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Rule of law index (V-Dem)

What this indicator measures

This V-Dem index estimates the extent to which the government respects the law, courts are independent, laws are transparent, justice is accessible, corruption is absent and the administration is impartial.

How to read this?

The closer the index is to 1, the more the law applies to everyone, including those in power; the closer it is to 0, the less this is the case.

Ranking : ranked from highest to lowest

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173countries with data
1maximum · Denmark
0.57median
0.01minimum · Nicaragua
2025data year(s)

In brief

Rule of law index (V-Dem): across 173 countries and territories, values range from 0.01 (Nicaragua) to 1 (Denmark), with a world median of 0.57. Data: 2025. The top 10% of countries exceed 0.96, while the bottom 10% stay below 0.11. By continent, the median is highest in Europe (0.9) and lowest in Africa (0.32).

Median by continent

Lower Higher
  • Europe 0.9 (39)
  • Oceania 0.79 (6)
  • North America 0.69 (15)
  • South America 0.58 (12)
  • Asia 0.39 (47)
  • Africa 0.32 (51)

Why this indicator matters

The rule of law means that the law applies to everyone, including leaders. This index allows a comparison of how independent, transparent and impartial courts, the administration and the rules are.

What makes this indicator vary

The level depends on how long institutions have existed, the independence of the justice system, the fight against corruption and political stability. Reforms or crises can change it.

Reading precautions

The V-Dem index relies on expert assessments and mixes several dimensions. It ranges from zero to one. It measures how things work in practice, not only what the laws say.

