Singapore climbed two places to rank 14th out of 143 countries in the 2026 World Justice Project (WJP) Rule of Law Index, an independent assessment measuring the strength of the rule of law worldwide. The annual index, released on October 21, evaluates countries based on eight factors, including constraints on government powers, absence of corruption, government openness, fundamental rights, order and security, regulatory enforcement, civil justice, and criminal justice.
Among the highlighted achievements for Singapore, the country was rated the highest globally for order and security and placed second worldwide for absence of corruption. The report noted that Singapore is one of the few countries to register an improved score this year, standing apart amid a global trend of declining rule of law indicators.
The WJP observed that authoritarianism has become entrenched in many countries, with over 86% experiencing at least one sustained five-year decline across three key safeguards against authoritarian rule: constraints on government power, open government, and fundamental rights. Singapore was specifically excluded from this negative trend.
The organization emphasized that both criminal and civil justice systems worldwide are increasingly weakened by undue executive interference, which has emerged as a leading factor in institutional decay. Civil justice showed decline in 64% of countries surveyed, and criminal justice in 58%, with improper government influence cited as a central concern in many cases. Similarly, judicial constraints on government powers have lessened in 63% of nations but not in Singapore.
While Singapore maintained strong scores overall, the WJP noted that essential freedoms related to civic space, public discourse, and government oversight are contracting in many countries, including Singapore, though specific details were not elaborated.
The index is compiled using data from more than 215,000 household surveys alongside 3,400 surveys of practitioners and experts, providing a comprehensive view of how the rule of law is experienced and perceived at the local level.
Denmark topped the 2026 rankings, followed by Norway, Finland, Sweden, and Luxembourg. At the lower end of the spectrum were Venezuela, Afghanistan, Haiti, Cambodia, and Nicaragua. Within the East Asia and Pacific region, Singapore placed third overall, behind New Zealand and Australia.