El Salvador Rule of Law
Rule of Law RL.EST
El Salvador's rule of law was -0.31 in 2025, ranked 120th globally. This represents a 15.3% increase from 2024. Data from World Bank WGI, covering 1996–2025.
Overview
El Salvador's rule of law stood at -0.31 in 2025, a rise of +0.06 from 2023. Based on recent trends, this figure is projected to reach -0.31 by 2025. El Salvador ranked 120th globally.
El Salvador’s Rule of Law score on the World Bank’s Worldwide Governance Indicators stands at –0.31 in 2025, placing the country 120th in the global ranking and tying its all‑time peak with the latest figure. The index, which covers 26 years of data, improved markedly from a trough of –0.93 in 2018, signalling a reversal of the steep decline that characterized the early 2010s. Compared with regional peers, the Salvadoran score is marginally better than Senegal (–0.32) and close to Tanzania (–0.30), yet still lags behind Trinidad and Tobago (–0.28) and Brazil (–0.34). The upward trajectory suggests that recent judicial reforms and anti‑corruption measures may be bearing fruit, but sustaining progress will require deeper institutional strengthening and consistent enforcement of legal norms. Continued improvement in the Rule of Law indicator will depend on the government’s ability to consolidate reforms and enhance judicial independence.
Data & projection
| Year | Rule of Law | YoY change | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026* trend | -0.21 | - | - |
| 2025* trend | -0.31 | - | - |
| 2025 | -0.31 | +0.06 | #120 |
| 2023 | -0.37 | +0.37 | #124 |
| 2022 | -0.74 | +0.12 | #153 |
| 2021 | -0.87 | −0.09 | #159 |
| 2020 | -0.78 | +0.09 | #155 |
| 2019 | -0.87 | +0.06 | #163 |
| 2018 | -0.93 | −0.06 | #167 |
| 2017 | -0.87 | −0.12 | #161 |
| 2016 | -0.76 | −0.14 | #152 |
| 2015 | -0.62 | −0.15 | #140 |
| 2014 | -0.47 | +0.17 | #125 |
| 2013 | -0.64 | +0.09 | #135 |
| 2012 | -0.73 | +0.02 | #145 |
| 2011 | -0.75 | +0.11 | #149 |
| 2010 | -0.87 | −0.08 | #156 |
Detected Pattern
Analysis
El Salvador matched the Stagflation Risk pattern in 1989. 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
El Salvador's rule of law was -0.31 in 2025. Ranked 120th globally. This represents a 15.3% increase from the previous year.
El Salvador's rule of law peaked at -0.31 in 2025.
The lowest rule of law in El Salvador was -0.93 in 2018.
El Salvador ranks 120th globally in rule of law as of 2025.
The World Bank indicator code is RL.EST. Data sourced from World Bank WGI.
El Salvador's rule of law is projected to reach -0.31 by 2025 based on trend extrapolation.
The rule of law of El Salvador in 2025 was -0.31. This ranks 120th in the world.
Cite this page
@misc{historysaid_el-salvador_rule-of-law,
title = {El Salvador Rule of Law},
url = {https://historysaid.com/el-salvador/rule-of-law/},
publisher = {HistorySaid},
year = {2026}
}