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Indicators · Governance

Rule of law

Perceptions of contract enforcement, property rights, the police and the courts, as a score from 0 (weakest) to 100 (strongest).

Why it matters

Determines whether contracts and titles will hold up, and how risky disputes are.

Read with care

Perception-based. The World Bank now publishes these indicators as a 0 to 100 score rather than a percentile rank, so compare scores with scores.

Source

World Bank

score (0 to 100). 54 African countries, 1996 to 2025.

Rule of law: highest in Mauritius, lowest in DRC

Rule of law, score (0 to 100). Latest year available, 2025. 16 of 16 countries have data.

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Source: World Bank· Get the data (Professional)·dotzedw Insights Centre

Ranked: rule of lawiWhy it mattersDetermines whether contracts and titles will hold up, and how risky disputes are.

Click a country to highlight it.

0204060Mauritius70Seychelles68Namibia65Botswana63South Africa59Malawi56Lesotho51Zambia51Tanzania49Eswatini46Madagascar43Comoros43Angola40Mozambique39Zimbabwe39DRC31median 50
dotzedw Insights Centre
How spread out SADC is
Median 50Lowest: DRC 31Highest: Mauritius 70

Over time

Ten years of history for every indicator is free with a Reader account

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Rule of law against income per person

Each bubble is a SADC country, sized by population. Dashed lines mark the SADC medians. Countries far from the pattern are worth a closer look.

010203040506070$1,000$3,000$10kGDP per person, US$ (log scale)Rule of lawDRCTanzaniaSouth AfricaAngolaMozambiqueMadagascarMalawiZimbabwe
Source: World Bank, World Bank·dotzedw Insights Centre

Table

The same figures as the map, for screen readers and copying.
RankCountryValueYearFive-year changeGradeDetails
1Mauritius702025down 4 since 2020A
2Seychelles682025little changed since 2020A
3Namibia652025up 2 since 2020A
4Botswana632025down 1 since 2020A
5South Africa592025up 1 since 2020A
6Malawi562025up 2 since 2020A
7Lesotho512025down 1 since 2020A
8Zambia512025up 3 since 2020A
9Tanzania492025little changed since 2020A
10Eswatini462025down 3 since 2020A
11Madagascar432025down 2 since 2020A
12Comoros432025up 2 since 2020A
13Angola402025down 3 since 2020A
14Mozambique392025down 3 since 2020A
15Zimbabwe392025little changed since 2020A
16DRC312025little changed since 2020A