Countries With the Highest Regulatory Quality
Every country with a figure for regulatory quality, ranked from highest to lowest. The top three are Singapore (2.13), Finland (1.96) and Denmark (1.93). The middle country of the 206 has -0.0899.
What this measures
Regulatory Quality (estimate), in index (approx. -2.5 to 2.5). Source: World Bank. For this measure, higher is better.
This measure mostly follows how rich a country is, so this ranking is close to a ranking by national income. Each country’s page also ranks it against countries with similar incomes, which is often the fairer comparison.
The full ranking
Each country’s latest figure, from 2024–2024. The year beside each value says when it was measured.
| Rank | Country | Regulatory quality | Year | Region |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Singapore | 2.13 | 2024 | East Asia & Pacific |
| 2 | Finland | 1.96 | 2024 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 3 | Denmark | 1.93 | 2024 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 4 | New Zealand | 1.84 | 2024 | East Asia & Pacific |
| 5 | Luxembourg | 1.84 | 2024 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 6 | Ireland | 1.79 | 2024 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 7 | Switzerland | 1.77 | 2024 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 8 | Hong Kong SAR, China | 1.74 | 2024 | East Asia & Pacific |
| 9 | Australia | 1.72 | 2024 | East Asia & Pacific |
| 10 | Netherlands | 1.72 | 2024 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 11 | Sweden | 1.67 | 2024 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 12 | Norway | 1.67 | 2024 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 13 | Liechtenstein | 1.54 | 2024 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 14 | United Kingdom | 1.51 | 2024 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 15 | Greenland | 1.5 | 2024 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 16 | Germany | 1.5 | 2024 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 17 | Estonia | 1.4 | 2024 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 18 | Macao SAR, China | 1.37 | 2024 | East Asia & Pacific |
| 19 | Canada | 1.36 | 2024 | North America |
| 20 | United States | 1.35 | 2024 | North America |
| 21 | Austria | 1.35 | 2024 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 22 | Iceland | 1.33 | 2024 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 23 | Japan | 1.33 | 2024 | East Asia & Pacific |
| 24 | Taiwan | 1.3 | 2024 | East Asia & Pacific |
| 25 | Lithuania | 1.29 | 2024 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 26 | Belgium | 1.24 | 2024 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 27 | Czechia | 1.23 | 2024 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 28 | France | 1.15 | 2024 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 29 | United Arab Emirates | 1.13 | 2024 | Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan |
| 30 | Israel | 1.11 | 2024 | Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan |
| 31 | Andorra | 1.1 | 2024 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 32 | Monaco | 1.1 | 2024 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 33 | Virgin Islands (U.S.) | 1.1 | 2024 | Latin America & Caribbean |
| 34 | Latvia | 1.1 | 2024 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 35 | Cayman Islands | 1.07 | 2024 | Latin America & Caribbean |
| 36 | Korea, Rep. | 1.01 | 2024 | East Asia & Pacific |
| 37 | Aruba | 0.981 | 2024 | Latin America & Caribbean |
| 38 | Qatar | 0.966 | 2024 | Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan |
| 39 | Bahrain | 0.95 | 2024 | Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan |
| 40 | Mauritius | 0.94 | 2024 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 41 | Brunei Darussalam | 0.887 | 2024 | East Asia & Pacific |
| 42 | San Marino | 0.865 | 2024 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 43 | Slovenia | 0.798 | 2024 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 44 | Chile | 0.781 | 2024 | Latin America & Caribbean |
| 45 | Portugal | 0.74 | 2024 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 46 | Cyprus | 0.74 | 2024 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 47 | Saudi Arabia | 0.71 | 2024 | Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan |
| 48 | Oman | 0.688 | 2024 | Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan |
| 49 | Poland | 0.686 | 2024 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 50 | Malaysia | 0.68 | 2024 | East Asia & Pacific |
| 51 | Puerto Rico (US) | 0.653 | 2024 | Latin America & Caribbean |
| 52 | Georgia | 0.65 | 2024 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 53 | Uruguay | 0.647 | 2024 | Latin America & Caribbean |
| 54 | Italy | 0.64 | 2024 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 55 | Antigua and Barbuda | 0.635 | 2024 | Latin America & Caribbean |
| 56 | Bermuda | 0.629 | 2024 | North America |
| 57 | Spain | 0.621 | 2024 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 58 | Costa Rica | 0.582 | 2024 | Latin America & Caribbean |
| 59 | Malta | 0.492 | 2024 | Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan |
| 60 | Palau | 0.481 | 2024 | East Asia & Pacific |
| 61 | St. Kitts and Nevis | 0.48 | 2024 | Latin America & Caribbean |
| 62 | Greece | 0.48 | 2024 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 63 | Barbados | 0.441 | 2024 | Latin America & Caribbean |
| 64 | Slovak Republic | 0.405 | 2024 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 65 | Kuwait | 0.404 | 2024 | Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan |
