The Rule of Law
in North Macedonia
Key Findings from the WJP General Population Poll 2023
Acknowledgements
The Rule of Law in North Macedonia: Key Findings from the General Population Poll 2023 was produced by the World Justice Project under the research oversight of Alejandro Ponce and the executive direction of Elizabeth Andersen.
The production of this report was led by Ana María Montoya. This report was prepared by James Davis, Dalia Habiby, Artha Pillai, Santiago Pardo, and Carlos Toruño. We thank Natalia Rodríguez Cajamarca, Lloyd Cleary, Kathryn Grace Hulseman, and Alicia Evangelides for their comments to early drafts of this report.
The data collection for the General Population Poll used for this report was conducted by Alicia Evangelides, Joshua Fuller, Moss Woodbury, and Natalia Rodríguez Cajamarca.
Mariana Lopez was the graphic design lead for this report. FlitStudio served as lead website developer with assistance from Natalia Jardon, Mariana Lopez, and Enrique Paulin.
This report was made possible with the support of the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs' Office of Europe and Asia (INL). The views expressed in this report are those of the survey respondents and do not necessarily represent the views of the United States government.
Photo for cover provided by Kisa Markiza, from iStock.
© Copyright 2024 by the World Justice Project.
Requests to reproduce this document should be sent to:
Alejandro Ponce
World Justice Project
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Email: [email protected]
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
2. RULE OF LAW INDEX IN NORTH MACEDONIA
SECTION I: AUTHORITARIANISM, FUNDAMENTAL FREEDOMS, AND GOVERNMENT ACCOUNTABILITY
SECTION II: CORRUPTION AND TRUST
Disaggregated Perceptions by Political Support
SECTION III: SECURITY AND CRIMINAL JUSTICE
Justice Journey in North Macedonia
Justice Journey in North Macedonia by Economic Status
SECTION V: DIVERSE VIEWS ON RULE OF LAW
Disaggregated Perceptions by Ethnic Background
ABOUT
THIS REPORT
ABOUT THIS REPORT
EFFECTIVE RULE OF LAW reduces corruption, combats poverty and disease, and protects people from injustices large and small. Strengthening the rule of law is an important objective for governments, donors, and civil society organizations around the world. To be effective, rule of law development requires clarity about the fundamental features that define the rule of law, as well as an adequate basis for its evaluation and measurement.
The Rule of Law in North Macedonia: Key Findings from the General Population Poll 2023 presents question-level data drawn from the General Population Poll (GPP), an original data source designed and collected by the World Justice Project.
The GPP was conducted between May and July 2023 through face-to-face interviews to a nationally representative sample of 1,594 North Macedonian households. This poll was designed to capture data on the experiences and perceptions of ordinary people regarding a variety of themes related to the rule of law.
This report represents the voices of people in North Macedonia and their experiences with the rule of law in their country.
The data derived from the General Population Poll is presented in this report as thematic findings, each one highlighting a different dimension of the rule of law from the perspective of North Macedonians. These thematic findings focus on the current rule of law ecosystem in North Macedonia while simultaneously illuminating changes over time. Each section touches upon perceptions of and attitudes towards the following topics: government accountability, authoritarianism, fundamental freedoms, corruption, trust in institutions, the criminal justice system and its actors, crime victimization, security, police performance, and access to justice.
EXECUTIVE FINDINGS
The Rule of Law in North Macedonia: Key Findings from the General Population Poll 2023 provides a comprehensive overview of how citizens perceive and experience the rule of law in North Macedonia. The results show an overall decrease in the perception of the rule of law in the country, compared to results from previous years. Similarly, the findings indicate that perceptions vary significantly based on the political affiliation and cultural background of the respondent.
SECTION 1
Authoritarianism, Fundamental Freedoms, and Government Accountability
1. Authoritarianism
A majority respondents in North Macedonia agreed that top government officials engage in authoritarian behavior across all branches of government.
North Macedonians felt that government officials resort to misinformation to shape public opinion in their favor (67%), attack or attempt to discredit opposition parties (60%) and seek to influence the promotion or removal of judges (60%). Click here to see chart 1.
- Views on the current government vary by partisanship. On the whole, government supporters held much more positive views on the government than non-supporters. 77% of non-government supporters believe that top government officials attack or attempt to discredit opposition parties compared to only 48% of government supporters. Click here to see chart 2.
- A quarter (25%) of respondents agreed that it is not necessary to obey the laws of a government that they did not vote for, while nearly a third (32%) of respondents agreed that government efficiency is more important than citizen influence. Click here to see chart 3.
2. Fundamental Freedoms
On average, more respondents believe that their freedom of expression is guaranteed, while fewer respondents believe that their freedoms of political participation, free and fair elections, and religion are guaranteed compared to 2014 and 2017, respectively. Click here to see chart 4.
