Freetown, 23rd October 2026- Sierra Leone has been ranked 110th out of 143 countries and jurisdictions in the 2026 World Justice Project (WJP) Rule of Law Index, highlighting continued challenges in governance, justice and accountability despite a marginal improvement in its overall score.
According to the World Justice Project Rule of Law Index 2026, Sierra Leone recorded an overall score of 0.44 out of 1.00, reflecting a slight increase of 0.1 percent from the previous year. However, the country slipped by one position in the global rankings, moving to 110th place worldwide.
The index, widely regarded as one of the world’s leading measures of adherence to the rule of law, assesses countries based on factors including constraints on government powers, absence of corruption, open government, fundamental rights, order and security, regulatory enforcement, civil justice and criminal justice.
Within Sub-Saharan Africa, Sierra Leone’s performance places it in the lower half of the regional rankings. The country trails regional leaders such as Rwanda, which scored 0.64, Namibia and Mauritius at 0.61 and 0.60 respectively, as well as Ghana, which recorded 0.55. Sierra Leone’s score is equal to those of Tanzania, Côte d’Ivoire and Zambia, but remains above countries including Togo, Niger, Guinea, Nigeria and Mali.
The report shows that the average rule of law score across Sub-Saharan Africa stands at 0.45, placing Sierra Leone just below the regional average.
Globally, Denmark retained the top position with a score of 0.90, followed by Norway and Finland, while Venezuela ranked last with a score of 0.26.
The findings come against the backdrop of what the World Justice Project describes as a continuing global “rule of law recession.” The report notes that rule of law declined in 62 percent of countries assessed during the past year, marking the ninth consecutive year in which more countries experienced deterioration than improvement. Key drivers include shrinking civic space, restrictions on freedom of expression and assembly, and increasing government interference in justice systems.
Despite these global trends, Sierra Leone was among the countries that registered a modest improvement in overall score, albeit insufficient to significantly alter its global standing. The country’s score of 0.44 places it well below the levels associated with stronger-performing economies and governance systems identified in the report.
The World Justice Project states that strong adherence to the rule of law is closely linked to higher economic growth, greater peace, stronger institutions and improved development outcomes, underscoring the importance of continued reforms aimed at strengthening accountability, transparency and access to justice in Sierra Leone.
