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Absence of corruption in the judiciary
What this indicator measures
This expert-based V-Dem score estimates how often corruption occurs in the courts. A high score means less judicial corruption, a negative score more.
How to read this?
The higher the score, the less the judiciary is affected by corruption; the lower (negative) it is, the more it is.
Ranking : ranked from highest to lowest
In brief
The "Absence of corruption in the judiciary" ranking covers 173 countries and territories. Lowest value: Azerbaijan (-3.24). Highest value: New Zealand (3.74). Median: 0.21 (data: 2025). The top 10% of countries exceed 2.25, while the bottom 10% stay below -1.66. By continent, the median is highest in Oceania (1.75) and lowest in Africa (-0.76).
Median by continent
- Oceania 1.75 (6)
- Europe 1.54 (39)
- North America 0.53 (15)
- South America -0.21 (12)
- Asia -0.34 (47)
- Africa -0.76 (51)
Why this indicator matters
A judiciary free from financial pressure is at the heart of the rule of law. This indicator compares how often corruption in the courts is perceived across countries.
What makes this indicator vary
Judicial corruption depends on the status and pay of judges, the independence of institutions, internal controls and the tradition of transparency. It can change with reforms.
Reading precautions
The score relies on expert assessments, not on cases tried. It is a continuous scale where a high score indicates less corruption. Perception may differ from lived reality.
Full ranking
ranked from highest to lowest
| Rank | Country | Value | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1er | 🇳🇿 New Zealand | 3.74 | 2025 |
| 2e | 🇩🇰 Denmark | 3.62 | 2025 |
| 3e | 🇮🇸 Iceland | 3.43 | 2025 |
| 4e | 🇨🇦 Canada | 3.12 | 2025 |
| 5e | 🇭🇰 Hong Kong SAR China | 3.11 | 2025 |
| 6e | 🇺🇸 United States | 2.87 | 2025 |
| 7e | 🇳🇴 Norway | 2.72 | 2025 |
| 8e | 🇯🇵 Japan | 2.68 | 2025 |
| 9e | 🇨🇭 Switzerland | 2.67 | 2025 |
| 10e | 🇩🇪 Germany | 2.63 | 2025 |
| 11e | 🇫🇮 Finland | 2.61 | 2025 |
| 12e | 🇸🇪 Sweden | 2.59 | 2025 |
| 13e | 🇸🇬 Singapore | 2.56 | 2025 |
| 14e | 🇪🇪 Estonia | 2.47 | 2025 |
| 15e | 🇸🇨 Seychelles | 2.4 | 2025 |
| 16e | 🇦🇺 Australia | 2.33 | 2025 |
| 16e | 🇳🇱 Netherlands | 2.33 | 2025 |
| 18e | 🇦🇹 Austria | 2.3 | 2025 |
| 19e | 🇫🇷 France | 2.07 | 2025 |
| 20e | 🇧🇪 Belgium | 2.05 | 2025 |
| 21e | 🇮🇱 Israel | 2.03 | 2025 |
