Rule of law

207 countries, 2025. Unit: score 0-100.

First in the ranking
91.8 /100
Finland
Median country
56.6 /100
half above, half below
Range
22.4 to 91.8
Venezuela - Finland

How to read it

Across 207 countries worldwide, the highest value is in Finland (91.8 /100) and the lowest in Venezuela (22.4 /100).

The median country is at 56.6 /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

2025
In chart Continent Share of the highest value
1Finland91.8Europe
2Denmark91.7Europe
3Norway90.6Europe
4Sweden87.3Europe
5Switzerland87.3Europe
6Liechtenstein86.8Europe
7Luxembourg86.8Europe
8Netherlands86.2Europe
9New Zealand85.9Oceania
10Austria85.8Europe
11Monaco85.8Europe
12Iceland85.2Europe
13Germany85.1Europe
14Greenland84.8North America
15Andorra84.6Europe
16Ireland84.2Europe
17Japan84.0Asia
18Singapore83.2Asia
19Canada83.0North America
20Australia82.7Oceania
21San Marino82.4Europe
22Estonia82.3Europe
23Lithuania81.2Europe
24Tuvalu80.9Oceania
25American Samoa80.8Oceania
26United Kingdom79.5Europe
27Belgium79.5Europe
28Aruba78.8North America
29South Korea78.3Asia
30Palau77.9Oceania
31Czechia77.9Europe
32Latvia76.3Europe
33Samoa76.1Oceania
34Portugal75.9Europe
35Guam74.7Oceania
36Federated States of Micronesia74.6Oceania
37France74.6Europe
38Cayman Islands74.5North America
39Marshall Islands74.3Oceania
40Hong Kong74.1Asia
41Uruguay74.1South America
42Slovenia73.8Europe
43Kiribati73.0Oceania
44Spain73.0Europe
45Macao72.7Asia
46Bermuda71.9North America
47United States71.7North America
48Tonga71.4Oceania
49Cyprus70.8Asia
50Bhutan70.5Asia
51Barbados70.5North America
52Chile69.8South America
53Israel69.8Asia
54Mauritius69.8Africa
55Brunei69.7Asia
56Malta69.6Europe
57French Polynesia69.3Oceania
58Costa Rica68.6North America
59Italy68.3Europe
60Grenada68.2North America
61Saint Kitts and Nevis68.2North America
62Seychelles68.2Africa
63Saint Vincent and the Grenadines68.2North America
64United States Virgin Islands68.0North America
65Antigua and Barbuda68.0North America
66Poland68.0Europe
67Saint Lucia68.0North America
68Puerto Rico68.0North America
69Qatar67.9Asia
70United Arab Emirates67.6Asia
71Vanuatu67.3Oceania
72Oman66.9Asia
73Cabo Verde66.1Africa
74Slovakia66.1Europe
75Dominica65.6North America
76Croatia65.6Europe
77Fiji65.5Oceania
78Malaysia65.4Asia
79Namibia64.8Africa
80Romania63.5Europe
81Greece63.3Europe
82Botswana63.3Africa
83Saudi Arabia63.1Asia
84Nauru63.1Oceania
85New Caledonia62.9Oceania
86Bahamas62.4North America
87Hungary62.2Europe
88Montenegro62.1Europe
89Kuwait61.9Asia
90Jordan61.8Asia
91Bahrain61.6Asia
92Solomon Islands61.6Oceania
93Kosovo60.4Europe
94Rwanda60.2Africa
95Georgia60.2Asia
96South Africa59.3Africa
