Countries With the Lowest Rule of Law
Every country with a figure for rule of law, ranked from lowest to highest. The top three are Somalia, Fed. Rep. (-2.21), Venezuela, RB (-2.2) and South Sudan (-1.97). The middle country of the 208 has -0.119.
What this measures
Rule of Law (estimate), in index (approx. -2.5 to 2.5). Source: World Bank. For this measure, higher is better.
The full ranking
Each country’s latest figure, from 2024–2024. The year beside each value says when it was measured.
| Rank | Country | Rule of law | Year | Region |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Somalia, Fed. Rep. | -2.21 | 2024 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 2 | Venezuela, RB | -2.2 | 2024 | Latin America & Caribbean |
| 3 | South Sudan | -1.97 | 2024 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 4 | Afghanistan | -1.94 | 2024 | Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan |
| 5 | Yemen, Rep. | -1.9 | 2024 | Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan |
| 6 | Syrian Arab Republic | -1.81 | 2024 | Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan |
| 7 | Myanmar | -1.81 | 2024 | East Asia & Pacific |
| 8 | Eritrea | -1.8 | 2024 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 9 | Sudan | -1.77 | 2024 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 10 | Central African Republic | -1.71 | 2024 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 11 | Libya | -1.7 | 2024 | Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan |
| 12 | Congo, Dem. Rep. | -1.63 | 2024 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 13 | Nicaragua | -1.62 | 2024 | Latin America & Caribbean |
| 14 | Haiti | -1.6 | 2024 | Latin America & Caribbean |
| 15 | Equatorial Guinea | -1.54 | 2024 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 16 | Korea, Dem. People's Rep. | -1.53 | 2024 | East Asia & Pacific |
| 17 | Chad | -1.44 | 2024 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 18 | Turkmenistan | -1.41 | 2024 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 19 | Iraq | -1.36 | 2024 | Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan |
| 20 | Burundi | -1.3 | 2024 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 21 | Bolivia | -1.27 | 2024 | Latin America & Caribbean |
| 22 | Cameroon | -1.25 | 2024 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 23 | Guinea-Bissau | -1.23 | 2024 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 24 | Iran, Islamic Rep. | -1.23 | 2024 | Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan |
| 25 | Belarus | -1.23 | 2024 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 26 | Zimbabwe | -1.21 | 2024 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 27 | Mozambique | -1.19 | 2024 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 28 | Tajikistan | -1.18 | 2024 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 29 | Congo, Rep. | -1.18 | 2024 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 30 | Honduras | -1.18 | 2024 | Latin America & Caribbean |
| 31 | Angola | -1.17 | 2024 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 32 | Russian Federation | -1.16 | 2024 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 33 | Gabon | -1.16 | 2024 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 34 | Mexico | -1.15 | 2024 | Latin America & Caribbean |
| 35 | Guinea | -1.15 | 2024 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 36 | Comoros | -1.13 | 2024 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 37 | Mali | -1.09 | 2024 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 38 | Lebanon | -1.09 | 2024 | Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan |
| 39 | Cambodia | -1.06 | 2024 | East Asia & Pacific |
| 40 | Ethiopia | -1.05 | 2024 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 41 | Pakistan | -1.02 | 2024 | Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan |
| 42 | Djibouti | -1.01 | 2024 | Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan |
| 43 | Nigeria | -1.01 | 2024 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 44 | West Bank and Gaza | -0.989 | 2024 | Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan |
| 45 | Ecuador | -0.965 | 2024 | Latin America & Caribbean |
| 46 | Guatemala | -0.962 | 2024 | Latin America & Caribbean |
| 47 | Bangladesh | -0.96 | 2024 | South Asia |
| 48 | Niger | -0.946 | 2024 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 49 | Kyrgyz Republic | -0.936 | 2024 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 50 | Burkina Faso | -0.884 | 2024 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 51 | Madagascar | -0.883 | 2024 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 52 | Liberia | -0.868 | 2024 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 53 | Mauritania | -0.864 | 2024 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 54 | Eswatini | -0.86 | 2024 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 55 | Turkiye | -0.843 | 2024 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 56 | Sierra Leone | -0.839 | 2024 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 57 | Egypt, Arab Rep. | -0.752 | 2024 | Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan |
| 58 | Lao PDR | -0.742 | 2024 | East Asia & Pacific |
| 59 | Uganda | -0.739 | 2024 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 60 | Ukraine | -0.72 | 2024 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 61 | El Salvador | -0.713 | 2024 | Latin America & Caribbean |
