New Zealand vs Norway: Rule of law index
New Zealand
0.989
in 2025
Norway
0.986
in 2025
New Zealand rank
5th
Norway rank
7th
Rule of law index over time
- New Zealand
- Norway
How they compare
New Zealand currently reports 0.989 against 0.986 in Norway, a difference of 0.003.
The two have swapped places 3 times across 185 shared years of data; in 1841 it was Norway ahead.
New Zealand ranks 5th and Norway ranks 7th of 176 countries.
Across the 19 decades both report, New Zealand averaged higher in 11 and Norway in 8.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | New Zealand | Norway | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1840s | 0.92 | 0.953 | 0.033 | Norway |
| 1850s | 0.9536 | 0.953 | 0.0006 | New Zealand |
| 1860s | 0.968 | 0.953 | 0.015 | New Zealand |
| 1870s | 0.968 | 0.953 | 0.015 | New Zealand |
| 1880s | 0.968 | 0.9542 | 0.0138 | New Zealand |
| 1890s | 0.968 | 0.959 | 0.009 | New Zealand |
| 1900s | 0.968 | 0.959 | 0.009 | New Zealand |
| 1910s | 0.9777 | 0.959 | 0.0187 | New Zealand |
| 1920s | 0.981 | 0.9602 | 0.0208 | New Zealand |
| 1930s | 0.981 | 0.962 | 0.019 | New Zealand |
| 1940s | 0.981 | 0.8647 | 0.1163 | New Zealand |
| 1950s | 0.981 | 0.9879 | 0.0069 | Norway |
| 1960s | 0.983 | 0.9932 | 0.0102 | Norway |
| 1970s | 0.9834 | 0.994 | 0.0106 | Norway |
| 1980s | 0.9881 | 0.994 | 0.0059 | Norway |
| 1990s | 0.991 | 0.994 | 0.003 | Norway |
| 2000s | 0.991 | 0.994 | 0.003 | Norway |
| 2010s | 0.9912 | 0.9939 | 0.0027 | Norway |
| 2020s | 0.989 | 0.9853 | 0.0037 | New Zealand |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher rule of law index, New Zealand or Norway?
- New Zealand, at 0.989 against 0.986 in Norway as of 2025.
- What is the difference in rule of law index between New Zealand and Norway?
- 0.003, with New Zealand ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for New Zealand and Norway?
- 185 years are reported by both, from 1841 to 2025.
- How do New Zealand and Norway rank globally for rule of law index?
- New Zealand ranks 5th and Norway ranks 7th of 176 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- 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.