- Between 2017 and 2023, significant improvements have been observed in freedom of expression in North Macedonia, particularly within the media and civil society, fostering freedom of opinion against the government. Click here to see chart 4.
- While freedom of religion experienced the most significant decline (down by 10 percentage points), favorable views on religious freedom persist, with 73% of respondents agreeing that religious minorities can observe their holy days. Click here to see chart 4.
- Although perceptions of clean elections have shown the biggest improvement (up 10 percentage points), they are still viewed as low, with only 37% of respondents agreeing that local government officials are elected through a clean process. Click here to see chart 4.
- Perceptions of fundamental freedoms once again diverged between government supporters and non-government supporters. On average, non-government supporters were 24 percentage points less likely to hold positive views of fundamental freedoms in North Macedonia when compared to government supports. Click here to see chart 5.
3. Government Accountability
Perceptions of government accountability in North Macedonia are extremely negative. Only one in ten surveyed respondents believed that a high-ranking government official would be held accountable for breaking the law.
This represents a decline of 3 percentage points since 2017. The difference in perceptions of impunity is stark between government supporters and non-government supporters.
Only 4% of non-government supporters believed that a high-ranking government official would be held accountable for breaking the law, compared to 27% of government supporters. Click here to see chart 6.
SECTION 2
Corruption and Trust
4. Corruption
Public views on the pervasiveness of corruption among the legislature, national government officials, and judges and magistrates deteriorated in North Macedonia since 2017. Perceptions of corruption in the judiciary deteriorated the most, with perceptions declining by an average of 18 percentage points. Click here to see chart 7.
- Members of Congress were considered the most corrupt, with 74% of respondents agreeing that most or all members working in that institution were corrupt. Police officers were considered the least corrupt, with 50% of respondents agreeing that most or all police officers were corrupt. Click here to see chart 7.
- A majority of respondents in North Macedonia believed that corrupt behaviors are not acceptable. Nearly 75% of respondents said it was not acceptable for a private citizen to offer a bribe, while over 75% of respondents said it was not acceptable for a law enforcement officer to request a bribe. Click here to see chart 8.
5. Bribery Victimization
More respondents reported being asked to pay a bribe across all sectors in 2023 compared to 2017.
In 2023, 18% of respondents who had requested government permits or documents reported that they had paid a bribe, while only 9% of respondents reported paying a bribe to secure a place in a public school. Click here to see chart 9.1.
- Nearly 50% of respondents who had utilized a public defense attorney reported paying a bribe in the previous 12 months, compared to only 9% of respondents who had interacted with an elected representative and 14% who had interacted with a police officer. Click here to see chart 9.2.
6. Trust
Respondents in North Macedonia trust people living in their country more than any public actor (48%); however, the percentage of respondents declined by 7 percentage points since 2017.
Respondents had the least trust in judges and magistrates (24%) and national government officers (25%). Click here to see chart 10.
- Government supporters had more trust in all public institutions when compared to non-government supporters. The views of government supporters and non-government supporters diverged the most in their levels of trust in national government officials—a 32 percentage point gap. Click here to see chart 11.
SECTION 3
Security and Criminal Justice
7. Crime Victimization
On average 13% of all respondents surveyed in North Macedonia reported experiencing a crime in the past 12 months. Click here to see chart 12.2.
- Slightly more than 40% of North Macedonian respondents who were victims of a crime reported it to the authorities and, of those who reported, 76% filed an official crime report. Click here to see chart 12.2.
- Of those North Macedonians who were victims of a crime, 7% were victims of corruption, financial, and commercial crimes, 7% were victims of property crimes, and 5% were victims of crimes against life and integrity of the individual. Click here to see chart 12.1.
8. Security
Perceptions of security in North Macedonia remained relatively stable since 2017. A large majority of respondents (79%) reported that they felt safe walking in their neighborhoods at night. Click here to see chart 13.1.
- Sociodemographic factors play a role in perceptions of security in North Macedonia. Ethnic Macedonians, those with light skin tones, and those without high school diplomas were more likely to feel safe walking in their neighborhood at night, while previous victims of crime, those of low economic status, and urban dwellers were the least likely to feel secure. Click here to see chart 13.2.
9. Criminal Justice
Respondents are most confident that the criminal justice system safeguards presumption of innocence (43%) and least confident that the criminal justice system ensures timeliness (25%).
Average perceptions of the criminal justice system deteriorated across all areas since 2017. Perceptions of adherence to equal treatment of victims (down 14 percentage points) and equal access (down 14 percentage points) declined the most during the polling interval. Click here to see chart 14.1.
- Perceptions of the criminal justice system varied between government supporters and non-government supporters. Government supporters held much more positive views of the criminal justice system, with 58% of government supporters expressing confidence that the criminal justice system safeguards presumption of innocence compared to only 39% of non-government supporters. Click here to see chart 14.2.
