Rule of Law Index in Bulgaria
Bulgaria: Rule of Law Index was 0.56 in 2025. ▲ Rising
Latest (2025)
0.56
Change on year
down 10.8%
World rank
91st
of 176 countries
All-time high
0.796
in 1998
All-time low
0.181
in 1839
Years of data
237
1789–2025
Rule of Law Index in Bulgaria, 1789–2025
Source: V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
Analysis
In 2025, rule of law index in Bulgaria stood at 0.56.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 10.8% on the previous year and down 21.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, rule of law index in Bulgaria peaked at 0.796 in 1998 and was at its lowest, 0.181, in 1839.
That places Bulgaria 91st out of 176 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 237 years of available data.
Rule of Law Index in Bulgaria, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1789 | 0.226 | — |
| 1790 | 0.226 | +0.0% |
| 1791 | 0.226 | +0.0% |
| 1792 | 0.226 | +0.0% |
| 1793 | 0.226 | +0.0% |
| 1794 | 0.226 | +0.0% |
| 1795 | 0.226 | +0.0% |
| 1796 | 0.226 | +0.0% |
| 1797 | 0.226 | +0.0% |
| 1798 | 0.226 | +0.0% |
| 1799 | 0.226 | +0.0% |
| 1800 | 0.226 | +0.0% |
| 1801 | 0.226 | +0.0% |
| 1802 | 0.226 | +0.0% |
| 1803 | 0.226 | +0.0% |
| 1804 | 0.226 | +0.0% |
| 1805 | 0.226 | +0.0% |
| 1806 | 0.226 | +0.0% |
| 1807 | 0.226 | +0.0% |
| 1808 | 0.211 | -6.6% |
| 1809 | 0.213 | +0.9% |
| 1810 | 0.213 | +0.0% |
| 1811 | 0.213 | +0.0% |
| 1812 | 0.213 | +0.0% |
| 1813 | 0.213 | +0.0% |
| 1814 | 0.213 | +0.0% |
| 1815 | 0.213 | +0.0% |
| 1816 | 0.213 | +0.0% |
| 1817 | 0.213 | +0.0% |
| 1818 | 0.213 | +0.0% |
| 1819 | 0.213 | +0.0% |
| 1820 | 0.213 | +0.0% |
| 1821 | 0.213 | +0.0% |
| 1822 | 0.213 | +0.0% |
| 1823 | 0.213 | +0.0% |
| 1824 | 0.213 | +0.0% |
| 1825 | 0.213 | +0.0% |
| 1826 | 0.213 | +0.0% |
| 1827 | 0.213 | +0.0% |
| 1828 | 0.213 | +0.0% |
| 1829 | 0.213 | +0.0% |
| 1830 | 0.213 | +0.0% |
| 1831 | 0.213 | +0.0% |
| 1832 | 0.213 | +0.0% |
| 1833 | 0.213 | +0.0% |
| 1834 | 0.213 | +0.0% |
| 1835 | 0.213 | +0.0% |
| 1836 | 0.213 | +0.0% |
| 1837 | 0.213 | +0.0% |
| 1838 | 0.213 | +0.0% |
| 1839 | 0.181 | -15.0% |
| 1840 | 0.212 | +17.1% |
| 1841 | 0.212 | +0.0% |
| 1842 | 0.212 | +0.0% |
| 1843 | 0.212 | +0.0% |
| 1844 | 0.212 | +0.0% |
| 1845 | 0.212 | +0.0% |
| 1846 | 0.212 | +0.0% |
| 1847 | 0.212 | +0.0% |
| 1848 | 0.212 | +0.0% |
| 1849 | 0.212 | +0.0% |
| 1850 | 0.212 | +0.0% |
| 1851 | 0.212 | +0.0% |
| 1852 | 0.212 | +0.0% |
| 1853 | 0.212 | +0.0% |
| 1854 | 0.212 | +0.0% |
| 1855 | 0.212 | +0.0% |
| 1856 | 0.212 | +0.0% |
| 1857 | 0.21 | -0.9% |
| 1858 | 0.21 | +0.0% |
| 1859 | 0.21 | +0.0% |
| 1860 | 0.21 | +0.0% |
| 1861 | 0.21 | +0.0% |
| 1862 | 0.21 | +0.0% |
| 1863 | 0.21 | +0.0% |
| 1864 | 0.21 | +0.0% |
| 1865 | 0.21 | +0.0% |
| 1866 | 0.21 | +0.0% |
| 1867 | 0.21 | +0.0% |
| 1868 | 0.24 | +14.3% |
| 1869 | 0.24 | +0.0% |
| 1870 | 0.24 | +0.0% |
| 1871 | 0.24 | +0.0% |
| 1872 | 0.24 | +0.0% |
| 1873 | 0.24 | +0.0% |
| 1874 | 0.24 | +0.0% |
| 1875 | 0.24 | +0.0% |
| 1876 | 0.24 | +0.0% |
| 1877 | 0.191 | -20.4% |
| 1878 | 0.543 | +184.3% |
| 1879 | 0.543 | +0.0% |
| 1880 | 0.469 | -13.6% |
| 1881 | 0.422 | -10.0% |
| 1882 | 0.422 | +0.0% |
| 1883 | 0.422 | +0.0% |
| 1884 | 0.477 | +13.0% |
