Rule of Law Ranking by Country — 2023 World Rankings
Rule of law percentile rank (0–100) from World Bank Worldwide Governance Indicators.
Updated April 2026 · Source: World BankIn 2023, Finland leads the world in rule of law (percentile rank) with 100.0%, followed by Denmark (99.5%), Norway (99.1%), Switzerland (98.6%), Singapore (98.1%). At the other end, Somalia, Fed. Rep. ranks last at 0.0%. The global median is 49.1% (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 (percentile rank) | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Finland | 100.0% | 2023 |
| 2 |  Denmark | 99.5% | 2023 |
| 3 |  Norway | 99.1% | 2023 |
| 4 |  Switzerland | 98.6% | 2023 |
| 5 |  Singapore | 98.1% | 2023 |
| 6 |  Luxembourg | 97.6% | 2023 |
| 7 |  Austria | 97.2% | 2023 |
| 8 |  Iceland | 96.7% | 2023 |
| 9 |  Liechtenstein | 96.2% | 2023 |
| 10 |  New Zealand | 95.8% | 2023 |
| 11 |  Greenland | 95.3% | 2023 |
| 12 |  Netherlands | 94.3% | 2023 |
| 13 |  Ireland | 93.9% | 2023 |
| 14 |  Sweden | 93.4% | 2023 |
| 15 |  Germany | 92.9% | 2023 |
| 16 |  Japan | 92.5% | 2023 |
| 17 |  Australia | 92.0% | 2023 |
| 18 |  Andorra | 91.5% | 2023 |
| 19 |  Monaco | 91.5% | 2023 |
| 20 |  San Marino | 91.5% | 2023 |
| 21 |  Canada | 90.1% | 2023 |
| 22 |  Estonia | 89.6% | 2023 |
| 23 |  United Kingdom | 89.2% | 2023 |
| 24 |  United States | 88.7% | 2023 |
| 25 |  Belgium | 88.2% | 2023 |
| 26 |  Hong Kong SAR, China | 87.7% | 2023 |
| 27 |  Aruba | 87.3% | 2023 |
| 28 |  Lithuania | 86.8% | 2023 |
| 29 |  Korea, Rep. | 85.8% | 2023 |
| 30 |  American Samoa | 85.4% | 2023 |
| 31 |  France | 84.9% | 2023 |
| 32 |  Czechia | 84.4% | 2023 |
| 33 |  Portugal | 83.5% | 2023 |
| 34 |  Latvia | 83.0% | 2023 |
| 35 |  Slovenia | 82.5% | 2023 |
| 36 |  Tuvalu | 82.1% | 2023 |
| 37 |  Guam | 81.6% | 2023 |
| 38 |  Virgin Islands (U.S.) | 81.6% | 2023 |
| 39 |  Palau | 80.7% | 2023 |
| 40 |  Qatar | 80.2% | 2023 |
| 41 |  Samoa | 79.7% | 2023 |
| 42 |  Brunei Darussalam | 79.2% | 2023 |
| 43 |  United Arab Emirates | 78.8% | 2023 |
| 44 |  Spain | 78.3% | 2023 |
| 45 |  Mauritius | 77.8% | 2023 |
| 46 |  Israel | 77.4% | 2023 |
| 47 |  Macao SAR, China | 76.9% | 2023 |
| 48 |  Cayman Islands | 76.4% | 2023 |
| 49 |  Uruguay | 75.9% | 2023 |
| 50 |  Malta | 75.5% | 2023 |
| 51 |  Bermuda | 75.0% | 2023 |
| 52 |  Marshall Islands | 73.1% | 2023 |
| 53 |  Bhutan | 72.6% | 2023 |
| 54 |  Micronesia, Fed. Sts. | 72.2% | 2023 |
| 55 |  Cyprus | 71.7% | 2023 |
| 56 |  Chile | 71.2% | 2023 |
| 57 |  Dominica | 70.8% | 2023 |
| 58 |  Oman | 70.3% | 2023 |
| 59 |  St. Lucia | 69.8% | 2023 |
| 60 |  Grenada | 69.3% | 2023 |
| 61 |  Slovak Republic | 68.9% | 2023 |
| 62 |  Kiribati | 68.4% | 2023 |
| 63 |  St. Vincent and the Grenadines | 67.9% | 2023 |
| 64 |  Malaysia | 67.5% | 2023 |
| 65 |  Tonga | 67.0% | 2023 |
| 66 |  Puerto Rico (US) | 66.5% | 2023 |
| 67 |  St. Kitts and Nevis | 66.0% | 2023 |
| 68 |  Bahrain | 65.6% | 2023 |
| 69 |  Poland | 65.1% | 2023 |
| 70 |  Namibia | 64.6% | 2023 |
| 71 |  Romania | 64.2% | 2023 |
| 72 |  Seychelles | 63.7% | 2023 |