97Ghana58.6Africa
98Maldives58.5Asia
99Jamaica58.1North America
100Albania58.0Europe
101Bulgaria57.9Europe
102Argentina56.9South America
103Mongolia56.7Asia
104Thailand56.6Asia
105Dominican Republic56.6North America
106India56.5Asia
107Malawi56.4Africa
108North Macedonia56.3Europe
109Moldova56.1Europe
110Vietnam55.8Asia
111Senegal55.5Africa
112Sri Lanka55.2Asia
113Suriname55.0South America
114Indonesia54.4Asia
115Armenia54.3Asia
116Panama53.6North America
117Nepal53.6Asia
118Guyana53.5South America
119Serbia53.3Europe
120Bosnia and Herzegovina53.0Europe
121Morocco53.0Africa
122Trinidad and Tobago52.9North America
123Belize52.5North America
124Tunisia52.2Africa
125The Gambia52.1Africa
126Kazakhstan51.9Asia
127China51.6Asia
128São Tomé and Principe51.2Africa
129Benin51.1Africa
130Azerbaijan51.1Asia
131Lesotho51.0Africa
132Philippines50.9Asia
133Kenya50.8Africa
134Brazil50.6South America
135Zambia50.5Africa
136Côte d'Ivoire50.0Africa
137Tanzania49.2Africa
138Papua New Guinea49.2Oceania
139Togo48.3Africa
140Colombia48.3South America
141Paraguay48.2South America
142Laos48.1Asia
143Timor-Leste48.1Asia
144Uzbekistan48.1Asia
145Algeria47.9Africa
146Peru47.8South America
147Uganda47.6Africa
148Egypt47.3Africa
149El Salvador47.0North America
150Eswatini45.8Africa
151Ukraine45.6Europe
152Mauritania45.3Africa
153Türkiye45.2Asia
154Sierra Leone44.7Africa
155Liberia44.6Africa
156Bangladesh43.6Asia
157Burkina Faso43.5Africa
158Kyrgyzstan43.3Asia
159Ethiopia43.2Africa
160Madagascar43.1Africa
161Nigeria43.0Africa
162Comoros42.9Africa
163Palestine42.8Asia
164Djibouti41.8Africa
165Gabon41.8Africa
166Guatemala41.6North America
167Ecuador41.6South America
168Cambodia41.3Asia
169Lebanon41.2Asia
170Pakistan41.1Asia
171Cuba40.8North America
172Angola40.1Africa
173Niger40.1Africa
174Honduras39.6North America
175Mexico39.4North America
176Mozambique39.2Africa
177Mali39.1Africa
178Cameroon39.0Africa
179Guinea38.7Africa
180Iran38.6Asia
181Zimbabwe38.6Africa
182Tajikistan38.5Asia
183Belarus38.4Europe
184Republic of the Congo38.1Africa
185Guinea-Bissau37.7Africa
186Russia37.7Europe
187Bolivia36.4South America
188Iraq35.7Asia
189Chad35.4Africa
190Turkmenistan35.3Asia
191Burundi35.0Africa
192North Korea34.1Asia
193Equatorial Guinea33.2Africa
194Nicaragua32.5North America
195Haiti32.0North America
196Libya31.5Africa
197Democratic Republic of the Congo31.2Africa
198Central African Republic30.7Africa
199Myanmar29.5Asia
200Eritrea29.5Africa
201Syria28.7Asia
202Afghanistan28.1Asia
203Sudan28.0Africa
204Yemen26.6Asia
205South Sudan25.3Africa
206Somalia22.9Africa
207Venezuela22.4South America
World Bank, WGI · 2025 · CC BY 4.0 Source and licence

