3Africa
137Papua New Guinea47.1Oceania
138Philippines47.1Asia
139Côte d'Ivoire47.0Africa
140China47.0Asia
141Paraguay46.9South America
142Cuba46.2North America
143Timor-Leste46.2Asia
144Togo46.1Africa
145Uzbekistan45.7Asia
146Algeria45.0Africa
147El Salvador44.7North America
148Ukraine44.6Europe
149Uganda44.3Africa
150Laos44.2Asia
151Egypt44.0Africa
152Sierra Leone42.5Africa
153Türkiye42.4Asia
154Eswatini42.2Africa
155Mauritania42.1Africa
156Liberia42.0Africa
157Madagascar41.8Africa
158Burkina Faso41.8Africa
159Kyrgyzstan40.9Asia
160Niger40.7Africa
161Bangladesh40.4Asia
162Guatemala40.4North America
163Ecuador40.4South America
164Palestine39.9Asia
165Nigeria39.6Africa
166Djibouti39.6Africa
167Pakistan39.5Asia
168Ethiopia38.9Africa
169Cambodia38.8Asia
170Lebanon38.3Asia
171Mali38.1Africa
172Comoros37.5Africa
173Guinea37.2Africa
174Mexico37.1North America
175Gabon37.1Africa
176Russia37.1Europe
177Angola36.8Africa
178Honduras36.7North America
179Republic of the Congo36.7Africa
180Tajikistan36.6Asia
181Mozambique36.4Africa
182Zimbabwe36.1Africa
183Belarus35.8Europe
184Iran35.7Asia
185Guinea-Bissau35.7Africa
186Cameroon35.4Africa
187Bolivia35.1South America
188Burundi34.5Africa
189Iraq33.6Asia
190Turkmenistan32.6Asia
191Chad32.1Africa
192North Korea30.7Asia
193Equatorial Guinea30.5Africa
194Haiti29.4North America
195Nicaragua29.1North America
196Democratic Republic of the Congo29.0Africa
197Libya27.7Africa
198Central African Republic27.5Africa
199Sudan26.4Africa
200Eritrea25.9Africa
201Myanmar25.8Asia
202Syria25.8Asia
203Yemen24.2Asia
204Afghanistan23.7Asia
205South Sudan23.0Africa
206Venezuela19.0South America
207Somalia19.0Africa
World Bank, WGI · 2024 · CC BY 4.0 Source and licence

Biggest changes, 2014-2024

% change · 205 countries

Largest increase

  1. Zimbabwe 28.6 → 36.1 +26%
  2. Bermuda 56.3 → 70.7 +26%
  3. Fiji 49.5 → 62.2 +26%
  4. Federated States of Micronesia 59.6 → 73.8 +24%
  5. Tonga 56.0 → 68.9 +23%

Largest decrease

  1. Nicaragua 41.4 → 29.1 −30%
  2. Myanmar 35.4 → 25.8 −27%
  3. Yemen 33.0 → 24.2 −27%
  4. Mexico 46.9 → 37.1 −21%
  5. Gabon 46.4 → 37.1 −20%

Continents over time

median country of each continent

Rule of law - continent medians

/100

Africa Asia Europe North America South America Oceania

40 50 60 70 80 1996 Africa: 45.27 Asia: 52.97 Europe: 73.25 North America: 67.95 South America: 51.41 Oceania: 72.52 1998 Africa: 45.03 Asia: 53.47 Europe: 72.14 North America: 66.98 South America: 51.61 Oceania: 72.14 2000 Africa: 44.02 Asia: 52.23 Europe: 71.89 North America: 64.89 South America: 49.86 Oceania: 71.89 2002 Africa: 43.16 Asia: 50 Europe: 71.63 North America: 66.08 South America: 48.88 Oceania: 72.21 2003 Africa: 43.83 Asia: 50.55 Europe: 71.75 North America: 64.89 South America: 48.71 Oceania: 72.07 2004 Africa: 44.41 Asia: 50.97 Europe: 70.06 North America: 66.06 South America: 48.52 Oceania: 67.51 2005 Africa: 44.17 Asia: 50.98 Europe: 73.07 North America: 69.03 South America: 48.36 Oceania: 75.21 2006 Africa: 44.17 Asia: 49.44 Europe: 74.07 North America: 68.35 South America: 48.22 Oceania: 74.88 2007 Africa: 45.48 Asia: 49.73 Europe: 74.31 North America: 67.89 South America: 49.19 Oceania: 74.97 2008 Africa: 45.33 Asia: 49.71 Europe: 73.89 North America: 68.1 South America: 48.17 Oceania: 73.55 2009 Africa: 44.73 Asia: 48.48 Europe: 72.82 North America: 70.4 South America: 48.64 Oceania: 71.24 2010 Africa: 43.71 Asia: 48.55 Europe: 71.68 North America: 70.04 South America: 49.14 Oceania: 72.83 2011 Africa: 43.42 Asia: 49.51 Europe: 71.69 North America: 68.67 South America: 49.12 Oceania: 69.58 2012 Africa: 44.07 Asia: 49.45 Europe: 72.1 North America: 68.21 South America: 48.33 Oceania: 69.41 2013 Africa: 42.61 Asia: 49.31 Europe: 72.11 North America: 68.06 South America: 47.23 Oceania: 69.66 2014 Africa: 43.34 Asia: 49.66 Europe: 72.97 North America: 59.75 South America: 47.06 Oceania: 70.07 2015 Africa: 43.4 Asia: 49.85 Europe: 74.19 North America: 67.68 South America: 49.05 Oceania: 66.23 2016 Africa: 43.57 Asia: 50.07 Europe: 74.59 North America: 67.79 South America: 51.04 Oceania: 66.48 2017 Africa: 43.78 Asia: 50.28 Europe: 75.36 North America: 66.59 South America: 50.6 Oceania: 66.94 2018 Africa: 44.13 Asia: 51.23 Europe: 74.45 North America: 65.89 South America: 49.8 Oceania: 66.96 2019 Africa: 43.55 Asia: 50.87 Europe: 75.5 North America: 65.82 South America: 49.48 Oceania: 71.64 2020 Africa: 44.22 Asia: 51.69 Europe: 75.08 North America: 65.83 South America: 50.26 Oceania: 73.31 2021 Africa: 43.39 Asia: 52.08 Europe: 74.73 North America: 65.8 South America: 49.73 Oceania: 74.2 2022 Africa: 43.38 Asia: 51.25 Europe: 74.42 North America: 65.07 South America: 48.99 Oceania: 74.02 2023 Africa: 42.93 Asia: 51.35 Europe: 74.75 North America: 66.2 South America: 48.69 Oceania: 74.13 2024 Africa: 42.06 Asia: 52.13 Europe: 74.61 North America: 65.6 South America: 48.77 Oceania: 74.12 1996 2007 2011 2015 2024

By continent

median country
Africa 42.1 /100
Asia 52.1 /100
Europe 74.6 /100
North America 65.6 /100
South America 48.8 /100
Oceania 74.1 /100

Tick a country in the table to add it to the chart above, up to six at a time. The ranking uses the latest year for which at least half of the countries have a value; countries without a value that year are not listed.