- Average perceptions of trust and effectiveness of prosecutors, public defense attorneys, and judges and magistrates all declined, while perceptions of corruption for those actors grew since 2017. Click here to see chart 14.1.
10. Police Performance
When asked about their impressions of police performance, respondents in North Macedonia had the most negative views on police accountability and corruption and the most positive views on due process and public service. Click here to see chart 16.
-
When asked about their perceptions of police performance, respondents in North Macedonia were most confident that:
- Police help them feel safe in their neighborhoods (79%).
- Police do not use excessive force (72%).
- Police help them feel safe (69%).
-
Respondents in North Macedonia were the least confident that:
- Police do not serve the interests of politicians (27%).
- Police investigate crimes in an independent manner (31%).
- Police are held accountable for seeking (35%) or accepting (35%) bribes.
- Respondents in North Macedonia most often indicated that suspects with a lower economic status (48%) or from a minority ethnic group (44%) would most likely be subject to discrimination during a police investigation.
11. Victim Support
North Macedonians were the most confident that crime victims would be addressed by police using accessible language (54%) and would receive protection from the police if their safety was in danger (39%). They were the least confident that they would receive effective and timely medical and psychological care (29%) and receive information and legal advice when going to the authorities (29%). Click here to see chart 17.
SECTION 4
Access to Justice
12. Justice Journeys in North Macedonia
Slightly more than 1 in 3 (36%) of respondents in North Macedonia reported experiencing a legal problem in the last two years, on average. The most common legal problems relate to consumer issues or financial issues. On average, 49% of respondents in North Macedonia reported that their legal problem was fully resolved, and the average time reported to resolve the problem was approximately 8 months. Click here to see chart 18.
- One fifth (20%) of surveyed North Macedonians with a legal problem obtained help from a person or organization that was able to help them better understand or resolve their problem. Meanwhile, 27% of respondents reported that it was difficult or nearly impossible to find the money required to resolve their problem.
- Approximately one-third (32%) of respondents in North Macedonia who resolved their legal issues experienced at least one hardship during the resolution process. The most frequently cited hardship was health—22% of respondents reported experiencing a physical or stress related illness.
13. Justice Journeys in North Macedonia by Economic Status
North Macedonians with a low economic status experienced legal problems at a higher rate (42%) than those from a high economic status (32%). North Macedonians from a high economic status were more likely to report that that their problems were fully resolved (54%) than those with a low economic status (45%), and it took an average of two months longer for North Macedonians with a low economic status to resolve their legal problems when compared to those with a high economic status. Click here to see chart 19.
- Respondents with a high economic status were more confident that they could achieve a fair outcome (16%) and were more likely to report that they could get all the expert help they wanted (13%), compared with respondents with a low economic status.
- 37% of respondents with a low economic status reported that it was difficult or nearly impossible to find the money required to solve their problem compared to only 8% of respondents with a high economic status.
14. The Justice Gap in North Macedonia
- Sociodemographic characteristics play a part in the likelihood that a respondent would be in the justice gap. North Macedonians with light skin tones or who are of ethnic Macedonian background were less likely to be in the justice gap, while North Macedonians with a low economic status or no high school diploma were more likely to fall in the justice gap. Click here to see chart 20.2.
SECTION 5
Diverse Views on Rule of Law
15. Perceptions by Ethnic Background
On average, North Macedonians with an ethnic Macedonian background had more positive perceptions of fundamental freedoms than those with an ethnic Albanian background. Ethnic Macedonians were 31 percentage points more likely to agree or strongly agree that it was possible for people to join any political organization and 27 percentage points more likely to agree or strongly agree that religious minorities can observe their holy days. Respondents of ethnic Albanian background were 5 percentage points more likely to believe that the media can expose cases of corruption. Click here to see chart 21.
- Perceptions of police also varied by ethnic background. Across all questions, respondents of Macedonian ethnic background had more positive perceptions of the police. 54% of respondents with a Macedonian ethnic background agreed or strongly agreed that police respect the rights of suspects compared to only 33% of respondents with an Albanian ethnic background. Click here to see chart 22.
16. Perceptions by Economic Status
On average, North Macedonian respondents with a low economic status were 10 percentage points more likely to agree or strongly agree that top government officials engage in authoritarian behaviors than respondents with a high economic status. 60% of respondents with a high economic status agreed that top government officials attack or attempt to discredit the electoral system and other supervisory organs compared to 72% of respondents with a low economic status. Click here to see chart 23.
- North Macedonian respondents with a low economic status were, on average, 6 percentage points more likely to believe that national government officers, prosecutors, public defense attorneys, and judges and magistrates engaged in corrupt behaviors when compared to respondents with a high economic status. Click here to see chart 24.
