Croatia Rule of Law
Rule of Law RL.EST
Croatia's rule of law was 0.38 in 2025, ranked 78th globally. This represents a 5.4% increase from 2024. Data from World Bank WGI, covering 1996–2025.
Overview
Croatia's rule of law stood at 0.38 in 2025, a rise of +0.02 from 2023. Based on recent trends, this figure is projected to reach 0.38 by 2025. Croatia ranked 78th globally.
Croatia's Rule of Law score, as measured by the World Bank's Worldwide Governance Indicators, has shown a steady improvement over the past two decades. Since its all-time trough of -0.63 in 1996, the country has made significant strides in strengthening its institutions, with the latest score reaching 0.38 in 2025, placing it at 78th globally. This improvement is comparable to that of Hungary, which also achieved a score of 0.38, and Italy, which ranked higher at 0.41. Despite this progress, Croatia still faces challenges in ensuring the rule of law, particularly in areas such as corruption and judicial independence. The continued commitment to democratic reforms and the effective implementation of anti-corruption measures will be crucial in sustaining this trend, which may be vulnerable to setbacks if the country's institutions are not adequately strengthened to address the ongoing challenges.
Data & projection
| Year | Rule of Law | YoY change | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026* trend | 0.40 | - | - |
| 2025* trend | 0.38 | - | - |
| 2025 | 0.38 | +0.02 | #78 |
| 2023 | 0.36 | −0.01 | #81 |
| 2022 | 0.37 | +0.09 | #78 |
| 2021 | 0.28 | +0.04 | #82 |
| 2020 | 0.24 | −0.11 | #80 |
| 2019 | 0.35 | +0.05 | #76 |
| 2018 | 0.30 | −0.01 | #76 |
| 2017 | 0.31 | −0.03 | #76 |
| 2016 | 0.34 | +0.21 | #75 |
| 2015 | 0.13 | −0.09 | #80 |
| 2014 | 0.22 | +0.04 | #73 |
| 2013 | 0.18 | +0.03 | #83 |
| 2012 | 0.15 | +0.04 | #81 |
| 2011 | 0.11 | +0.03 | #83 |
| 2010 | 0.08 | +0.04 | #86 |
Detected Pattern
Analysis
Croatia matched the Export Boom Cycle pattern in 2021. Historically, 71% of countries showing this pattern (546 out of 768) saw rule of law improve within 24 months. View full analysis →
Frequently Asked Questions
Croatia's rule of law was 0.38 in 2025. Ranked 78th globally. This represents a 5.4% increase from the previous year.
Croatia's rule of law peaked at 0.38 in 2025.
The lowest rule of law in Croatia was -0.63 in 1996.
Croatia ranks 78th globally in rule of law as of 2025.
The World Bank indicator code is RL.EST. Data sourced from World Bank WGI.
Croatia's rule of law is projected to reach 0.38 by 2025 based on trend extrapolation.
The rule of law of Croatia in 2025 was 0.38. This ranks 78th in the world.
Cite this page
@misc{historysaid_croatia_rule-of-law,
title = {Croatia Rule of Law},
url = {https://historysaid.com/croatia/rule-of-law/},
publisher = {HistorySaid},
year = {2026}
}