Mapped: Countries Ranked by Rule of Law in 2026

How Countries Compare on Rule of Law in 2026

Key Takeaways:

• Rule of law declined in 62% of countries in 2026, marking the ninth consecutive year of global deterioration.

• Denmark ranks first with a score of 0.90, while Venezuela ranks last at 0.26.

• The United States fell three places to 30th, with its score declining 1.8%, widening its gap with Canada.

The rule of law means that governments, institutions, and individuals are accountable to laws applied fairly and consistently.

The World Justice Project’s 2026 Rule of Law Index measures this across 143 countries using eight factors, including constraints on government power, corruption, fundamental rights, security, regulatory enforcement, and civil and criminal justice.

Ranking Countries Based on Rule of Law

The following table ranks countries by their 2026 Rule of Law Index scores, ranging from zero (weakest) to one (strongest).

RankCountry / Jurisdiction2026 Overall Score

1 Denmark0.90

2 Norway0.89

3 Finland0.87

4 Sweden0.86

5 Luxembourg0.83

6 Germany0.83

7 New Zealand0.83

8 Ireland0.82

9 Netherlands0.82

10 Estonia0.82

11 Austria0.80

12 Australia0.80

13 Canada0.80

14 Singapore0.79

15 Japan0.78

16 Lithuania0.78

17 Belgium0.78

18 United Kingdom0.78

19 Latvia0.75

20 Korea, Rep.0.74

21 Czechia0.73

22 Uruguay0.72

23 France0.72

24 Hong Kong SAR, China0.71

25 Spain0.71

26 Slovenia0.68

27 Portugal0.68

28 Cyprus0.67

29 Malta0.67

30 United States0.67

31 Costa Rica0.67

32 Poland0.67

33 Barbados0.66

34 Chile0.66

35 Italy0.66

36 United Arab Emirates0.64

37 St. Kitts and Nevis0.64

38 Slovak Republic0.64

39 Antigua and Barbuda0.64

40 Rwanda0.64

41 Qatar0.62

42 St. Vincent and the Grenadines0.62

43 St. Lucia0.62

44 Croatia0.61

45 Romania0.61

46 Namibia0.61

47 Greece0.60

48 Mauritius0.60

49 Botswana0.60

50 Grenada0.59

51 The Bahamas0.59

52 Kuwait0.58

53 Malaysia0.57

54 Dominica0.57

55 Georgia0.57

56 Jamaica0.57

57 Montenegro0.57

58 Senegal0.56

59 Kosovo0.56

60 South Africa0.56

61 Jordan0.55

62 Ghana0.55

63 Bulgaria0.55

64 Argentina0.54

65 North Macedonia0.54

66 Moldova0.53

67 Kazakhstan0.53

68 Mongolia0.53

69 Malawi0.52

70 Bosnia and Herzegovina0.52

71 Nepal0.52

72 Panama0.52

73 Trinidad and Tobago0.52

74 Sri Lanka0.51

75 Indonesia0.51

76 Brazil0.51

77 Dominican Republic0.50

78 Hungary0.50

79 Uzbekistan0.50

80 Thailand0.50

81 Guyana0.50

82 Vietnam0.50

83 Suriname0.50

84 Belize0.49

85 Algeria0.49

86 The Gambia0.49

87 Ukraine0.49

88 India0.48

89 Tunisia0.48

90 Morocco0.48

91 Albania0.48

92 China0.48

93 Peru0.47

94 Benin0.47

95 Serbia0.46

96 Colombia0.46

97 Philippines0.46

98 Paraguay0.45

99 Kyrgyz Republic0.45

100 Kenya0.45

101 Burkina Faso0.45

102 Ecuador0.45

103 Liberia0.45

104 Belarus0.44

105 Tanzania0.44

106 Guatemala0.44

107 Côte d'Ivoire0.44

108 Zambia0.44

109 Lebanon0.44

110 Sierra Leone0.44

111 Madagascar0.43

112 Togo0.42

113 Angola0.42

114 El Salvador0.42

115 Honduras0.41

116 Niger0.41

117 Türkiye0.41

118 Guinea0.40

119 Gabon0.40

120 Nigeria0.40

121 Russian Federation0.40

122 Zimbabwe0.40

123 Bangladesh0.39

124 Congo, Rep.0.39

125 Mexico0.39

126 Uganda0.38

127 Mali0.38

128 Iran, Islamic Rep.0.37

129 Mozambique0.37

130 Bolivia0.37

131 Pakistan0.36

132 Mauritania0.36

133 Ethiopia0.36

134 Cameroon0.35

135 Egypt, Arab Rep.0.35

136 Congo, Dem. Rep.0.33

137 Myanmar0.33

138 Sudan0.33

139 Nicaragua0.32

140 Cambodia0.31

141 Haiti0.31

142 Afghanistan0.31

143 Venezuela, RB0.26

Northern Europe dominates the top of the rankings, with Denmark (0.90), Norway (0.89), and Finland (0.87) taking the first three spots. At the opposite end, Venezuela (0.26), Afghanistan, and Haiti occupy the bottom three positions.

Why Is Rule of Law Declining Globally?

The following countries experienced the largest annual declines in their rule of law scores:

RankCountryAnnual Change (%)

1 Haiti-5.6%

2 Tanzania-3.6%

3 Sudan-2.8%

4 Mexico-2.7%

5 Colombia-2.5%

6 Nicaragua-2.5%

7 Iran, Islamic Rep.-2.3%

8 Indonesia-2.3%

9 Ecuador-2.2%

10 Pakistan-2.1%

According to the World Justice Project, weakening checks on executive power, political interference in courts, and shrinking civic freedoms are contributing to the prolonged decline.

Freedom of expression deteriorated in 64% of countries, while freedom of assembly declined in 67%. These trends also threaten press freedom, limiting the ability of citizens and journalists to scrutinize governments.

Meanwhile, the following countries recorded the largest improvements:

RankCountryAnnual Change (%)

1 Latvia+1.6%

2 Trinidad and Tobago+1.2%

3 Guatemala+1.1%

4 Liberia+0.9%

5 Croatia+0.9%

6 St. Kitts and Nevis+0.8%

7 Algeria+0.8%

8 St. Vincent and the Grenadines+0.8%

9 Zimbabwe+0.7%

10 Bolivia+0.7%

Latvia led with a 1.6% increase in its overall score, followed by Trinidad and Tobago (+1.2%) and Guatemala (+1.1%). Liberia and Croatia also registered gains of 0.9% each, showing that progress remains possible despite the broader global trend.

Why Is the U.S. Falling Behind Canada?

Canada ranks 13th globally with a score of 0.80, compared with the United States in 30th place at 0.67. The gap reflects differences in institutional checks, legal protections, and government accountability.

One of the weaker areas for the U.S. is fundamental rights, where it ranks 49th globally.

Separately, International IDEA reports that several American democracy indicators have reached 50-year lows. These institutional pressures also raise questions about public trust in news and information.

Europe Leads, While Asia and the Middle East Diverge

Northern and Western Europe generally maintain strong scores, reflecting established judicial oversight and institutional accountability.

Asia shows greater variation, with Singapore scoring 0.79 and Japan 0.78, compared with China’s 0.48. Similarly, the UAE scores 0.64, while Iran stands at 0.37. These differences illustrate the wide range of legal and institutional conditions within regions.

Learn More on the Voronoi App

Explore Visualizing Law and Order Around the World to discover how legal institutions and accountability compare across countries.

Source: https://www.visualcapitalist.com/mapped-countries-ranked-by-rule-of-law-2026/