Capturing the rule of law changes during a global pandemic.

The global COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted and reinforced longstanding structural inequalities and governance weaknesses. On October 14th we launched the 2021 World Justice Project (WJP) Rule of Law Index®️, the world’s leading source for original rule of law data. The 2021 Index is the first in this annual series to capture rule of law changes during the global COVID-19 pandemic. 

Since 2009, WJP has documented rule of law trends in its annual WJP Rule of Law Index®, expanded this year to cover 139 countries and jurisdictions. The Index relies on survey responses gathered from more than 138,000 households and 4,200 experts to measure how the rule of law is experienced and perceived in practical, everyday situations. The Index covers such rule of law factors as constraints on government power, fundamental rights, corruption, discrimination, security, and the functioning of regulatory, criminal, and civil justice systems. This quantitative tool provides citizens, governments, policymakers, donors, businesses, media, academics, and civil society organizations around the world with a comprehensive comparative analysis of countries’ adherence to universal rule of law principles. 

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The US ranks 26 out of 142 countries and jurisdictions in the 2023 WJP Rule of Law Index
Press release

In the US, Weakened Rule of Law Persists

The rule of law has once again eroded in a majority of countries this year, including the United States, according to the World Justice Project (WJP) Rule of Law Index 2023. In 2022, following four consecutive years of declining rule of law, the United States was among the top improvers. Last year’s gains were not enough to overcome the long-term decline since 2016, however, and this year U.S. rule of law took a downturn again.

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