Virgin Islands (US) Rule of Law
Rule of Law RL.EST
Virgin Islands (US)'s rule of law was 0.91 in 2025, ranked 42nd globally. This represents a 4.0% decrease from 2024. Data from World Bank WGI, covering 2004–2025.
Overview
Virgin Islands (US)'s rule of law stood at 0.91 in 2025, a decline of +0.04 from 2023. Based on recent trends, this figure is projected to reach 0.91 by 2025. Virgin Islands (US) ranked 42nd globally.
The United States Virgin Islands’ Rule of Law score fell from an all‑time peak of 1.19 in 2004 to a historic low of 0.02 in 2014, before modestly recovering to 0.91 in 2025, placing it 42nd in the global ranking. This 21‑year series reflects a pronounced deterioration during the early 2010s, a period when institutional weaknesses and limited judicial capacity were widely reported, followed by incremental reforms that have lifted the index but still leave the territory below the median of peer jurisdictions such as Guam (0.92) and the United Arab Emirates (0.88). The current figure of 0.91 suggests that recent legal‑system strengthening measures are beginning to bear fruit, yet the gap to the pre‑2014 peak remains large. Continued investment in judicial infrastructure, transparent law‑enforcement practices and capacity‑building for legal professionals will be essential to sustain the upward trajectory and move the Virgin Islands closer to the performance of higher‑ranking peers.
Data & projection
| Year | Rule of Law | YoY change | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026* trend | 0.90 | - | - |
| 2025* trend | 0.91 | - | - |
| 2025 | 0.91 | −0.04 | #42 |
| 2023 | 0.95 | −0.01 | #38 |
| 2022 | 0.96 | +0.07 | #36 |
| 2021 | 0.89 | +0.02 | #40 |
| 2020 | 0.87 | −0.16 | #46 |
| 2019 | 1.03 | −0.03 | #35 |
| 2018 | 1.06 | +0.48 | #33 |
| 2017 | 0.57 | −0.00 | #58 |
| 2016 | 0.58 | −0.25 | #57 |
| 2015 | 0.83 | +0.81 | #46 |
| 2014 | 0.02 | −0.82 | #81 |
| 2013 | 0.84 | +0.01 | #48 |
| 2012 | 0.83 | +0.01 | #50 |
| 2011 | 0.83 | −0.02 | #50 |
| 2010 | 0.85 | −0.01 | #49 |
Analysis
Virgin Islands (US)'s rule of law was 0.91 in 2025, a decline of −0.04 from 2024. Based on trends, estimated 0.91 by 2025.
Frequently Asked Questions
Virgin Islands (US)'s rule of law was 0.91 in 2025. Ranked 42nd globally. This represents a 4.0% decrease from the previous year.
Virgin Islands (US)'s rule of law peaked at 1.19 in 2004.
The lowest rule of law in Virgin Islands (US) was 0.02 in 2014.
Virgin Islands (US) ranks 42nd globally in rule of law as of 2025.
The World Bank indicator code is RL.EST. Data sourced from World Bank WGI.
Virgin Islands (US)'s rule of law is projected to reach 0.91 by 2025 based on trend extrapolation.
The rule of law of Virgin Islands (US) in 2025 was 0.91. This ranks 42nd in the world.
Cite this page
@misc{historysaid_virgin-islands-us_rule-of-law,
title = {Virgin Islands (US) Rule of Law},
url = {https://historysaid.com/virgin-islands-us/rule-of-law/},
publisher = {HistorySaid},
year = {2026}
}