Rule of Law by Country — 2023 World Rankings
World Bank governance indicator measuring rule of law (-2.5 to +2.5).
Updated May 2026 · Source: World BankIn 2023, Finland leads the world in rule of law with 1.97, followed by Denmark (1.91), Norway (1.83), Switzerland (1.76), Singapore (1.75). At the other end, Somalia, Fed. Rep. ranks last at -2.21. The global median is -0.12 (Armenia). This ranking covers 205 countries and is sourced from the World Bank World Development Indicators, one of the most authoritative sources for international economic statistics.
The top 10 countries are: 1. Finland, 2. Denmark, 3. Norway, 4. Switzerland, 5. Singapore, 6. Luxembourg, 7. Austria, 8. Iceland, 9. Liechtenstein, 10. New Zealand. All data is sourced from the World Bank World Development Indicators and updated regularly. Free API access is available for developers and researchers.
| # | Country | Rule of Law | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Finland | 1.97 | 2023 |
| 2 |  Denmark | 1.91 | 2023 |
| 3 |  Norway | 1.83 | 2023 |
| 4 |  Switzerland | 1.76 | 2023 |
| 5 |  Singapore | 1.75 | 2023 |
| 6 |  Luxembourg | 1.75 | 2023 |
| 7 |  Austria | 1.75 | 2023 |
| 8 |  Iceland | 1.72 | 2023 |
| 9 |  Liechtenstein | 1.71 | 2023 |
| 10 |  New Zealand | 1.71 | 2023 |
| 11 |  Greenland | 1.68 | 2023 |
| 12 |  Netherlands | 1.64 | 2023 |
| 13 |  Ireland | 1.63 | 2023 |
| 14 |  Sweden | 1.6 | 2023 |
| 15 |  Germany | 1.55 | 2023 |
| 16 |  Japan | 1.54 | 2023 |
| 17 |  Australia | 1.52 | 2023 |
| 18 |  Monaco | 1.48 | 2023 |
| 19 |  San Marino | 1.48 | 2023 |
| 20 |  Andorra | 1.48 | 2023 |
| 21 |  Canada | 1.47 | 2023 |
| 22 |  Estonia | 1.43 | 2023 |
| 23 |  United Kingdom | 1.4 | 2023 |
| 24 |  United States | 1.33 | 2023 |
| 25 |  Belgium | 1.3 | 2023 |
| 26 |  Hong Kong SAR, China | 1.29 | 2023 |
| 27 |  Aruba | 1.27 | 2023 |
| 28 |  Lithuania | 1.27 | 2023 |
| 29 |  Korea, Rep. | 1.25 | 2023 |
| 30 |  American Samoa | 1.21 | 2023 |
| 31 |  France | 1.18 | 2023 |
| 32 |  Czechia | 1.14 | 2023 |
| 33 |  Portugal | 1.07 | 2023 |
| 34 |  Latvia | 1.04 | 2023 |
| 35 |  Slovenia | 1.04 | 2023 |
| 36 |  Tuvalu | 1.01 | 2023 |
| 37 |  Guam | 0.95 | 2023 |
| 38 |  Virgin Islands (U.S.) | 0.95 | 2023 |
| 39 |  Palau | 0.94 | 2023 |
| 40 |  Qatar | 0.93 | 2023 |
| 41 |  Samoa | 0.9 | 2023 |
| 42 |  Brunei Darussalam | 0.89 | 2023 |
| 43 |  United Arab Emirates | 0.88 | 2023 |
| 44 |  Spain | 0.82 | 2023 |
| 45 |  Mauritius | 0.81 | 2023 |
| 46 |  Israel | 0.78 | 2023 |
| 47 |  Macao SAR, China | 0.78 | 2023 |
| 48 |  Cayman Islands | 0.72 | 2023 |
| 49 |  Uruguay | 0.72 | 2023 |
| 50 |  Malta | 0.7 | 2023 |
| 51 |  Bermuda | 0.68 | 2023 |
| 52 |  Marshall Islands | 0.68 | 2023 |
| 53 |  Bhutan | 0.67 | 2023 |
| 54 |  Micronesia, Fed. Sts. | 0.64 | 2023 |
| 55 |  Cyprus | 0.63 | 2023 |
| 56 |  Chile | 0.63 | 2023 |
| 57 |  Dominica | 0.62 | 2023 |
| 58 |  Oman | 0.61 | 2023 |
| 59 |  St. Lucia | 0.61 | 2023 |
| 60 |  Grenada | 0.6 | 2023 |
| 61 |  Slovak Republic | 0.6 | 2023 |
| 62 |  Kiribati | 0.59 | 2023 |
| 63 |  St. Vincent and the Grenadines | 0.57 | 2023 |
| 64 |  Malaysia | 0.57 | 2023 |
| 65 |  Tonga | 0.55 | 2023 |
| 66 |  Puerto Rico (US) | 0.49 | 2023 |
| 67 |  St. Kitts and Nevis | 0.48 | 2023 |
