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

Uganda, at 0.214 against 0.209 in China as of 2025.

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

126 years are reported by both, from 1900 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 Uganda: Rule of Law Index

China

0.209

in 2025

Uganda

0.214

in 2025

China rank

135th

Uganda rank

134th

Rule of Law Index over time

China
Uganda

How they compare

Uganda currently reports 0.214 against 0.209 in China, a difference of 0.005.

The two have swapped places 2 times across 126 shared years of data; in 1900 it was Uganda ahead.

China ranks 135th and Uganda ranks 134th of 173 countries.

Across the 13 decades both report, China averaged higher in 2 and Uganda in 11.

Head to head by decade

Decade	China	Uganda	Difference	Ahead
1900s	0.0676	0.5106	0.443	Uganda
1910s	0.1234	0.517	0.3936	Uganda
1920s	0.164	0.517	0.353	Uganda
1930s	0.2162	0.517	0.3008	Uganda
1940s	0.2078	0.517	0.3092	Uganda
1950s	0.3383	0.5317	0.1934	Uganda
1960s	0.2918	0.3737	0.0819	Uganda
1970s	0.2842	0.0482	0.236	China
1980s	0.3318	0.2404	0.0914	China
1990s	0.3082	0.4643	0.1561	Uganda
2000s	0.2762	0.3775	0.1013	Uganda
2010s	0.2574	0.3286	0.0712	Uganda
2020s	0.2268	0.263	0.0362	Uganda

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher rule of law index, China or Uganda?: Uganda, at 0.214 against 0.209 in China as of 2025.
What is the difference in rule of law index between China and Uganda?: 0.005, with Uganda ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for China and Uganda?: 126 years are reported by both, from 1900 to 2025.
How do China and Uganda rank globally for rule of law index?: China ranks 135th and Uganda ranks 134th of 173 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.

Individual pages

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: 07 August 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.