Ireland Rule of Law
Rule of Law RL.EST
Ireland's rule of law was 1.75 in 2025, ranked 5th globally. This represents a 7.0% increase from 2024. Data from World Bank WGI, covering 1996–2025.
Overview
Ireland's rule of law stood at 1.75 in 2025, a rise of +0.11 from 2023. Based on recent trends, this figure is projected to reach 1.75 by 2025. Ireland ranked 5th globally.
Ireland’s Rule of Law score on the World Bank Worldwide Governance Indicators rose from 1.50 in 1996 to a modest peak of 1.76 in 2010, before slipping to a trough of 1.35 in 2019 and recovering to 1.75 in 2025, placing it fifth globally. The 26‑year series shows that the post‑global‑financial‑crisis period coincided with the highest rating, reflecting strong institutional reforms, while the 2019 dip aligns with heightened political uncertainty and fiscal pressures. Compared with peer jurisdictions, Ireland’s 2025 score of 1.75 is just below Luxembourg’s 1.77 and Liechtenstein’s 1.76, yet exceeds Norway’s 1.72 and Singapore’s 1.71, underscoring its competitive standing among high‑performing rule‑of‑law economies. The recent rebound suggests that continued investment in judicial independence, transparency initiatives, and anti‑corruption measures could sustain the upward trajectory, while any reversal in political stability or fiscal discipline might risk a renewed decline.
Data & projection
| Year | Rule of Law | YoY change | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026* trend | 1.81 | - | - |
| 2025* trend | 1.75 | - | - |
| 2025 | 1.75 | +0.11 | #5 |
| 2023 | 1.63 | +0.11 | #13 |
| 2022 | 1.53 | +0.03 | #18 |
| 2021 | 1.49 | +0.04 | #20 |
| 2020 | 1.46 | +0.11 | #22 |
| 2019 | 1.35 | −0.06 | #25 |
| 2018 | 1.41 | +0.03 | #24 |
| 2017 | 1.38 | −0.08 | #25 |
| 2016 | 1.47 | −0.26 | #23 |
| 2015 | 1.73 | −0.03 | #16 |
| 2014 | 1.76 | +0.05 | #16 |
| 2013 | 1.71 | −0.02 | #12 |
| 2012 | 1.73 | −0.02 | #13 |
| 2011 | 1.75 | −0.01 | #9 |
| 2010 | 1.76 | +0.02 | #11 |
Detected Pattern
Analysis
Ireland matched the Export Boom Cycle pattern in 2021. Historically, 71% of countries showing this pattern (546 out of 768) saw rule of law improve within 24 months. View full analysis →
Frequently Asked Questions
Ireland's rule of law was 1.75 in 2025. Ranked 5th globally. This represents a 7.0% increase from the previous year.
Ireland's rule of law peaked at 1.76 in 2010.
The lowest rule of law in Ireland was 1.35 in 2019.
Ireland ranks 5th globally in rule of law as of 2025.
The World Bank indicator code is RL.EST. Data sourced from World Bank WGI.
Ireland's rule of law is projected to reach 1.75 by 2025 based on trend extrapolation.
The rule of law of Ireland in 2025 was 1.75. This ranks 5th in the world.
Cite this page
@misc{historysaid_ireland_rule-of-law,
title = {Ireland Rule of Law},
url = {https://historysaid.com/ireland/rule-of-law/},
publisher = {HistorySaid},
year = {2026}
}