Hong Kong ranks 24th in global rule of law index as overall score falls

Hong Kong has dropped to 24th place in the latest global rule of law index, despite a small dip in its scores for fundamental rights and criminal justice. The World Justice Project released the index on Wednesday, highlighting that Hong Kong still ranks among the top 10 for "absence of corruption" and "order and security", climbing to seventh in the latter category.

The World Justice Project noted a slowdown in the erosion of the rule of law globally in 2026, but the overall decline persisted, with 62% of the 143 jurisdictions surveyed experiencing a decrease. Hong Kong's overall score dropped by 0.01 from the previous year to 0.71. The city's overall ranking remains ahead of some Western nations that often criticize Hong Kong's rule of law and human rights situation.

Hong Kong secured the sixth position in East Asia and the Pacific. The government asserted that national security laws have bolstered the city's security and maintained an "excellent environment" for business and investment. However, Hong Kong's scores in most aspects remained similar to last year, and its overall ranking has not improved since peaking at 0.78 in 2016.

The city's ranking worsened in "constraints on government powers" (63rd) and "civil justice" (20th), both of which are its lowest scores among the eight categories. Its score for "constraints on government powers" was its lowest, while its highest score was 0.92 for "Order and Security". Hong Kong's positions fell in "absence of corruption", "open government", and "regulatory enforcement", ranking 10th, 29th, and 16th, respectively.

The city's largest declines occurred in the "fundamental rights" and "criminal justice" categories, with Hong Kong dropping to 69th and 23rd from 67th and 21st in 2025. The government pledged to continue safeguarding rights and freedoms for Hong Kong residents and uphold the rule of law, national sovereignty, security, and development interests.