| 73 |  Hungary | 63.2% | 2023 |
| 74 |  Saudi Arabia | 62.7% | 2023 |
| 75 |  Barbados | 62.3% | 2023 |
| 76 |  Cabo Verde | 61.8% | 2023 |
| 77 |  Botswana | 61.3% | 2023 |
| 78 |  Italy | 60.8% | 2023 |
| 79 |  Costa Rica | 60.4% | 2023 |
| 80 |  Antigua and Barbuda | 59.9% | 2023 |
| 81 |  Croatia | 59.4% | 2023 |
| 82 |  Kuwait | 59.0% | 2023 |
| 83 |  Fiji | 58.5% | 2023 |
| 84 |  Jordan | 58.0% | 2023 |
| 85 |  Thailand | 57.5% | 2023 |
| 86 |  Greece | 57.1% | 2023 |
| 87 |  Rwanda | 56.6% | 2023 |
| 88 |  India | 56.1% | 2023 |
| 89 |  Bahamas, The | 55.7% | 2023 |
| 90 |  Georgia | 55.2% | 2023 |
| 91 |  Vanuatu | 54.7% | 2023 |
| 92 |  South Africa | 54.2% | 2023 |
| 93 |  Bulgaria | 53.8% | 2023 |
| 94 |  Nauru | 53.3% | 2023 |
| 95 |  China | 52.8% | 2023 |
| 96 |  Montenegro | 52.4% | 2023 |
| 97 |  Suriname | 51.9% | 2023 |
| 98 |  Serbia | 51.4% | 2023 |
| 99 |  Maldives | 50.9% | 2023 |
| 100 |  Viet Nam | 50.5% | 2023 |
| 101 |  Sri Lanka | 50.0% | 2023 |
| 102 |  Ghana | 49.5% | 2023 |
| 103 |  Armenia | 49.1% | 2023 |
| 104 |  Morocco | 48.6% | 2023 |
| 105 |  Dominican Republic | 48.1% | 2023 |
| 106 |  Tunisia | 47.6% | 2023 |
| 107 |  Moldova | 47.2% | 2023 |
| 108 |  Indonesia | 46.7% | 2023 |
| 109 |  Malawi | 46.2% | 2023 |
| 110 |  Albania | 45.8% | 2023 |
| 111 |  North Macedonia | 45.3% | 2023 |
| 112 |  Jamaica | 44.8% | 2023 |
| 113 |  Egypt, Arab Rep. | 44.3% | 2023 |
| 114 |  Mongolia | 43.9% | 2023 |
| 115 |  Solomon Islands | 43.4% | 2023 |
| 116 |  Senegal | 42.9% | 2023 |
| 117 |  Trinidad and Tobago | 42.5% | 2023 |
| 118 |  Brazil | 42.0% | 2023 |
| 119 |  Kosovo | 41.5% | 2023 |
| 120 |  Kenya | 41.0% | 2023 |
| 121 |  Guyana | 40.6% | 2023 |
| 122 |  Panama | 40.1% | 2023 |
| 123 |  Bosnia and Herzegovina | 39.6% | 2023 |
| 124 |  El Salvador | 39.2% | 2023 |
| 125 |  Tanzania | 38.7% | 2023 |
| 126 |  Gambia, The | 38.2% | 2023 |
| 127 |  Argentina | 37.7% | 2023 |
| 128 |  Philippines | 37.3% | 2023 |
| 129 |  Kazakhstan | 36.8% | 2023 |
| 130 |  Cuba | 36.3% | 2023 |
| 131 |  Colombia | 35.8% | 2023 |
| 132 |  Cote d'Ivoire | 35.4% | 2023 |
| 133 |  Nepal | 34.9% | 2023 |
| 134 |  Uganda | 34.4% | 2023 |
| 135 |  Lesotho | 34.0% | 2023 |
| 136 |  Bangladesh | 33.5% | 2023 |
| 137 |  Benin | 33.0% | 2023 |
| 138 |  Turkiye | 32.5% | 2023 |
| 139 |  Togo | 32.1% | 2023 |
| 140 |  Zambia | 31.6% | 2023 |
| 141 |  Peru | 30.2% | 2023 |
| 142 |  Papua New Guinea | 29.7% | 2023 |
| 143 |  Azerbaijan | 29.2% | 2023 |
| 144 |  Paraguay | 28.8% | 2023 |
| 145 |  Eswatini | 28.3% | 2023 |
| 146 |  Belize | 27.8% | 2023 |
| 147 |  Mauritania | 27.4% | 2023 |
| 148 |  Ethiopia | 26.9% | 2023 |
| 149 |  Algeria | 26.4% | 2023 |
| 150 |  West Bank and Gaza | 25.9% | 2023 |
| 151 |  Sao Tome and Principe | 25.5% | 2023 |
| 152 |  Niger | 25.0% | 2023 |
| 153 |  Burkina Faso | 24.5% | 2023 |
| 154 |  Mexico | 24.1% | 2023 |
| 155 |  Cambodia | 23.6% | 2023 |
| 156 |  Uzbekistan | 23.1% | 2023 |
| 157 |  Lao PDR | 22.6% | 2023 |
| 158 |  Sierra Leone | 22.2% | 2023 |