Biggest changes, 2015-2025

% change · 205 countries

Largest increase

  1. Maldives 48.7 → 58.5 +20%
  2. The Gambia 43.5 → 52.1 +20%
  3. Fiji 54.9 → 65.5 +19%
  4. Tonga 59.9 → 71.4 +19%
  5. Federated States of Micronesia 62.9 → 74.6 +19%

Largest decrease

  1. Nicaragua 43.1 → 32.5 −25%
  2. Myanmar 39.0 → 29.5 −24%
  3. Yemen 33.2 → 26.6 −20%
  4. Haiti 39.3 → 32.0 −19%
  5. Niger 49.2 → 40.1 −19%

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: 45.89 Asia: 54.65 Europe: 74.63 North America: 68 South America: 52.07 Oceania: 72.23 1998 Africa: 46.07 Asia: 53.74 Europe: 72.02 North America: 66.97 South America: 52.17 Oceania: 72.02 2000 Africa: 44.55 Asia: 53.88 Europe: 72.1 North America: 65.84 South America: 51.02 Oceania: 71.88 2002 Africa: 45.15 Asia: 52.19 Europe: 72.65 North America: 67.03 South America: 50.16 Oceania: 72.6 2003 Africa: 45.89 Asia: 52.85 Europe: 72.69 North America: 65.97 South America: 50.13 Oceania: 72.51 2004 Africa: 45.53 Asia: 52.47 Europe: 71.49 North America: 67.51 South America: 49.83 Oceania: 68.68 2005 Africa: 45.8 Asia: 53.29 Europe: 74.08 North America: 70.27 South America: 50.27 Oceania: 76.49 2006 Africa: 46.51 Asia: 51.87 Europe: 75.14 North America: 69.5 South America: 50.17 Oceania: 76.12 2007 Africa: 47.85 Asia: 52.07 Europe: 75.12 North America: 69.4 South America: 51.12 Oceania: 76.03 2008 Africa: 47.33 Asia: 52.18 Europe: 75.06 North America: 69.65 South America: 49.98 Oceania: 74.79 2009 Africa: 46.71 Asia: 50.8 Europe: 74.21 North America: 71.8 South America: 50.35 Oceania: 72.55 2010 Africa: 46.09 Asia: 50.98 Europe: 73.35 North America: 71.39 South America: 51.22 Oceania: 73.95 2011 Africa: 45.9 Asia: 51.97 Europe: 73.01 North America: 70.28 South America: 51.28 Oceania: 71.16 2012 Africa: 46.27 Asia: 51.3 Europe: 73.27 North America: 68.69 South America: 50.28 Oceania: 71.06 2013 Africa: 45.36 Asia: 51.32 Europe: 73.44 North America: 68.66 South America: 49.36 Oceania: 71.3 2014 Africa: 45.61 Asia: 52.4 Europe: 74.1 North America: 60.42 South America: 49.43 Oceania: 71.56 2015 Africa: 46.15 Asia: 52.12 Europe: 75.14 North America: 68.55 South America: 51.36 Oceania: 68.29 2016 Africa: 46.33 Asia: 52.26 Europe: 75.85 North America: 69.03 South America: 53.36 Oceania: 68.54 2017 Africa: 46.64 Asia: 52.24 Europe: 76.59 North America: 68.18 South America: 52.91 Oceania: 69.07 2018 Africa: 46.76 Asia: 53.34 Europe: 75.31 North America: 66.96 South America: 52.04 Oceania: 68.64 2019 Africa: 46.54 Asia: 53.32 Europe: 76.41 North America: 67.49 South America: 51.79 Oceania: 73.47 2020 Africa: 46.19 Asia: 53.79 Europe: 75.12 North America: 67.48 South America: 52.32 Oceania: 74.71 2021 Africa: 45.82 Asia: 54.33 Europe: 75.95 North America: 67.47 South America: 52.18 Oceania: 75.79 2022 Africa: 45.47 Asia: 53.3 Europe: 75.58 North America: 66.99 South America: 51.21 Oceania: 75.62 2023 Africa: 45.01 Asia: 53.28 Europe: 75.43 North America: 67.45 South America: 50.42 Oceania: 74.51 2024 Africa: 44.26 Asia: 53.85 Europe: 75.05 North America: 67.11 South America: 50.33 Oceania: 74.24 2025 Africa: 44.69 Asia: 54.35 Europe: 75.24 North America: 67.96 South America: 49.46 Oceania: 73.66 1996 2007 2011 2015 2019 2025

By continent

median country
Africa 44.7 /100
Asia 54.3 /100
Europe 75.2 /100
North America 68.0 /100
South America 49.5 /100
Oceania 73.7 /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.