Rule of Law Index by Country 2009

Compare countries by Rule of Law percentile rank, reflecting confidence in laws, courts, police, property rights, and protection from crime and violence.

213 data points•Updated 12/13/2025•World•Worldwide Governance Indicators, World Bank (WB)•

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Complete Data Rankings

Rank
1	Finland	100 %
2	Denmark	98.578 %
3	Canada	96.682 %
4	Austria	96.209 %
5	Ireland	95.261 %
6	Australia	94.787 %
7	Greenland	93.839 %
8	Iceland	93.365 %
9	Germany	92.891 %
10	China, Hong Kong SAR	90.995 %
11	France	90.047 %
12	Aruba	89.573 %
13	Anguilla	89.1 %
14	Belgium	88.626 %
15	Japan	88.152 %
16	Andorra	87.678 %
17	Cyprus	87.204 %
18	Chile	86.73 %
19	French Guiana	85.782 %
20	American Samoa	85.308 %
21	Guam	85.308 %
22	Estonia	84.36 %
23	Barbados	82.464 %
24	Antigua and Barbuda	81.043 %
25	Czech Republic	80.569 %
26	Cayman Islands	77.251 %
27	Bermuda	76.303 %
28	Israel	73.934 %
29	Bahamas	72.986 %
30	Latvia	72.512 %
31	Brunei Darussalam	72.038 %
32	Hungary	71.564 %
33	Dominica	70.142 %
34	China, Macao SAR	69.194 %
35	Greece	68.246 %
36	Botswana	67.299 %
37	Kuwait	66.825 %
38	Costa Rica	66.351 %
39	Cabo Verde	64.929 %
40	Bahrain	64.455 %
41	Italy	62.559 %
42	Bhutan	60.19 %
43	Jordan	59.716 %
44	Grenada	59.242 %
45	Kiribati	58.768 %
46	Croatia	55.45 %
47	India	54.976 %
48	Bulgaria	54.028 %
49	Ghana	53.555 %
50	Egypt	52.607 %
51	Brazil	51.185 %
52	Georgia	49.289 %
53	Burkina Faso	48.815 %
54	Lesotho	47.867 %
55	Belize	45.024 %
56	Bosnia and Herzegovina	44.55 %
57	Colombia	43.128 %
58	Jamaica	42.654 %
59	China	41.232 %
60	Armenia	40.758 %
61	Eswatini	38.863 %
62	Albania	37.915 %
63	Gabon	37.441 %
64	Gambia	36.493 %
65	Guyana	35.545 %
66	Kosovo	33.649 %
67	Indonesia	32.701 %
68	Lebanon	32.227 %
69	Benin	31.28 %
70	Argentina	30.332 %
71	Djibouti	29.858 %
72	Cuba	28.91 %
73	Kazakhstan	28.436 %
74	Cook Islands	27.488 %
75	El Salvador	26.54 %
76	Bangladesh	26.066 %
77	Dominican Republic	24.171 %
78	Algeria	23.223 %
79	Ethiopia	22.749 %
80	Fiji	21.327 %
81	Azerbaijan	20.379 %
82	Honduras	19.905 %
83	Equatorial Guinea	17.536 %
84	Guatemala	17.062 %
85	Kenya	16.588 %
86	Belarus	15.64 %
87	Laos	15.166 %
88	Iran	14.692 %
89	Bolivia	13.744 %
90	Cambodia	13.27 %
91	Cameroon	12.796 %
92	Comoros	11.848 %
93	Burundi	11.374 %
94	Ecuador	10.427 %
95	Congo	9.953 %
96	Angola	9.479 %
97	Côte d'Ivoire	9.005 %
98	Eritrea	7.583 %
99	Central African Republic	7.109 %
100	Kyrgyzstan	6.161 %
101	Haiti	5.687 %
102	Guinea-Bissau	4.739 %
103	Chad	3.791 %
104	Guinea	2.844 %
105	Congo, Democratic Republic of the	1.896 %
106	Iraq	1.422 %
107	Afghanistan	0.474 %
