Rwanda leads African countries in rule of law index

Rwanda achieved the highest score among African countries in the 2026 Rule of Law Index, published by the World Justice Project (WJP) on October 21. The country scored 0.63 points, placing it 40th globally and ahead of several other African nations like Namibia, Mauritius, and Botswana.

Index measures eight legal factors

The WJP's index evaluates eight factors equally, including control of power, security, absence of corruption, open government, fundamental rights, regulation implementation, civil justice, and criminal justice. These factors are further divided into 44 indicators to assess a country's legal system comprehensively.

Rwanda's performance varies across factors

While Rwanda ranked first in sub-Saharan Africa for order and security, absence of corruption, regulation implementation, and civil justice in the previous edition, it ranked eighth for fundamental rights and fifth for constraints on government power. However, its performance on dimensions related to freedoms is less favorable.

Other African countries show mixed results

Burkina Faso ranked 101st globally in the 2026 WJP edition. The country's scores were uneven, with better rankings for absence of corruption and criminal justice but lower scores for order and security. Freedom House assigned it 20 points out of 100, with only 2 out of 40 for political rights, reflecting a context of military rule and limited freedoms.

Overall decline in rule of law globally

Globally, 62% of the 143 countries and jurisdictions studied by the WJP recorded a decline in their rule of law scores in 2026. This marks the ninth consecutive year in which declines outnumber improvements. The WJP highlights weakened checks and balances, reduced civil space, and increased executive interference in judicial systems.

Top global performers remain unchanged

Denmark retained the highest score in the 2026 Rule of Law Index, followed by Norway, Finland, Sweden, and Luxembourg. The WJP does not publish a single ranking for all of Africa but covers 34 sub-Saharan African countries and includes four North African countries in the Middle East and North Africa region.