| 66 | Botswana | 0.402 | 2024 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 67 | American Samoa | 0.392 | 2024 | East Asia & Pacific |
| 68 | Guam | 0.392 | 2024 | East Asia & Pacific |
| 69 | Seychelles | 0.39 | 2024 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 70 | Romania | 0.383 | 2024 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 71 | Hungary | 0.335 | 2024 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 72 | Bulgaria | 0.288 | 2024 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 73 | Croatia | 0.286 | 2024 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 74 | Jordan | 0.276 | 2024 | Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan |
| 75 | Rwanda | 0.27 | 2024 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 76 | North Macedonia | 0.266 | 2024 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 77 | Dominican Republic | 0.207 | 2024 | Latin America & Caribbean |
| 78 | St. Lucia | 0.182 | 2024 | Latin America & Caribbean |
| 79 | Armenia | 0.138 | 2024 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 80 | Albania | 0.136 | 2024 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 81 | Namibia | 0.135 | 2024 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 82 | Azerbaijan | 0.135 | 2024 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 83 | Montenegro | 0.127 | 2024 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 84 | Indonesia | 0.125 | 2024 | East Asia & Pacific |
| 85 | Thailand | 0.106 | 2024 | East Asia & Pacific |
| 86 | St. Vincent and the Grenadines | 0.106 | 2024 | Latin America & Caribbean |
| 87 | Jamaica | 0.0909 | 2024 | Latin America & Caribbean |
| 88 | Peru | 0.0828 | 2024 | Latin America & Caribbean |
| 89 | Philippines | 0.0793 | 2024 | East Asia & Pacific |
| 90 | Serbia | 0.0784 | 2024 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 91 | Fiji | 0.0651 | 2024 | East Asia & Pacific |
| 92 | Dominica | 0.0598 | 2024 | Latin America & Caribbean |
| 93 | Grenada | 0.0499 | 2024 | Latin America & Caribbean |
| 94 | Kazakhstan | 0.0471 | 2024 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 95 | Cabo Verde | 0.0451 | 2024 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 96 | Colombia | 0.0134 | 2024 | Latin America & Caribbean |
| 97 | Morocco | -0.0267 | 2024 | Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan |
| 98 | Moldova | -0.0467 | 2024 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 99 | South Africa | -0.0601 | 2024 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 100 | Mongolia | -0.0707 | 2024 | East Asia & Pacific |
| 101 | China | -0.0713 | 2024 | East Asia & Pacific |
| 102 | Panama | -0.0738 | 2024 | Latin America & Caribbean |
| 103 | Ghana | -0.0899 | 2024 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 104 | Bhutan | -0.0913 | 2024 | South Asia |
| 105 | India | -0.0961 | 2024 | South Asia |
| 106 | Samoa | -0.102 | 2024 | East Asia & Pacific |
| 107 | Bahamas, The | -0.107 | 2024 | Latin America & Caribbean |
| 108 | Paraguay | -0.141 | 2024 | Latin America & Caribbean |
| 109 | Cote d'Ivoire | -0.167 | 2024 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 110 | El Salvador | -0.176 | 2024 | Latin America & Caribbean |
| 111 | Tonga | -0.194 | 2024 | East Asia & Pacific |
| 112 | Mexico | -0.196 | 2024 | Latin America & Caribbean |
| 113 | Trinidad and Tobago | -0.207 | 2024 | Latin America & Caribbean |
| 114 | Turkiye | -0.211 | 2024 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 115 | Kosovo | -0.223 | 2024 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 116 | Argentina | -0.235 | 2024 | Latin America & Caribbean |
| 117 | Maldives | -0.235 | 2024 | South Asia |
| 118 | Senegal | -0.242 | 2024 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 119 | Viet Nam | -0.267 | 2024 | East Asia & Pacific |
| 120 | Benin | -0.277 | 2024 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 121 | Brazil | -0.295 | 2024 | Latin America & Caribbean |
| 122 | Sri Lanka | -0.299 | 2024 | South Asia |
| 123 | Ukraine | -0.301 | 2024 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 124 | Guatemala | -0.309 | 2024 | Latin America & Caribbean |
| 125 | Vanuatu | -0.325 | 2024 | East Asia & Pacific |
| 126 | Kenya | -0.334 | 2024 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 127 | Bosnia and Herzegovina | -0.35 | 2024 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 128 | Tunisia | -0.39 | 2024 | Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan |
| 129 | Tuvalu | -0.402 | 2024 | East Asia & Pacific |
| 130 | Togo | -0.408 | 2024 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 131 | Zambia | -0.421 | 2024 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 132 | Guyana | -0.447 | 2024 | Latin America & Caribbean |
| 133 | Belize | -0.45 | 2024 | Latin America & Caribbean |
| 134 | West Bank and Gaza | -0.468 | 2024 | Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan |
| 135 | Lesotho | -0.485 | 2024 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 136 | Egypt, Arab Rep. | -0.499 | 2024 | Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan |
| 137 | Kiribati | -0.501 | 2024 | East Asia & Pacific |
| 138 | Kyrgyz Republic | -0.517 | 2024 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 139 | Uganda | -0.524 | 2024 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 140 | Naoero | -0.525 | 2024 | East Asia & Pacific |
| 141 | Burkina Faso | -0.526 | 2024 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 142 | Uzbekistan | -0.527 | 2024 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 143 | Tanzania | -0.535 | 2024 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 144 | Nepal | -0.552 | 2024 | South Asia |
