What is rule of law index in Portugal?

Rule of law index in Portugal was 0.887 in 2025, according to V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.

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

The highest recorded value was 0.966 in 2017.

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

The lowest recorded value was 0.18 in 1828.

How does Portugal rank for rule of law index?

Portugal ranks 35th out of 176 countries with data for 2025.

Is rule of law index rising or falling in Portugal?

Over the last ten years it is down 7.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.

Where does this Portugal 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 Portugal

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

Portugal: Rule of Law Index was 0.887 in 2025. ▲ Rising

Latest (2025)

0.887

Change on year

down 2.7%

World rank

35th

of 176 countries

All-time high

0.966

in 2017

All-time low

0.18

in 1828

Years of data

237

1789–2025

Rule of Law Index in Portugal, 1789–2025

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

Analysis

Portugal recorded 0.887 for rule of law index in 2025.

Compared with earlier readings it is down 2.7% on the previous year and down 7.8% over ten years.

Over the whole period, rule of law index in Portugal peaked at 0.966 in 2017 and was at its lowest, 0.18, in 1828.

Portugal ranks 35th of 176 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 237 years of available data.

Rule of Law Index in Portugal, year by year

Annual values for Rule of Law Index in Portugal, 1789 to 2025.
Year	Value	Change
1789	0.231	—
1790	0.231	+0.0%
1791	0.231	+0.0%
1792	0.231	+0.0%
1793	0.231	+0.0%
1794	0.231	+0.0%
1795	0.231	+0.0%
1796	0.231	+0.0%
1797	0.231	+0.0%
1798	0.231	+0.0%
1799	0.231	+0.0%
1800	0.231	+0.0%
1801	0.231	+0.0%
1802	0.231	+0.0%
1803	0.231	+0.0%
1804	0.231	+0.0%
1805	0.231	+0.0%
1806	0.231	+0.0%
1807	0.205	-11.3%
1808	0.205	+0.0%
1809	0.205	+0.0%
1810	0.205	+0.0%
1811	0.205	+0.0%
1812	0.205	+0.0%
1813	0.205	+0.0%
1814	0.205	+0.0%
1815	0.205	+0.0%
1816	0.205	+0.0%
1817	0.205	+0.0%
1818	0.205	+0.0%
1819	0.205	+0.0%
1820	0.3	+46.3%
1821	0.3	+0.0%
1822	0.3	+0.0%
1823	0.3	+0.0%
1824	0.276	-8.0%
1825	0.276	+0.0%
1826	0.245	-11.2%
1827	0.247	+0.8%
1828	0.18	-27.1%
1829	0.18	+0.0%
1830	0.18	+0.0%
1831	0.18	+0.0%
1832	0.18	+0.0%
1833	0.196	+8.9%
1834	0.188	-4.1%
1835	0.221	+17.6%
1836	0.221	+0.0%
1837	0.221	+0.0%
1838	0.221	+0.0%
1839	0.221	+0.0%
1840	0.221	+0.0%
1841	0.221	+0.0%
1842	0.221	+0.0%
1843	0.221	+0.0%
1844	0.221	+0.0%
1845	0.221	+0.0%
1846	0.205	-7.2%
1847	0.205	+0.0%
1848	0.205	+0.0%
1849	0.205	+0.0%
1850	0.227	+10.7%
1851	0.28	+23.3%
1852	0.443	+58.2%
1853	0.517	+16.7%
1854	0.517	+0.0%
1855	0.517	+0.0%
1856	0.517	+0.0%
1857	0.517	+0.0%
1858	0.517	+0.0%
