Low Ranking for Rule of Law in Cyprus: 19th Among 27 EU Countries
Cyprus Sees Minor Decline in Rule of Law Score in World Justice Project’s 2024 Report
The overall rule of law score for Cyprus saw a slight decline of less than 1% in the 2024 Rule of Law Index by the World Justice Project (WJP), placing the country 31st out of 142 countries globally. According to the WJP, this marks the seventh consecutive year of erosion in the rule of law across the majority of the countries studied.
Cyprus ranks 19th out of the 27 EU member states and 23rd out of 31 countries within the European Union, European Free Trade Association, and North America regions.
In terms of government power constraints, the country is ranked 30th globally. In the absence of corruption, Cyprus stands 41st worldwide. Other areas where Cyprus is ranked include open government (42nd globally), fundamental rights (29th globally), order and security (44th globally), and regulatory enforcement (29th globally). In civil justice, Cyprus ranks 36th globally, while in criminal justice, it ranks 24th worldwide.
Denmark secured the top position globally, followed by Norway and Finland, while Hungary, Bulgaria and Greece scored the lowest in the EU, with Hungary ranked 73rd worldwide.
In the past year, 57% of countries, including Cyprus, saw a decline in their rule of law scores. Of the 20 EU, EFTA, and North American countries with a decrease, 13 had also recorded drops in the previous year.
From 2016 to 2024, the index measuring fundamental rights declined in 81% of the countries studied, while scores for constraints on government powers dropped in 77% of nations. The WJP report highlighted a global reduction in the effectiveness of legislative bodies, judicial systems, and civil society in checking executive power.
Despite these trends, a smaller number of countries saw a decline in the overall rule of law this year—57%, compared to 59% in 2023 and 61% in 2022. Progress was noted in combating corruption, with 59% of countries improving their scores in the absence of corruption index between 2023 and 2024. However, Cyprus was not among the countries showing improvement in this area.
The WJP plans to publish its first study focusing on the rule of law within regions of the 27 EU member states later this year, examining justice, democratic governance, and corruption.
