Ethiopia has been ranked 133rd out of 143 countries and jurisdictions internationally in the newly released World Justice Project (WJP) Rule of Law Index 2026. Registering an overall score of 0.36—a 1.3 percent decline from the previous evaluation period—the country falls below the Sub-Saharan Africa regional average score of 0.45.
This places the country among nations facing severe institutional and legal hurdles, reflecting broader regional and international governance strains outlined in the independent global report.
The Index evaluated adherence to the rule of law using a comprehensive, multi-dimensional framework built upon four universal principles: accountability, just law, open government, and accessible and impartial justice. These principles are measured through eight core factors and 44 sub-factors, such as constraints on government powers, absence of corruption, open government, fundamental rights, order and security, regulatory enforcement, civil justice, and criminal justice.
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The report’s data are compiled through a rigorous methodology, combining general population polls and specialized questionnaires administered to legal practitioners and experts across participating nations.
The Global Justice Report places Ethiopia against the backdrop of a broader global rule-of-law recession, where scores declined in 62 percent of countries for the ninth consecutive year. Internationally, the WJP highlights that authoritarianism has become increasingly entrenched, with 86 percent of nations experiencing a five-year decline in core safeguards, such as government constraints, open government, and fundamental rights.
Additionally, the report stresses a vital correlation between strong legal frameworks and socio-economic resilience, noting that nations with a robust rule of law tend to enjoy higher GDP per capita, greater price stability, and lower sovereign credit risks.