| 1885 | 0.477 | +0.0% |
| 1886 | 0.442 | -7.3% |
| 1887 | 0.442 | +0.0% |
| 1888 | 0.442 | +0.0% |
| 1889 | 0.442 | +0.0% |
| 1890 | 0.442 | +0.0% |
| 1891 | 0.442 | +0.0% |
| 1892 | 0.442 | +0.0% |
| 1893 | 0.442 | +0.0% |
| 1894 | 0.442 | +0.0% |
| 1895 | 0.542 | +22.6% |
| 1896 | 0.542 | +0.0% |
| 1897 | 0.542 | +0.0% |
| 1898 | 0.542 | +0.0% |
| 1899 | 0.542 | +0.0% |
| 1900 | 0.542 | +0.0% |
| 1901 | 0.543 | +0.2% |
| 1902 | 0.543 | +0.0% |
| 1903 | 0.543 | +0.0% |
| 1904 | 0.543 | +0.0% |
| 1905 | 0.543 | +0.0% |
| 1906 | 0.543 | +0.0% |
| 1907 | 0.543 | +0.0% |
| 1908 | 0.543 | +0.0% |
| 1909 | 0.543 | +0.0% |
| 1910 | 0.543 | +0.0% |
| 1911 | 0.543 | +0.0% |
| 1912 | 0.543 | +0.0% |
| 1913 | 0.543 | +0.0% |
| 1914 | 0.543 | +0.0% |
| 1915 | 0.543 | +0.0% |
| 1916 | 0.543 | +0.0% |
| 1917 | 0.543 | +0.0% |
| 1918 | 0.54 | -0.6% |
| 1919 | 0.539 | -0.2% |
| 1920 | 0.526 | -2.4% |
| 1921 | 0.526 | +0.0% |
| 1922 | 0.526 | +0.0% |
| 1923 | 0.519 | -1.3% |
| 1924 | 0.528 | +1.7% |
| 1925 | 0.531 | +0.6% |
| 1926 | 0.56 | +5.5% |
| 1927 | 0.56 | +0.0% |
| 1928 | 0.56 | +0.0% |
| 1929 | 0.56 | +0.0% |
| 1930 | 0.57 | +1.8% |
| 1931 | 0.57 | +0.0% |
| 1932 | 0.57 | +0.0% |
| 1933 | 0.57 | +0.0% |
| 1934 | 0.504 | -11.6% |
| 1935 | 0.516 | +2.4% |
| 1936 | 0.516 | +0.0% |
| 1937 | 0.516 | +0.0% |
| 1938 | 0.516 | +0.0% |
| 1939 | 0.516 | +0.0% |
| 1940 | 0.524 | +1.6% |
| 1941 | 0.516 | -1.5% |
| 1942 | 0.516 | +0.0% |
| 1943 | 0.516 | +0.0% |
| 1944 | 0.48 | -7.0% |
| 1945 | 0.241 | -49.8% |
| 1946 | 0.251 | +4.1% |
| 1947 | 0.255 | +1.6% |
| 1948 | 0.291 | +14.1% |
| 1949 | 0.288 | -1.0% |
| 1950 | 0.288 | +0.0% |
| 1951 | 0.279 | -3.1% |
| 1952 | 0.279 | +0.0% |
| 1953 | 0.279 | +0.0% |
| 1954 | 0.279 | +0.0% |
| 1955 | 0.279 | +0.0% |
| 1956 | 0.274 | -1.8% |
| 1957 | 0.274 | +0.0% |
| 1958 | 0.274 | +0.0% |
| 1959 | 0.274 | +0.0% |
| 1960 | 0.274 | +0.0% |
| 1961 | 0.274 | +0.0% |
| 1962 | 0.274 | +0.0% |
| 1963 | 0.274 | +0.0% |
| 1964 | 0.274 | +0.0% |
| 1965 | 0.274 | +0.0% |
| 1966 | 0.274 | +0.0% |
| 1967 | 0.274 | +0.0% |
| 1968 | 0.274 | +0.0% |
| 1969 | 0.274 | +0.0% |
| 1970 | 0.28 | +2.2% |
| 1971 | 0.28 | +0.0% |
| 1972 | 0.28 | +0.0% |
| 1973 | 0.28 | +0.0% |
| 1974 | 0.28 | +0.0% |
| 1975 | 0.28 | +0.0% |
| 1976 | 0.28 | +0.0% |
| 1977 | 0.28 | +0.0% |
| 1978 | 0.28 | +0.0% |
| 1979 | 0.28 | +0.0% |
| 1980 | 0.28 | +0.0% |
| 1981 | 0.28 | +0.0% |
| 1982 | 0.28 | +0.0% |
| 1983 | 0.277 | -1.1% |
| 1984 | 0.277 | +0.0% |
| 1985 | 0.277 | +0.0% |
| 1986 | 0.265 | -4.3% |
| 1987 | 0.265 | +0.0% |
| 1988 | 0.265 | +0.0% |
| 1989 | 0.265 | +0.0% |
| 1990 | 0.692 | +161.1% |
| 1991 | 0.729 | +5.3% |
| 1992 | 0.756 | +3.7% |
| 1993 | 0.744 | -1.6% |
| 1994 | 0.744 | +0.0% |
| 1995 | 0.744 | +0.0% |
| 1996 | 0.747 | +0.4% |
| 1997 | 0.762 | +2.0% |
| 1998 | 0.796 | +4.5% |
| 1999 | 0.796 | +0.0% |
| 2000 | 0.796 | +0.0% |
| 2001 | 0.776 | -2.5% |
| 2002 | 0.776 | +0.0% |
| 2003 | 0.776 | +0.0% |
| 2004 | 0.776 | +0.0% |
| 2005 | 0.776 | +0.0% |
| 2006 | 0.785 | +1.2% |
| 2007 | 0.79 | +0.6% |
| 2008 | 0.784 | -0.8% |
| 2009 | 0.713 | -9.1% |
| 2010 | 0.696 | -2.4% |
| 2011 | 0.697 | +0.1% |
| 2012 | 0.708 | +1.6% |
| 2013 | 0.728 | +2.8% |
| 2014 | 0.738 | +1.4% |
