Brussels, 25 October 2023 (MIA) - The Republic of North Macedonia is ranked 67th out of 142 countries in terms of adherence to rule of law, according to the latest global Rule of Law Index released by the World Justice Project (WJP).

The 2023 index released on Wednesday in Washington, DC, United States, also showed that the country has an overall score of 0.53, which is the same compared to previous three years.

The 2023 Rule of Law Index provides data on the rule of law by ranking or assessing eight relevant factors: constraints on government powers, absence of corruption, open government, fundamental rights, order and security, regulatory enforcement, civil justice and criminal justice.

In terms of constraints on government powers, North Macedonia is ranked 97th with a score of 0.47; under the factor absence of corruption the country is ranked 75th with a score of 0.45; in terms of open government it is ranked 70th with a score of 0.50; as to fundamental rights it is ranked 56th with a score of 0.60; in respect of order and security, North Macedonia is ranked 43rd with a score of 0.80; as regards regulatory enforcement it is ranked 94th with a score of 0.46; in regard to the civil justice it is ranked 75th with a score of 0.52 and in terms of criminal justice it is ranked 72nd with a score of 0.44.

Compared to last year, although it has the same score, the country’s ranking has declined by four places and is now at the same level as Mongolia, Kazakhstan, Indonesia and Moldova.

Of the countries in the Western Balkans, Montenegro (57th) and Kosovo (58th) are higher better than North Macedonia on the overall list, respectively, with scores of 0.56, and Bosnia and Herzegovina is ranked 75th with a score of 0.51, Albania ranks 91st, Serbia ranks 93rd as well as Turkey, which is ranked 117th with a score of 0.41.

Two countries were added to the Index this year. Kuwait ranks 52 out of 142 globally and 2nd in the Middle East and North Africa region, while Montenegro comes in at 57 globally, and 2nd in Eastern Europe and Central Asia.

The countries with the biggest rule of law declines in the past year are Sudan, Mali, Iran, Nicaragua, and Afghanistan, while the countries that improved their rule of law score most 2022-2023 are Bulgaria, Honduras, Kenya, Slovenia, and Jordan. Honduras was also a top improver last year.

The top-ranked country in the 2023 WJP Rule of Law Index is Denmark, followed by Norway (2), Finland (3), Sweden (4), and Germany (5).

The bottom ranked countries are Venezuela (142), Cambodia (141), Afghanistan (140), Haiti (139), and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (138).

The World Justice Project (WJP) Rule of Law Index is the world’s leading source for original, independent data on the rule of law. Now covering 142 countries and jurisdictions, the Index relies on more than 149,000 household surveys and 3,400 legal practitioner and expert surveys to measure how the rule of law is experienced and perceived worldwide. Published annually since 2009 and subject to a rigorous methodology, the Index is used by governments, multilateral organizations, businesses, academia, media, and civil society organizations around the world to assess and address gaps in the rule of law.  

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