| 22e | 🇵🇱 Poland | 2.03 | 2025 |
| 23e | 🇺🇾 Uruguay | 2.01 | 2025 |
| 24e | 🇮🇪 Ireland | 1.92 | 2025 |
| 25e | 🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates | 1.85 | 2025 |
| 26e | 🇵🇬 Papua New Guinea | 1.82 | 2025 |
| 27e | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | 1.75 | 2025 |
| 28e | 🇲🇹 Malta | 1.74 | 2025 |
| 29e | 🇸🇮 Slovenia | 1.71 | 2025 |
| 30e | 🇪🇸 Spain | 1.69 | 2025 |
| 31e | 🇻🇺 Vanuatu | 1.67 | 2025 |
| 32e | 🇨🇿 Czechia | 1.63 | 2025 |
| 33e | 🇰🇷 South Korea | 1.61 | 2025 |
| 34e | 🇨🇱 Chile | 1.59 | 2025 |
| 35e | 🇴🇲 Oman | 1.58 | 2025 |
| 36e | 🇧🇧 Barbados | 1.56 | 2025 |
| 37e | 🇯🇲 Jamaica | 1.55 | 2025 |
| 38e | 🇱🇺 Luxembourg | 1.54 | 2025 |
| 39e | 🇱🇻 Latvia | 1.53 | 2025 |
| 40e | 🇲🇻 Maldives | 1.51 | 2025 |
| 41e | 🇸🇿 Eswatini | 1.5 | 2025 |
| 42e | 🇨🇾 Cyprus | 1.46 | 2025 |
| 43e | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica | 1.41 | 2025 |
| 44e | 🇬🇪 Georgia | 1.39 | 2025 |
| 45e | 🇹🇹 Trinidad & Tobago | 1.38 | 2025 |
| 46e | 🇧🇼 Botswana | 1.36 | 2025 |
| 47e | 🇧🇭 Bahrain | 1.35 | 2025 |
| 48e | 🇶🇦 Qatar | 1.34 | 2025 |
| 49e | 🇳🇦 Namibia | 1.16 | 2025 |
| 50e | 🇱🇸 Lesotho | 1.11 | 2025 |
| 51e | 🇭🇷 Croatia | 1.08 | 2025 |
| 52e | 🇱🇰 Sri Lanka | 1.07 | 2025 |
| 53e | 🇮🇹 Italy | 1.05 | 2025 |
| 54e | 🇸🇷 Suriname | 1.02 | 2025 |
| 55e | 🇨🇻 Cape Verde | 1.02 | 2025 |
| 56e | 🇭🇺 Hungary | 0.99 | 2025 |
| 57e | 🇲🇾 Malaysia | 0.99 | 2025 |
| 58e | 🇹🇼 Taiwan | 0.98 | 2025 |
| 59e | 🇬🇲 Gambia | 0.95 | 2025 |
| 60e | 🇷🇼 Rwanda | 0.93 | 2025 |
| 61e | 🇲🇪 Montenegro | 0.91 | 2025 |
| 62e | 🇧🇾 Belarus | 0.89 | 2025 |
| 63e | 🇧🇷 Brazil | 0.88 | 2025 |
| 64e | 🇧🇯 Benin | 0.87 | 2025 |
| 65e | 🇨🇴 Colombia | 0.87 | 2025 |
| 66e | 🇰🇪 Kenya | 0.83 | 2025 |
| 67e | 🇫🇯 Fiji | 0.8 | 2025 |
| 68e | 🇰🇼 Kuwait | 0.8 | 2025 |
| 69e | 🇱🇹 Lithuania | 0.76 | 2025 |
| 70e | 🇸🇹 São Tomé & Príncipe | 0.74 | 2025 |
| 71e | 🇵🇹 Portugal | 0.74 | 2025 |
| 72e | 🇸🇰 Slovakia | 0.74 | 2025 |
| 73e | 🇧🇹 Bhutan | 0.66 | 2025 |
| 74e | 🇲🇺 Mauritius | 0.65 | 2025 |
| 75e | 🇹🇱 Timor-Leste | 0.61 | 2025 |
| 76e | 🇨🇺 Cuba | 0.59 | 2025 |
| 77e | 🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia | 0.57 | 2025 |
| 78e | 🇯🇴 Jordan | 0.56 | 2025 |
| 79e | 🇩🇴 Dominican Republic | 0.53 | 2025 |
| 80e | 🇦🇲 Armenia | 0.52 | 2025 |
| 81e | 🇸🇧 Solomon Islands | 0.52 | 2025 |
| 82e | 🇿🇦 South Africa | 0.51 | 2025 |
| 83e | 🇬🇷 Greece | 0.47 | 2025 |
| 84e | 🇲🇽 Mexico | 0.34 | 2025 |
