Countries With the Lowest Legal System and Property Rights (Fraser)
Every country with a figure for legal system and property rights (Fraser), ranked from lowest to highest. The top three are Sudan (1.92), Central African Republic (2.03) and Somalia, Fed. Rep. (2.19). The middle country of the 165 has 5.12.
What this measures
Economic freedom, area 2, legal system and property rights (Fraser Institute), in rating (0-10). Source: Fraser Institute. For this measure, higher is better.
Whether courts are independent and fair, contracts are enforced, property is protected and the police are reliable, from 0 to 10. It draws on some of the same expert sources as other rule-of-law measures, so expect it to track them closely.
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 | Legal system and property rights (Fraser) | Year | Region |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sudan | 1.92 | 2024 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 2 | Central African Republic | 2.03 | 2024 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 3 | Somalia, Fed. Rep. | 2.19 | 2024 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 4 | Venezuela, RB | 2.41 | 2024 | Latin America & Caribbean |
| 5 | Chad | 2.42 | 2024 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 6 | Haiti | 2.44 | 2024 | Latin America & Caribbean |
| 7 | Iraq | 2.44 | 2024 | Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan |
| 8 | Yemen, Rep. | 2.45 | 2024 | Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan |
| 9 | Syrian Arab Republic | 2.51 | 2024 | Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan |
| 10 | Libya | 2.67 | 2024 | Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan |
| 11 | Congo, Dem. Rep. | 2.68 | 2024 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 12 | Guinea-Bissau | 2.77 | 2024 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 13 | Cameroon | 2.86 | 2024 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 14 | Bangladesh | 2.9 | 2024 | South Asia |
| 15 | Madagascar | 3.08 | 2024 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 16 | Congo, Rep. | 3.1 | 2024 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 17 | Eswatini | 3.11 | 2024 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 18 | Comoros | 3.17 | 2024 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 19 | Myanmar | 3.27 | 2024 | East Asia & Pacific |
| 20 | Angola | 3.33 | 2024 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 21 | Burundi | 3.35 | 2024 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 22 | Egypt, Arab Rep. | 3.36 | 2024 | Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan |
| 23 | Mauritania | 3.39 | 2024 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 24 | Iran, Islamic Rep. | 3.4 | 2024 | Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan |
| 25 | Nicaragua | 3.49 | 2024 | Latin America & Caribbean |
| 26 | Mali | 3.53 | 2024 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 27 | Guinea | 3.54 | 2024 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 28 | Lebanon | 3.59 | 2024 | Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan |
| 29 | Djibouti | 3.6 | 2024 | Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan |
| 30 | Burkina Faso | 3.62 | 2024 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 31 | Niger | 3.62 | 2024 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 32 | Zimbabwe | 3.63 | 2024 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 33 | Nigeria | 3.63 | 2024 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 34 | Gabon | 3.73 | 2024 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 35 | Pakistan | 3.74 | 2024 | Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan |
| 36 | Timor-Leste | 3.9 | 2024 | East Asia & Pacific |
| 37 | Liberia | 3.91 | 2024 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 38 | Algeria | 3.91 | 2024 | Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan |
| 39 | Cambodia | 3.92 | 2024 | East Asia & Pacific |
| 40 | Bolivia | 3.95 | 2024 | Latin America & Caribbean |
| 41 | Belize | 4.09 | 2024 | Latin America & Caribbean |
| 42 | Honduras | 4.11 | 2024 | Latin America & Caribbean |
| 43 | Tajikistan | 4.2 | 2024 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 44 | Ethiopia | 4.25 | 2024 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 45 | Mexico | 4.27 | 2024 | Latin America & Caribbean |
| 46 | Belarus | 4.28 | 2024 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 47 | Senegal | 4.28 | 2024 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 48 | Suriname | 4.3 | 2024 | Latin America & Caribbean |
| 49 | El Salvador | 4.33 | 2024 | Latin America & Caribbean |