108	Jersey	NaN %
109	Sweden	99.526 %
110	New Zealand	99.052 %
111	Norway	98.104 %
112	Luxembourg	97.63 %
113	Netherlands	97.156 %
114	Switzerland	95.735 %
115	United Kingdom	94.313 %
116	Liechtenstein	92.417 %
117	United States	91.943 %
118	Singapore	91.469 %
119	Malta	90.521 %
120	Spain	86.256 %
121	Slovenia	83.886 %
122	Portugal	83.412 %
123	Tuvalu	82.938 %
124	South Korea	81.991 %
125	Saint Kitts and Nevis	81.517 %
126	Monaco	80.095 %
127	San Marino	80.095 %
128	Taiwan	79.147 %
129	Saint Vincent and the Grenadines	78.673 %
130	Qatar	78.199 %
131	Mauritius	77.725 %
132	Saint Lucia	76.777 %
133	Martinique	76.303 %
134	Réunion	76.303 %
135	United States Virgin Islands	76.303 %
136	Palau	73.46 %
137	Puerto Rico	71.09 %
138	Uruguay	70.616 %
139	Lithuania	69.668 %
140	Samoa	68.72 %
141	Poland	67.773 %
142	Oman	65.877 %
143	Slovakia	65.403 %
144	Nauru	63.981 %
145	Vanuatu	63.507 %
146	United Arab Emirates	63.033 %
147	Malaysia	62.085 %
148	Marshall Islands	61.611 %
149	Micronesia (Fed. States of)	61.137 %
150	Namibia	60.664 %
151	Tunisia	58.294 %
152	Seychelles	57.82 %
153	South Africa	57.346 %
154	Romania	56.872 %
155	Turkey	56.398 %
156	Saudi Arabia	55.924 %
157	Montenegro	54.502 %
158	Tonga	53.081 %
159	Panama	52.133 %
160	Sri Lanka	51.659 %
161	Malawi	50.711 %
162	Suriname	50.237 %
163	Maldives	49.763 %
164	Trinidad and Tobago	48.341 %
165	Thailand	47.393 %
166	Morocco	46.919 %
167	Mongolia	46.445 %
168	North Macedonia	45.972 %
169	State of Palestine	45.498 %
170	Mali	44.076 %
171	Senegal	43.602 %
172	Uganda	42.18 %
173	Republic of Moldova	41.706 %
174	Serbia	40.284 %
175	Zambia	39.81 %
176	Tanzania	39.336 %
177	Niger	38.389 %
178	Rwanda	36.967 %
179	Vietnam	36.019 %
180	Mexico	35.071 %
181	Philippines	34.597 %
182	Syrian Arab Republic	34.123 %
183	Mozambique	33.175 %
184	Peru	31.754 %
185	Solomon Islands	30.806 %
186	Sao Tome and Principe	29.384 %
187	Madagascar	27.962 %
188	Niue	27.488 %
189	Ukraine	25.592 %
190	Nicaragua	25.118 %
191	Russia	24.645 %
192	Mauritania	23.697 %
193	Pakistan	22.275 %
194	Paraguay	21.801 %
195	Nepal	20.853 %
196	Togo	19.431 %
197	Papua New Guinea	18.957 %
198	Sierra Leone	18.483 %
199	Libya	18.009 %
200	Liberia	16.114 %
201	Yemen	14.218 %
202	Nigeria	12.322 %
203	Timor-Leste	10.9 %
204	Sudan	8.531 %
205	Venezuela	2.37 %
206	Somalia	0 %
207	South Sudan	NaN %
208	Tajikistan	8.057 %
209	Uzbekistan	6.635 %
210	North Korea	5.213 %
211	Turkmenistan	4.265 %
212	Myanmar	3.318 %
213	Zimbabwe	0.948 %

↑Top 10 Countries

Analysis: These countries represent the highest values in this dataset, showcasing significant scale and impact on global statistics.

