Rule of Law Index in Iran

Iran: Rule of Law Index was 0.209 in 2025. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2025)
0.209
Change on year
unchanged
World rank
135th
of 173 countries
All-time high
0.472
in 1951
All-time low
0.048
in 1900
Years of data
237
1789–2025

Rule of Law Index in Iran, 1789–2025

00.10.20.30.40.5178919072025

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

Analysis

The most recent figure for rule of law index in Iran is 0.209, measured in 2025.

The figure is down 22.0% over ten years.

Over the whole period, rule of law index in Iran peaked at 0.472 in 1951 and was at its lowest, 0.048, in 1900.

That places Iran 135th out of 173 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the bottom quarter.

The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1780s 0.065 0.065 0.065 1
1790s 0.065 0.065 0.065 10
1800s 0.065 0.065 0.065 10
1810s 0.065 0.065 0.065 10
1820s 0.0638 0.059 0.065 10
1830s 0.059 0.059 0.059 10
1840s 0.059 0.059 0.059 10
1850s 0.059 0.059 0.059 10
1860s 0.059 0.059 0.059 10
1870s 0.059 0.059 0.059 10
1880s 0.059 0.059 0.059 10
1890s 0.059 0.059 0.059 10
1900s 0.0682 0.048 0.103 10
1910s 0.108 0.108 0.108 10
1920s 0.1685 0.109 0.221 10
1930s 0.2444 0.221 0.26 10
1940s 0.3725 0.263 0.397 10
1950s 0.4099 0.373 0.472 10
1960s 0.4157 0.381 0.438 10
1970s 0.4305 0.359 0.44 10
1980s 0.2308 0.202 0.246 10
1990s 0.3097 0.278 0.379 10
2000s 0.3029 0.242 0.351 10
2010s 0.2484 0.233 0.27 10
2020s 0.208 0.185 0.236 6

Countries ranked near Iran

  1. 132 Eswatini 0.225 compare
  2. 133 Kazakhstan 0.217 compare
  3. 134 Uganda 0.214 compare
  4. 135 China 0.209 compare
  5. 137 Togo 0.207 compare
  6. 138 Iraq 0.199 compare

See the full ranking of 176 places →

More reference data data for Iran

All data for Iran →

Frequently asked questions

What is rule of law index in Iran?
Rule of law index in Iran was 0.209 in 2025, according to V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest rule of law index recorded in Iran?
The highest recorded value was 0.472 in 1951.
What is the lowest rule of law index recorded in Iran?
The lowest recorded value was 0.048 in 1900.
How does Iran rank for rule of law index?
Iran ranks 135th out of 173 countries with data for 2025.
Is rule of law index rising or falling in Iran?
Over the last ten years it is down 22.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this Iran 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

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

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.