- North Macedonian respondents with a high economic status were 10 percentage points more likely to have a lot or some trust in national government officers, prosecutors, public defense attorneys, and judges and magistrates when compared to respondents with a low economic status. Click here to see chart 24.
RULE OF LAW INDEX IN NORTH MACEDONIA
Rule of Law Index Overview
Rule of Law Factors in North Macedonia
North Macedonia perfomance in Rule of Law Index by Factors
OVERALL SCORE
FACTORS IN DETAIL
Source: WJP General Population Poll 2017, and 2023
Factors in detail
North Macedonia ◆ Balkan Country Average
- Factor 1: Constraints on Government Powers
- Factor 2: Absence of Corruption
- Factor 3: Open Government
- Factor 4: Fundamental Rights
- Factor 5: Order and Security
- Factor 6: Regulatory Enforcement
- Factor 7: Civil Justice
- Factor 8: Criminal Justice
Source: WJP General Population Poll 2023
THEMATIC FINDINGS
SECTION I
AUTHORITARIANISM, FUNDAMENTAL FREEDOMS,
AND GOVERNMENT ACCOUNTABILITY
AUTHORITARIANISM
CHART 1.
Perceptions of Authoritarian Behaviors
Percentage of respondents in North Macedonia who agree or disagree that top government officials...
Strongly Disagree Disagree No answer Agree Strongly Agree
ATTACKS ON ELECTORAL SYSTEMS AND OPPOSITION PARTIES
ATTACKS ON THE JUDICIARY
ATTACKS ON THE MEDIA AND MISINFORMATION
Note: Only values above 5% are shown in the chart.
Source: WJP General Population Poll 2023
CHART 2.
Perceptions of Authoritarian Behavior by Political Support
Percentage of respondents who agree or strongly agree that top government officials...
Non-Government SupporterGovernment Supporter
ATTACKS ON ELECTORAL SYSTEMS AND OPPOSITION PARTIES
ATTACKS ON THE JUDICIARY
ATTACKS ON THE MEDIA AND MISINFORMATION
Note: The bars encompassing the data points in our visuals are indicative of 95% confidence intervals. These intervals provide a reliable range within which we can reasonably infer that the true values lie.
Source: WJP General Population Poll 2023
CHART 3.
Attitudes Towards Authoritarianism and Rule of Law
Percentage of respondents who agree with the following statements
Government efficiency is more important than citizen influence
It is important that citizens have a say in government matters, even at the expense of efficiency
None of the above/Prefer not to answer
The president should not be bound by the law or courts
The president must always obey the law and the courts
None of the above/Prefer not to answer
It is not necessary to obey the laws of a government that you did not vote for
It is important to obey the government in power, no matter who you voted for
None of the above/Prefer not to answer
The president can attack the media, civil society, and opposition groups
The president must respect the media, civil society, and opposition groups
None of the above/Prefer not to answer
The president can undermine independent authorities
The president must respect independent authorities
None of the above/Prefer not to answer
Source: WJP General Population Poll 2023
FUNDAMENTAL FREEDOMS
CHART 4.
Fundamental Freedoms in North Macedonia Over Time
Percentage of respondents who agree or strongly agree with the following statements
EXPRESSION
People can express opinions against the government
Civil society organizations can express opinions against the government
Political parties can express opinions against the government
The media can express opinions against the government without fear of retaliation
The media can expose cases of corruption
Source: WJP General Population Poll 2014, 2017, and 2023
PARTICIPATION
People can attend community meetings
People can join any political organization
People can organize around an issue or petition
ELECTIONS
Local government officials are elected through a clean process
People can vote freely without feeling harassed or pressured
RELIGION
Religious minorities can observe their holy days
Source: WJP General Population Poll 2014, 2017, and 2023
CHART 5.
Perceptions of Fundamental Freedoms by Political Support
Percentage of respondents who agree or strongly agree with the following statements
Non-Government Supporter Government Supporter
Source: WJP General Population Poll 2023
GOVERNMENT ACCOUNTABILITY
CHART 6.1
Perceptions of Accountablity in North Macedonia Over Time
Percentage of respondents who agree or strongly agree that high-ranking government officials would be held accountable for breaking the law
Source: WJP General Population Poll 2014, 2017, and 2023
CHART 6.2
Perceptions of Accountablity in North Macedonia by Political Support
Percentage of respondents who agree or strongly agree that high-ranking government officials would be held accountable for breaking the law
Source: WJP General Population Poll 2023
THEMATIC FINDINGS
SECTION II
CORRUPTION AND TRUST
CORRUPTION
CHART 7.