↓Bottom 10 Countries

Context: These countries or territories have the lowest values, often due to geographic size, administrative status, or specific characteristics.

Analysis & Context

The Rule of Law Index by Country in 2009 provides a crucial snapshot of global governance, reflecting the degree to which countries adhere to legal principles such as the enforcement of laws, confidence in the judicial system, protection of property rights, and the prevalence of crime and violence. As this metric illuminates the effectiveness of legal systems around the world, its significance cannot be overstated, particularly in a year marked by economic uncertainties and geopolitical shifts. Understanding the Rule of Law Index helps in analyzing how these factors influence a nation's stability and development.

Global Leaders in Rule of Law

In 2009, Finland stood at the pinnacle of the Rule of Law Index with a perfect score of 100%. This Scandinavian nation exemplified robust legal systems where citizens had the highest confidence in their laws, courts, and law enforcement. Close on Finland's heels were Sweden (99.53%) and New Zealand (99.05%), both of which demonstrated strong legal frameworks and societal trust. The top ten was rounded out by Denmark, Norway, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Canada, Austria, and Switzerland, reflecting a concentration of high scores in Europe and parts of the Commonwealth. These countries set the standard for legal transparency and accountability, which correlated with their high quality of life and economic stability.

Challenges in Low-ranking Nations

Conversely, the 2009 Index highlighted significant challenges in countries at the lower end of the spectrum. North Korea sat at the bottom with a mere 5.21%, indicative of its closed-off, authoritarian regime where legal processes are often opaque and arbitrary. Haiti (5.69%) and Kyrgyzstan (6.16%) also faced severe difficulties, with their scores reflecting political instability and weak enforcement of laws. Issues like corruption and lack of adequate judicial infrastructure were common themes across the bottom ten nations, which included Uzbekistan, the Central African Republic, Eritrea, Tajikistan, Sudan, Côte d'Ivoire, and Angola. These countries struggled with the deteriorating rule of law, exacerbating social issues and hindering development efforts.

Regional Disparities and Trends

The Rule of Law Index also underscored significant regional disparities. European nations largely dominated the higher ranks, highlighting the continent's focus on democratic principles and human rights as central to its governance. In contrast, countries from Africa and some parts of Asia and the Middle East showed lower average scores, reflecting ongoing developmental challenges and political turbulence. This regional dichotomy pointed to the crucial role of governance in shaping economic and social outcomes. It also served as a call to action for international cooperation aimed at strengthening legal institutions in struggling regions.

Notable Yearly Changes

2009 saw some noteworthy changes in the Rule of Law Index. The State of Palestine experienced a remarkable increase of 20.50 percentage points, an 82% improvement, showcasing significant strides in legal governance despite ongoing conflicts. Meanwhile, French Guiana (17.99% increase) and Aruba (13.13% increase) showed substantial progress, likely driven by policy reforms and international support. However, some countries saw declines, with Fiji plummeting by 13.77 percentage points due to political upheaval and governance issues. The Bahamas and Madagascar also experienced notable decreases, underscoring the fragility of legal systems in the face of political and economic challenges.

Impact of Global Events on Rule of Law

The background of 2009 was notably influenced by the aftermath of the global financial crisis, which affected governance structures worldwide. Economic stress tested legal frameworks, with countries needing to balance austerity and maintaining law and order. As nations grappled with these challenges, the Rule of Law Index provided insights into how legal systems adapted to economic pressures. In countries with strong legal institutions, the rule of law served as a stabilizing force, supporting recovery efforts. Conversely, in nations with weaker systems, economic strain often exacerbated existing legal vulnerabilities, highlighting the interconnectedness of economic health and legal efficiency.

In conclusion, the Rule of Law Index by Country in 2009 paints a vivid picture of global legal landscapes. Observing the spectrum from Finland's exemplary governance to North Korea's challenges offers an opportunity to understand the underlying factors driving these differences. This index remains a crucial tool for policymakers and international organizations aiming to foster legal reforms and support development around the world.

