Dominica Regulatory Quality

Dominica’s regulatory quality score, measured by the World Bank’s Worldwide Governance Indicators, has fallen sharply from an all‑time peak of 1.03 in 1996 to a trough of 0.13 in 2018, before modestly recovering to 0.43 in 2025, placing the island at rank 70 globally. The 26‑year coverage shows a persistent downward trajectory over two decades, interrupted only by a slight rebound in the most recent year. This recent figure aligns closely with peer nations such as North Macedonia (0.43) and Indonesia (0.42), suggesting that Dominica now performs at a level comparable to middle‑income economies despite its small size and limited resources. The steep decline after the late‑1990s reflects challenges in maintaining transparent, predictable, and efficient regulatory frameworks, while the marginal improvement in 2025 may be linked to recent reforms aimed at streamlining business licensing and strengthening anti‑corruption mechanisms. Continued policy commitment and capacity‑building will be essential if Dominica hopes to sustain upward momentum and close the gap with higher‑ranking peers.