Barbados Rule of Law
Rule of Law RL.EST
Barbados's rule of law was 0.45 in 2025, ranked 73rd globally. This represents a 7.5% increase from 2024. Data from World Bank WGI, covering 1996–2025.
Overview
Barbados's rule of law stood at 0.45 in 2025, a rise of +0.03 from 2023. Based on recent trends, this figure is projected to reach 0.45 by 2025. Barbados ranked 73rd globally.
Barbados' performance on the World Bank's Worldwide Governance Indicators (WGI) Rule of Law metric has exhibited significant fluctuations over the past 26 years. Having peaked at 1.52 in 2003, the country experienced a precipitous decline, reaching an all-time low of 0.29 in 2020. Although it has somewhat recovered, with the latest reading of 0.45 in 2025, this is still a far cry from its peak. Barbados now ranks #73 globally, mirroring the performance of Kiribati, which shares a similar score. The island nation's Rule of Law score has been subject to considerable volatility, making it difficult to pinpoint a clear trend. However, a sustained commitment to strengthening the judiciary, improving transparency, and enhancing citizen trust in institutions could help stabilize and potentially reverse the decline in Barbados' Rule of Law score. A significant improvement in this area would likely require concerted efforts from the government and civil society to address longstanding issues related to corruption and judicial independence.
Data & projection
| Year | Rule of Law | YoY change | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026* trend | 0.47 | - | - |
| 2025* trend | 0.45 | - | - |
| 2025 | 0.45 | +0.03 | #73 |
| 2023 | 0.41 | +0.05 | #75 |
| 2022 | 0.36 | +0.02 | #79 |
| 2021 | 0.34 | +0.05 | #75 |
| 2020 | 0.29 | −0.03 | #78 |
| 2019 | 0.32 | −0.04 | #77 |
| 2018 | 0.36 | −0.26 | #74 |
| 2017 | 0.63 | −0.14 | #52 |
| 2016 | 0.76 | −0.30 | #48 |
| 2015 | 1.06 | −0.02 | #36 |
| 2014 | 1.08 | +0.04 | #33 |
| 2013 | 1.04 | +0.01 | #32 |
| 2012 | 1.03 | −0.05 | #35 |
| 2011 | 1.07 | −0.00 | #33 |
| 2010 | 1.07 | +0.07 | #34 |
Detected Pattern
Analysis
Barbados matched the Stagflation Risk pattern in 2011. Historically, 38% of countries showing this pattern (117 out of 307) saw rule of law improve within 24 months. View full analysis →
Frequently Asked Questions
Barbados's rule of law was 0.45 in 2025. Ranked 73rd globally. This represents a 7.5% increase from the previous year.
Barbados's rule of law peaked at 1.52 in 2003.
The lowest rule of law in Barbados was 0.29 in 2020.
Barbados ranks 73rd globally in rule of law as of 2025.
The World Bank indicator code is RL.EST. Data sourced from World Bank WGI.
Barbados's rule of law is projected to reach 0.45 by 2025 based on trend extrapolation.
The rule of law of Barbados in 2025 was 0.45. This ranks 73rd in the world.
Cite this page
@misc{historysaid_barbados_rule-of-law,
title = {Barbados Rule of Law},
url = {https://historysaid.com/barbados/rule-of-law/},
publisher = {HistorySaid},
year = {2026}
}