| 68 |  Bahrain | 0.47 | 2023 |
| 69 |  Poland | 0.46 | 2023 |
| 70 |  Namibia | 0.45 | 2023 |
| 71 |  Romania | 0.44 | 2023 |
| 72 |  Seychelles | 0.43 | 2023 |
| 73 |  Hungary | 0.43 | 2023 |
| 74 |  Saudi Arabia | 0.41 | 2023 |
| 75 |  Barbados | 0.41 | 2023 |
| 76 |  Cabo Verde | 0.4 | 2023 |
| 77 |  Botswana | 0.39 | 2023 |
| 78 |  Italy | 0.39 | 2023 |
| 79 |  Costa Rica | 0.39 | 2023 |
| 80 |  Antigua and Barbuda | 0.38 | 2023 |
| 81 |  Croatia | 0.36 | 2023 |
| 82 |  Kuwait | 0.34 | 2023 |
| 83 |  Fiji | 0.3 | 2023 |
| 84 |  Jordan | 0.26 | 2023 |
| 85 |  Thailand | 0.24 | 2023 |
| 86 |  Greece | 0.21 | 2023 |
| 87 |  Rwanda | 0.21 | 2023 |
| 88 |  India | 0.19 | 2023 |
| 89 |  Bahamas, The | 0.18 | 2023 |
| 90 |  Georgia | 0.18 | 2023 |
| 91 |  Vanuatu | 0.14 | 2023 |
| 92 |  South Africa | 0.09 | 2023 |
| 93 |  Bulgaria | -0.01 | 2023 |
| 94 |  Nauru | -0.02 | 2023 |
| 95 |  China | -0.04 | 2023 |
| 96 |  Montenegro | -0.04 | 2023 |
| 97 |  Suriname | -0.06 | 2023 |
| 98 |  Serbia | -0.07 | 2023 |
| 99 |  Maldives | -0.08 | 2023 |
| 100 |  Viet Nam | -0.09 | 2023 |
| 101 |  Sri Lanka | -0.09 | 2023 |
| 102 |  Ghana | -0.1 | 2023 |
| 103 |  Armenia | -0.12 | 2023 |
| 104 |  Morocco | -0.13 | 2023 |
| 105 |  Dominican Republic | -0.13 | 2023 |
| 106 |  Tunisia | -0.14 | 2023 |
| 107 |  Moldova | -0.15 | 2023 |
| 108 |  Indonesia | -0.15 | 2023 |
| 109 |  Malawi | -0.16 | 2023 |
| 110 |  Albania | -0.16 | 2023 |
| 111 |  North Macedonia | -0.17 | 2023 |
| 112 |  Jamaica | -0.17 | 2023 |
| 113 |  Egypt, Arab Rep. | -0.18 | 2023 |
| 114 |  Mongolia | -0.18 | 2023 |
| 115 |  Solomon Islands | -0.26 | 2023 |
| 116 |  Senegal | -0.27 | 2023 |
| 117 |  Trinidad and Tobago | -0.28 | 2023 |
| 118 |  Brazil | -0.31 | 2023 |
| 119 |  Kosovo | -0.31 | 2023 |
| 120 |  Kenya | -0.33 | 2023 |
| 121 |  Guyana | -0.34 | 2023 |
| 122 |  Panama | -0.35 | 2023 |
| 123 |  Bosnia and Herzegovina | -0.35 | 2023 |
| 124 |  El Salvador | -0.37 | 2023 |
| 125 |  Tanzania | -0.37 | 2023 |
| 126 |  Gambia, The | -0.37 | 2023 |
| 127 |  Argentina | -0.41 | 2023 |
| 128 |  Philippines | -0.42 | 2023 |
| 129 |  Kazakhstan | -0.45 | 2023 |
| 130 |  Cuba | -0.45 | 2023 |
| 131 |  Colombia | -0.46 | 2023 |
| 132 |  Cote d'Ivoire | -0.46 | 2023 |
| 133 |  Nepal | -0.46 | 2023 |
| 134 |  Uganda | -0.47 | 2023 |
| 135 |  Lesotho | -0.48 | 2023 |
| 136 |  Bangladesh | -0.5 | 2023 |
| 137 |  Benin | -0.51 | 2023 |
| 138 |  Turkiye | -0.51 | 2023 |
| 139 |  Togo | -0.53 | 2023 |
| 140 |  Zambia | -0.53 | 2023 |
| 141 |  Peru | -0.54 | 2023 |
| 142 |  Papua New Guinea | -0.54 | 2023 |
| 143 |  Azerbaijan | -0.57 | 2023 |
| 144 |  Paraguay | -0.58 | 2023 |
| 145 |  Eswatini | -0.6 | 2023 |
| 146 |  Belize | -0.64 | 2023 |
| 147 |  Mauritania | -0.64 | 2023 |
| 148 |  Ethiopia | -0.67 | 2023 |
| 149 |  Algeria | -0.68 | 2023 |
| 150 |  West Bank and Gaza | -0.68 | 2023 |
| 151 |  Sao Tome and Principe | -0.69 | 2023 |
| 152 |  Niger | -0.71 | 2023 |
| 153 |  Burkina Faso | -0.74 | 2023 |
| 154 |  Mexico | -0.81 | 2023 |
| 155 |  Cambodia | -0.82 | 2023 |
| 156 |  Uzbekistan | -0.83 | 2023 |
| 157 |  Lao PDR | -0.83 | 2023 |
| 158 |  Sierra Leone | -0.83 | 2023 |
| 159 |  Timor-Leste | -0.83 | 2023 |
| 160 |  Pakistan | -0.86 | 2023 |
| 161 |  Gabon | -0.87 | 2023 |