| 85e | 🇸🇳 Senegal | 0.23 | 2025 |
| 86e | 🇵🇦 Panama | 0.21 | 2025 |
| 87e | 🇦🇱 Albania | 0.21 | 2025 |
| 88e | 🇲🇳 Mongolia | 0.12 | 2025 |
| 89e | 🇦🇷 Argentina | 0.01 | 2025 |
| 90e | 🇮🇳 India | -0.03 | 2025 |
| 91e | 🇬🇦 Gabon | -0.08 | 2025 |
| 92e | 🇦🇴 Angola | -0.12 | 2025 |
| 93e | 🇹🇭 Thailand | -0.16 | 2025 |
| 94e | 🇲🇦 Morocco | -0.27 | 2025 |
| 95e | 🇧🇬 Bulgaria | -0.28 | 2025 |
| 96e | 🇷🇴 Romania | -0.3 | 2025 |
| 97e | 🇬🇹 Guatemala | -0.32 | 2025 |
| 98e | 🇿🇲 Zambia | -0.33 | 2025 |
| 99e | 🇮🇩 Indonesia | -0.34 | 2025 |
| 100e | 🇹🇿 Tanzania | -0.35 | 2025 |
| 101e | 🇸🇱 Sierra Leone | -0.38 | 2025 |
| 102e | 🇲🇿 Mozambique | -0.38 | 2025 |
| 103e | 🇳🇬 Nigeria | -0.41 | 2025 |
| 104e | 🇪🇨 Ecuador | -0.42 | 2025 |
| 105e | 🇬🇾 Guyana | -0.47 | 2025 |
| 106e | 🇲🇱 Mali | -0.49 | 2025 |
| 107e | 🇲🇩 Moldova | -0.49 | 2025 |
| 108e | 🇲🇼 Malawi | -0.52 | 2025 |
| 109e | 🇷🇺 Russia | -0.53 | 2025 |
| 110e | 🇧🇫 Burkina Faso | -0.62 | 2025 |
| 111e | 🇸🇻 El Salvador | -0.62 | 2025 |
| 112e | 🇧🇦 Bosnia & Herzegovina | -0.63 | 2025 |
| 113e | 🇳🇪 Niger | -0.65 | 2025 |
| 114e | 🇭🇳 Honduras | -0.71 | 2025 |
| 115e | 🇪🇷 Eritrea | -0.72 | 2025 |
| 116e | 🇩🇿 Algeria | -0.76 | 2025 |
| 117e | 🇺🇦 Ukraine | -0.76 | 2025 |
| 118e | 🇻🇳 Vietnam | -0.78 | 2025 |
| 119e | 🇲🇷 Mauritania | -0.83 | 2025 |
| 120e | 🇵🇪 Peru | -0.84 | 2025 |
| 121e | 🇹🇳 Tunisia | -0.84 | 2025 |
| 122e | 🇨🇫 Central African Republic | -0.9 | 2025 |
| 123e | 🇰🇵 North Korea | -0.93 | 2025 |
| 124e | 🇹🇷 Türkiye | -0.94 | 2025 |
| 125e | 🇸🇾 Syria | -0.95 | 2025 |
| 126e | 🇦🇫 Afghanistan | -0.96 | 2025 |
| 127e | 🇪🇬 Egypt | -0.98 | 2025 |
| 128e | 🇳🇵 Nepal | -1.03 | 2025 |
| 129e | 🇨🇮 Côte d’Ivoire | -1.05 | 2025 |
| 130e | 🇮🇷 Iran | -1.07 | 2025 |
| 131e | 🇨🇳 China | -1.08 | 2025 |
| 132e | 🇹🇲 Turkmenistan | -1.09 | 2025 |
| 133e | 🇭🇹 Haiti | -1.09 | 2025 |
| 134e | 🇱🇦 Laos | -1.12 | 2025 |
| 135e | 🇵🇾 Paraguay | -1.14 | 2025 |
| 136e | 🇰🇬 Kyrgyzstan | -1.17 | 2025 |
| 137e | 🇿🇼 Zimbabwe | -1.19 | 2025 |
| 138e | 🇩🇯 Djibouti | -1.19 | 2025 |
| 138e | 🇰🇿 Kazakhstan | -1.19 | 2025 |
| 140e | 🇲🇬 Madagascar | -1.2 | 2025 |
| 141e | 🇬🇼 Guinea-Bissau | -1.22 | 2025 |
| 142e | 🇪🇹 Ethiopia | -1.24 | 2025 |
| 143e | 🇬🇶 Equatorial Guinea | -1.31 | 2025 |
| 144e | 🇹🇩 Chad | -1.35 | 2025 |
| 145e | 🇱🇾 Libya | -1.36 | 2025 |
| 146e | 🇨🇩 Congo - Kinshasa | -1.4 | 2025 |
| 147e | 🇬🇭 Ghana | -1.43 | 2025 |
| 148e | 🇺🇬 Uganda | -1.46 | 2025 |