| 159 |  Timor-Leste | 21.7% | 2023 |
| 160 |  Pakistan | 21.2% | 2023 |
| 161 |  Gabon | 20.8% | 2023 |
| 162 |  Nigeria | 20.3% | 2023 |
| 163 |  Ukraine | 19.8% | 2023 |
| 164 |  Ecuador | 19.3% | 2023 |
| 165 |  Madagascar | 18.9% | 2023 |
| 166 |  Mali | 18.4% | 2023 |
| 167 |  Congo, Rep. | 17.9% | 2023 |
| 168 |  Mozambique | 17.5% | 2023 |
| 169 |  Liberia | 17.0% | 2023 |
| 170 |  Cameroon | 16.5% | 2023 |
| 171 |  Iran, Islamic Rep. | 16.0% | 2023 |
| 172 |  Guatemala | 15.6% | 2023 |
| 173 |  Honduras | 15.1% | 2023 |
| 174 |  Angola | 14.6% | 2023 |
| 175 |  Guinea | 14.2% | 2023 |
| 176 |  Djibouti | 13.7% | 2023 |
| 177 |  Lebanon | 13.2% | 2023 |
| 178 |  Kyrgyz Republic | 12.7% | 2023 |
| 179 |  Russian Federation | 12.3% | 2023 |
| 180 |  Bolivia | 11.8% | 2023 |
| 181 |  Belarus | 11.3% | 2023 |
| 182 |  Burundi | 10.8% | 2023 |
| 183 |  Zimbabwe | 10.4% | 2023 |
| 184 |  Tajikistan | 9.9% | 2023 |
| 185 |  Nicaragua | 9.4% | 2023 |
| 186 |  Equatorial Guinea | 9.0% | 2023 |
| 187 |  Comoros | 8.5% | 2023 |
| 188 |  Chad | 8.0% | 2023 |
| 189 |  Haiti | 7.5% | 2023 |
| 190 |  Guinea-Bissau | 7.1% | 2023 |
| 191 |  Turkmenistan | 6.6% | 2023 |
| 192 |  Myanmar | 6.1% | 2023 |
| 193 |  Korea, Dem. People's Rep. | 5.7% | 2023 |
| 194 |  Afghanistan | 5.2% | 2023 |
| 195 |  Congo, Dem. Rep. | 4.7% | 2023 |
| 196 |  Sudan | 4.2% | 2023 |
| 197 |  Iraq | 3.8% | 2023 |
| 198 |  Central African Republic | 3.3% | 2023 |
| 199 |  Eritrea | 2.8% | 2023 |
| 200 |  Libya | 2.4% | 2023 |
| 201 |  Yemen, Rep. | 1.9% | 2023 |
| 202 |  Syrian Arab Republic | 1.4% | 2023 |
| 203 |  South Sudan | 0.9% | 2023 |
| 204 |  Venezuela, RB | 0.5% | 2023 |
| 205 |  Somalia, Fed. Rep. | 0.0% | 2023 |
Understanding Rule of Law Ranking by Country
The Rule of Law Percentile Rank indicates a country's position relative to all other countries, on a scale from 0 (weakest) to 100 (strongest). It is derived from the World Bank Worldwide Governance Indicators and aggregates dozens of data sources including surveys, expert assessments, and NGO reports.
Nordic countries and New Zealand consistently score above 95th percentile. Countries below the 10th percentile are typically conflict-affected states with collapsed governance. The percentile format makes it easier to compare across countries than the raw governance score.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which country has the highest rule of law (percentile rank) in 2023?
Finland has the highest rule of law (percentile rank) at 100.0% as of 2023, according to World Bank data.
Which country has the lowest rule of law (percentile rank) in 2023?
Somalia, Fed. Rep. has the lowest rule of law (percentile rank) at 0.0% as of 2023.
How many countries are ranked by rule of law (percentile rank)?
205 countries have reported data for rule of law (percentile rank). The data is sourced from the World Bank World Development Indicators.
What is the median rule of law (percentile rank) across all countries?
The median rule of law (percentile rank) is 49.1% (Armenia, ranked #103 out of 205 countries).