Spain vs United Kingdom: Rule of law index
Spain
0.947
in 2025
United Kingdom
0.955
in 2025
Spain rank
21st
United Kingdom rank
19th
Rule of law index over time
- Spain
- United Kingdom
How they compare
United Kingdom currently reports 0.955 against 0.947 in Spain, a difference of 0.008.
The two have swapped places 4 times across 237 shared years of data; in 1789 it was United Kingdom ahead.
Spain ranks 21st and United Kingdom ranks 19th of 173 countries.
Across the 25 decades both report, Spain averaged higher in 4 and United Kingdom in 21.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Spain | United Kingdom | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1780s | 0.318 | 0.673 | 0.355 | United Kingdom |
| 1790s | 0.318 | 0.673 | 0.355 | United Kingdom |
| 1800s | 0.3073 | 0.673 | 0.3657 | United Kingdom |
| 1810s | 0.2648 | 0.673 | 0.4082 | United Kingdom |
| 1820s | 0.2898 | 0.781 | 0.4912 | United Kingdom |
| 1830s | 0.327 | 0.8148 | 0.4878 | United Kingdom |
| 1840s | 0.392 | 0.822 | 0.43 | United Kingdom |
| 1850s | 0.4416 | 0.8616 | 0.42 | United Kingdom |
| 1860s | 0.4596 | 0.8759 | 0.4163 | United Kingdom |
| 1870s | 0.534 | 0.937 | 0.403 | United Kingdom |
| 1880s | 0.5492 | 0.9489 | 0.3997 | United Kingdom |
| 1890s | 0.579 | 0.954 | 0.375 | United Kingdom |
| 1900s | 0.579 | 0.963 | 0.384 | United Kingdom |
| 1910s | 0.579 | 0.9621 | 0.3831 | United Kingdom |
| 1920s | 0.4919 | 0.9662 | 0.4743 | United Kingdom |
| 1930s | 0.6381 | 0.9677 | 0.3296 | United Kingdom |
| 1940s | 0.4395 | 0.969 | 0.5295 | United Kingdom |
| 1950s | 0.435 | 0.974 | 0.539 | United Kingdom |
| 1960s | 0.455 | 0.9753 | 0.5203 | United Kingdom |
| 1970s | 0.6195 | 0.979 | 0.3595 | United Kingdom |
| 1980s | 0.987 | 0.979 | 0.008 | Spain |
| 1990s | 0.987 | 0.9804 | 0.0066 | Spain |
| 2000s | 0.9874 | 0.977 | 0.0104 | Spain |
| 2010s | 0.9754 | 0.9771 | 0.0017 | United Kingdom |
| 2020s | 0.9682 | 0.9603 | 0.0078 | Spain |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher rule of law index, Spain or United Kingdom?
- United Kingdom, at 0.955 against 0.947 in Spain as of 2025.
- What is the difference in rule of law index between Spain and United Kingdom?
- 0.008, with United Kingdom ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Spain and United Kingdom?
- 237 years are reported by both, from 1789 to 2025.
- How do Spain and United Kingdom rank globally for rule of law index?
- Spain ranks 21st and United Kingdom ranks 19th of 173 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.