1859	0.517	+0.0%
1860	0.58	+12.2%
1861	0.58	+0.0%
1862	0.58	+0.0%
1863	0.58	+0.0%
1864	0.58	+0.0%
1865	0.58	+0.0%
1866	0.58	+0.0%
1867	0.58	+0.0%
1868	0.58	+0.0%
1869	0.58	+0.0%
1870	0.58	+0.0%
1871	0.58	+0.0%
1872	0.58	+0.0%
1873	0.58	+0.0%
1874	0.58	+0.0%
1875	0.58	+0.0%
1876	0.58	+0.0%
1877	0.58	+0.0%
1878	0.58	+0.0%
1879	0.58	+0.0%
1880	0.58	+0.0%
1881	0.58	+0.0%
1882	0.58	+0.0%
1883	0.58	+0.0%
1884	0.58	+0.0%
1885	0.58	+0.0%
1886	0.58	+0.0%
1887	0.58	+0.0%
1888	0.58	+0.0%
1889	0.58	+0.0%
1890	0.58	+0.0%
1891	0.58	+0.0%
1892	0.611	+5.3%
1893	0.611	+0.0%
1894	0.611	+0.0%
1895	0.611	+0.0%
1896	0.611	+0.0%
1897	0.611	+0.0%
1898	0.611	+0.0%
1899	0.611	+0.0%
1900	0.611	+0.0%
1901	0.611	+0.0%
1902	0.611	+0.0%
1903	0.611	+0.0%
1904	0.611	+0.0%
1905	0.611	+0.0%
1906	0.605	-1.0%
1907	0.594	-1.8%
1908	0.607	+2.2%
1909	0.608	+0.2%
1910	0.628	+3.3%
1911	0.642	+2.2%
1912	0.642	+0.0%
1913	0.642	+0.0%
1914	0.642	+0.0%
1915	0.624	-2.8%
1916	0.637	+2.1%
1917	0.624	-2.0%
1918	0.585	-6.3%
1919	0.631	+7.9%
1920	0.636	+0.8%
1921	0.609	-4.2%
1922	0.609	+0.0%
1923	0.609	+0.0%
1924	0.609	+0.0%
1925	0.621	+2.0%
1926	0.59	-5.0%
1927	0.549	-6.9%
1928	0.549	+0.0%
1929	0.549	+0.0%
1930	0.549	+0.0%
1931	0.549	+0.0%
1932	0.549	+0.0%
1933	0.551	+0.4%
1934	0.556	+0.9%
1935	0.556	+0.0%
1936	0.556	+0.0%
1937	0.556	+0.0%
1938	0.556	+0.0%
1939	0.556	+0.0%
1940	0.556	+0.0%
1941	0.556	+0.0%
1942	0.556	+0.0%
1943	0.556	+0.0%
1944	0.556	+0.0%
1945	0.556	+0.0%
1946	0.556	+0.0%
1947	0.556	+0.0%
1948	0.556	+0.0%
1949	0.556	+0.0%
1950	0.556	+0.0%
1951	0.556	+0.0%
1952	0.556	+0.0%
1953	0.556	+0.0%
1954	0.556	+0.0%
1955	0.556	+0.0%
1956	0.556	+0.0%
1957	0.556	+0.0%
1958	0.556	+0.0%
1959	0.556	+0.0%
1960	0.568	+2.2%
1961	0.568	+0.0%
1962	0.568	+0.0%
1963	0.568	+0.0%
1964	0.568	+0.0%
1965	0.578	+1.8%
1966	0.578	+0.0%
1967	0.58	+0.3%
1968	0.58	+0.0%
1969	0.597	+2.9%
1970	0.597	+0.0%
1971	0.597	+0.0%
1972	0.597	+0.0%
1973	0.597	+0.0%
1974	0.813	+36.2%
1975	0.886	+9.0%
1976	0.908	+2.5%
1977	0.945	+4.1%
1978	0.945	+0.0%
1979	0.945	+0.0%
1980	0.943	-0.2%
1981	0.943	+0.0%
1982	0.943	+0.0%
1983	0.953	+1.1%
1984	0.953	+0.0%
1985	0.953	+0.0%
1986	0.956	+0.3%
1987	0.956	+0.0%
1988	0.956	+0.0%
1989	0.956	+0.0%
1990	0.955	-0.1%
1991	0.955	+0.0%
1992	0.957	+0.2%
1993	0.957	+0.0%
1994	0.957	+0.0%
1995	0.957	+0.0%
1996	0.961	+0.4%
1997	0.963	+0.2%
1998	0.963	+0.0%
1999	0.963	+0.0%
2000	0.963	+0.0%
2001	0.963	+0.0%
2002	0.963	+0.0%
2003	0.963	+0.0%
2004	0.963	+0.0%
2005	0.957	-0.6%
2006	0.954	-0.3%
2007	0.954	+0.0%
2008	0.954	+0.0%
2009	0.954	+0.0%
2010	0.952	-0.2%
2011	0.951	-0.1%
2012	0.958	+0.7%
2013	0.95	-0.8%
2014	0.95	+0.0%
2015	0.962	+1.3%
2016	0.955	-0.7%
2017	0.966	+1.2%
2018	0.963	-0.3%
2019	0.966	+0.3%
2020	0.923	-4.5%
2021	0.923	+0.0%
2022	0.931	+0.9%
2023	0.91	-2.3%
2024	0.912	+0.2%
2025	0.887	-2.7%

