What is rule of law index in Eswatini?

Rule of law index in Eswatini was 0.225 in 2025, according to V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.

What is the highest rule of law index recorded in Eswatini?

The highest recorded value was 0.39 in 1967.

What is the lowest rule of law index recorded in Eswatini?

The lowest recorded value was 0.225 in 2025.

How does Eswatini rank for rule of law index?

Eswatini ranks 135th out of 176 countries with data for 2025.

Is rule of law index rising or falling in Eswatini?

Over the last ten years it is down 23.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.

Where does this Eswatini 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.

Rule of Law Index in Eswatini

Name: Rule of Law Index in Eswatini
Creator: V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data
License: CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)

Eswatini: Rule of Law Index was 0.225 in 2025. ▼ Falling

Latest (2025)

0.225

Change on year

down 11.8%

World rank

135th

of 176 countries

All-time high

0.39

in 1967

All-time low

0.225

in 2025

Years of data

126

1900–2025

Rule of Law Index in Eswatini, 1900–2025

Source: V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.

Analysis

The most recent figure for rule of law index in Eswatini is 0.225, measured in 2025. That is the lowest value across all 126 years on record.

That represents a change of down 11.8% on the previous year and down 23.7% over ten years.

Over the whole period, rule of law index in Eswatini peaked at 0.39 in 1967 and was at its lowest, 0.225, in 2025.

Eswatini ranks 135th of 176 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 126 years of available data.

Rule of Law Index in Eswatini, year by year

Annual values for Rule of Law Index in Eswatini, 1900 to 2025.
Year	Value	Change
1900	0.333	—
1901	0.333	+0.0%
1902	0.333	+0.0%
1903	0.333	+0.0%
1904	0.333	+0.0%
1905	0.333	+0.0%
1906	0.333	+0.0%
1907	0.333	+0.0%
1908	0.323	-3.0%
1909	0.347	+7.4%
1910	0.347	+0.0%
1911	0.347	+0.0%
1912	0.347	+0.0%
1913	0.347	+0.0%
1914	0.347	+0.0%
1915	0.347	+0.0%
1916	0.347	+0.0%
1917	0.347	+0.0%
1918	0.347	+0.0%
1919	0.347	+0.0%
1920	0.355	+2.3%
1921	0.355	+0.0%
1922	0.355	+0.0%
1923	0.355	+0.0%
1924	0.355	+0.0%
1925	0.355	+0.0%
1926	0.355	+0.0%
1927	0.355	+0.0%
1928	0.355	+0.0%
1929	0.355	+0.0%
1930	0.355	+0.0%
1931	0.355	+0.0%
1932	0.355	+0.0%
1933	0.355	+0.0%
1934	0.355	+0.0%
1935	0.355	+0.0%
1936	0.355	+0.0%
1937	0.355	+0.0%
1938	0.355	+0.0%
1939	0.355	+0.0%
1940	0.355	+0.0%
1941	0.355	+0.0%
1942	0.355	+0.0%
1943	0.355	+0.0%
1944	0.355	+0.0%
1945	0.355	+0.0%
1946	0.355	+0.0%
1947	0.355	+0.0%
1948	0.355	+0.0%
1949	0.355	+0.0%
1950	0.361	+1.7%
1951	0.361	+0.0%
1952	0.361	+0.0%
1953	0.361	+0.0%
1954	0.364	+0.8%
1955	0.364	+0.0%
1956	0.364	+0.0%
1957	0.364	+0.0%
1958	0.364	+0.0%
1959	0.364	+0.0%
1960	0.374	+2.7%
1961	0.374	+0.0%
1962	0.374	+0.0%
1963	0.374	+0.0%
1964	0.374	+0.0%
1965	0.374	+0.0%
1966	0.374	+0.0%
1967	0.39	+4.3%
1968	0.355	-9.0%
1969	0.379	+6.8%
1970	0.379	+0.0%
1971	0.365	-3.7%
1972	0.365	+0.0%
1973	0.384	+5.2%
1974	0.384	+0.0%
1975	0.384	+0.0%
1976	0.384	+0.0%
1977	0.384	+0.0%
1978	0.384	+0.0%
1979	0.384	+0.0%
1980	0.384	+0.0%
1981	0.384	+0.0%
1982	0.384	+0.0%
1983	0.36	-6.3%
1984	0.36	+0.0%
1985	0.36	+0.0%
1986	0.36	+0.0%
1987	0.36	+0.0%
1988	0.36	+0.0%
1989	0.36	+0.0%
1990	0.354	-1.7%
1991	0.354	+0.0%
1992	0.354	+0.0%
1993	0.354	+0.0%
1994	0.335	-5.4%
1995	0.335	+0.0%
1996	0.335	+0.0%
1997	0.335	+0.0%
1998	0.327	-2.4%
1999	0.327	+0.0%
2000	0.324	-0.9%
2001	0.324	+0.0%
2002	0.324	+0.0%
2003	0.324	+0.0%
2004	0.324	+0.0%
2005	0.284	-12.3%
2006	0.283	-0.4%
2007	0.283	+0.0%
2008	0.29	+2.5%
2009	0.29	+0.0%
2010	0.288	-0.7%
2011	0.28	-2.8%
2012	0.28	+0.0%
2013	0.295	+5.4%
2014	0.295	+0.0%
2015	0.295	+0.0%
2016	0.295	+0.0%
2017	0.324	+9.8%
2018	0.337	+4.0%
2019	0.321	-4.7%
2020	0.324	+0.9%
2021	0.29	-10.5%
2022	0.269	-7.2%
2023	0.251	-6.7%
2024	0.255	+1.6%
2025	0.225	-11.8%

