What is rule of law index in United Kingdom?

Rule of law index in United Kingdom was 0.955 in 2025, according to V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.

What is the highest rule of law index recorded in United Kingdom?

The highest recorded value was 0.982 in 1994.

What is the lowest rule of law index recorded in United Kingdom?

The lowest recorded value was 0.673 in 1789.

How does United Kingdom rank for rule of law index?

United Kingdom ranks 21st out of 176 countries with data for 2025.

Is rule of law index rising or falling in United Kingdom?

Over the last ten years it is down 2.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.

Where does this United Kingdom 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 United Kingdom

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

United Kingdom: Rule of Law Index was 0.955 in 2025. ▲ Rising

Latest (2025)

0.955

Change on year

down 0.2%

World rank

21st

of 176 countries

All-time high

0.982

in 1994

All-time low

0.673

in 1789

Years of data

237

1789–2025

Rule of Law Index in United Kingdom, 1789–2025

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

Analysis

The most recent figure for rule of law index in United Kingdom is 0.955, measured in 2025.

The figure is down 0.2% on the previous year and down 2.3% over ten years.

Over the whole period, rule of law index in United Kingdom peaked at 0.982 in 1994 and was at its lowest, 0.673, in 1789.

United Kingdom ranks 21st 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 United Kingdom, year by year

