Moldova Ranks 66th in the 2026 WJP Rule of Law Index

Moldova ranked 66th in the global rule of law index, with corruption being its weak point

Moldova ranked 66th out of 143 countries in the 2026 WJP Rule of Law Index, improving its overall score by less than 1 per cent. However, as in most countries worldwide, the country has seen a deterioration in indicators relating to freedom of expression, freedom of assembly and civic participation.

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The ranking was published on 21 October 2026 by the international organisation World Justice Project (WJP). Moldova’s overall score was 0.53. In the regional ranking for Eastern Europe and Central Asia, the country ranks fifth out of 15, and 16th among 44 upper-middle-income countries.

Where does Moldova stand in the ranking?

According to the WJP, the global decline in the rule of law continues. Although in 2026 the number of countries showing a decline in their scores was lower than the previous year, a deterioration was recorded in 62 per cent of countries – a figure that still exceeds the number of cases where improvements were seen.

Moldova belongs to a relatively small group of countries whose overall score has risen this year. However, the positive trend in the overall score is accompanied by a deterioration in certain components of the rule of law.

Georgia leads the regional ranking, occupying 55th place globally. It is followed by Montenegro and Kosovo. Belarus, Turkey and Russia recorded the lowest scores in the region, with Russia occupying 121st place in the global ranking.

Over the past year, a decline in scores has been recorded in 11 out of 15 countries in Eastern Europe and Central Asia. In six of these, a negative trend had also been observed the previous year.

Freedom of expression and civic participation

According to the study, over 86 per cent of countries have shown a sustained deterioration over the past five years in at least one of the indicators reflecting the constraints of authoritarian governance: limits on government powers, the openness of public administration, or respect for fundamental rights. Moldova is included in this group.

In particular, Moldova has seen a decline in indicators relating to freedom of thought and expression, freedom of assembly and association, and civic participation. Globally, deterioration in these areas has been recorded in 64 per cent, 67 per cent and 65 per cent of countries respectively.

At the same time, Moldova is not among the countries where the indicator for the judiciary’s checks on government powers has deteriorated over the past year. Globally, this indicator has declined in 63 per cent of countries.

Moldova’s strengths and weaknesses

In the rankings by individual factors, Moldova achieved its highest positions in the categories ‘Public Order and Safety’ – 36th in the world, ‘Open Government’ – 49th, and ‘Fundamental Rights’ – 55th.

Its weakest performances were recorded in the areas of ‘Absence of Corruption’ – 103rd place, ‘Regulatory Enforcement’ – 93rd place, and ‘Civil Justice’ – 86th place.

The study also shows that Moldova has seen no improvement in the affordability and accessibility of civil justice, nor in the indicator for the absence of discrimination in civil justice. Globally, these indicators have improved in 54 per cent and 52 per cent of countries, respectively.

How the rule of law relates to the economy

The WJP notes a link between strong rule of law institutions and more favourable economic indicators. Countries with a per capita GDP above the global average, lower inflation and investment-grade sovereign credit ratings tend to score higher in the index.

In 2026, Denmark topped the global ranking, followed by Norway, Finland, Sweden and Luxembourg. Venezuela came last.

The WJP Index is based on surveys of the general public, practitioners and experts. The 2026 study utilised over 215,000 household surveys and 3,400 surveys of practitioners and experts. The Index covers 143 countries and jurisdictions, representing 95 per cent of the world’s population.

Moldova’s rankings in the WJP Rule of Law Index

Overall global ranking: 66/143

Overall regional ranking: 5/15

Rankings by factor:

FACTOR	GLOBAL RANKING	REGIONAL RANKING*	INCOME RANKING**
Checks and Balances	74/143	3/15	18/44
Absence of Corruption	103/143	12/15	33/44
Open Government	49/143	3/15	8/44
Fundamental Rights	55/143	4/15	12/44
Public Order and Safety	36/143	3/15	2/44
Regulatory Enforcement	93/143	7/15	29/44
Civil Justice	86/143	10/15	27/44
Criminal Justice	74/143	8/15	21/44