Eswatini compared with similar countries

Eswatini's 0.225 is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 0.3495, 64% of the median. (46 countries reporting)
Eswatini's 0.225 is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 0.3685, 61% of the median. (48 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

Decade	Average	Lowest	Highest	Years
1900s	0.3334	0.323	0.347	10
1910s	0.347	0.347	0.347	10
1920s	0.355	0.355	0.355	10
1930s	0.355	0.355	0.355	10
1940s	0.355	0.355	0.355	10
1950s	0.3628	0.361	0.364	10
1960s	0.3742	0.355	0.39	10
1970s	0.3797	0.365	0.384	10
1980s	0.3672	0.36	0.384	10
1990s	0.341	0.327	0.354	10
2000s	0.305	0.283	0.324	10
2010s	0.301	0.28	0.337	10
2020s	0.269	0.225	0.324	6

Countries ranked near Eswatini

132 Pakistan 0.261 compare
133 Algeria 0.25 compare
134 Bahrain 0.245 compare
136 Kazakhstan 0.217 compare
137 Uganda 0.214 compare
138 China 0.209 compare
138 Iran 0.209 compare

See the full ranking of 176 places →

More reference data data for Eswatini

Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.0203 (2050)
Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 0.3059 (2050)
Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 0.3309 (2050)
Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.0048 (2050)
Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 0.3309 (2050)
Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.0679 (2050)
Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 0.0557 (2050)
Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 1.66 (2050)
Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 1.82 (2050)
Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.026 (2050)

All data for Eswatini →

Frequently asked questions

What is rule of law index in Eswatini?: Rule of law index in Eswatini was 0.225 in 2025, according to V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest rule of law index recorded in Eswatini?: The highest recorded value was 0.39 in 1967.
What is the lowest rule of law index recorded in Eswatini?: The lowest recorded value was 0.225 in 2025.
How does Eswatini rank for rule of law index?: Eswatini ranks 135th out of 176 countries with data for 2025.
Is rule of law index rising or falling in Eswatini?: Over the last ten years it is down 23.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Eswatini 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.

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Rule of Law Index in Eswatini. Statizoid, drawing on V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Retrieved 28 September 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/stat/rule-of-law-index/eswatini/

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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.