Dominica Rule of Law

Dominica’s Rule of Law score on the World Bank Worldwide Governance Indicators has fallen markedly since the late‑1990s, slipping from an all‑time peak of 0.84 in 1998 to a trough of 0.55 in 2014 before recovering modestly to 0.61 in 2025, placing the island at 58th in the global ranking. The 26‑year series shows a long‑term downward trajectory, with the most pronounced decline occurring during the early 2010s, a period that coincided with fiscal strain and governance challenges across several small Caribbean states. By contrast, peer jurisdictions such as Malta and Malaysia record identical scores of 0.61, while Bermuda and St. Lucia sit slightly higher at 0.63 and 0.64 respectively, highlighting that Dominica remains near the lower end of its peer group. Continued improvement will likely depend on strengthening judicial independence, enhancing regulatory transparency, and sustaining anti‑corruption reforms, which could reverse the recent modest rebound and lift the country’s standing in future assessments.