Insights by country

Eritrea

Eritrea ranked 195 out of 213 countries on the Rule of Law Index in 2009, with a value of 7.582938%. This ranking reflects significant challenges in governance and legal frameworks within the country, suggesting a weak adherence to the principles of the rule of law.

The low score is indicative of various factors, including a lack of judicial independence, limited political pluralism, and restrictions on freedom of expression, which have historically undermined the rule of law in Eritrea. The government maintains tight control over legal processes and political dissent, contributing to an environment where legal protections are minimal.

Additionally, Eritrea's prolonged national service and military conscription policies have exacerbated social unrest and human rights violations, further complicating the establishment of a robust legal system. In global comparisons, Eritrea's position highlights the broader context of governance issues prevalent in many countries facing authoritarian rule.

Ukraine

In 2009, Ukraine ranked 157 out of 213 countries in the Rule of Law Index, reflecting significant challenges in governance and legal frameworks. The country's score of 25.59% indicated a considerable deficiency in the effective application of laws and protection of fundamental rights.

Several factors contributed to this low ranking, including political instability, corruption, and a weak judiciary system. During this period, Ukraine was grappling with the aftermath of the 2004 Orange Revolution and facing ongoing issues related to the influence of oligarchs in politics, which undermined public trust in legal institutions.

Additionally, the lack of enforcement of laws and widespread corruption were critical impediments to establishing a robust rule of law. This situation also reflected broader trends in Eastern Europe, where transitional democracies often struggled with similar governance issues.

Sao Tome and Principe

Sao Tome and Principe ranked 149 out of 213 countries in the Rule of Law Index for the year 2009, indicating significant challenges in governance and legal frameworks. The nation recorded a score of 29.38%, reflecting deficiencies in several aspects of rule of law, including judicial independence, accountability, and the protection of fundamental rights.

The low ranking can be attributed to various factors including political instability, limited resources, and a history of governance challenges that have hindered effective legal reform. Additionally, the small size of the country often complicates the establishment of robust legal institutions and practices.

Interestingly, Sao Tome and Principe's score is indicative of broader trends in many developing nations where issues such as corruption, lack of enforcement, and inadequate legal infrastructure persist. These factors contribute to a pervasive sense of insecurity and a lack of confidence in the legal system among citizens.

Sierra Leone

Sierra Leone ranked 172nd out of 213 countries in the Rule of Law Index for the year 2009, indicating significant challenges in governance and legal frameworks. With a score of 18.48%, the country struggled to uphold the principles of rule of law, which include access to justice, accountability, and the protection of fundamental rights.

This low ranking can be attributed to several factors, including the aftermath of a brutal civil war that ended in 2002, which severely weakened institutions and trust in the legal system. Additionally, pervasive corruption, inadequate legal infrastructure, and limited access to legal resources have further hindered the establishment of effective governance.

In the broader context, Sierra Leone's challenges in the rule of law are reflective of ongoing struggles in many post-conflict nations, where rebuilding trust and effective institutions remains a long-term endeavor. Other relevant statistics include the country's ongoing efforts to improve governance and accountability, which have been recognized in various international assessments since then.

South Korea

In 2009, South Korea achieved a commendable Rule of Law Index score of 81.99%, ranking 39th out of 213 countries. This performance indicates a strong commitment to upholding the rule of law within its legal and governmental frameworks.

The high ranking reflects South Korea's well-established judicial system, effective law enforcement, and a robust framework for protecting human rights. Factors contributing to this score include a transparent legal process, the independence of the judiciary, and the country's proactive measures in combating corruption.

Additionally, South Korea's emphasis on democratic governance and civil liberties has bolstered its rule of law, setting it apart from several other nations in the region. As a member of various international organizations, South Korea continues to engage in efforts to improve legal standards and human rights, which positively influence its rule of law metrics.