| 50 | Benin | 4.41 | 2024 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 51 | Paraguay | 4.47 | 2024 | Latin America & Caribbean |
| 52 | Tunisia | 4.54 | 2024 | Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan |
| 53 | Lao PDR | 4.54 | 2024 | East Asia & Pacific |
| 54 | Indonesia | 4.54 | 2024 | East Asia & Pacific |
| 55 | Ukraine | 4.57 | 2024 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 56 | Kyrgyz Republic | 4.58 | 2024 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 57 | Bosnia and Herzegovina | 4.59 | 2024 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 58 | Sierra Leone | 4.61 | 2024 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 59 | Jordan | 4.62 | 2024 | Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan |
| 60 | Uganda | 4.66 | 2024 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 61 | Mozambique | 4.7 | 2024 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 62 | Malawi | 4.72 | 2024 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 63 | Philippines | 4.72 | 2024 | East Asia & Pacific |
| 64 | Papua New Guinea | 4.72 | 2024 | East Asia & Pacific |
| 65 | North Macedonia | 4.72 | 2024 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 66 | Kenya | 4.73 | 2024 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 67 | China | 4.73 | 2024 | East Asia & Pacific |
| 68 | Lesotho | 4.76 | 2024 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 69 | Guatemala | 4.78 | 2024 | Latin America & Caribbean |
| 70 | Nepal | 4.83 | 2024 | South Asia |
| 71 | Russian Federation | 4.86 | 2024 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 72 | Fiji | 4.87 | 2024 | East Asia & Pacific |
| 73 | Ecuador | 4.87 | 2024 | Latin America & Caribbean |
| 74 | Gambia, The | 4.91 | 2024 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 75 | Turkiye | 4.91 | 2024 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 76 | Zambia | 4.96 | 2024 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 77 | Togo | 5.03 | 2024 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 78 | Colombia | 5.06 | 2024 | Latin America & Caribbean |
| 79 | Guyana | 5.09 | 2024 | Latin America & Caribbean |
| 80 | Azerbaijan | 5.09 | 2024 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 81 | Tanzania | 5.11 | 2024 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 82 | Viet Nam | 5.11 | 2024 | East Asia & Pacific |
| 83 | Sri Lanka | 5.12 | 2024 | South Asia |
| 84 | Cote d'Ivoire | 5.13 | 2024 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 85 | Argentina | 5.15 | 2024 | Latin America & Caribbean |
| 86 | Trinidad and Tobago | 5.18 | 2024 | Latin America & Caribbean |
| 87 | Peru | 5.19 | 2024 | Latin America & Caribbean |
| 88 | Ghana | 5.25 | 2024 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 89 | Bahrain | 5.25 | 2024 | Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan |
| 90 | Kuwait | 5.25 | 2024 | Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan |
| 91 | India | 5.28 | 2024 | South Asia |
| 92 | Dominican Republic | 5.29 | 2024 | Latin America & Caribbean |
| 93 | Morocco | 5.31 | 2024 | Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan |
| 94 | Brunei Darussalam | 5.32 | 2024 | East Asia & Pacific |
| 95 | Brazil | 5.34 | 2024 | Latin America & Caribbean |
| 96 | Thailand | 5.37 | 2024 | East Asia & Pacific |
| 97 | Serbia | 5.38 | 2024 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 98 | Bahamas, The | 5.57 | 2024 | Latin America & Caribbean |
| 99 | Qatar | 5.6 | 2024 | Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan |
| 100 | Albania | 5.61 | 2024 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 101 | Barbados | 5.62 | 2024 | Latin America & Caribbean |
| 102 | Montenegro | 5.68 | 2024 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 103 | Oman | 5.7 | 2024 | Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan |
| 104 | Kazakhstan | 5.72 | 2024 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 105 | South Africa | 5.72 | 2024 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 106 | Moldova | 5.77 | 2024 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 107 | Panama | 5.79 | 2024 | Latin America & Caribbean |
| 108 | Jamaica | 5.83 | 2024 | Latin America & Caribbean |
| 109 | Bulgaria | 5.84 | 2024 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 110 | Armenia | 5.86 | 2024 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 111 | Namibia | 5.93 | 2024 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 112 | Malaysia | 5.95 | 2024 | East Asia & Pacific |
| 113 | Mongolia | 6.06 | 2024 | East Asia & Pacific |
