Rule of Law Index in Ethiopia
Ethiopia: Rule of Law Index was 0.315 in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Rule of Law Index in Ethiopia, 1789–2025
Source: V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
Analysis
Ethiopia recorded 0.315 for rule of law index in 2025.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 1.3% on the previous year and down 0.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, rule of law index in Ethiopia peaked at 0.368 in 2020 and was at its lowest, 0.076, in 1789.
Ethiopia ranks 120th of 173 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1780s | 0.076 | 0.076 | 0.076 | 1 |
| 1790s | 0.076 | 0.076 | 0.076 | 10 |
| 1800s | 0.076 | 0.076 | 0.076 | 10 |
| 1810s | 0.076 | 0.076 | 0.076 | 10 |
| 1820s | 0.076 | 0.076 | 0.076 | 10 |
| 1830s | 0.076 | 0.076 | 0.076 | 10 |
| 1840s | 0.076 | 0.076 | 0.076 | 10 |
| 1850s | 0.076 | 0.076 | 0.076 | 10 |
| 1860s | 0.076 | 0.076 | 0.076 | 10 |
| 1870s | 0.076 | 0.076 | 0.076 | 10 |
| 1880s | 0.076 | 0.076 | 0.076 | 10 |
| 1890s | 0.076 | 0.076 | 0.076 | 10 |
| 1900s | 0.083 | 0.083 | 0.083 | 10 |
| 1910s | 0.0845 | 0.083 | 0.088 | 10 |
| 1920s | 0.088 | 0.088 | 0.088 | 10 |
| 1930s | 0.0914 | 0.088 | 0.094 | 10 |
| 1940s | 0.1231 | 0.089 | 0.133 | 10 |
| 1950s | 0.124 | 0.122 | 0.126 | 10 |
| 1960s | 0.1248 | 0.122 | 0.132 | 10 |
| 1970s | 0.1475 | 0.128 | 0.164 | 10 |
| 1980s | 0.1765 | 0.172 | 0.187 | 10 |
| 1990s | 0.3135 | 0.202 | 0.351 | 10 |
| 2000s | 0.3222 | 0.317 | 0.342 | 10 |
| 2010s | 0.3283 | 0.31 | 0.357 | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.3308 | 0.292 | 0.368 | 6 |
Countries ranked near Ethiopia
- 117 Indonesia 0.338 compare
- 118 Egypt 0.321 compare
- 119 Vietnam 0.319 compare
- 121 Bangladesh 0.311 compare
- 123 Mozambique 0.29 compare
More reference data data for Ethiopia
- Temperature anomalies by month 0.2007 °C (2026)
- Spring temperature anomalies -0.8567 °C (2026)
- Summer temperature anomalies 1.21 °C (2026)
- Consumer price index 1,176 2010 = 100 (2025)
- Winter temperature anomalies 0.8867 °C (2025)
- Autumn temperature anomalies 0.4577 °C (2025)
- Universal right to vote in practice 2 (2025)
- Universal right to vote 2 (2025)
- Chief executive of the government is elected 1 (2025)
- Free country 0 (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is rule of law index in Ethiopia?
- Rule of law index in Ethiopia was 0.315 in 2025, according to V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest rule of law index recorded in Ethiopia?
- The highest recorded value was 0.368 in 2020.
- What is the lowest rule of law index recorded in Ethiopia?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.076 in 1789.
- How does Ethiopia rank for rule of law index?
- Ethiopia ranks 120th out of 173 countries with data for 2025.
- Is rule of law index rising or falling in Ethiopia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 0.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Ethiopia 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.