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Rule of law (WGI)
What this indicator measures
A World Bank indicator that summarises perceptions of citizens' confidence in the rules of society: contract enforcement, property rights, the police and the courts, and the likelihood of crime and violence.
How to read this?
The higher (more positive) the value, the more the law is perceived as respected; the lower (more negative) it is, the less it is.
Ranking : ranked from highest to lowest
In brief
Rule of law (WGI): across 205 countries and territories, values range from -2.2 (Venezuela) to 2.01 (Finland), with a world median of -0.1. Data: 2025. The top 10% of countries exceed 1.44, while the bottom 10% stay below -1.26. By continent, the median is highest in Europe (1.01) and lowest in Africa (-0.85).
Median by continent
- Europe 1.01 (44)
- Oceania 0.91 (18)
- North America 0.57 (29)
- Asia -0.23 (48)
- South America -0.56 (12)
- Africa -0.85 (51)
Why this indicator matters
The rule of law refers to confidence in the application of rules: contracts, property, police, courts. This indicator makes it possible to compare how residents and experts perceive that confidence.
What makes this indicator vary
Perception depends on the independence of the judiciary, the quality of institutions, security, political history and the level of corruption. It changes slowly, except in a crisis or a deep reform.
Reading precautions
The indicator aggregates surveys and expert opinions, so perceptions rather than measured facts. It carries a margin of error. Small differences between countries are not necessarily significant.
Full ranking
ranked from highest to lowest
| Rank | Country | Value | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1er | 🇫🇮 Finland | 2.01 | 2025 |
| 2e | 🇩🇰 Denmark | 2.01 | 2025 |
| 3e | 🇳🇴 Norway | 1.94 | 2025 |
| 4e | 🇸🇪 Sweden | 1.74 | 2025 |
| 5e | 🇨🇭 Switzerland | 1.74 | 2025 |
| 6e | 🇱🇮 Liechtenstein | 1.71 | 2025 |
| 7e | 🇱🇺 Luxembourg | 1.71 | 2025 |
| 8e | 🇳🇱 Netherlands | 1.67 | 2025 |
| 9e | 🇳🇿 New Zealand | 1.66 | 2025 |
| 10e | 🇦🇹 Austria | 1.65 | 2025 |
| 11e | 🇲🇨 Monaco | 1.65 | 2025 |
| 12e | 🇮🇸 Iceland | 1.61 | 2025 |
| 13e | 🇩🇪 Germany | 1.6 | 2025 |
| 14e | 🇬🇱 Greenland | 1.59 | 2025 |
| 15e | 🇦🇩 Andorra | 1.58 | 2025 |
| 16e | 🇮🇪 Ireland | 1.55 | 2025 |
| 17e | 🇯🇵 Japan | 1.54 | 2025 |
| 18e | 🇸🇬 Singapore | 1.49 | 2025 |
| 19e | 🇨🇦 Canada | 1.48 | 2025 |
| 20e | 🇦🇺 Australia | 1.46 | 2025 |
| 21e | 🇸🇲 San Marino | 1.45 | 2025 |
| 22e | 🇪🇪 Estonia | 1.43 | 2025 |
| 23e | 🇱🇹 Lithuania | 1.37 | 2025 |
| 24e | 🇹🇻 Tuvalu | 1.35 | 2025 |
