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

Switzerland, at 0.995 against 0.991 in Germany as of 2025.

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

182 years are reported by both, from 1798 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.

Germany vs Switzerland: Rule of Law Index

Germany

0.991

in 2025

Switzerland

0.995

in 2025

Germany rank

3rd

Switzerland rank

2nd

Rule of Law Index over time

Germany
Switzerland

How they compare

Switzerland currently reports 0.995 against 0.991 in Germany, a difference of 0.004.

The two have swapped places 2 times across 182 shared years of data; in 1798 it was Switzerland ahead.

Germany ranks 3rd and Switzerland ranks 2nd of 176 countries.

Across the 20 decades both report, Germany averaged higher in 1 and Switzerland in 18.

Head to head by decade

Decade	Germany	Switzerland	Difference	Ahead
1790s	0.638	0.981	0.343	Switzerland
1800s	0.638	0.981	0.343	Switzerland
1810s	0.638	0.981	0.343	Switzerland
1820s	0.638	0.981	0.343	Switzerland
1830s	0.638	0.981	0.343	Switzerland
1840s	0.6625	0.9794	0.3169	Switzerland
1850s	0.776	0.973	0.197	Switzerland
1860s	0.7847	0.973	0.1883	Switzerland
1870s	0.8365	0.982	0.1455	Switzerland
1880s	0.84	0.991	0.151	Switzerland
1890s	0.877	0.991	0.114	Switzerland
1900s	0.8762	0.991	0.1148	Switzerland
1910s	0.8643	0.991	0.1267	Switzerland
1920s	0.8898	0.991	0.1012	Switzerland
1930s	0.4284	0.991	0.5626	Switzerland
1940s	0.201	0.991	0.79	Switzerland
1990s	0.9938	0.993	0.0008	Germany
2000s	0.993	0.993	0	—
2010s	0.9929	0.9941	0.0012	Switzerland
2020s	0.991	0.9947	0.0037	Switzerland

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher rule of law index, Germany or Switzerland?: Switzerland, at 0.995 against 0.991 in Germany as of 2025.
What is the difference in rule of law index between Germany and Switzerland?: 0.004, with Switzerland ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Germany and Switzerland?: 182 years are reported by both, from 1798 to 2025.
How do Germany and Switzerland rank globally for rule of law index?: Germany ranks 3rd and Switzerland ranks 2nd 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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Germany vs Switzerland: 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/germany/switzerland/

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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.