Rule Of Law Is Quietly Eroding Across Europe, Even In The Nordics

Rule-of-law scores fell in 26 of the 40 European countries with comparable data between 2021 and 2026, and the four Nordic leaders were among them: Denmark, Norway, Finland and Sweden each lost ground, according to a Visual Capitalist ranking built on the World Justice Project’s latest index.

It is not only a European problem. The WJP’s 2026 index, released October 21, covers 143 countries and found declines outnumbering improvements for the ninth straight year, 62% to 38%. The group said the drop in its measure of constraints on government powers was driven by weaker non-governmental checks, and that judicial limits on government power fell in 63% of countries.

Inside Europe, Russia fell 0.062 points to 0.401, the steepest drop on the continent, followed by Georgia (0.036), Serbia (0.032) and Belarus (0.031). Latvia (up 0.031) and Lithuania (up 0.028) improved the most. Germany slipped 0.010 to 0.830, France 0.004 to 0.716 and the UK 0.007 to 0.778.

Using the World Justice Project’s Rule of Law Index 2026, this visualization by The European Correspondent (via Visual Capitalist) 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.