| 25e | 🇦🇸 American Samoa | 1.35 | 2025 |
| 26e | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | 1.27 | 2025 |
| 27e | 🇧🇪 Belgium | 1.27 | 2025 |
| 28e | 🇦🇼 Aruba | 1.23 | 2025 |
| 29e | 🇸🇾 Syria | 1.2 | 2025 |
| 30e | 🇰🇷 South Korea | 1.2 | 2025 |
| 31e | 🇵🇼 Palau | 1.17 | 2025 |
| 32e | 🇨🇿 Czechia | 1.17 | 2025 |
| 33e | 🇱🇻 Latvia | 1.07 | 2025 |
| 34e | 🇼🇸 Samoa | 1.06 | 2025 |
| 35e | 🇵🇹 Portugal | 1.05 | 2025 |
| 36e | 🇬🇺 Guam | 0.98 | 2025 |
| 37e | 🇫🇲 Micronesia | 0.97 | 2025 |
| 38e | 🇫🇷 France | 0.97 | 2025 |
| 39e | 🇰🇾 Cayman Islands | 0.96 | 2025 |
| 40e | 🇲🇭 Marshall Islands | 0.95 | 2025 |
| 41e | 🇭🇰 Hong Kong SAR China | 0.94 | 2025 |
| 42e | 🇺🇾 Uruguay | 0.94 | 2025 |
| 43e | 🇸🇮 Slovenia | 0.92 | 2025 |
| 44e | 🇰🇮 Kiribati | 0.87 | 2025 |
| 45e | 🇪🇸 Spain | 0.87 | 2025 |
| 46e | 🇲🇴 Macao SAR China | 0.86 | 2025 |
| 47e | 🇧🇲 Bermuda | 0.81 | 2025 |
| 48e | 🇺🇸 United States | 0.79 | 2025 |
| 49e | 🇹🇴 Tonga | 0.77 | 2025 |
| 50e | 🇨🇾 Cyprus | 0.74 | 2025 |
| 51e | 🇧🇹 Bhutan | 0.72 | 2025 |
| 52e | 🇧🇧 Barbados | 0.72 | 2025 |
| 53e | 🇨🇱 Chile | 0.68 | 2025 |
| 54e | 🇮🇱 Israel | 0.68 | 2025 |
| 55e | 🇲🇺 Mauritius | 0.68 | 2025 |
| 56e | 🇧🇳 Brunei | 0.67 | 2025 |
| 57e | 🇲🇹 Malta | 0.67 | 2025 |
| 58e | 🇵🇫 French Polynesia | 0.65 | 2025 |
| 59e | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica | 0.6 | 2025 |
| 60e | 🇮🇹 Italy | 0.59 | 2025 |
| 61e | 🇬🇩 Grenada | 0.58 | 2025 |
| 62e | 🇰🇳 St. Kitts & Nevis | 0.58 | 2025 |
| 63e | 🇸🇨 Seychelles | 0.58 | 2025 |
| 63e | 🇻🇨 St. Vincent & Grenadines | 0.58 | 2025 |
| 65e | 🇻🇮 U.S. Virgin Islands | 0.57 | 2025 |
| 66e | 🇦🇬 Antigua & Barbuda | 0.57 | 2025 |
| 67e | 🇵🇱 Poland | 0.57 | 2025 |
| 68e | 🇱🇨 St. Lucia | 0.57 | 2025 |
| 69e | 🇵🇷 Puerto Rico | 0.57 | 2025 |
| 70e | 🇶🇦 Qatar | 0.56 | 2025 |
| 71e | 🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates | 0.54 | 2025 |
| 72e | 🇻🇺 Vanuatu | 0.53 | 2025 |
| 73e | 🇴🇲 Oman | 0.5 | 2025 |
| 74e | 🇨🇻 Cape Verde | 0.45 | 2025 |
| 75e | 🇸🇰 Slovakia | 0.45 | 2025 |
| 76e | 🇩🇲 Dominica | 0.42 | 2025 |
| 77e | 🇭🇷 Croatia | 0.42 | 2025 |
| 78e | 🇫🇯 Fiji | 0.42 | 2025 |
| 79e | 🇲🇾 Malaysia | 0.41 | 2025 |
| 80e | 🇳🇦 Namibia | 0.38 | 2025 |
| 81e | 🇷🇴 Romania | 0.3 | 2025 |
| 82e | 🇬🇷 Greece | 0.29 | 2025 |
| 83e | 🇧🇼 Botswana | 0.28 | 2025 |
| 84e | 🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia | 0.27 | 2025 |
| 85e | 🇳🇷 Nauru | 0.27 | 2025 |
| 86e | 🇳🇨 New Caledonia | 0.26 | 2025 |
| 87e | 🇧🇸 Bahamas | 0.23 | 2025 |
| 88e | 🇭🇺 Hungary | 0.22 | 2025 |
| 89e | 🇲🇪 Montenegro | 0.21 | 2025 |
| 90e | 🇰🇼 Kuwait | 0.2 | 2025 |
| 91e | 🇯🇴 Jordan | 0.19 | 2025 |