Perceptions of Corruption by Institution Over Time
Percentage of respondents who agree or strongly agree that most or all people working in the following institutions are corrupt
MEMBERS OF CONGRESS
POLICE OFFICERS
EXECUTIVE
Local Government Officers
National Government Officers
JUSTICE SYSTEM
Prosecutors Judges & Magistrates
Public Defense Attorneys
Source: WJP General Population Poll 2014, 2017, and 2023
CHART 8.
Attitudes Towards Corrupt Behaviors
Percentage of respondents who agree or strongly agree that the following behaviors are acceptable or unacceptable
Always Acceptable Usually Acceptable Sometimes Acceptable No answer Not Acceptable
BRIBES OFFERED
BRIBES REQUESTED
NEPOTISM AND EMBEZZLEMENT
Note: Only values above 5% are shown in the chart.
Source: WJP General Population Poll 2023
BRIBERY VICTIMIZATION
CHART 9.1
Bribery Victimization Over Time
Percentage of respondents who paid a bribe in the last three years to access the following services, out of those who used these services
Source: WJP General Population Poll 2017, and 2023
CHART 9.2
Bribery Victimization Across State Officials
Percentage of respondents who paid a bribe in the last 12 months to one of the following public servants, out of those who had a contact with them
No No answer Yes
Source: WJP General Population Poll 2023
TRUST
CHART 10.
Trust in Institutions Over Time
Percentage of respondents who have a lot or some trust in...
PEOPLE LIVING IN THEIR COUNTRY
POLICE OFFICERS
EXECUTIVE
Local Government Officers
National Government Officers
JUSTICE SYSTEM
Prosecutors Judges & Magistrates
Public Defense Attorneys
Source: WJP General Population Poll 2014, 2017, and 2023
DISAGGREGATED PERCEPTIONS
CHART 11.
Perceptions of Corruption and Trust by Political Support
Non-Government SupporterGovernment Supporter
CORRUPTION
Percentage of respondents who agree or strongly agree that most or all of the following public servants are corrupt
TRUST
Percentage of respondents who have a lot or some trust in...
Note: The bars encompassing the data points in our visuals are indicative of 95% confidence intervals. These intervals provide a reliable range within which we can reasonably infer that the true values lie.
Source: WJP General Population Poll 2023
THEMATIC FINDINGS
SECTION III
SECURITY AND CRIMINAL JUSTICE
CRIME VICTIMIZATION
CHART 12.1
Types of Crimes Experienced by People in North Macedonia
Victimization rate in the last 12 months, by type of crime
CHART 12.2
Crime Victimization Rates and Reporting
Data on crime victimization and reporting in North Macedonia
Source: WJP General Population Poll 2023
SECURITY
CHART 13.1
Perceptions of Security in North Macedonia
Percentage of respondents who reported that they feel safe or very safe walking in their neighborhood at night
Source: WJP General Population Poll 2014, 2017, and 2023
CHART 13.2
Impact of Sociodemographic Characteristics on Perceptions of Safety
Likelihood that respondents feel safe or very safe walking in their neighborhood at night
Note: The results in this infographic were obtained from a logit regression. Each point indicates the average marginal effect, measure as percentage points (p.p.), of the corresponding sociodemographic characteristic on the predicted probability of a respondent to answer “safe” or “very safe” to the question “How safe do you feel walking in your neighborhood at night?” The lines indicate the 95% confidence intervals of each average marginal effect. For additional information on how Chart 13.2 was produced, please see the Regression Key linked in the Appendix.
Source: WJP General Population Poll 2023
CRIMINAL JUSTICE
CHART 14.1
Perceptions of the Criminal Justice System in North Macedonia
Percentage of respondents who are confident or very confident that the criminal justice system...
2023 2017
Source: WJP General Population Poll 2017 and 2023
CHART 14.2
Perceptions of the Criminal Justice System by Political Support
Percentage of respondents who are confident or very confident that the criminal justice system...
Non-Government Supporter Government Supporter
Source: WJP General Population Poll 2023
CHART 15.
Criminal Justice Actors
Perceptions of criminal justice actors in North Macedonia
Prosecutors Public Defense Attorneys Judges & Magistrates
TRUST IN CRIMINAL JUSTICE ACTORS OVER TIME
Percentage of respondents who have a lot or some trust in prosecutors, public defense attorneys, and judges and magistrates
PERCEPTIONS OF CORRUPTION ACROSS CRIMINAL JUSTICE ACTORS OVER TIME
Percentage of respondents who believe that most or all prosecutors, public defense attorneys, and judges and magistrates are corrupt
PERCEPTIONS OF INDEPENDENCE ACROSS CRIMINAL JUSTICE ACTORS OVER TIME
Percentage of respondents who believe that prosecutors, public defense attorneys, and judges and magistrates do their job well
Note: Variables in independence category are as follows: Prosecutors prosecute crimes committed in an independent manner and are not subject to any sort of pressure; Public defenders do everything they can to defend poor people that are accused of committing a crime; Judges and magistrates decide cases in an independent manner and are not subject to any sort of pressure.