Annual values for Rule of Law Index in United Kingdom, 1789 to 2025.
Year	Value	Change
1789	0.673	—
1790	0.673	+0.0%
1791	0.673	+0.0%
1792	0.673	+0.0%
1793	0.673	+0.0%
1794	0.673	+0.0%
1795	0.673	+0.0%
1796	0.673	+0.0%
1797	0.673	+0.0%
1798	0.673	+0.0%
1799	0.673	+0.0%
1800	0.673	+0.0%
1801	0.673	+0.0%
1802	0.673	+0.0%
1803	0.673	+0.0%
1804	0.673	+0.0%
1805	0.673	+0.0%
1806	0.673	+0.0%
1807	0.673	+0.0%
1808	0.673	+0.0%
1809	0.673	+0.0%
1810	0.673	+0.0%
1811	0.673	+0.0%
1812	0.673	+0.0%
1813	0.673	+0.0%
1814	0.673	+0.0%
1815	0.673	+0.0%
1816	0.673	+0.0%
1817	0.673	+0.0%
1818	0.673	+0.0%
1819	0.673	+0.0%
1820	0.781	+16.0%
1821	0.781	+0.0%
1822	0.781	+0.0%
1823	0.781	+0.0%
1824	0.781	+0.0%
1825	0.781	+0.0%
1826	0.781	+0.0%
1827	0.781	+0.0%
1828	0.781	+0.0%
1829	0.781	+0.0%
1830	0.798	+2.2%
1831	0.798	+0.0%
1832	0.798	+0.0%
1833	0.822	+3.0%
1834	0.822	+0.0%
1835	0.822	+0.0%
1836	0.822	+0.0%
1837	0.822	+0.0%
1838	0.822	+0.0%
1839	0.822	+0.0%
1840	0.822	+0.0%
1841	0.822	+0.0%
1842	0.822	+0.0%
1843	0.822	+0.0%
1844	0.822	+0.0%
1845	0.822	+0.0%
1846	0.822	+0.0%
1847	0.822	+0.0%
1848	0.822	+0.0%
1849	0.822	+0.0%
1850	0.822	+0.0%
1851	0.866	+5.4%
1852	0.866	+0.0%
1853	0.866	+0.0%
1854	0.866	+0.0%
1855	0.866	+0.0%
1856	0.866	+0.0%
1857	0.866	+0.0%
1858	0.866	+0.0%
1859	0.866	+0.0%
1860	0.866	+0.0%
1861	0.877	+1.3%
1862	0.877	+0.0%
1863	0.877	+0.0%
1864	0.877	+0.0%
1865	0.877	+0.0%
1866	0.877	+0.0%
1867	0.877	+0.0%
1868	0.877	+0.0%
1869	0.877	+0.0%
1870	0.937	+6.8%
1871	0.937	+0.0%
1872	0.937	+0.0%
1873	0.937	+0.0%
1874	0.937	+0.0%
1875	0.937	+0.0%
1876	0.937	+0.0%
1877	0.937	+0.0%
1878	0.937	+0.0%
1879	0.937	+0.0%
1880	0.937	+0.0%
1881	0.937	+0.0%
1882	0.937	+0.0%
1883	0.954	+1.8%
1884	0.954	+0.0%
1885	0.954	+0.0%
1886	0.954	+0.0%
1887	0.954	+0.0%
1888	0.954	+0.0%
1889	0.954	+0.0%
1890	0.954	+0.0%
1891	0.954	+0.0%
1892	0.954	+0.0%
1893	0.954	+0.0%
1894	0.954	+0.0%
1895	0.954	+0.0%
1896	0.954	+0.0%
1897	0.954	+0.0%
1898	0.954	+0.0%
1899	0.954	+0.0%
1900	0.963	+0.9%
1901	0.963	+0.0%
1902	0.963	+0.0%
1903	0.963	+0.0%
1904	0.963	+0.0%
1905	0.963	+0.0%
1906	0.963	+0.0%
1907	0.963	+0.0%
1908	0.963	+0.0%
1909	0.963	+0.0%
1910	0.963	+0.0%
1911	0.963	+0.0%
1912	0.964	+0.1%
1913	0.964	+0.0%
1914	0.96	-0.4%
1915	0.96	+0.0%
1916	0.958	-0.2%
1917	0.962	+0.4%
1918	0.962	+0.0%
1919	0.965	+0.3%
1920	0.965	+0.0%
1921	0.965	+0.0%
1922	0.966	+0.1%
1923	0.966	+0.0%
1924	0.966	+0.0%
1925	0.966	+0.0%
1926	0.966	+0.0%
1927	0.966	+0.0%
1928	0.968	+0.2%
1929	0.968	+0.0%
1930	0.968	+0.0%
1931	0.968	+0.0%
1932	0.968	+0.0%
1933	0.968	+0.0%
1934	0.968	+0.0%
1935	0.968	+0.0%
1936	0.968	+0.0%
1937	0.968	+0.0%
1938	0.968	+0.0%
1939	0.965	-0.3%
1940	0.965	+0.0%
1941	0.965	+0.0%
1942	0.965	+0.0%
1943	0.965	+0.0%
1944	0.965	+0.0%
1945	0.969	+0.4%
1946	0.974	+0.5%
1947	0.974	+0.0%
1948	0.974	+0.0%
1949	0.974	+0.0%
1950	0.974	+0.0%
1951	0.974	+0.0%
1952	0.974	+0.0%
1953	0.974	+0.0%
1954	0.974	+0.0%
1955	0.974	+0.0%
1956	0.974	+0.0%
1957	0.974	+0.0%
1958	0.974	+0.0%
1959	0.974	+0.0%
1960	0.975	+0.1%
1961	0.975	+0.0%
1962	0.975	+0.0%
1963	0.975	+0.0%
1964	0.975	+0.0%
1965	0.975	+0.0%
1966	0.975	+0.0%
1967	0.975	+0.0%
1968	0.975	+0.0%
1969	0.978	+0.3%
1970	0.979	+0.1%
1971	0.979	+0.0%
1972	0.979	+0.0%
1973	0.979	+0.0%
1974	0.979	+0.0%
1975	0.979	+0.0%
1976	0.979	+0.0%
1977	0.979	+0.0%
1978	0.979	+0.0%
1979	0.979	+0.0%
1980	0.979	+0.0%
1981	0.979	+0.0%
1982	0.979	+0.0%
1983	0.979	+0.0%
1984	0.979	+0.0%
1985	0.979	+0.0%
1986	0.979	+0.0%
1987	0.979	+0.0%
1988	0.979	+0.0%
1989	0.979	+0.0%
1990	0.979	+0.0%
1991	0.979	+0.0%
1992	0.979	+0.0%
1993	0.979	+0.0%
1994	0.982	+0.3%
1995	0.982	+0.0%
1996	0.982	+0.0%
1997	0.982	+0.0%
1998	0.98	-0.2%
1999	0.98	+0.0%
2000	0.98	+0.0%
2001	0.977	-0.3%
2002	0.977	+0.0%
2003	0.977	+0.0%
2004	0.977	+0.0%
2005	0.977	+0.0%
2006	0.977	+0.0%
2007	0.976	-0.1%
2008	0.976	+0.0%
2009	0.976	+0.0%
2010	0.976	+0.0%
2011	0.976	+0.0%
2012	0.976	+0.0%
2013	0.977	+0.1%
2014	0.977	+0.0%
2015	0.977	+0.0%
2016	0.977	+0.0%
2017	0.981	+0.4%
2018	0.98	-0.1%
2019	0.974	-0.6%
2020	0.969	-0.5%
2021	0.962	-0.7%
2022	0.963	+0.1%
2023	0.956	-0.7%
2024	0.957	+0.1%
2025	0.955	-0.2%

