Uganda Ranks 126 out of 142 in the World Justice Project Rule of Law Index   

Highlights

• The 2024 WJP Rule of Law Index® finds rule of law fell globally for the 7th consecutive year    

• Progress emerges in the fight against corruption  

• Uganda’s score decreased, ranks 29 out of 34 regionally 

WASHINGTON – 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—including Uganda.

Uganda’s overall rule of law score decreased by less than 1% in this year’s Index. It ranks 126th out of 142 countries worldwide.

Regionally, Uganda ranks 29th out of 34 countries in Sub-Saharan Africa.* The region’s top performer is Rwanda (ranked 40th out of 142 globally), followed by Namibia and Mauritius. The three countries with the lowest scores in the region are Cameroon, Sudan, and the Democratic Republic of Congo (136th globally).

In the last year, 21 out of 34 countries declined in Sub-Saharan Africa. Of those 21 countries, 14 had also declined in the previous year.

Among low income countries, Uganda ranks 12th out of 16.**

Uganda and global trends   

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

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 Uganda.

Over the past seven years, Index scores for Constraints on Government Powers have fallen in 77% of countries—including Uganda. 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. Uganda is among the 63% of countries where Fundamental Rights fell in the past year. Uganda 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 Uganda.

“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.

Uganda’s WJP Rule of Law Index rankings

Overall score global rank: 126 / 142

Overall score regional rank: 29 / 34

Factor score rankings:

(1 is best in WJP Rule of Law Index rankings)