Rule of law index in South Sudan
South Sudan: Rule of law index was 0.076 in 2025. ▼ Falling
Latest (2025)
0.076
Change on year
down 33.9%
World rank
164th
of 176 countries
All-time high
0.63
in 1953
All-time low
0.042
in 2018
Years of data
190
1821–2025
Rule of law index in South Sudan, 1821–2025
Source: Our World in Data.
Analysis
In 2025, rule of law index in South Sudan stood at 0.076.
The figure is down 33.9% on the previous year and up 46.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, rule of law index in South Sudan peaked at 0.63 in 1953 and was at its lowest, 0.042, in 2018.
South Sudan ranks 164th of 176 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 190 years of available data.
Rule of law index in South Sudan, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1821 | 0.358 | — |
| 1822 | 0.358 | +0.0% |
| 1823 | 0.358 | +0.0% |
| 1824 | 0.358 | +0.0% |
| 1825 | 0.358 | +0.0% |
| 1826 | 0.358 | +0.0% |
| 1827 | 0.358 | +0.0% |
| 1828 | 0.358 | +0.0% |
| 1829 | 0.358 | +0.0% |
| 1830 | 0.358 | +0.0% |
| 1831 | 0.358 | +0.0% |
| 1832 | 0.358 | +0.0% |
| 1833 | 0.358 | +0.0% |
| 1834 | 0.358 | +0.0% |
| 1835 | 0.358 | +0.0% |
| 1836 | 0.358 | +0.0% |
| 1837 | 0.358 | +0.0% |
| 1838 | 0.358 | +0.0% |
| 1839 | 0.358 | +0.0% |
| 1840 | 0.358 | +0.0% |
| 1841 | 0.358 | +0.0% |
| 1842 | 0.358 | +0.0% |
| 1843 | 0.358 | +0.0% |
| 1844 | 0.358 | +0.0% |
| 1845 | 0.358 | +0.0% |
| 1846 | 0.358 | +0.0% |
| 1847 | 0.358 | +0.0% |
| 1848 | 0.358 | +0.0% |
| 1849 | 0.407 | +13.7% |
| 1850 | 0.407 | +0.0% |
| 1851 | 0.375 | -7.9% |
| 1852 | 0.375 | +0.0% |
| 1853 | 0.375 | +0.0% |
| 1854 | 0.375 | +0.0% |
| 1855 | 0.375 | +0.0% |
| 1856 | 0.375 | +0.0% |
| 1857 | 0.375 | +0.0% |
| 1858 | 0.375 | +0.0% |
| 1859 | 0.375 | +0.0% |
| 1860 | 0.362 | -3.5% |
| 1861 | 0.362 | +0.0% |
| 1862 | 0.362 | +0.0% |
| 1863 | 0.319 | -11.9% |
| 1864 | 0.319 | +0.0% |
| 1865 | 0.319 | +0.0% |
| 1866 | 0.329 | +3.1% |
| 1867 | 0.329 | +0.0% |
| 1868 | 0.329 | +0.0% |
| 1869 | 0.329 | +0.0% |
| 1870 | 0.329 | +0.0% |
| 1871 | 0.329 | +0.0% |
| 1872 | 0.329 | +0.0% |
| 1873 | 0.329 | +0.0% |
| 1874 | 0.329 | +0.0% |
| 1875 | 0.329 | +0.0% |
| 1876 | 0.329 | +0.0% |
| 1877 | 0.397 | +20.7% |
| 1878 | 0.397 | +0.0% |
| 1879 | 0.375 | -5.5% |
| 1880 | 0.428 | +14.1% |
| 1881 | 0.428 | +0.0% |
| 1882 | 0.496 | +15.9% |
| 1883 | 0.496 | +0.0% |
| 1884 | 0.496 | +0.0% |
| 1900 | 0.596 | +20.2% |
| 1901 | 0.606 | +1.7% |
| 1902 | 0.606 | +0.0% |
| 1903 | 0.606 | +0.0% |
| 1904 | 0.606 | +0.0% |
| 1905 | 0.606 | +0.0% |
| 1906 | 0.606 | +0.0% |
| 1907 | 0.606 | +0.0% |
| 1908 | 0.606 | +0.0% |
| 1909 | 0.606 | +0.0% |
| 1910 | 0.605 | -0.2% |
| 1911 | 0.605 | +0.0% |
| 1912 | 0.605 | +0.0% |
| 1913 | 0.605 | +0.0% |
| 1914 | 0.605 | +0.0% |
| 1915 | 0.605 | +0.0% |
