How Rule of Law Compares Across Europe in 2026
Key Takeaways:
- Rule-of-law scores declined in 26 of 40 European countries with comparable data between 2021 and 2026.
- Denmark, Norway, Finland, and Sweden lead the global rankings, despite all four recording declines since 2021.
- Russia recorded Europe’s largest decline, while Latvia and Lithuania experienced the biggest improvements.
Europe is home to some of the world’s strongest legal institutions, but even its highest-ranked countries are showing signs of weakening checks on government power and judicial independence.
Using the World Justice Project’s Rule of Law Index 2026, this visualization by The European Correspondent ranks 41 European countries and tracks changes in their scores since 2021.
Which European Countries Have the Strongest Rule of Law?
The index measures eight factors, including constraints on government power, corruption, fundamental rights, and civil and criminal justice. Scores range from zero to one, with higher values indicating stronger adherence to the rule of law.
The following table ranks 41 European countries using data from the WJP Rule of Law Index.
| Rank | Country | Rule of Law Score (2021) |
Rule of Law Score (2026) |
5-Year Change | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Denmark |
0.899 | 0.898 | -0.002 | Decreased |
| 2 |  Norway |
0.899 | 0.890 | -0.010 | Decreased |
| 3 |  Finland |
0.878 | 0.870 | -0.008 | Decreased |
| 4 |  Sweden |
0.862 | 0.857 | -0.005 | Decreased |
| 5 |  Luxembourg |
0.828 | 0.831 | +0.004 | Increased |
| 6 |  Germany |
0.840 | 0.830 | -0.010 | Decreased |
| 7 |  Ireland |
0.808 | 0.825 | +0.016 | Increased |
| 8 |  Netherlands |
0.833 | 0.823 | -0.011 | Decreased |
| 9 |  Estonia |
0.807 | 0.818 | +0.012 | Increased |
| 10 |  Austria |
0.812 | 0.797 | -0.016 | Decreased |
| 11 |  Lithuania |
0.752 | 0.779 | +0.028 | Increased |
| 12 |  Belgium |
0.792 | 0.779 | -0.013 | Decreased |
| 13 |  United Kingdom |
0.785 | 0.778 | -0.007 | Decreased |
| 14 |  Latvia |
0.714 | 0.745 | +0.031 | Increased |
| 15 |  Czechia |
0.728 | 0.731 | +0.003 | Increased |
| 16 |  France |
0.721 | 0.716 | -0.004 | Decreased |
| 17 |  Spain |
0.729 | 0.708 | -0.021 | Decreased |
| 18 |  Slovenia |
0.683 | 0.684 | +0.002 | Increased |
| 19 |  Portugal |
0.700 | 0.676 | -0.024 | Decreased |
| 20 |  Cyprus |
0.683 | 0.674 | -0.009 | Decreased |
| 21 |  Malta |
0.681 | 0.669 | -0.012 | Decreased |
| 22 |  Poland |
0.641 | 0.666 | +0.025 | Increased |
| 23 |  Italy |
0.659 | 0.655 | -0.004 | Decreased |
| 24 |  Slovakia |
0.663 | 0.637 | -0.026 | Decreased |
| 25 |  Croatia |
0.608 | 0.613 | +0.005 | Increased |
| 26 |  Romania |
0.627 | 0.607 | -0.021 | Decreased |
| 27 |  Greece |
0.607 | 0.601 | -0.007 | Decreased |
| 28 |  Georgia |
0.605 | 0.570 | -0.036 | Decreased |
| 29 |  Montenegro |
0.565 | No 2021 data | ||
| 30 |  Kosovo |
0.546 | 0.559 | +0.013 | Increased |
| 31 |  Bulgaria |
0.541 | 0.546 | +0.005 | Increased |
| 32 |  North Macedonia |
0.531 | 0.538 | +0.007 | Increased |
| 33 |  Moldova |
0.512 | 0.532 | +0.020 | Increased |
| 34 |  Bosnia and Herzegovina |
0.516 | 0.523 | +0.007 | Increased |
| 35 |  Hungary |
0.520 | 0.500 | -0.020 | Decreased |
| 36 |  Ukraine |
0.510 | 0.486 | -0.023 | Decreased |
| 37 |  Albania |
0.492 | 0.482 | -0.010 | Decreased |
| 38 |  Serbia |
0.494 | 0.462 | -0.032 | Decreased |
| 39 |  Belarus |
0.476 | 0.445 | -0.031 | Decreased |
| 40 |  Turkey |
0.419 | 0.406 | -0.013 | Decreased |
| 41 |  Russia |
0.462 | 0.401 | -0.062 | Decreased |
Denmark leads with a score of 0.898, followed by Norway (0.890) and Finland (0.870). Beyond the Nordic countries, Luxembourg, Germany, and Ireland round out Europe’s top seven.
Notably, Ireland and Estonia are among the few countries near the top of the ranking to have improved since 2021.
Why Are Checks on Government Power Weakening?
A strong rule of law depends on independent courts, enforceable rights, and effective limits on government authority. When these safeguards weaken, political leaders face fewer constraints on how they exercise power.
According to Liberties’ 2026 Rule of Law Report, political interference in courts, weakened oversight, and fast-track legislation are undermining these protections. The organization highlighted Bulgaria, Croatia, Hungary, Italy, and Slovakia as particularly concerning cases.
Independent journalism also plays an important role in holding governments accountable, making press freedom another critical institutional safeguard.
What Does This Mean for Europe?
Weakening legal institutions can have consequences beyond politics, affecting public trust, the fairness of legal proceedings, and how governments spend public money.
A 2026 European Commission survey found that 71% of Europeans believe corruption is widespread in their country. Research from the University of Gothenburg also identifies public procurement and healthcare as sectors particularly vulnerable to corruption.
Europe continues to dominate the upper end of global rule-of-law rankings. However, the widespread declines since 2021 suggest that strong institutions cannot be taken for granted, even in countries with long-established democratic systems.
Learn More on the Voronoi App
Explore Visualizing Law and Order Around the World to see how countries compare on the global rule-of-law index.
