What is rule of law index in Germany?

Rule of law index in Germany was 0.991 in 2025, according to V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.

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

The highest recorded value was 0.994 in 1991.

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

The lowest recorded value was 0.201 in 1934.

How does Germany rank for rule of law index?

Germany ranks 3rd out of 176 countries with data for 2025.

Is rule of law index rising or falling in Germany?

Over the last ten years it is down 0.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.

Where does this Germany 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 Germany

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

Germany: Rule of Law Index was 0.991 in 2025. ▲ Rising

Latest (2025)

0.991

Change on year

unchanged

World rank

3rd

of 176 countries

All-time high

0.994

in 1991

All-time low

0.201

in 1934

Years of data

191

1789–2025

Rule of Law Index in Germany, 1789–2025

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

Analysis

The most recent figure for rule of law index in Germany is 0.991, measured in 2025.

Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.3% over ten years.

Over the whole period, rule of law index in Germany peaked at 0.994 in 1991 and was at its lowest, 0.201, in 1934.

Germany ranks 3rd of 176 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 191 years of available data.

Rule of Law Index in Germany, year by year

Annual values for Rule of Law Index in Germany, 1789 to 2025.
Year	Value	Change
1789	0.638	—
1790	0.638	+0.0%
1791	0.638	+0.0%
1792	0.638	+0.0%
1793	0.638	+0.0%
1794	0.638	+0.0%
1795	0.638	+0.0%
1796	0.638	+0.0%
1797	0.638	+0.0%
1798	0.638	+0.0%
1799	0.638	+0.0%
1800	0.638	+0.0%
1801	0.638	+0.0%
1802	0.638	+0.0%
1803	0.638	+0.0%
1804	0.638	+0.0%
1805	0.638	+0.0%
1806	0.638	+0.0%
1807	0.638	+0.0%
1808	0.638	+0.0%
1809	0.638	+0.0%
1810	0.638	+0.0%
1811	0.638	+0.0%
1812	0.638	+0.0%
1813	0.638	+0.0%
1814	0.638	+0.0%
1815	0.638	+0.0%
1816	0.638	+0.0%
1817	0.638	+0.0%
1818	0.638	+0.0%
1819	0.638	+0.0%
1820	0.638	+0.0%
1821	0.638	+0.0%
1822	0.638	+0.0%
1823	0.638	+0.0%
1824	0.638	+0.0%
1825	0.638	+0.0%
1826	0.638	+0.0%
1827	0.638	+0.0%
1828	0.638	+0.0%
1829	0.638	+0.0%
1830	0.638	+0.0%
1831	0.638	+0.0%
1832	0.638	+0.0%
1833	0.638	+0.0%
1834	0.638	+0.0%
1835	0.638	+0.0%
1836	0.638	+0.0%
1837	0.638	+0.0%
1838	0.638	+0.0%
1839	0.638	+0.0%
1840	0.638	+0.0%
1841	0.638	+0.0%
1842	0.638	+0.0%
1843	0.638	+0.0%
1844	0.638	+0.0%
1845	0.638	+0.0%
1846	0.638	+0.0%
1847	0.638	+0.0%
1848	0.745	+16.8%
1849	0.776	+4.2%
1850	0.776	+0.0%
1851	0.776	+0.0%
1852	0.776	+0.0%
1853	0.776	+0.0%
1854	0.776	+0.0%
1855	0.776	+0.0%
1856	0.776	+0.0%
1857	0.776	+0.0%
1858	0.776	+0.0%
1859	0.776	+0.0%
1860	0.776	+0.0%
1861	0.776	+0.0%
1862	0.776	+0.0%
1863	0.776	+0.0%
1864	0.776	+0.0%
1865	0.776	+0.0%
1866	0.776	+0.0%
1867	0.805	+3.7%
1868	0.805	+0.0%
1869	0.805	+0.0%
1870	0.805	+0.0%
1871	0.84	+4.3%
1872	0.84	+0.0%
1873	0.84	+0.0%
1874	0.84	+0.0%
1875	0.84	+0.0%
1876	0.84	+0.0%
1877	0.84	+0.0%
1878	0.84	+0.0%
1879	0.84	+0.0%
1880	0.84	+0.0%
1881	0.84	+0.0%
1882	0.84	+0.0%
1883	0.84	+0.0%
1884	0.84	+0.0%
1885	0.84	+0.0%
1886	0.84	+0.0%
1887	0.84	+0.0%
1888	0.84	+0.0%
1889	0.84	+0.0%
1890	0.877	+4.4%
1891	0.877	+0.0%
1892	0.877	+0.0%
1893	0.877	+0.0%
1894	0.877	+0.0%
1895	0.877	+0.0%
1896	0.877	+0.0%
1897	0.877	+0.0%
1898	0.877	+0.0%
1899	0.877	+0.0%
1900	0.877	+0.0%
1901	0.877	+0.0%
1902	0.876	-0.1%
1903	0.876	+0.0%
1904	0.876	+0.0%
1905	0.876	+0.0%
1906	0.876	+0.0%
1907	0.876	+0.0%
1908	0.876	+0.0%
1909	0.876	+0.0%
1910	0.876	+0.0%
1911	0.876	+0.0%
1912	0.878	+0.2%
1913	0.878	+0.0%
1914	0.861	-1.9%
1915	0.855	-0.7%
1916	0.85	-0.6%
1917	0.847	-0.4%
1918	0.843	-0.5%
1919	0.879	+4.3%
1920	0.889	+1.1%
1921	0.891	+0.2%
1922	0.891	+0.0%
1923	0.891	+0.0%
1924	0.891	+0.0%
1925	0.889	-0.2%
1926	0.889	+0.0%
1927	0.889	+0.0%
1928	0.889	+0.0%
1929	0.889	+0.0%
1930	0.888	-0.1%
1931	0.888	+0.0%
1932	0.866	-2.5%
1933	0.429	-50.5%
1934	0.201	-53.1%
1935	0.205	+2.0%
1936	0.204	-0.5%
1937	0.201	-1.5%
1938	0.201	+0.0%
1939	0.201	+0.0%
1940	0.201	+0.0%
1941	0.201	+0.0%
1942	0.201	+0.0%
1943	0.201	+0.0%
1944	0.201	+0.0%
1991	0.994	+394.5%
1992	0.994	+0.0%
1993	0.994	+0.0%
1994	0.994	+0.0%
1995	0.994	+0.0%
1996	0.994	+0.0%
1997	0.994	+0.0%
1998	0.993	-0.1%
1999	0.993	+0.0%
2000	0.993	+0.0%
2001	0.993	+0.0%
2002	0.993	+0.0%
2003	0.993	+0.0%
2004	0.993	+0.0%
2005	0.993	+0.0%
2006	0.993	+0.0%
2007	0.993	+0.0%
2008	0.993	+0.0%
2009	0.993	+0.0%
2010	0.993	+0.0%
2011	0.993	+0.0%
2012	0.993	+0.0%
2013	0.994	+0.1%
2014	0.994	+0.0%
2015	0.994	+0.0%
2016	0.994	+0.0%
2017	0.992	-0.2%
2018	0.991	-0.1%
2019	0.991	+0.0%
2020	0.991	+0.0%
2021	0.991	+0.0%
2022	0.99	-0.1%
2023	0.992	+0.2%
2024	0.991	-0.1%
2025	0.991	+0.0%