Portugal compared with similar countries

Portugal's 0.887 is below the median for high income countries, which is 0.927, 96% of the median. (55 countries reporting)
Portugal's 0.887 is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 0.8365, 1.1× the median. (48 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

Decade	Average	Lowest	Highest	Years
1780s	0.231	0.231	0.231	1
1790s	0.231	0.231	0.231	10
1800s	0.2232	0.205	0.231	10
1810s	0.205	0.205	0.205	10
1820s	0.2604	0.18	0.3	10
1830s	0.2029	0.18	0.221	10
1840s	0.2146	0.205	0.221	10
1850s	0.4569	0.227	0.517	10
1860s	0.58	0.58	0.58	10
1870s	0.58	0.58	0.58	10
1880s	0.58	0.58	0.58	10
1890s	0.6048	0.58	0.611	10
1900s	0.608	0.594	0.611	10
1910s	0.6297	0.585	0.642	10
1920s	0.593	0.549	0.636	10
1930s	0.5534	0.549	0.556	10
1940s	0.556	0.556	0.556	10
1950s	0.556	0.556	0.556	10
1960s	0.5753	0.568	0.597	10
1970s	0.783	0.597	0.945	10
1980s	0.9512	0.943	0.956	10
1990s	0.9588	0.955	0.963	10
2000s	0.9588	0.954	0.963	10
2010s	0.9573	0.95	0.966	10
2020s	0.9143	0.887	0.931	6

Countries ranked near Portugal

33 Slovenia 0.9 compare
34 Israel 0.889 compare
36 Trinidad and Tobago 0.886 compare
37 Cyprus 0.88 compare
38 Poland 0.879 compare

See the full ranking of 176 places →

More reference data data for Portugal

Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.5144 (2050)
Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 0.4372 (2050)
Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 1.51 (2050)
Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.0472 (2050)
Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 1.51 (2050)
Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 1.72 (2050)
Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 1.02 (2050)
Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 1.81 (2050)
Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 6.9 (2050)
Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.2572 (2050)

All data for Portugal →

Frequently asked questions

What is rule of law index in Portugal?: Rule of law index in Portugal was 0.887 in 2025, according to V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest rule of law index recorded in Portugal?: The highest recorded value was 0.966 in 2017.
What is the lowest rule of law index recorded in Portugal?: The lowest recorded value was 0.18 in 1828.
How does Portugal rank for rule of law index?: Portugal ranks 35th out of 176 countries with data for 2025.
Is rule of law index rising or falling in Portugal?: Over the last ten years it is down 7.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Portugal 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 Portugal. 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/portugal/

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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.