| 1916 | 0.605 | +0.0% |
| 1917 | 0.605 | +0.0% |
| 1918 | 0.605 | +0.0% |
| 1919 | 0.605 | +0.0% |
| 1920 | 0.607 | +0.3% |
| 1921 | 0.607 | +0.0% |
| 1922 | 0.607 | +0.0% |
| 1923 | 0.607 | +0.0% |
| 1924 | 0.607 | +0.0% |
| 1925 | 0.607 | +0.0% |
| 1926 | 0.607 | +0.0% |
| 1927 | 0.607 | +0.0% |
| 1928 | 0.607 | +0.0% |
| 1929 | 0.609 | +0.3% |
| 1930 | 0.61 | +0.2% |
| 1931 | 0.61 | +0.0% |
| 1932 | 0.61 | +0.0% |
| 1933 | 0.61 | +0.0% |
| 1934 | 0.61 | +0.0% |
| 1935 | 0.61 | +0.0% |
| 1936 | 0.61 | +0.0% |
| 1937 | 0.61 | +0.0% |
| 1938 | 0.61 | +0.0% |
| 1939 | 0.61 | +0.0% |
| 1940 | 0.61 | +0.0% |
| 1941 | 0.61 | +0.0% |
| 1942 | 0.61 | +0.0% |
| 1943 | 0.61 | +0.0% |
| 1944 | 0.612 | +0.3% |
| 1945 | 0.612 | +0.0% |
| 1946 | 0.612 | +0.0% |
| 1947 | 0.612 | +0.0% |
| 1948 | 0.612 | +0.0% |
| 1949 | 0.612 | +0.0% |
| 1950 | 0.612 | +0.0% |
| 1951 | 0.612 | +0.0% |
| 1952 | 0.612 | +0.0% |
| 1953 | 0.63 | +2.9% |
| 1954 | 0.63 | +0.0% |
| 1955 | 0.63 | +0.0% |
| 1956 | 0.612 | -2.9% |
| 1957 | 0.577 | -5.7% |
| 1958 | 0.569 | -1.4% |
| 1959 | 0.475 | -16.5% |
| 1960 | 0.475 | +0.0% |
| 1961 | 0.475 | +0.0% |
| 1962 | 0.475 | +0.0% |
| 1963 | 0.475 | +0.0% |
| 1964 | 0.544 | +14.5% |
| 1965 | 0.581 | +6.8% |
| 1966 | 0.581 | +0.0% |
| 1967 | 0.581 | +0.0% |
| 1968 | 0.587 | +1.0% |
| 1969 | 0.44 | -25.0% |
| 1970 | 0.362 | -17.7% |
| 1971 | 0.354 | -2.2% |
| 1972 | 0.346 | -2.3% |
| 1973 | 0.35 | +1.2% |
| 1974 | 0.35 | +0.0% |
| 1975 | 0.35 | +0.0% |
| 1976 | 0.35 | +0.0% |
| 1977 | 0.35 | +0.0% |
| 1978 | 0.35 | +0.0% |
| 1979 | 0.35 | +0.0% |
| 1980 | 0.35 | +0.0% |
| 1981 | 0.337 | -3.7% |
| 1982 | 0.325 | -3.6% |
| 1983 | 0.326 | +0.3% |
| 1984 | 0.336 | +3.1% |
| 1985 | 0.466 | +38.7% |
| 1986 | 0.477 | +2.4% |
| 1987 | 0.477 | +0.0% |
| 1988 | 0.477 | +0.0% |
| 1989 | 0.162 | -66.0% |
| 1990 | 0.046 | -71.6% |
| 1991 | 0.046 | +0.0% |
| 1992 | 0.046 | +0.0% |
| 1993 | 0.046 | +0.0% |
| 1994 | 0.046 | +0.0% |
| 1995 | 0.046 | +0.0% |
| 1996 | 0.046 | +0.0% |
| 1997 | 0.046 | +0.0% |
| 1998 | 0.046 | +0.0% |
| 1999 | 0.046 | +0.0% |
| 2000 | 0.049 | +6.5% |
| 2001 | 0.049 | +0.0% |
| 2002 | 0.049 | +0.0% |
| 2003 | 0.049 | +0.0% |
| 2004 | 0.049 | +0.0% |
| 2005 | 0.12 | +144.9% |
| 2006 | 0.12 | +0.0% |
| 2007 | 0.125 | +4.2% |
| 2008 | 0.125 | +0.0% |
| 2009 | 0.123 | -1.6% |
| 2010 | 0.124 | +0.8% |
| 2011 | 0.122 | -1.6% |
| 2012 | 0.127 | +4.1% |
| 2013 | 0.078 | -38.6% |
| 2014 | 0.061 | -21.8% |
| 2015 | 0.052 | -14.8% |
| 2016 | 0.048 | -7.7% |
| 2017 | 0.056 | +16.7% |
| 2018 | 0.042 | -25.0% |
| 2019 | 0.052 | +23.8% |
| 2020 | 0.075 | +44.2% |
| 2021 | 0.074 | -1.3% |
| 2022 | 0.089 | +20.3% |
| 2023 | 0.104 | +16.9% |
| 2024 | 0.115 | +10.6% |
| 2025 | 0.076 | -33.9% |
South Sudan compared with similar countries
