Which has higher rule of law index, China or Iraq?

China, at 0.209 against 0.199 in Iraq as of 2025.

How many years of comparable data are there for China and Iraq?

237 years are reported by both, from 1789 to 2025.

Where does this data come from?

V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as Rule of Law Index. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

China vs Iraq: Rule of Law Index

China

0.209

in 2025

Iraq

0.199

in 2025

China rank

138th

Iraq rank

141st

Rule of Law Index over time

China
Iraq

How they compare

China currently reports 0.209 against 0.199 in Iraq, a difference of 0.01.

That makes China's figure about 1.1 times Iraq's.

The two have swapped places 5 times across 237 shared years of data; in 1789 it was Iraq ahead.

China ranks 138th and Iraq ranks 141st of 176 countries.

Across the 25 decades both report, China averaged higher in 6 and Iraq in 19.

Head to head by decade

Decade	China	Iraq	Difference	Ahead
1780s	0.057	0.226	0.169	Iraq
1790s	0.057	0.226	0.169	Iraq
1800s	0.057	0.2232	0.1662	Iraq
1810s	0.057	0.213	0.156	Iraq
1820s	0.057	0.213	0.156	Iraq
1830s	0.057	0.2098	0.1528	Iraq
1840s	0.057	0.212	0.155	Iraq
1850s	0.057	0.2114	0.1544	Iraq
1860s	0.0521	0.216	0.1639	Iraq
1870s	0.05	0.2227	0.1727	Iraq
1880s	0.05	0.166	0.116	Iraq
1890s	0.05	0.166	0.116	Iraq
1900s	0.0676	0.2089	0.1413	Iraq
1910s	0.1234	0.2996	0.1762	Iraq
1920s	0.164	0.5168	0.3528	Iraq
1930s	0.2162	0.4794	0.2632	Iraq
1940s	0.2078	0.467	0.2592	Iraq
1950s	0.3383	0.4264	0.0881	Iraq
1960s	0.2918	0.2967	0.0049	Iraq
1970s	0.2842	0.267	0.0172	China
1980s	0.3318	0.198	0.1338	China
1990s	0.3082	0.1385	0.1697	China
2000s	0.2762	0.2002	0.076	China
2010s	0.2574	0.1951	0.0623	China
2020s	0.2268	0.2015	0.0253	China

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher rule of law index, China or Iraq?: China, at 0.209 against 0.199 in Iraq as of 2025.
What is the difference in rule of law index between China and Iraq?: 0.01, with China ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for China and Iraq?: 237 years are reported by both, from 1789 to 2025.
How do China and Iraq rank globally for rule of law index?: China ranks 138th and Iraq ranks 141st of 176 countries.
Where does this data come from?: V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as Rule of Law Index. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

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China vs Iraq: Rule of Law Index. Statizoid, drawing on V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Retrieved 28 September 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/compare/rule-of-law-index/china/iraq/

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About this data

Indicator: Rule of Law Index
Source: V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence: CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage: 176 places, 30,303 data points, 1789–2025
Last refreshed: 18 September 2026

Central estimate of the extent to which the government complies with the law, courts are independent, laws transparent, justice accessible, corruption absent, and the bureaucracy is impartial.