Source: WJP General Population Poll 2014, 2017, and 2023
POLICE
CHART 16.
Perceptions of the Police
Opinions on the effectiveness and legitimacy of law enforcement
EFFECTIVENESS
Serve the Public
Percentage of respondents who agree or strongly agree that the police...
Crime Control and Safety
Percentage of respondents who agree or strongly agree that the police...
LEGITIMACY
Due Process
Percentage of respondents who agree or strongly agree that the police...
Discrimination
Percentage of respondents who agree or strongly agree that the police do not discriminate against suspects based on....
Source: WJP General Population Poll 2023
Corruption
Percentage of respondents who agree or strongly agree that the police...
Trust and Crime Reporting
Percentage of respondents who...
Accountability
Percentage of respondents who believe that the police...
VICTIM SUPPORT
CHART 17.
Perceptions of the Treatment of Crime Victims
Percentage of respondents who are confident that crime victims...
Source: WJP General Population Poll 2023
THEMATIC FINDINGS
SECTION IV
ACCESS TO JUSTICE
ACCESS TO JUSTICE JOURNEY
CHART 18.
Justice Journey in North Macedonia
Paths followed by North Macedonians who experienced a legal problem in the last two years
Source: WJP General Population Poll 2023
Source: WJP General Population Poll 2023
CHART 19.
Justice Journey in North Macedonia by Economic Status (E.S.)
Paths followed by North Macedonians who experienced a legal problem in the last two years
Note: Low economic status (Low E.S.) refers to households with a monthly net income that is insufficient for purchasing basic necessities like food, clothing, and other essential products. On the other hand, high economic status (High E.S.) refers to households whose monthly net income is high enough to afford basic necessities like food, clothing, and other essential products.
Source: WJP General Population Poll 2023
CIVIL AND ADMINISTRATIVE JUSTICE GAP
CHART 20.1
The Justice Gap and Barriers to Justice in North Macedonia
Percentage of people in the justice gap and the number of barriers to justice they faced
The civil and administrative justice gap refers to individuals experiencing unmet civil justice needs, depriving them of necessary justice for everyday issues. To measure this, an indicator was developed considering key barriers to justice: inadequate access to information and advice; lack of assistance and representation; delays, affordability, fairness in resolution; and achieving a solution to legal problems.
In the Justice Gap Not in the Justice Gap
No barriers faced 0-1 Barriers 1-2 Barriers 2-3 Barriers 3-4 Barriers
Note: This chart is sourced from the document dissecting the justice gap in 104 countries produced by the World Justice Project.
CHART 20.2
Impact of Sociodemographic Characteristics on the Justice Gap
Likelihood that respondents are in the justice gap
Note: The results in this chart were obtained from a logit regression. Each point indicates the average marginal effect, measure as percentage points (p.p.), of the corresponding sociodemographic characteristic on the predicted probability of a person to be in the justice gap. The lines indicate the 95% confidence intervals of each average marginal effect. For additional information about the justice gap, please see the document Measuring the Justice Gap produced by World Justice Project.
Source: WJP General Population Poll 2023
THEMATIC FINDINGS
SECTION V
DIVERSE VIEWS ON RULE OF LAW
DISAGGREGATED PERCEPTIONS BY ETHNIC BACKGROUND
CHART 21.
Perceptions of Fundamental Freedoms by Ethnic Background
Percentage of respondents who agree or strongly agree with the following statements
Albanian Macedonian
EXPRESSION
ELECTIONS AND PARTICIPATION
RELIGION
Note: The error bars encompassing the data points in our visuals are indicative of 95% confidence intervals. These intervals provide a reliable range within which we can reasonably infer that the true values lie.
Source: WJP General Population Poll 2023
CHART 22.
Perceptions of the Police by Ethnic Background
Percentage of respondents who agree or strongly agree that the police...
EFFECTIVENESS
Are available to help when needed
Resolve security problems in the community
Perform effective and lawful investigations
Serve the interests of regular citizens
LEGITIMACY
Act lawfully
Respect the rights of suspects
Do not discriminate by economic status
Do not discriminate by ethnic background
Source: WJP General Population Poll 2023
DISAGGREGATED PERCEPTIONS BY ECONOMIC STATUS
CHART 23.
Perceptions of Authoritarian Behavior by Economic Status
Percentage of respondents in North Macedonia who agree or strongly agree that top government officials...
Low Economic Status High Economic Status
ATTACKS ON ELECTORAL SYSTEMS AND OPPOSITION PARTIES
ATTACKS ON THE JUDICIARY
ATTACKS ON THE MEDIA AND MISINFORMATION
Note: The bars encompassing the data points in our visuals are indicative of 95% confidence intervals. These intervals provide a reliable range within which we can reasonably infer that the true values lie.
