Pakistan Ranks 129 out of 142 in the World Justice Project Rule of Law Index

Tue, May 06, 2025

WASHINGTON (23 October 2024) – For the seventh year in a row, the rule of law has eroded in a majority of countries, according to the World Justice Project (WJP) Rule of Law Index 2024.

In the last year, the rule of law declined in 57% of countries surveyed. However, Pakistan is among the minority of countries to see its WJP Rule of Law Index score increase this year.

Pakistan’s overall rule of law score increased by less than 1% in this year’s Index. It ranks 129th out of 142 countries worldwide.

Regionally, Pakistan ranks 5th out of 6 countries in South Asia.* The region’s top performer is Nepal (ranked 69th out of 142 globally), followed by Sri Lanka and India.

The three countries with the lowest scores in the region are Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Afghanistan (140th globally).

Among lower-middle income countries, Pakistan ranks 30th out of 38.**

Pakistan and global trends

Since 2016, a global rule of law recession has affected 77% of countries studied, including Pakistan.

Globally, the declines were largely driven by authoritarian trends. Between 2016 and 2024, the Index factor measuring Fundamental Rights fell in 81% of countries, including Pakistan.

Over the past seven years, Index scores for Constraints on Government Powers have fallen in 77% of countries—including Pakistan. Around the world, legislatures, judiciaries, and civil society—including the media—have all lost ground on checking executive power, the Index shows.

While these and other authoritarian trends had slowed a little last year, they expanded in 2024. Pakistan is among the 63% of countries where Fundamental Rights fell in the past year. Pakistan is among the 59% of countries where Constraints on Government Powers fell in the past year.

Despite this global backsliding, a smaller majority of countries experienced overall rule of law declines this year (57%) as compared to the last two (59% and 61%).

One reason is that some progress was made globally in the fight against corruption between 2023 and 2024. This year, 59% of countries saw their Index scores for Absence of Corruption improve—including Pakistan.

“After years of rule of law declines it can be easy to focus on the negative. But to do so would ignore accomplishments in anti-corruption and the hard work occurring to improve justice systems globally,” WJP Co-founder and President William H. Neukom said. “We must redouble our efforts to expand these rule of law gains in all areas.”

Global rankings

Globally, the top-ranked country in the 2024 WJP Rule of Law Index is Denmark, followed by Norway, Finland, Sweden, and Germany. The country with the lowest score is Venezuela, followed by Cambodia, Afghanistan, Haiti, and Myanmar.

Pakistan’s WJP Rule of Law Index rankings

Overall score global rank: 129 / 142

Overall score regional rank: 5 / 6

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