| 145 | Malawi | -0.585 | 2024 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 146 | Papua New Guinea | -0.6 | 2024 | East Asia & Pacific |
| 147 | Honduras | -0.628 | 2024 | Latin America & Caribbean |
| 148 | Cambodia | -0.631 | 2024 | East Asia & Pacific |
| 149 | Nigeria | -0.633 | 2024 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 150 | Lao PDR | -0.636 | 2024 | East Asia & Pacific |
| 151 | Eswatini | -0.638 | 2024 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 152 | Ecuador | -0.646 | 2024 | Latin America & Caribbean |
| 153 | Gambia, The | -0.664 | 2024 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 154 | Marshall Islands | -0.688 | 2024 | East Asia & Pacific |
| 155 | Gabon | -0.723 | 2024 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 156 | Cameroon | -0.729 | 2024 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 157 | Timor-Leste | -0.734 | 2024 | East Asia & Pacific |
| 158 | Madagascar | -0.749 | 2024 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 159 | Algeria | -0.753 | 2024 | Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan |
| 160 | Tajikistan | -0.759 | 2024 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 161 | Mali | -0.762 | 2024 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 162 | Niger | -0.762 | 2024 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 163 | Micronesia, Fed. Sts. | -0.763 | 2024 | East Asia & Pacific |
| 164 | Mozambique | -0.764 | 2024 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 165 | Angola | -0.773 | 2024 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 166 | Mauritania | -0.778 | 2024 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 167 | Pakistan | -0.793 | 2024 | Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan |
| 168 | Burundi | -0.814 | 2024 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 169 | Ethiopia | -0.833 | 2024 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 170 | Liberia | -0.842 | 2024 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 171 | Djibouti | -0.853 | 2024 | Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan |
| 172 | Solomon Islands | -0.888 | 2024 | East Asia & Pacific |
| 173 | Sao Tome and Principe | -0.891 | 2024 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 174 | Guinea | -0.892 | 2024 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 175 | Suriname | -0.919 | 2024 | Latin America & Caribbean |
| 176 | Bangladesh | -0.95 | 2024 | South Asia |
| 177 | Lebanon | -0.959 | 2024 | Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan |
| 178 | Nicaragua | -0.991 | 2024 | Latin America & Caribbean |
| 179 | Iraq | -1.03 | 2024 | Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan |
| 180 | Sierra Leone | -1.06 | 2024 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 181 | Russian Federation | -1.07 | 2024 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 182 | Chad | -1.09 | 2024 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 183 | Congo, Rep. | -1.15 | 2024 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 184 | Zimbabwe | -1.18 | 2024 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 185 | Guinea-Bissau | -1.19 | 2024 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 186 | Belarus | -1.23 | 2024 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 187 | Comoros | -1.25 | 2024 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 188 | Bolivia | -1.25 | 2024 | Latin America & Caribbean |
| 189 | Central African Republic | -1.27 | 2024 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 190 | Congo, Dem. Rep. | -1.28 | 2024 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 191 | Equatorial Guinea | -1.4 | 2024 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 192 | Myanmar | -1.42 | 2024 | East Asia & Pacific |
| 193 | Cuba | -1.44 | 2024 | Latin America & Caribbean |
| 194 | Haiti | -1.46 | 2024 | Latin America & Caribbean |
| 195 | Iran, Islamic Rep. | -1.51 | 2024 | Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan |
| 196 | Afghanistan | -1.54 | 2024 | Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan |
| 197 | Yemen, Rep. | -1.58 | 2024 | Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan |
| 198 | Sudan | -1.66 | 2024 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 199 | Turkmenistan | -1.69 | 2024 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 200 | Somalia, Fed. Rep. | -1.73 | 2024 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 201 | Libya | -1.74 | 2024 | Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan |
| 202 | Korea, Dem. People's Rep. | -1.87 | 2024 | East Asia & Pacific |
| 203 | Venezuela, RB | -1.9 | 2024 | Latin America & Caribbean |
| 204 | South Sudan | -1.93 | 2024 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 205 | Syrian Arab Republic | -2 | 2024 | Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan |
| 206 | Eritrea | -2.04 | 2024 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
More on regulatory quality
- Countries With the Lowest Regulatory Quality
- Regulatory quality by country: trend over time and what it goes with
Related rankings
- Countries With the Highest Corruption Perceptions Index
- Countries With the Highest Political Rights (FH)
- Countries With the Highest Civil Liberties (FH)
- Countries With the Highest Trust in Government
- Countries With the Highest Pre-trial Detainee Shares
- Countries With the Highest Refugees Originating
- Countries With the Highest Electoral Democracy
- Countries With the Highest Liberal Democracy
A ranking describes countries, not the people in them, and a high or low place does not by itself say why. All country rankings.