| 162 |  Nigeria | -0.89 | 2023 |
| 163 |  Ukraine | -0.89 | 2023 |
| 164 |  Ecuador | -0.96 | 2023 |
| 165 |  Madagascar | -0.97 | 2023 |
| 166 |  Mali | -0.98 | 2023 |
| 167 |  Congo, Rep. | -1.02 | 2023 |
| 168 |  Mozambique | -1.03 | 2023 |
| 169 |  Liberia | -1.03 | 2023 |
| 170 |  Cameroon | -1.04 | 2023 |
| 171 |  Iran, Islamic Rep. | -1.06 | 2023 |
| 172 |  Guatemala | -1.08 | 2023 |
| 173 |  Honduras | -1.1 | 2023 |
| 174 |  Angola | -1.1 | 2023 |
| 175 |  Guinea | -1.11 | 2023 |
| 176 |  Djibouti | -1.13 | 2023 |
| 177 |  Lebanon | -1.17 | 2023 |
| 178 |  Kyrgyz Republic | -1.17 | 2023 |
| 179 |  Russian Federation | -1.19 | 2023 |
| 180 |  Bolivia | -1.22 | 2023 |
| 181 |  Belarus | -1.25 | 2023 |
| 182 |  Burundi | -1.25 | 2023 |
| 183 |  Zimbabwe | -1.28 | 2023 |
| 184 |  Tajikistan | -1.28 | 2023 |
| 185 |  Nicaragua | -1.28 | 2023 |
| 186 |  Equatorial Guinea | -1.34 | 2023 |
| 187 |  Comoros | -1.34 | 2023 |
| 188 |  Chad | -1.35 | 2023 |
| 189 |  Haiti | -1.36 | 2023 |
| 190 |  Guinea-Bissau | -1.44 | 2023 |
| 191 |  Turkmenistan | -1.49 | 2023 |
| 192 |  Myanmar | -1.62 | 2023 |
| 193 |  Korea, Dem. People's Rep. | -1.64 | 2023 |
| 194 |  Afghanistan | -1.65 | 2023 |
| 195 |  Congo, Dem. Rep. | -1.67 | 2023 |
| 196 |  Sudan | -1.67 | 2023 |
| 197 |  Iraq | -1.69 | 2023 |
| 198 |  Central African Republic | -1.76 | 2023 |
| 199 |  Eritrea | -1.76 | 2023 |
| 200 |  Libya | -1.77 | 2023 |
| 201 |  Yemen, Rep. | -1.84 | 2023 |
| 202 |  Syrian Arab Republic | -2.04 | 2023 |
| 203 |  South Sudan | -2.14 | 2023 |
| 204 |  Venezuela, RB | -2.15 | 2023 |
| 205 |  Somalia, Fed. Rep. | -2.21 | 2023 |
Use this data programmatically
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Understanding Rule of Law by Country
The Rule of Law indicator from the World Bank measures perceptions of the extent to which agents have confidence in and abide by the rules of society: quality of contract enforcement, property rights, the police, and the courts, as well as the likelihood of crime and violence.
Nordic countries, New Zealand, and Switzerland score highest, reflecting institutional strength built over centuries. The lowest-scoring countries are typically conflict-affected or authoritarian states where the rule of law has broken down.
Rule of law is the single strongest institutional predictor of long-term economic development. Countries with strong rule of law attract more investment, have more productive economies, and experience less corruption. The World Bank research shows that a one-standard-deviation improvement in rule of law is associated with a 300% increase in per capita income in the long run.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which country has the highest rule of law in 2023?
Finland has the highest rule of law at 1.97 as of 2023, according to World Bank data.
Which country has the lowest rule of law in 2023?
Somalia, Fed. Rep. has the lowest rule of law at -2.21 as of 2023.
How many countries are ranked by rule of law?
205 countries have reported data for rule of law. The data is sourced from the World Bank World Development Indicators.
What is the median rule of law across all countries?
The median rule of law is -0.12 (Armenia, ranked #103 out of 205 countries).