| 92e | 🇧🇭 Bahrain | 0.18 | 2025 |
| 93e | 🇸🇧 Solomon Islands | 0.18 | 2025 |
| 94e | 🇽🇰 Kosovo | 0.11 | 2025 |
| 95e | 🇷🇼 Rwanda | 0.1 | 2025 |
| 96e | 🇬🇪 Georgia | 0.1 | 2025 |
| 97e | 🇿🇦 South Africa | 0.04 | 2025 |
| 98e | 🇬🇭 Ghana | -0 | 2025 |
| 99e | 🇲🇻 Maldives | -0.01 | 2025 |
| 100e | 🇯🇲 Jamaica | -0.03 | 2025 |
| 101e | 🇦🇱 Albania | -0.04 | 2025 |
| 102e | 🇧🇬 Bulgaria | -0.05 | 2025 |
| 103e | 🇦🇷 Argentina | -0.1 | 2025 |
| 104e | 🇲🇳 Mongolia | -0.12 | 2025 |
| 105e | 🇹🇭 Thailand | -0.12 | 2025 |
| 106e | 🇩🇴 Dominican Republic | -0.12 | 2025 |
| 107e | 🇮🇳 India | -0.13 | 2025 |
| 108e | 🇲🇼 Malawi | -0.14 | 2025 |
| 109e | 🇲🇰 North Macedonia | -0.14 | 2025 |
| 110e | 🇲🇩 Moldova | -0.15 | 2025 |
| 111e | 🇻🇳 Vietnam | -0.17 | 2025 |
| 112e | 🇸🇳 Senegal | -0.19 | 2025 |
| 113e | 🇱🇰 Sri Lanka | -0.21 | 2025 |
| 114e | 🇸🇷 Suriname | -0.22 | 2025 |
| 115e | 🇮🇩 Indonesia | -0.25 | 2025 |
| 116e | 🇦🇲 Armenia | -0.27 | 2025 |
| 117e | 🇵🇦 Panama | -0.3 | 2025 |
| 118e | 🇳🇵 Nepal | -0.31 | 2025 |
| 119e | 🇬🇾 Guyana | -0.31 | 2025 |
| 120e | 🇷🇸 Serbia | -0.32 | 2025 |
| 121e | 🇧🇦 Bosnia & Herzegovina | -0.34 | 2025 |
| 122e | 🇲🇦 Morocco | -0.34 | 2025 |
| 123e | 🇹🇹 Trinidad & Tobago | -0.35 | 2025 |
| 124e | 🇧🇿 Belize | -0.37 | 2025 |
| 125e | 🇹🇳 Tunisia | -0.39 | 2025 |
| 126e | 🇬🇲 Gambia | -0.4 | 2025 |
| 127e | 🇰🇿 Kazakhstan | -0.41 | 2025 |
| 128e | 🇨🇳 China | -0.43 | 2025 |
| 129e | 🇸🇹 São Tomé & Príncipe | -0.45 | 2025 |
| 130e | 🇧🇯 Benin | -0.46 | 2025 |
| 131e | 🇦🇿 Azerbaijan | -0.46 | 2025 |
| 132e | 🇱🇸 Lesotho | -0.47 | 2025 |
| 133e | 🇵🇭 Philippines | -0.47 | 2025 |
| 134e | 🇰🇪 Kenya | -0.47 | 2025 |
| 135e | 🇧🇷 Brazil | -0.49 | 2025 |
| 136e | 🇿🇲 Zambia | -0.49 | 2025 |
| 137e | 🇨🇮 Côte d’Ivoire | -0.52 | 2025 |
| 138e | 🇹🇿 Tanzania | -0.57 | 2025 |
| 139e | 🇵🇬 Papua New Guinea | -0.57 | 2025 |
| 140e | 🇹🇬 Togo | -0.63 | 2025 |
| 141e | 🇨🇴 Colombia | -0.63 | 2025 |
| 142e | 🇵🇾 Paraguay | -0.63 | 2025 |
| 143e | 🇱🇦 Laos | -0.64 | 2025 |
| 144e | 🇹🇱 Timor-Leste | -0.64 | 2025 |
| 145e | 🇺🇿 Uzbekistan | -0.64 | 2025 |
| 146e | 🇩🇿 Algeria | -0.65 | 2025 |
| 147e | 🇵🇪 Peru | -0.66 | 2025 |
| 148e | 🇺🇬 Uganda | -0.67 | 2025 |
| 149e | 🇪🇬 Egypt | -0.69 | 2025 |
| 150e | 🇸🇻 El Salvador | -0.71 | 2025 |
| 151e | 🇸🇿 Eswatini | -0.78 | 2025 |
| 152e | 🇺🇦 Ukraine | -0.79 | 2025 |
| 153e | 🇲🇷 Mauritania | -0.81 | 2025 |
| 154e | 🇹🇷 Türkiye | -0.81 | 2025 |
| 155e | 🇸🇱 Sierra Leone | -0.84 | 2025 |
| 156e | 🇱🇷 Liberia | -0.85 | 2025 |
| 157e | 🇧🇩 Bangladesh | -0.91 | 2025 |
| 158e | 🇧🇫 Burkina Faso | -0.92 | 2025 |
| 159e | 🇰🇬 Kyrgyzstan | -0.93 | 2025 |