Low economic status refers to households with a monthly net income that is insufficient for purchasing basic necessities like food, clothing, and other essential products. On the other hand, high economic status refers to households whose monthly net income is high enough to afford basic necessities like food, clothing, and other essential products.
Source: WJP General Population Poll 2023
CHART 24.
Perceptions of Corruption and Trust by Economic Status
CORRUPTION
Percentage of respondents who agree or strongly agree that most or all of the following public servants are corrupt
National government officers
Prosecutors
Public defense attorneys
Judges and magistrates
TRUST
Percentage of respondents who have a lot or some trust in...
National government officers
Prosecutors
Public defense attorneys
Judges and magistrates
Note: Low economic status refers to households with a monthly net income that is insufficient for purchasing basic necessities like food, clothing, and other essential products. On the other hand, high economic status refers to households whose monthly net income is high enough to afford basic necessities like food, clothing, and other essential products.
Source: WJP General Population Poll 2023
PROJECT DESIGN
METHODOLOGY
To present an image that accurately portrays the rule of law as experienced by ordinary people, data in this report is drawn from the General Population Poll (GPP), an original data source designed and collected by the World Justice Project (WJP). The GPP captures the experiences and perceptions of ordinary citizens concerning the performance of the state and its agents and the actual operation of the legal framework in their country.
The GPP used to collect data in North Macedonia in 2023 features several questions that highlight perceptions on salient issues, including authoritarian behavior, corruption, criminal justice, fundamental freedoms, security, and access to justice. In total, the GPP questionnaire includes 88 perception-based questions and 69 experience-based questions, along with sociodemographic information on all respondents. Additionally, the GPP in North Macedonia was administered to a sample of 1,594 respondents.
DATA COLLECTION
The GPP in North Macedonia was conducted for the WJP's The Rule of Law in North Macedonia: Key Findings from the General Population Poll 2023 with sampling, fieldwork, and data processing by Ipsos Strategic Marketing, based in Belgrade, Serbia. Ipsos administered the surveys between May and July 2023, conducting face-to-face interviews using a multi-stage stratified random sampling design. The target population group for this survey included North Macedonians aged 18 years or older residing across all eight regions throughout the country.
SAMPLE SIZE AND SAMPLE FRAME
The General Population Poll in North Macedonia represents an achieved total sample size of 1,594 interviews distributed proportionally across eight regions. Ipsos based the sampling frame on the most recent population estimates from the National State Statistical Office, acquiring a proportionally stratified sample by region, age, gender, socioeconomic status, and level of urbanization.
In order to address all relevant topics while controlling the questionnaire length, the World Justice Project split three of the survey modules into two versions (Option A and Option B) and randomly assigned one option to each respondent for each module. These modules included: Hypothetical Situations, Civic Participation, and Institutional Performance. Aside from these modules, the questionnaires are identical.
SAMPLING
Households were selected following a two-level randomized stratification. Geoeconomic strata were combined with the level of urbanization to get a first level stratification. In the second level, polling stations (sampling points) were randomly selected using a Lahirie PPS Cumulative algorithm. The number of sampling points per strata was predefined following population quotas. Finally, households were selected following a random choice for a starting point and an equal-steps route for surveyors.
INTERVIEWING AND QUALITY CONTROL
In total, 76 interviewers worked on this project, including 67 female interviewers. Interviews were conducted in Macedonian and Albanian languages.
During data processing, 676 interviews (approximately 44% of the sample) were backchecked via telephone. Additional quality control measures included GPS validation of all sampling segment interviews, checks for abnormal answer patterns, and photo verification. After quality control, 56 interviews were rejected from the final sample. Interviews averaged 51 minutes in length and ranged from 20 to 267 minutes.
DESCRIPTION OF THE SAMPLE
COVERAGE: Interviews were distributed across regions to create a nationally representative sample. Thirty percent (30%) of the interviews took place in the Skopje region, 19% in the East and Northeast regions of the country, 18% in the Southeast and Southwest regions, 14% in Poloski, 11% in Pelagoniski, and the remaining 8% of the interviews took place in the Vardaski region of the country.
GEOGRAPHY: Thirty-eight percent (38%) of respondents resided in rural areas, while 62% of respondents resided in metro areas or cities.
RACIAL AND ETHNIC BACKGROUND: Sixty-four percent (64%) of respondents identified themselves as ethnic Macedonians, while 29% identified as ethnic Albanians. The remaining 7% of respondents identified themselves as part of other ethnic groups.
GENDER: The sample is equally divided between males (50%) and female respondents (50%).
EDUCATION: Most respondents (81%) reported that they had received at least a high school diploma or vocational degree.