United Kingdom compared with similar countries

United Kingdom's 0.955 is above the median for high income countries, which is 0.927, 1.0× the median. (55 countries reporting)
United Kingdom's 0.955 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	0.673	0.673	0.673	1
1790s	0.673	0.673	0.673	10
1800s	0.673	0.673	0.673	10
1810s	0.673	0.673	0.673	10
1820s	0.781	0.781	0.781	10
1830s	0.8148	0.798	0.822	10
1840s	0.822	0.822	0.822	10
1850s	0.8616	0.822	0.866	10
1860s	0.8759	0.866	0.877	10
1870s	0.937	0.937	0.937	10
1880s	0.9489	0.937	0.954	10
1890s	0.954	0.954	0.954	10
1900s	0.963	0.963	0.963	10
1910s	0.9621	0.958	0.965	10
1920s	0.9662	0.965	0.968	10
1930s	0.9677	0.965	0.968	10
1940s	0.969	0.965	0.974	10
1950s	0.974	0.974	0.974	10
1960s	0.9753	0.975	0.978	10
1970s	0.979	0.979	0.979	10
1980s	0.979	0.979	0.979	10
1990s	0.9804	0.979	0.982	10
2000s	0.977	0.976	0.98	10
2010s	0.9771	0.974	0.981	10
2020s	0.9603	0.955	0.969	6

Countries ranked near United Kingdom

18 Belgium 0.964 compare
19 Canada 0.963 compare
20 Japan 0.956 compare
22 Chile 0.951 compare
23 Spain 0.947 compare
24 Czechia 0.945 compare
24 Uruguay 0.945 compare

See the full ranking of 176 places →

More reference data data for United Kingdom

Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 3.13 (2050)
Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 3.97 (2050)
Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 13.26 (2050)
Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 1.01 (2050)
Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 13.26 (2050)
Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 10.5 (2050)
Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 6.51 (2050)
Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 15.81 (2050)
Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 59.34 (2050)
Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 5.48 (2050)

All data for United Kingdom →

Frequently asked questions

What is rule of law index in United Kingdom?: Rule of law index in United Kingdom was 0.955 in 2025, according to V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest rule of law index recorded in United Kingdom?: The highest recorded value was 0.982 in 1994.
What is the lowest rule of law index recorded in United Kingdom?: The lowest recorded value was 0.673 in 1789.
How does United Kingdom rank for rule of law index?: United Kingdom ranks 21st out of 176 countries with data for 2025.
Is rule of law index rising or falling in United Kingdom?: Over the last ten years it is down 2.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this United Kingdom 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 United Kingdom. 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/united-kingdom/

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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.