Guinea-Bissau Rule of Law
Rule of Law RL.EST
Guinea-Bissau's rule of law was -1.54 in 2025, ranked 188th globally. This represents a 7.2% decrease from 2024. Data from World Bank WGI, covering 1996–2025.
Overview
Guinea-Bissau's rule of law stood at -1.54 in 2025, a decline of +0.10 from 2023. Based on recent trends, this figure is projected to reach -1.54 by 2025. Guinea-Bissau ranked 188th globally.
Guinea‑Bissau’s Rule of Law score has hovered in the lower end of the World Bank’s Worldwide Governance Indicators for the past 26 years, registering –1.54 in 2025 and placing the country 188th globally. After a modest improvement to an all‑time peak of –1.11 in 2002, the index slipped to its worst reading of –1.88 in 1998, reflecting a prolonged struggle with weak judicial independence, limited enforcement of contracts and pervasive corruption. The recent figure remains close to those of peers such as Turkmenistan (–1.55) and Belarus (–1.48), underscoring the shared challenges of fragile legal frameworks in low‑income states. Although the 2025 score is slightly better than the 1996 baseline of –1.67, progress has been incremental and the country remains far from the median of the dataset. Strengthening institutional capacity, enhancing transparency and securing consistent budgetary support for the judiciary could reverse the modest upward trend and move Guinea‑Bissau toward a more reliable rule‑of‑law environment.
Data & projection
| Year | Rule of Law | YoY change | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026* trend | -1.57 | - | - |
| 2025* trend | -1.54 | - | - |
| 2025 | -1.54 | −0.10 | #188 |
| 2023 | -1.44 | +0.02 | #189 |
| 2022 | -1.45 | +0.01 | #190 |
| 2021 | -1.46 | −0.06 | #191 |
| 2020 | -1.40 | −0.10 | #192 |
| 2019 | -1.30 | −0.04 | #188 |
| 2018 | -1.27 | +0.20 | #186 |
| 2017 | -1.46 | +0.07 | #191 |
| 2016 | -1.54 | −0.23 | #193 |
| 2015 | -1.31 | +0.03 | #190 |
| 2014 | -1.34 | +0.27 | #188 |
| 2013 | -1.61 | −0.07 | #201 |
| 2012 | -1.54 | −0.22 | #198 |
| 2011 | -1.32 | +0.01 | #190 |
| 2010 | -1.34 | +0.01 | #188 |
Detected Pattern
Analysis
Guinea-Bissau matched the Fiscal Dominance Trap pattern in 2008. Historically, 72% of countries showing this pattern (278 out of 386) saw rule of law improve within 24 months. View full analysis →
Frequently Asked Questions
Guinea-Bissau's rule of law was -1.54 in 2025. Ranked 188th globally. This represents a 7.2% decrease from the previous year.
Guinea-Bissau's rule of law peaked at -1.11 in 2002.
The lowest rule of law in Guinea-Bissau was -1.88 in 1998.
Guinea-Bissau ranks 188th globally in rule of law as of 2025.
The World Bank indicator code is RL.EST. Data sourced from World Bank WGI.
Guinea-Bissau's rule of law is projected to reach -1.54 by 2025 based on trend extrapolation.
The rule of law of Guinea-Bissau in 2025 was -1.54. This ranks 188th in the world.
Cite this page
@misc{historysaid_guinea-bissau_rule-of-law,
title = {Guinea-Bissau Rule of Law},
url = {https://historysaid.com/guinea-bissau/rule-of-law/},
publisher = {HistorySaid},
year = {2026}
}