| 62 | Algeria | -0.697 | 2024 | Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan |
| 63 | Uzbekistan | -0.656 | 2024 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 64 | Togo | -0.633 | 2024 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 65 | Timor-Leste | -0.626 | 2024 | East Asia & Pacific |
| 66 | Cuba | -0.624 | 2024 | Latin America & Caribbean |
| 67 | Paraguay | -0.584 | 2024 | Latin America & Caribbean |
| 68 | China | -0.579 | 2024 | East Asia & Pacific |
| 69 | Cote d'Ivoire | -0.578 | 2024 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 70 | Philippines | -0.574 | 2024 | East Asia & Pacific |
| 71 | Papua New Guinea | -0.571 | 2024 | East Asia & Pacific |
| 72 | Zambia | -0.561 | 2024 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 73 | Colombia | -0.56 | 2024 | Latin America & Caribbean |
| 74 | Tanzania | -0.519 | 2024 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 75 | Peru | -0.506 | 2024 | Latin America & Caribbean |
| 76 | Azerbaijan | -0.485 | 2024 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 77 | Kenya | -0.465 | 2024 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 78 | Brazil | -0.446 | 2024 | Latin America & Caribbean |
| 79 | Benin | -0.412 | 2024 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 80 | Lesotho | -0.407 | 2024 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 81 | Belize | -0.397 | 2024 | Latin America & Caribbean |
| 82 | Gambia, The | -0.394 | 2024 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 83 | Kazakhstan | -0.382 | 2024 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 84 | Trinidad and Tobago | -0.372 | 2024 | Latin America & Caribbean |
| 85 | Morocco | -0.368 | 2024 | Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan |
| 86 | Tunisia | -0.364 | 2024 | Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan |
| 87 | Sao Tome and Principe | -0.353 | 2024 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 88 | Guyana | -0.334 | 2024 | Latin America & Caribbean |
| 89 | Bosnia and Herzegovina | -0.319 | 2024 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 90 | Viet Nam | -0.314 | 2024 | East Asia & Pacific |
| 91 | Nepal | -0.304 | 2024 | South Asia |
| 92 | Panama | -0.263 | 2024 | Latin America & Caribbean |
| 93 | Sri Lanka | -0.258 | 2024 | South Asia |
| 94 | Argentina | -0.251 | 2024 | Latin America & Caribbean |
| 95 | North Macedonia | -0.225 | 2024 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 96 | Thailand | -0.216 | 2024 | East Asia & Pacific |
| 97 | Suriname | -0.209 | 2024 | Latin America & Caribbean |
| 98 | Indonesia | -0.207 | 2024 | East Asia & Pacific |
| 99 | Senegal | -0.205 | 2024 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 100 | Serbia | -0.2 | 2024 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 101 | Dominican Republic | -0.182 | 2024 | Latin America & Caribbean |
| 102 | Moldova | -0.161 | 2024 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 103 | Malawi | -0.146 | 2024 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 104 | Armenia | -0.142 | 2024 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 105 | Albania | -0.119 | 2024 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 106 | Mongolia | -0.0998 | 2024 | East Asia & Pacific |
| 107 | Jamaica | -0.0777 | 2024 | Latin America & Caribbean |
| 108 | India | -0.0392 | 2024 | South Asia |
| 109 | Bulgaria | -0.0333 | 2024 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 110 | South Africa | 0.0177 | 2024 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 111 | Maldives | 0.0443 | 2024 | South Asia |
| 112 | Kosovo | 0.0521 | 2024 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 113 | Ghana | 0.054 | 2024 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 114 | Rwanda | 0.1 | 2024 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 115 | Georgia | 0.149 | 2024 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 116 | Solomon Islands | 0.153 | 2024 | East Asia & Pacific |
| 117 | Bahrain | 0.168 | 2024 | Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan |
| 118 | Jordan | 0.169 | 2024 | Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan |
| 119 | Montenegro | 0.181 | 2024 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 120 | Hungary | 0.192 | 2024 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 121 | Saudi Arabia | 0.21 | 2024 | Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan |
| 122 | Kuwait | 0.231 | 2024 | Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan |
| 123 | Bahamas, The | 0.251 | 2024 | Latin America & Caribbean |
| 124 | Naoero | 0.252 | 2024 | East Asia & Pacific |
| 125 | Greece | 0.298 | 2024 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 126 | Fiji | 0.306 | 2024 | East Asia & Pacific |
| 127 | Botswana | 0.312 | 2024 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 128 | Namibia | 0.328 | 2024 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 129 | Malaysia | 0.345 | 2024 | East Asia & Pacific |
| 130 | Romania | 0.371 | 2024 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 131 | Croatia | 0.377 | 2024 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 132 | Dominica | 0.397 | 2024 | Latin America & Caribbean |
| 133 | Vanuatu | 0.422 | 2024 | East Asia & Pacific |
| 134 | Cabo Verde | 0.424 | 2024 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 135 | Oman | 0.449 | 2024 | Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan |
| 136 | United Arab Emirates | 0.497 | 2024 | Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan |
| 137 | St. Vincent and the Grenadines | 0.502 | 2024 | Latin America & Caribbean |
| 138 | St. Lucia | 0.503 | 2024 | Latin America & Caribbean |
| 139 | Grenada | 0.541 | 2024 | Latin America & Caribbean |
| 140 | Puerto Rico (US) | 0.546 | 2024 | Latin America & Caribbean |
| 141 | Slovak Republic | 0.561 | 2024 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 142 | Poland | 0.577 | 2024 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 143 | Virgin Islands (U.S.) | 0.579 | 2024 | Latin America & Caribbean |
| 144 | Brunei Darussalam | 0.588 | 2024 | East Asia & Pacific |
| 145 | Qatar | 0.59 | 2024 | Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan |
| 146 | St. Kitts and Nevis | 0.59 | 2024 | Latin America & Caribbean |
| 147 | Seychelles | 0.597 | 2024 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 148 | Israel | 0.6 | 2024 | Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan |
| 149 | Antigua and Barbuda | 0.602 | 2024 | Latin America & Caribbean |
| 150 | Costa Rica | 0.617 | 2024 | Latin America & Caribbean |
| 151 | Italy | 0.619 | 2024 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 152 | Mauritius | 0.639 | 2024 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 153 | Cyprus | 0.689 | 2024 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 154 | Chile | 0.691 | 2024 | Latin America & Caribbean |
| 155 | Tonga | 0.694 | 2024 | East Asia & Pacific |
| 156 | Malta | 0.727 | 2024 | Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan |
| 157 | Barbados | 0.728 | 2024 | Latin America & Caribbean |
| 158 | Kiribati | 0.786 | 2024 | East Asia & Pacific |
| 159 | Bhutan | 0.79 | 2024 | South Asia |
| 160 | Bermuda | 0.8 | 2024 | North America |
| 161 | Cayman Islands | 0.83 | 2024 | Latin America & Caribbean |
| 162 | Marshall Islands | 0.836 | 2024 | East Asia & Pacific |
| 163 | Macao SAR, China | 0.852 | 2024 | East Asia & Pacific |
| 164 | Hong Kong SAR, China | 0.921 | 2024 | East Asia & Pacific |
| 165 | Spain | 0.932 | 2024 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 166 | Uruguay | 0.951 | 2024 | Latin America & Caribbean |
| 167 | United States | 0.962 | 2024 | North America |
| 168 | Micronesia, Fed. Sts. | 0.977 | 2024 | East Asia & Pacific |
| 169 | France | 0.979 | 2024 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 170 | Slovenia | 0.979 | 2024 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 171 | French Polynesia | 1.02 | 2024 | East Asia & Pacific |
| 172 | Guam | 1.03 | 2024 | East Asia & Pacific |
| 173 | Samoa | 1.05 | 2024 | East Asia & Pacific |
| 174 | Portugal | 1.07 | 2024 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 175 | New Caledonia | 1.09 | 2024 | East Asia & Pacific |
| 176 | American Samoa | 1.09 | 2024 | East Asia & Pacific |
| 177 | Latvia | 1.09 | 2024 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 178 | Korea, Rep. | 1.12 | 2024 | East Asia & Pacific |
| 179 | San Marino | 1.16 | 2024 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 180 | Palau | 1.17 | 2024 | East Asia & Pacific |
| 181 | Czechia | 1.19 | 2024 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 182 | Aruba | 1.22 | 2024 | Latin America & Caribbean |
| 183 | Tuvalu | 1.22 | 2024 | East Asia & Pacific |
| 184 | United Kingdom | 1.27 | 2024 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 185 | Belgium | 1.28 | 2024 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 186 | Taiwan | 1.29 | 2024 | East Asia & Pacific |
| 187 | Monaco | 1.35 | 2024 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 188 | Lithuania | 1.37 | 2024 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 189 | Andorra | 1.41 | 2024 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 190 | Singapore | 1.43 | 2024 | East Asia & Pacific |
| 191 | Canada | 1.46 | 2024 | North America |
| 192 | Australia | 1.47 | 2024 | East Asia & Pacific |
| 193 | Estonia | 1.49 | 2024 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 194 | Japan | 1.51 | 2024 | East Asia & Pacific |
| 195 | Greenland | 1.57 | 2024 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 196 | Ireland | 1.59 | 2024 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 197 | Germany | 1.63 | 2024 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 198 | Iceland | 1.63 | 2024 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 199 | New Zealand | 1.67 | 2024 | East Asia & Pacific |
| 200 | Austria | 1.68 | 2024 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 201 | Netherlands | 1.71 | 2024 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 202 | Sweden | 1.73 | 2024 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 203 | Liechtenstein | 1.73 | 2024 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 204 | Luxembourg | 1.76 | 2024 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 205 | Switzerland | 1.76 | 2024 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 206 | Norway | 1.95 | 2024 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 207 | Denmark | 2 | 2024 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 208 | Finland | 2.02 | 2024 | Europe & Central Asia |
More on rule of law
Related rankings
- Countries With the Lowest Corruption Perceptions Index
- Countries With the Lowest Political Rights (FH)
- Countries With the Lowest Civil Liberties (FH)
- 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
- Countries With the Lowest 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.