Turkey

In 2009, Turkey ranked 92nd out of 213 countries in the Rule of Law Index, with a score of 56.40%. This ranking indicates a moderate perception of the rule of law in the country, reflecting various challenges in governance and judicial effectiveness.

The relatively low score can be attributed to several factors, including concerns over judicial independence, the protection of fundamental rights, and widespread allegations of corruption within governmental institutions. Additionally, political pressures and restrictions on freedoms have historically impacted the overall legal landscape in Turkey.

Interestingly, Turkey's position in the Rule of Law Index highlights the ongoing debates about democracy and governance in the region, especially considering its strategic geopolitical location bridging Europe and Asia. Efforts to strengthen the rule of law and enhance institutional integrity continue to be pivotal for Turkey's aspirations toward greater integration with European standards.

Vietnam

In 2009, Vietnam was ranked 135 out of 213 countries in the Rule of Law Index, with a score of 36.02%. This ranking reflects significant challenges in the country's legal and governance frameworks, highlighting issues such as limited judicial independence and constraints on civil liberties.

Factors contributing to Vietnam's low score include a centralized political system that restricts political pluralism and a legal system that often lacks transparency and accountability. Additionally, issues such as corruption and inadequate enforcement of laws further undermine the rule of law in the country.

It is important to note that Vietnam's position in the Rule of Law Index has implications for foreign investment, economic growth, and overall public trust in governance. As of 2009, these challenges were critical, as they influenced both domestic and international perceptions of Vietnam's regulatory environment.

Switzerland

In 2009, Switzerland achieved a remarkable rank of 10 out of 213 countries in the Rule of Law Index, with an impressive score of 95.73%. This high ranking reflects the country's strong commitment to the rule of law, which is fundamental to its governance and societal stability.

Several factors contribute to Switzerland's strong performance in the Rule of Law Index, including its robust legal framework, independent judiciary, and a high level of public trust in government institutions. The effective enforcement of laws and the protection of individual rights are also critical elements that enhance the rule of law in the country.

Additionally, Switzerland's political neutrality and decentralized government structure facilitate a stable environment conducive to upholding the rule of law. This ranking positions Switzerland among the top countries globally, emphasizing its reputation for fairness, transparency, and respect for legal processes.

State of Palestine

The State of Palestine ranked 115th out of 213 countries in the Rule of Law Index in 2009, with a score of 45.50%. This ranking indicates significant challenges regarding the enforcement of law and order, judicial independence, and the overall legal framework within the territory.

Several factors contribute to this low score, including ongoing political instability, territorial disputes, and the impact of conflict on governance structures. The legal system faces obstacles such as a lack of resources, inadequate infrastructure, and limited access to justice for many citizens, which are exacerbated by the complex political environment.

In comparison to other regions, the State of Palestine's situation reflects broader challenges in the Middle East, where many countries struggle with similar issues of governance, legal enforcement, and human rights. The Rule of Law Index serves as a critical tool for assessing the effectiveness of legal systems and the protection of citizens' rights across different nations.

San Marino

In 2009, San Marino achieved a commendable Rule of Law Index value of 80.09%, ranking 44th out of 213 countries. This high ranking reflects the country's robust legal framework, respect for human rights, and effective law enforcement mechanisms.

The strong performance in the Rule of Law Index can be attributed to several factors, including San Marino's stable political environment, low levels of corruption, and a well-functioning judiciary. The small size of the country may also facilitate more effective governance and closer community ties, which can enhance compliance with the law.

Interestingly, San Marino's legal system is influenced by both its historical ties to Italy and its unique constitutional framework, which has evolved to promote democratic governance and civic participation. This combination of factors has contributed to a high level of public trust in the institutions that uphold the rule of law.

Data Source

Worldwide Governance Indicators, World Bank (WB)

A global compilation of data capturing household, business, and citizen perceptions of the quality of governance in more than 200 economies.

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Historical Data by Year

Explore Rule of Law Index by Country data across different years. Compare trends and see how statistics have changed over time.

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