The World Justice Project (WJP) released the WJP Rule of Law Index® 2019, an evaluation of rule of law adherence worldwide. The results are based on more than 120,000 household and 3,800 expert surveys in 126 countries. Featuring current, original data, the WJP Rule of Law Index measures countries’ rule of law performance across eight factors: Constraints on Government Powers, Absence of Corruption, Open Government, Fundamental Rights, Order and Security, Regulatory Enforcement, Civil Justice, and Criminal Justice.

Georgia is 1st out of 13 countries in the Eastern Europe and Central Asian region*, 1 out of 30 among lower middle income** countries, and 41 out of 126 countries and jurisdictions worldwide.

The top three places in the WJP Rule of Law Index 2019 were Denmark (1), Norway (2), and Finland (3); the last three were the Democratic Republic of the Congo (124), Cambodia (125), and Venezuela (126).

According to the new WJP Rule of Law Index scores, many countries declined than improved in the rule of law performance.

“This slide in rule of law in general and checks on government powers in particular is deeply concerning,” stated Elizabeth Andersen, executive director of the World Justice Project.

Georgia is the top performer in Eastern Europe and Central Asia in the Index, which is followed by Macedonia, FYR and Bosnia and Herzegovina. Russia, Uzbekistan, and Turkey have the lowest scores in the region.

“Effective rule of law is the foundation for communities of justice, opportunity, and peace,” said William H. Neukom, WJP founder and CEO. “No country has achieved a perfect realization of the rule of law. The WJP Rule of Law Index is intended to be a first step in setting benchmarks, informing reforms, stimulating programs, and deepening appreciation and understanding for the foundational importance of the rule of law.”

GEORGIA RANKINGS
WJP Rule of Law Index 2019 performance (1 is best)

GEORGIA RANKINGS - OVERALL GLOBAL RANK: 41/126
GEORGIA RANKINGS - OVERALL REGIONAL RANK*: 1/13

*Countries measured in the Eastern Europe and Central Asian region: Albania; Belarus; Bosnia and Herzegovina; Georgia; Kazakhstan; Kyrgyzstan; Macedonia, FYR; Moldova; Russia; Serbia; Turkey; Ukraine; Uzbekistan

**Lower middle income countries: Angola; Bangladesh; Bolivia; Cambodia; Cameroon; Cote d'Ivoire; Egypt; El Salvador; Georgia; Ghana; Honduras; India; Indonesia; Kenya; Kyrgyzstan; Mauritania; Moldova; Mongolia; Morocco; Myanmar; Nicaragua; Nigeria; Pakistan; Philippines; Sri Lanka; Tunisia; Ukraine; Uzbekistan; Vietnam; Zambia (Georgia ranked 41 Out of 126 Countries on Rule of Law by WJP, georgiatoday.ge, (Feb. 28, 2019) (in English)).