India Ranks 88th in World Justice Project Rule of Law Index 2026
India has been ranked 88th out of 143 countries with a score of 0.48 in the World Justice Project Rule of Law Index 2026, slipping two spots from 2025. Denmark retained the top global position, followed by Norway and Finland, while Venezuela ranked at the bottom.
What happened
The World Justice Project (WJP) released the Rule of Law Index 2026 on 29 October 2026, assessing adherence to the rule of law across 143 countries and jurisdictions. The report covers approximately 95 percent of the global population and draws on responses from more than 214,000 household surveys along with over 3,400 expert and legal practitioner surveys.
India registered an overall score of 0.48 on a scale from 0.00 to 1.00, placing it at the 88th position worldwide. This reflects a two-position decline from the 2025 edition, where India stood at the 86th rank with a score of 0.49. Within South Asia, India was placed third, trailing behind regional leader Nepal (ranked 71st globally) and Sri Lanka (74th globally), while placing ahead of Bangladesh (123rd) and Pakistan (131st).
Globally, Denmark maintained the first rank with a score of 0.90, followed by Norway in second place (0.89) and Finland in third (0.87). Sweden, Luxembourg, Germany, New Zealand, Ireland, the Netherlands, and Estonia completed the top 10. At the other end of the spectrum, Venezuela was ranked lowest at 143rd with a score of 0.26, preceded by Afghanistan (142nd) and Haiti (141st). Among other major economies, the United States ranked 30th, China 92nd, and Russia 121st.
The index evaluates performance across eight primary indicators: Constraints on Government Powers, Absence of Corruption, Open Government, Fundamental Rights, Order and Security, Regulatory Enforcement, Civil Justice, and Criminal Justice. According to the 2026 findings, the rule of law declined globally for the ninth consecutive year, with scores falling in 62 percent of the evaluated nations. The report highlighted persistent authoritarian trends, with sustained five-year declines observed in more than 86 percent of assessed countries, alongside notable drops in civic participation, freedom of expression, and freedom of assembly.
Important dates
| Release of the WJP Rule of Law Index 2026 | 29 October 2026 |
|---|
📌 Static GK links
- World Justice Project (WJP) is an independent, non-partisan, multidisciplinary non-profit organization.
- The WJP was founded in 2006 by William H. Neukom as a presidential initiative of the American Bar Association (ABA) and transitioned into an independent non-profit in 2009.
- Alejandro Ponce serves as the Executive Director of the World Justice Project.
- The WJP Rule of Law Index has been published annually as a dedicated global report series since 2009.
What candidates should do
- Memorize India's exact rank (88th) and score (0.48), as well as the previous year's comparative figures (86th rank, 0.49 score), which are common direct questions in IBPS PO and SBI PO exams.
- Note the top three nations (Denmark, Norway, Finland) and the bottom-ranked nation (Venezuela) for SSC and Railway General Awareness sections.
- Review the eight evaluation pillars and South Asian regional rankings for UPSC Prelims and State PSC analytical questions.
PrepZen analysis
International governance indexes published by bodies like the World Justice Project feature regularly in competitive examinations under the General Awareness and International Reports segments. For UPSC and State PSC aspirants, understanding India's standing in relation to its South Asian neighbours—where Nepal (71st) and Sri Lanka (74th) outperformed India—provides essential context for questions on governance and institutional mechanisms.
Banking and regulatory examinations (RBI Grade B, SEBI, IBPS) typically test quantitative specifics such as India's current and previous ranks, overall scores, the publishing organization, and the total number of participating countries (143). The broader observation that global rule of law has regressed for nine straight years also serves as a key thematic data point for essay papers and descriptive answer writing.
Practice questions
Q1. What is India's rank in the World Justice Project (WJP) Rule of Law Index 2026?
Q2. Which country secured the first rank in the WJP Rule of Law Index 2026?
Q3. Which of the following countries ranked highest among South Asian nations in the WJP Rule of Law Index 2026?
Denmark retained first place globally, followed by Norway and Finland.
Report evaluated legal adherence across 143 countries and jurisdictions worldwide.
🎯 Key Point: India ranked 88th globally in WJP Rule of Law Index 2026.
FAQs
What is India's score and rank in the Rule of Law Index 2026?
India ranked 88th out of 143 countries with a score of 0.48 out of 1.0 in the World Justice Project Rule of Law Index 2026.
Which organization publishes the Rule of Law Index?
The index is published annually by the World Justice Project (WJP), an independent, multidisciplinary non-profit organization founded in 2006.
Which countries were ranked first and last in the Rule of Law Index 2026?
Denmark secured the first rank globally with a score of 0.90, while Venezuela was placed at the bottom (143rd) with a score of 0.26.
How many factors are evaluated in the WJP Rule of Law Index framework?
The index evaluates eight primary factors: Constraints on Government Powers, Absence of Corruption, Open Government, Fundamental Rights, Order and Security, Regulatory Enforcement, Civil Justice, and Criminal Justice.
Sources and references
- indianexpress.com (indianexpress.com)
- worldjusticeproject.org (worldjusticeproject.org)
- khanglobalstudies.com (currentaffairs.khanglobalstudies.com)
- affairscloud.com (affairscloud.com)
Prepared by PrepZen for exam preparation. Consult the linked sources for original announcements and current details. Corrections policy. Spotted an error? Write to prepzen.app@gmail.com.
Practice Quiz — 29 October 2026
Q1. Which Union Territory was declared India's first 100% Organic Union Territory in October 2026?
Q2. Consider the following statements regarding the Container Manufacturing Promotion Scheme (CMPS): 1. The scheme has an approved financial outlay of ₹10,000 crore. 2. It aims to increase India's annual container capacity to 7.5 lakh TEUs. 3. Land at major ports will be leased to manufacturers at 50% of the notified rate. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Q3. What is the total outlay approved for the Pradhan Mantri Viksit Gram Swaraj Yojana (PM-VGSY)?
Q4. Dearness Allowance (DA) for Central Government employees in India is calculated based on which index?
Q5. What is the new base year revised by MoSPI for the Index of Industrial Production (IIP)?
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