- South Sudan's 0.076 is below the median for low income countries, which is 0.174, 44% of the median. (25 countries reporting)
- South Sudan's 0.076 is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 0.3685, 21% of the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1820s | 0.358 | 0.358 | 0.358 | 9 |
| 1830s | 0.358 | 0.358 | 0.358 | 10 |
| 1840s | 0.3629 | 0.358 | 0.407 | 10 |
| 1850s | 0.3782 | 0.375 | 0.407 | 10 |
| 1860s | 0.3359 | 0.319 | 0.362 | 10 |
| 1870s | 0.3472 | 0.329 | 0.397 | 10 |
| 1880s | 0.4688 | 0.428 | 0.496 | 5 |
| 1900s | 0.605 | 0.596 | 0.606 | 10 |
| 1910s | 0.605 | 0.605 | 0.605 | 10 |
| 1920s | 0.6072 | 0.607 | 0.609 | 10 |
| 1930s | 0.61 | 0.61 | 0.61 | 10 |
| 1940s | 0.6112 | 0.61 | 0.612 | 10 |
| 1950s | 0.5959 | 0.475 | 0.63 | 10 |
| 1960s | 0.5214 | 0.44 | 0.587 | 10 |
| 1970s | 0.3512 | 0.346 | 0.362 | 10 |
| 1980s | 0.3733 | 0.162 | 0.477 | 10 |
| 1990s | 0.046 | 0.046 | 0.046 | 10 |
| 2000s | 0.0858 | 0.049 | 0.125 | 10 |
| 2010s | 0.0762 | 0.042 | 0.127 | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.0888 | 0.074 | 0.115 | 6 |
Countries ranked near South Sudan
More reference data data for South Sudan
- Emission Totals - Emissions (CO2eq) (AR5) - Manure left on Pasture 8,797 (2019)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (CO2eq) from CH4 (AR5) - IPCC Agriculture 26,453 (2019)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 1.23 (2019)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Burning - Crop residues 0.0059 (2019)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.3667 (2019)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (CO2eq) from CH4 (AR5) - Enteric 19,422 (2019)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (CO2eq) from CH4 (AR5) - Burning - Crop 6.36 (2019)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 33.2 (2019)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 0.4032 (2019)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.2004 (2019)
Frequently asked questions
- What is rule of law index in South Sudan?
- Rule of law index in South Sudan was 0.076 in 2025, according to Our World in Data.
- What is the highest rule of law index recorded in South Sudan?
- The highest recorded value was 0.63 in 1953.
- What is the lowest rule of law index recorded in South Sudan?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.042 in 2018.
- How does South Sudan rank for rule of law index?
- South Sudan ranks 164th out of 176 countries with data for 2025.
- Is rule of law index rising or falling in South Sudan?
- Over the last ten years it is up 46.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this South Sudan data come from?
- The figures come from 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 — 190 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).