| 149e | 🇺🇿 Uzbekistan | -1.51 | 2025 |
| 150e | 🇱🇧 Lebanon | -1.52 | 2025 |
| 151e | 🇲🇰 North Macedonia | -1.55 | 2025 |
| 152e | 🇧🇴 Bolivia | -1.57 | 2025 |
| 153e | 🇻🇪 Venezuela | -1.6 | 2025 |
| 154e | 🇰🇭 Cambodia | -1.61 | 2025 |
| 155e | 🇹🇯 Tajikistan | -1.65 | 2025 |
| 156e | 🇲🇲 Myanmar (Burma) | -1.66 | 2025 |
| 157e | 🇹🇬 Togo | -1.67 | 2025 |
| 158e | 🇨🇲 Cameroon | -1.7 | 2025 |
| 159e | 🇷🇸 Serbia | -1.7 | 2025 |
| 160e | 🇸🇩 Sudan | -1.72 | 2025 |
| 161e | 🇵🇭 Philippines | -1.72 | 2025 |
| 162e | 🇱🇷 Liberia | -1.74 | 2025 |
| 163e | 🇵🇰 Pakistan | -1.83 | 2025 |
| 164e | 🇬🇳 Guinea | -1.89 | 2025 |
| 165e | 🇾🇪 Yemen | -1.91 | 2025 |
| 166e | 🇰🇲 Comoros | -2 | 2025 |
| 167e | 🇮🇶 Iraq | -2 | 2025 |
| 168e | 🇳🇮 Nicaragua | -2.05 | 2025 |
| 169e | 🇧🇩 Bangladesh | -2.06 | 2025 |
| 170e | 🇸🇴 Somalia | -2.23 | 2025 |
| 171e | 🇨🇬 Congo - Brazzaville | -2.48 | 2025 |
| 172e | 🇧🇮 Burundi | -2.55 | 2025 |
| 173e | 🇦🇿 Azerbaijan | -3.24 | 2025 |
Frequently asked questions
Which country has the highest value for "Absence of corruption in the judiciary"?
The highest value is in New Zealand, at 3.74 (2025).
Which country has the lowest value for "Absence of corruption in the judiciary"?
The lowest value is in Azerbaijan, at -3.24 (2025).
What is the world median value of "Absence of corruption in the judiciary"?
The world median is 0.21, calculated across 173 countries: half of the countries are above it, the other half below.
What is the value of "Absence of corruption in the judiciary" for France?
France scores 2.07 (2025), ranking 19 out of 173 countries (ranked from highest to lowest).
Where does the "Absence of corruption in the judiciary" data come from?
It comes from V-Dem (Varieties of Democracy), version 16 – via Our World in Data. Site last updated: November 8, 2026. Each country is shown with the year of its most recent value.
How should this score be read?
A high score means corruption is rare in the courts. A low score, even negative, means it is more frequent. The scale is continuous with no strict ceiling.
Does this score reflect corruption convictions?
No. It relies on the opinion of experts who estimate how often practices such as bribes occur in the courts. It does not count cases officially tried.
Source and update
Source : V-Dem (Varieties of Democracy), version 16 – via Our World in Data. Site last updated: November 8, 2026.
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