RESPONSE RATES
| Eligible household, non-interview | 575 |
| Refusals | 449 |
| Break-off | 7 |
| Non-contact | 101 |
| Other | 18 |
| Ineligible household | 189 |
| No eligible respondent in the household | 23 |
| Quota filled | 140 |
| Other | 26 |
DATA REVIEW AND JUSTIFICATION
As part of the data analysis process, the team consulted several third-party sources in order to contextualize and validate perception-based data captured by the General Population Poll and compare it with the objective rule of law situation in-country. Peer data sources consulted include select indicators measured by the Varieties of Democracy (V-Dem), Transparency International's Corruption Perceptions Index, the Bertelsmann Stiftung's Transformation Index (BTI), and Freedom House's Freedom in the World. While certain trends captured by the 2023 General Population Poll in North Macedonia are comparable to trends in perceptions data measured by other indices, the experiences and perceptions presented in this report may not always coincide with the reality of North Macedonia’s rule of law performance as measured by other sources.
HISTORICAL DATA
Historical data in this report derives from the WJP Rule of Law Index®'s General Population Poll that is typically administered every two to three years using a nationally representative probability sample ranging 500 to 1,000 respondents. These household surveys were administered in the three largest cities of most countries until 2018, when the World Justice Project transitioned to nationally representative coverage as the preferred methodology for polling. The historical polling data used in this year's reports was collected in 2014, 2017, and 2023.
WJP RULE OF LAW INDEX
For detailed insights into the estimation of WJP Rule of Law Index scores, as well as information regarding the methodology used for factors and sub-factors, please refer to Index-Methodology-2023 available on the World Justice Project website.
APPENDIX
APPENDIX
Methodological Materials
RULE OF LAW INDEX (ROLI)
The following documents includes the report of the Rule of Law Index 2023, and the question-level variables from the General Population Poll and the Qualified Respondents' Questionnaires used to construct the factors of the WJP Rule of Law Index.
World Justice Project Rule of Law Index 2023
World Justice Project Rule of Law Index Variable Map
GENERAL POPULATION POLL (GPP)
The General Population Poll in South America was designed to capture high-quality data on the realities and concerns of ordinary people on a variety of themes related to the rule of law, including authoritarianism, government accountability, bribery, corruption, police performance, crime and security, and access to justice.
VARIABLES USED IN INFOGRAPHICS ON CRIME VICTIMIZATION
This table lists the question-level variables from the General Population Poll used to construct Chart 12.1 and the “Reasons the crime was not reported” table in Chart 12.2.
World Justice Project Crime Rates and Reporting Variable Map
REGRESSION TABLES FOR REGRESSION ANALYSIS USED IN INFOGRAPHIC ON PERCEPTIONS OF SECURITY
This document includes the question-level variables from the General Population Poll used in the regression analysis and the regression results featured in Chart 13.2.
World Justice Project Regression Tables
VARIABLES USED IN INFOGRAPHIC ON ACCESS TO JUSTICE
This table lists the question-level variables from the General Population Poll used to construct Chart 18.
World Justice Project Access to Justice Variable Map
CIVIL AND ADMINISTRATIVE JUSTICE GAP
This documents explains the concept of the Civil and Administrative Justice Gap and its operationalization. Furthermore, the subsequent document offers a comprehensive analysis of the justice gap on a global scale.
World Justice Project: Measuring the Justice Gap
World Justice Project: Dissecting the Justice Gap in 104 countries
REGRESSION TABLES FOR REGRESSION ANALYSIS USED IN INFOGRAPHIC ON CIVIL AND ADMINISTRATIVE JUSTICE GAP
This document includes the question-level variables from the General Population Poll used in the regression analysis and the regression results featured in Chart 20.2.
ABOUT THE WORLD JUSTICE PROJECT
The World Justice Project (WJP) is an independent, multidisciplinary organization working to create knowledge, build awareness, and stimulate action to advance the rule of law worldwide. Effective rule of law is the foundation for communities of justice, opportunity, and peace–underpinning development, accountable government, and respect for fundamental rights.
The WJP builds and supports a global, multidisciplinary movement for the rule of law through three lines of work: collecting, organizing, and analyzing original, independent rule of law data, including the World Justice Project Rule of Law Index; supporting research, scholarship, and teaching about the importance of the rule of law, its relationship to development, and effective strategies to strengthen it; and connecting and building an engaged global network of policymakers and advocates to advance the rule of law through strategic partnerships, convenings, coordinated advocacy, and support for locally led initiatives.
Learn more at: worldjusticeproject.org.
OTHER PUBLICATIONS
For more information click on the publication.
WJP Rule of Law Index 2023 Insights
Highlights and data trends from the WJP Rule of Law Index 2023
WJP Mexico States Rule of
Law Index 2022-2023
Perceptions and experiences in 32 states
For more information or to read these reports, visit worldjusticeproject.org/our-work
