Gambia, The Rule of Law
Rule of Law RL.EST
Gambia, The's rule of law was -0.41 in 2025, ranked 127th globally. This represents a 8.6% decrease from 2024. Data from World Bank WGI, covering 1996–2025.
Overview
Gambia, The's rule of law stood at -0.41 in 2025, a decline of +0.03 from 2023. Based on recent trends, this figure is projected to reach -0.41 by 2025. Gambia, The ranked 127th globally.
The Gambia’s Rule of Law score on the World Bank Worldwide Governance Indicators has slipped from a modest peak of 0.16 in 2003 to a trough of –0.80 in 2016, before modestly recovering to –0.41 in 2025, placing it 127th out of 193 economies. Over the 26‑year coverage period the index has moved from a near‑neutral 0.02 in 1996 to a position that closely mirrors peers such as Bosnia and Herzegovina (–0.40) and the Solomon Islands (–0.41), reflecting persistent challenges in judicial independence, contract enforcement and corruption control. The sharp decline after 2003 coincided with political turbulence and limited institutional reforms, while the slight uptick since 2016 suggests incremental improvements in legislative transparency and civil‑service capacity. Continued investment in legal infrastructure, professional training for judges and prosecutors, and stronger anti‑corruption mechanisms would be required to reverse the downward trajectory and move the score into positive territory in the coming years.
Data & projection
| Year | Rule of Law | YoY change | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026* trend | -0.41 | - | - |
| 2025* trend | -0.41 | - | - |
| 2025 | -0.41 | −0.03 | #127 |
| 2023 | -0.37 | +0.08 | #126 |
| 2022 | -0.46 | −0.05 | #127 |
| 2021 | -0.41 | −0.01 | #124 |
| 2020 | -0.39 | +0.01 | #123 |
| 2019 | -0.41 | +0.05 | #123 |
| 2018 | -0.46 | −0.00 | #130 |
| 2017 | -0.45 | +0.34 | #133 |
| 2016 | -0.80 | −0.05 | #155 |
| 2015 | -0.75 | −0.05 | #147 |
| 2014 | -0.70 | −0.05 | #142 |
| 2013 | -0.65 | −0.05 | #136 |
| 2012 | -0.60 | −0.04 | #137 |
| 2011 | -0.56 | +0.01 | #135 |
| 2010 | -0.57 | −0.05 | #134 |
Detected Pattern
Analysis
Gambia, The matched the Orthodox Tightening Cycle pattern in 2023. Historically, 57% of countries showing this pattern (177 out of 311) saw rule of law improve within 24 months. View full analysis →
Frequently Asked Questions
Gambia, The's rule of law was -0.41 in 2025. Ranked 127th globally. This represents a 8.6% decrease from the previous year.
Gambia, The's rule of law peaked at 0.16 in 2003.
The lowest rule of law in Gambia, The was -0.80 in 2016.
Gambia, The ranks 127th globally in rule of law as of 2025.
The World Bank indicator code is RL.EST. Data sourced from World Bank WGI.
Gambia, The's rule of law is projected to reach -0.41 by 2025 based on trend extrapolation.
The rule of law of Gambia, The in 2025 was -0.41. This ranks 127th in the world.
Cite this page
@misc{historysaid_gambia-the_rule-of-law,
title = {Gambia, The Rule of Law},
url = {https://historysaid.com/gambia-the/rule-of-law/},
publisher = {HistorySaid},
year = {2026}
}