| 160e | 🇪🇹 Ethiopia | -0.94 | 2025 |
| 161e | 🇲🇬 Madagascar | -0.95 | 2025 |
| 162e | 🇳🇬 Nigeria | -0.95 | 2025 |
| 163e | 🇰🇲 Comoros | -0.96 | 2025 |
| 164e | 🇩🇯 Djibouti | -1.02 | 2025 |
| 165e | 🇬🇦 Gabon | -1.02 | 2025 |
| 166e | 🇬🇹 Guatemala | -1.03 | 2025 |
| 167e | 🇪🇨 Ecuador | -1.03 | 2025 |
| 168e | 🇰🇭 Cambodia | -1.05 | 2025 |
| 169e | 🇱🇧 Lebanon | -1.06 | 2025 |
| 170e | 🇵🇰 Pakistan | -1.07 | 2025 |
| 171e | 🇨🇺 Cuba | -1.08 | 2025 |
| 172e | 🇦🇴 Angola | -1.12 | 2025 |
| 173e | 🇳🇪 Niger | -1.13 | 2025 |
| 174e | 🇭🇳 Honduras | -1.15 | 2025 |
| 175e | 🇲🇽 Mexico | -1.17 | 2025 |
| 176e | 🇲🇿 Mozambique | -1.18 | 2025 |
| 177e | 🇲🇱 Mali | -1.19 | 2025 |
| 178e | 🇨🇲 Cameroon | -1.19 | 2025 |
| 179e | 🇬🇳 Guinea | -1.21 | 2025 |
| 180e | 🇮🇷 Iran | -1.22 | 2025 |
| 181e | 🇿🇼 Zimbabwe | -1.22 | 2025 |
| 182e | 🇹🇯 Tajikistan | -1.22 | 2025 |
| 183e | 🇧🇾 Belarus | -1.23 | 2025 |
| 184e | 🇨🇬 Congo - Brazzaville | -1.25 | 2025 |
| 185e | 🇬🇼 Guinea-Bissau | -1.27 | 2025 |
| 186e | 🇷🇺 Russia | -1.27 | 2025 |
| 187e | 🇧🇴 Bolivia | -1.35 | 2025 |
| 188e | 🇮🇶 Iraq | -1.39 | 2025 |
| 189e | 🇹🇩 Chad | -1.41 | 2025 |
| 190e | 🇹🇲 Turkmenistan | -1.42 | 2025 |
| 191e | 🇧🇮 Burundi | -1.43 | 2025 |
| 192e | 🇰🇵 North Korea | -1.49 | 2025 |
| 193e | 🇬🇶 Equatorial Guinea | -1.54 | 2025 |
| 194e | 🇳🇮 Nicaragua | -1.59 | 2025 |
| 195e | 🇭🇹 Haiti | -1.62 | 2025 |
| 196e | 🇱🇾 Libya | -1.65 | 2025 |
| 197e | 🇨🇩 Congo - Kinshasa | -1.66 | 2025 |
| 198e | 🇨🇫 Central African Republic | -1.7 | 2025 |
| 199e | 🇲🇲 Myanmar (Burma) | -1.77 | 2025 |
| 200e | 🇪🇷 Eritrea | -1.77 | 2025 |
| 201e | 🇦🇫 Afghanistan | -1.85 | 2025 |
| 202e | 🇸🇩 Sudan | -1.86 | 2025 |
| 203e | 🇾🇪 Yemen | -1.94 | 2025 |
| 204e | 🇸🇴 Somalia | -2.17 | 2025 |
| 205e | 🇻🇪 Venezuela | -2.2 | 2025 |
Frequently asked questions
Which country has the highest value for "Rule of law (WGI)"?
The highest value is in Finland, at 2.01 (2025).
Which country has the lowest value for "Rule of law (WGI)"?
The lowest value is in Venezuela, at -2.2 (2025).
What is the world median value of "Rule of law (WGI)"?
The world median is -0.1, calculated across 205 countries: half of the countries are above it, the other half below.
What is the value of "Rule of law (WGI)" for France?
France scores 0.97 (2025), ranking 38 out of 205 countries (ranked from highest to lowest).
Where does the "Rule of law (WGI)" data come from?
It comes from Banque mondiale – Worldwide Governance Indicators (GOV_WGI_RL.EST). Site last updated: November 8, 2026. Each country is shown with the year of its most recent value.
How should this scale be read?