| 2015 | 0.713 | -3.4% |
| 2016 | 0.698 | -2.1% |
| 2017 | 0.693 | -0.7% |
| 2018 | 0.668 | -3.6% |
| 2019 | 0.633 | -5.2% |
| 2020 | 0.635 | +0.3% |
| 2021 | 0.633 | -0.3% |
| 2022 | 0.791 | +25.0% |
| 2023 | 0.775 | -2.0% |
| 2024 | 0.628 | -19.0% |
| 2025 | 0.56 | -10.8% |
Bulgaria compared with similar countries
- Bulgaria's 0.56 is below the median for high income countries, which is 0.927, 60% of the median. (55 countries reporting)
- Bulgaria's 0.56 is below the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 0.8365, 67% of the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1780s | 0.226 | 0.226 | 0.226 | 1 |
| 1790s | 0.226 | 0.226 | 0.226 | 10 |
| 1800s | 0.2232 | 0.211 | 0.226 | 10 |
| 1810s | 0.213 | 0.213 | 0.213 | 10 |
| 1820s | 0.213 | 0.213 | 0.213 | 10 |
| 1830s | 0.2098 | 0.181 | 0.213 | 10 |
| 1840s | 0.212 | 0.212 | 0.212 | 10 |
| 1850s | 0.2114 | 0.21 | 0.212 | 10 |
| 1860s | 0.216 | 0.21 | 0.24 | 10 |
| 1870s | 0.2957 | 0.191 | 0.543 | 10 |
| 1880s | 0.4457 | 0.422 | 0.477 | 10 |
| 1890s | 0.492 | 0.442 | 0.542 | 10 |
| 1900s | 0.5429 | 0.542 | 0.543 | 10 |
| 1910s | 0.5423 | 0.539 | 0.543 | 10 |
| 1920s | 0.5396 | 0.519 | 0.56 | 10 |
| 1930s | 0.5364 | 0.504 | 0.57 | 10 |
| 1940s | 0.3878 | 0.241 | 0.524 | 10 |
| 1950s | 0.2779 | 0.274 | 0.288 | 10 |
| 1960s | 0.274 | 0.274 | 0.274 | 10 |
| 1970s | 0.28 | 0.28 | 0.28 | 10 |
| 1980s | 0.2731 | 0.265 | 0.28 | 10 |
| 1990s | 0.751 | 0.692 | 0.796 | 10 |
| 2000s | 0.7748 | 0.713 | 0.796 | 10 |
| 2010s | 0.6972 | 0.633 | 0.738 | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.6703 | 0.56 | 0.791 | 6 |
Countries ranked near Bulgaria
More reference data data for Bulgaria
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.3067 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 0.2728 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 1.73 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.2506 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 1.73 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 1.03 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 0.608 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 1.02 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 7.74 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 1.36 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is rule of law index in Bulgaria?
- Rule of law index in Bulgaria was 0.56 in 2025, according to V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest rule of law index recorded in Bulgaria?
- The highest recorded value was 0.796 in 1998.
- What is the lowest rule of law index recorded in Bulgaria?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.181 in 1839.
- How does Bulgaria rank for rule of law index?
- Bulgaria ranks 91st out of 176 countries with data for 2025.
- Is rule of law index rising or falling in Bulgaria?
- Over the last ten years it is down 21.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Bulgaria data come from?
- The figures come from V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Rule of Law Index. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 237 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
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.