Romania ranks lower in this year’s WJP Rule of Law Index

Romania fell two places in the 2025 edition of the World Justice Project (WJP) Rule of Law Index, ranking 44th out of 143 countries and jurisdictions evaluated worldwide. This year’s top-ranked countries are Denmark, Norway, and Finland.

Romania’s overall rule of law score decreased 1.2% in this year’s ranking, according to the same report.

Regionally, Romania ranks 27th out of 31 countries in the European Union, European Free Trade Association, and North America. The region’s top performer is Denmark (ranked 1st out of 143 globally), followed by Norway and Finland. The three countries with the lowest scores in the region are Greece, Bulgaria, and Hungary (79th globally).

Among high-income countries, Romania ranks 41st out of 51, the same source said.

“The global rule of law recession has accelerated, according to the new WJP Rule of Law Index 2025. A stark 68% of countries declined in their rule of law in 2025, compared to 57% in the previous year,” reads the press release. Decline in judicial independence and shrinking civic space signal heightened risk to democracy worldwide.

Overall, the bottom-ranked countries are Venezuela (143), Afghanistan (142), Cambodia (141), Haiti (140), and Nicaragua (139). 

Meanwhile, the most significant decliners include the Russian Federation (-4.9%), Sudan (-4.4%), and Mozambique (-3.9%). At the other end, the countries with the largest improvements include the Dominican Republic (2.1%), Senegal (1.6%), and Sierra Leone (1.4%). 

The  WJP Rule of Law Index provides data on eight factors: Constraints on Government Powers, Absence of Corruption, Open Government, Fundamental Rights, Order and Security, Regulatory Enforcement, Civil Justice, and Criminal Justice. Scores range from 0 to 1, where 1 signifies the highest possible adherence to the rule of law. This year, the Index covers 143 countries and jurisdictions, with Qatar integrated for the first time. 

The complete Rule of Law Index is available here, and the country report on Romania can be accessed here.

irina.marica@romania-insider.com

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