| 114 | Rwanda | 6.07 | 2024 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 115 | Georgia | 6.09 | 2024 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 116 | Uruguay | 6.09 | 2024 | Latin America & Caribbean |
| 117 | Israel | 6.14 | 2024 | Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan |
| 118 | Croatia | 6.2 | 2024 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 119 | Saudi Arabia | 6.22 | 2024 | Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan |
| 120 | Greece | 6.22 | 2024 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 121 | Botswana | 6.24 | 2024 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 122 | Cabo Verde | 6.33 | 2024 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 123 | Seychelles | 6.44 | 2024 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 124 | Costa Rica | 6.62 | 2024 | Latin America & Caribbean |
| 125 | Hungary | 6.69 | 2024 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 126 | Romania | 6.69 | 2024 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 127 | Cyprus | 6.7 | 2024 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 128 | Bhutan | 6.73 | 2024 | South Asia |
| 129 | Slovak Republic | 6.74 | 2024 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 130 | Italy | 6.74 | 2024 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 131 | Poland | 6.76 | 2024 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 132 | Korea, Rep. | 6.81 | 2024 | East Asia & Pacific |
| 133 | Mauritius | 6.87 | 2024 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 134 | Malta | 6.89 | 2024 | Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan |
| 135 | Chile | 6.96 | 2024 | Latin America & Caribbean |
| 136 | United Arab Emirates | 7.09 | 2024 | Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan |
| 137 | Slovenia | 7.11 | 2024 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 138 | Spain | 7.36 | 2024 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 139 | France | 7.41 | 2024 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 140 | Portugal | 7.41 | 2024 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 141 | Taiwan | 7.44 | 2024 | East Asia & Pacific |
| 142 | Hong Kong SAR, China | 7.57 | 2024 | East Asia & Pacific |
| 143 | Latvia | 7.61 | 2024 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 144 | Belgium | 7.64 | 2024 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 145 | Czechia | 7.64 | 2024 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 146 | Lithuania | 7.67 | 2024 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 147 | United States | 7.88 | 2024 | North America |
| 148 | United Kingdom | 7.92 | 2024 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 149 | Japan | 7.93 | 2024 | East Asia & Pacific |
| 150 | Estonia | 8.01 | 2024 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 151 | Germany | 8.03 | 2024 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 152 | Ireland | 8.07 | 2024 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 153 | Sweden | 8.3 | 2024 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 154 | Canada | 8.31 | 2024 | North America |
| 155 | Austria | 8.46 | 2024 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 156 | Singapore | 8.47 | 2024 | East Asia & Pacific |
| 157 | Netherlands | 8.56 | 2024 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 158 | Luxembourg | 8.63 | 2024 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 159 | Australia | 8.69 | 2024 | East Asia & Pacific |
| 160 | Iceland | 8.81 | 2024 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 161 | Finland | 8.88 | 2024 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 162 | Switzerland | 8.98 | 2024 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 163 | Norway | 9.05 | 2024 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 164 | Denmark | 9.09 | 2024 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 165 | New Zealand | 9.1 | 2024 | East Asia & Pacific |
More on legal system and property rights (Fraser)
- Countries With the Highest Legal System and Property Rights (Fraser)
- Legal system and property rights (Fraser) by country: trend over time and what it goes with
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- Countries With the Lowest Corruption Perceptions Index
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- Countries With the Lowest Trust in Government
- Countries With the Lowest Pre-trial Detainee Shares
- Countries With the Lowest Refugees Originating
- Countries With the Lowest Electoral Democracy
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A ranking describes countries, not the people in them, and a high or low place does not by itself say why. All country rankings.