Germany compared with similar countries

Germany's 0.991 is above the median for high income countries, which is 0.927, 1.1× the median. (55 countries reporting)
Germany's 0.991 is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 0.8365, 1.2× the median. (48 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

Decade	Average	Lowest	Highest	Years
1780s	0.638	0.638	0.638	1
1790s	0.638	0.638	0.638	10
1800s	0.638	0.638	0.638	10
1810s	0.638	0.638	0.638	10
1820s	0.638	0.638	0.638	10
1830s	0.638	0.638	0.638	10
1840s	0.6625	0.638	0.776	10
1850s	0.776	0.776	0.776	10
1860s	0.7847	0.776	0.805	10
1870s	0.8365	0.805	0.84	10
1880s	0.84	0.84	0.84	10
1890s	0.877	0.877	0.877	10
1900s	0.8762	0.876	0.877	10
1910s	0.8643	0.843	0.879	10
1920s	0.8898	0.889	0.891	10
1930s	0.4284	0.201	0.888	10
1940s	0.201	0.201	0.201	5
1990s	0.9938	0.993	0.994	9
2000s	0.993	0.993	0.993	10
2010s	0.9929	0.991	0.994	10
2020s	0.991	0.99	0.992	6

Countries ranked near Germany

See the full ranking of 176 places →

More reference data data for Germany

Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 4.6 (2050)
Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 1.7 (2050)
Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 16.93 (2050)
Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 1.94 (2050)
Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 16.93 (2050)
Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 15.41 (2050)
Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 9.96 (2050)
Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 8.87 (2050)
Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 80.38 (2050)
Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 10.56 (2050)

All data for Germany →

Frequently asked questions

What is rule of law index in Germany?: Rule of law index in Germany was 0.991 in 2025, according to V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest rule of law index recorded in Germany?: The highest recorded value was 0.994 in 1991.
What is the lowest rule of law index recorded in Germany?: The lowest recorded value was 0.201 in 1934.
How does Germany rank for rule of law index?: Germany ranks 3rd out of 176 countries with data for 2025.
Is rule of law index rising or falling in Germany?: Over the last ten years it is down 0.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Germany 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 Germany. 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/germany/

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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.