The value is centred on the world average. Positive, it indicates a more favourable perception than average; negative, a less favourable one. Extreme values are rare.
Does this indicator measure laws?
No. It summarises the perception of how well they are respected: contracts, property, police, courts, crime. It reflects opinions gathered, not the content of legal texts.
Source and update
Source : Banque mondiale – Worldwide Governance Indicators (GOV_WGI_RL.EST). Site last updated: November 8, 2026.
Indicators in the same category : Governance & Rule of Law
- Absence of corruption in the judiciaryThis expert-based V-Dem score estimates how often corruption occurs in the courts. A high score means less judicial corruption, a negative score more.
- Control of corruption (WGI)World Bank indicator that summarizes perceptions of the extent to which public power is used for private gain, including petty and grand corruption and the capture of the state by elites.
- Government effectiveness (WGI)World Bank indicator that sums up the perceived quality of public services, of the civil service, of its independence from political pressure, and of the reliability of the policies pursued.
- Rule of law index (V-Dem)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.
- Judicial constraints on the executive indexThis V-Dem index estimates the extent to which the executive respects the constitution and court rulings, and the extent to which courts are independent.
- Political corruption indexThis V-Dem index estimates the extent to which a country is affected by political corruption: bribes in the executive, the legislature and the judiciary, and embezzlement of public funds.
- Corruption Perceptions IndexThis Transparency International index scores perceived corruption in the public sector from 0 (very corrupt) to 100 (very clean): bribes, embezzlement, favoritism. It is calculated from several surveys of experts and business leaders, not from cases tried in court.
- Regulatory quality (WGI)World Bank indicator that sums up perceptions of the government's ability to put in place rules and policies that allow the private sector to develop.
- Political stability and absence of violence (WGI)World Bank indicator that summarizes perceptions of the likelihood that the government will be destabilized or overthrown by violent or unlawful means, including terrorism.
- Voice and accountability (WGI)World Bank indicator that sums up the perceived freedom of citizens to choose their government, as well as freedom of expression, association and the press. It aggregates many surveys and expert assessments.