Full ranking

ranked from highest to lowest

RankCountryValueYear
1er🇩🇰 Denmark12025
2e🇨🇭 Switzerland12025
3e🇩🇪 Germany0.992025
4e🇦🇺 Australia0.992025
5e🇳🇿 New Zealand0.992025
5e🇸🇪 Sweden0.992025
7e🇳🇴 Norway0.992025
8e🇪🇪 Estonia0.992025
8e🇫🇮 Finland0.992025
10e🇮🇪 Ireland0.982025
10e🇮🇸 Iceland0.982025
12e🇱🇺 Luxembourg0.982025
13e🇸🇨 Seychelles0.982025
14e🇸🇬 Singapore0.972025
15e🇱🇻 Latvia0.972025
16e🇳🇱 Netherlands0.972025
17e🇫🇷 France0.972025
18e🇧🇪 Belgium0.962025
19e🇨🇦 Canada0.962025
20e🇯🇵 Japan0.962025
21e🇬🇧 United Kingdom0.962025
22e🇨🇱 Chile0.952025
23e🇪🇸 Spain0.952025
24e🇨🇿 Czechia0.952025
24e🇺🇾 Uruguay0.952025
26e🇨🇷 Costa Rica0.942025
27e🇦🇹 Austria0.932025
28e🇧🇧 Barbados0.932025
29e🇺🇸 United States0.922025
30e🇱🇹 Lithuania0.922025
31e🇰🇷 South Korea0.922025
31e🇹🇼 Taiwan0.922025
33e🇸🇮 Slovenia0.92025
34e🇮🇱 Israel0.892025
35e🇵🇹 Portugal0.892025
36e🇹🇹 Trinidad & Tobago0.892025
37e🇨🇾 Cyprus0.882025
38e🇵🇱 Poland0.882025
39e🇧🇹 Bhutan0.872025
40e🇮🇹 Italy0.872025
41e🇧🇷 Brazil0.862025
42e🇯🇲 Jamaica0.852025
43e🇲🇹 Malta0.832025
44e🇱🇰 Sri Lanka0.832025
45e🇧🇼 Botswana0.822025
45e🇻🇺 Vanuatu0.822025
47e🇳🇦 Namibia0.822025
48e🇬🇷 Greece0.812025
49e🇸🇷 Suriname0.82025
50e🇭🇷 Croatia0.82025
51e🇨🇻 Cape Verde0.82025
52e🇬🇲 Gambia0.82025
53e🇲🇺 Mauritius0.792025
54e🇲🇩 Moldova0.792025
55e🇯🇴 Jordan0.772025
56e🇧🇯 Benin0.772025
57e🇲🇻 Maldives0.762025
58e🇭🇰 Hong Kong SAR China0.762025
59e🇲🇪 Montenegro0.752025
60e🇨🇴 Colombia0.752025
60e🇫🇯 Fiji0.752025
62e🇸🇹 São Tomé & Príncipe0.742025
63e🇸🇰 Slovakia0.732025
64e🇹🇱 Timor-Leste0.722025
65e🇱🇸 Lesotho0.722025
66e🇹🇿 Tanzania0.712025
67e🇲🇾 Malaysia0.72025
68e🇬🇹 Guatemala0.72025
69e🇷🇴 Romania0.692025
69e🇿🇦 South Africa0.692025
71e🇵🇦 Panama0.692025
72e🇰🇼 Kuwait0.692025
72e🇸🇳 Senegal0.692025
74e🇸🇧 Solomon Islands0.672025
75e🇳🇵 Nepal0.662025
76e🇿🇲 Zambia0.652025
77e🇰🇪 Kenya0.642025
78e🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates0.642025
79e🇴🇲 Oman0.612025
80e🇭🇺 Hungary0.612025
81e🇹🇳 Tunisia0.62025
82e🇦🇱 Albania0.592025
82e🇵🇪 Peru0.592025
84e🇳🇪 Niger0.582025
85e🇦🇷 Argentina0.582025
86e🇶🇦 Qatar0.572025
87e🇬🇭 Ghana0.572025
88e🇲🇼 Malawi0.572025
89e🇩🇴 Dominican Republic0.562025
90e🇧🇬 Bulgaria0.562025
91e🇬🇪 Georgia0.542025
92e🇸🇱 Sierra Leone0.542025
93e🇭🇳 Honduras0.532025
93e🇲🇦 Morocco0.532025
95e🇬🇾 Guyana0.522025
96e🇵🇬 Papua New Guinea0.512025
97e🇲🇳 Mongolia0.482025
98e🇧🇫 Burkina Faso0.482025
99e🇧🇦 Bosnia & Herzegovina0.462025
100e🇦🇲 Armenia0.452025
101e🇲🇱 Mali0.422025
102e🇬🇦 Gabon0.422025
102e🇹🇭 Thailand0.422025
104e🇮🇳 India0.42025
105e🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia0.42025
106e🇨🇮 Côte d’Ivoire0.42025
107e🇵🇾 Paraguay0.392025
108e🇺🇦 Ukraine0.392025
109e🇵🇭 Philippines0.392025
110e🇦🇴 Angola0.382025
111e🇷🇼 Rwanda0.382025
112e🇪🇨 Ecuador0.372025
113e🇲🇰 North Macedonia0.372025
114e🇷🇸 Serbia0.372025
115e🇱🇷 Liberia0.362025
116e🇲🇽 Mexico0.362025
117e🇰🇬 Kyrgyzstan0.352025
118e🇱🇦 Laos0.352025
119e🇮🇩 Indonesia0.342025
120e🇪🇬 Egypt0.322025
121e🇻🇳 Vietnam0.322025
122e🇪🇹 Ethiopia0.322025
123e🇧🇩 Bangladesh0.312025
124e🇩🇯 Djibouti0.32025
125e🇲🇿 Mozambique0.292025
126e🇱🇧 Lebanon0.292025
126e🇳🇬 Nigeria0.292025
128e🇸🇾 Syria0.282025
129e🇧🇴 Bolivia0.282025
130e🇵🇰 Pakistan0.262025
131e🇩🇿 Algeria0.252025
132e🇧🇭 Bahrain0.252025
133e🇸🇿 Eswatini0.232025
134e🇰🇿 Kazakhstan0.222025
135e🇺🇬 Uganda0.212025
136e🇨🇳 China0.212025
136e🇮🇷 Iran0.212025
138e🇹🇬 Togo0.212025
139e🇮🇶 Iraq0.22025
140e🇨🇬 Congo - Brazzaville0.182025
141e🇿🇼 Zimbabwe0.182025
142e🇰🇲 Comoros0.182025
143e🇸🇩 Sudan0.172025
144e🇭🇹 Haiti0.172025
145e🇬🇼 Guinea-Bissau0.172025
146e🇸🇴 Somalia0.172025
147e🇹🇷 Türkiye0.162025
148e🇲🇬 Madagascar0.152025
149e🇺🇿 Uzbekistan0.152025
150e🇱🇾 Libya0.132025
151e🇨🇺 Cuba0.122025
152e🇷🇺 Russia0.122025
153e🇨🇫 Central African Republic0.122025
154e🇲🇷 Mauritania0.122025
155e🇧🇾 Belarus0.122025
156e🇨🇩 Congo - Kinshasa0.112025
157e🇬🇳 Guinea0.112025
158e🇨🇲 Cameroon0.092025
159e🇦🇫 Afghanistan0.082025
160e🇧🇮 Burundi0.082025
161e🇸🇻 El Salvador0.082025
162e🇰🇭 Cambodia0.072025
163e🇾🇪 Yemen0.072025
164e🇪🇷 Eritrea0.062025
165e🇲🇲 Myanmar (Burma)0.062025
166e🇦🇿 Azerbaijan0.052025
166e🇹🇲 Turkmenistan0.052025
168e🇬🇶 Equatorial Guinea0.052025
169e🇹🇯 Tajikistan0.042025
170e🇰🇵 North Korea0.032025
171e🇹🇩 Chad0.022025
172e🇻🇪 Venezuela0.012025
173e🇳🇮 Nicaragua0.012025

Frequently asked questions

Which country has the highest value for "Rule of law index (V-Dem)"?

The highest value is in Denmark, at 1 (2025).

Which country has the lowest value for "Rule of law index (V-Dem)"?

The lowest value is in Nicaragua, at 0.01 (2025).

What is the world median value of "Rule of law index (V-Dem)"?

The world median is 0.57, calculated across 173 countries: half of the countries are above it, the other half below.

What is the value of "Rule of law index (V-Dem)" for France?

France scores 0.97 (2025), ranking 17 out of 173 countries (ranked from highest to lowest).

Where does the "Rule of law index (V-Dem)" 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.

What does the rule of law index measure?

It estimates whether the government respects the law, whether courts are independent, whether justice is accessible and whether corruption is low.

How do I interpret the scale?

The scale runs from zero to one. The closer the value gets to one, the more the law applies to everyone, including those in power.

Source and update

Source : V-Dem (Varieties of Democracy), version 16 – via Our World in Data. Site last updated: November 8, 2026.

Indicators in the same category : Governance & Rule of Law