Which has higher rule of law index, Denmark or Germany?

Denmark, at 0.997 against 0.991 in Germany as of 2025.

How many years of comparable data are there for Denmark and Germany?

191 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.

Denmark vs Germany: Rule of Law Index

Denmark

0.997

in 2025

Germany

0.991

in 2025

Denmark rank

1st

Germany rank

3rd

Rule of Law Index over time

Denmark
Germany

How they compare

Denmark currently reports 0.997 against 0.991 in Germany, a difference of 0.006.

Across all 191 years both countries report, Denmark has been ahead every year.

Denmark ranks 1st and Germany ranks 3rd of 176 countries.

Denmark has averaged higher in every one of the 21 decades both report.

Head to head by decade

Decade	Denmark	Germany	Difference	Ahead
1780s	0.991	0.638	0.353	Denmark
1790s	0.991	0.638	0.353	Denmark
1800s	0.991	0.638	0.353	Denmark
1810s	0.991	0.638	0.353	Denmark
1820s	0.991	0.638	0.353	Denmark
1830s	0.991	0.638	0.353	Denmark
1840s	0.991	0.6625	0.3285	Denmark
1850s	0.9912	0.776	0.2152	Denmark
1860s	0.992	0.7847	0.2073	Denmark
1870s	0.992	0.8365	0.1555	Denmark
1880s	0.9916	0.84	0.1516	Denmark
1890s	0.9915	0.877	0.1145	Denmark
1900s	0.9922	0.8762	0.116	Denmark
1910s	0.994	0.8643	0.1297	Denmark
1920s	0.9959	0.8898	0.1061	Denmark
1930s	0.997	0.4284	0.5686	Denmark
1940s	0.9864	0.201	0.7854	Denmark
1990s	0.998	0.9938	0.0042	Denmark
2000s	0.998	0.993	0.005	Denmark
2010s	0.998	0.9929	0.0051	Denmark
2020s	0.9972	0.991	0.0062	Denmark

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher rule of law index, Denmark or Germany?: Denmark, at 0.997 against 0.991 in Germany as of 2025.
What is the difference in rule of law index between Denmark and Germany?: 0.006, with Denmark ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Denmark and Germany?: 191 years are reported by both, from 1789 to 2025.
How do Denmark and Germany rank globally for rule of law index?: Denmark ranks 1st and Germany ranks 3rd 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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Denmark vs Germany: 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/denmark/germany/

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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.