Portugal ranks 27th out of 143 countries in the 2026 Rule of Law Index published by the World Justice Project. The country placed 20th among 31 evaluated nations across the European Union, European Free Trade Association, and North America. While Portugal improved its overall global standing, the report noted that institutional defenses against authoritarianism continue to face pressure worldwide.
Portugal Ranks 27th Globally in Annual Rule of Law Index
Wednesday, 21 October 2026AI summary
Context & Explainers
Portugal ranks among the top 30 countries globally in the World Justice Project's Rule of Law Index, scoring around 0.70 out of 1.0. This places it on par with Spain (0.72) and the United States (0.70), but behind Germany (0.83) and the UK (0.78). While Portugal performs well on fundamental rights and security, judicial delays and civil court backlogs remain common systemic weaknesses.
3 sources
- Portugal among the countries where authoritarianism is taking root, according to the World Justice Projecteco.sapo.pt ·
- Portugal climbs in the WJP Rule of Law Index, reaching 27th place worldwideJornal Económico ·
- Portugal among countries where defences against authoritarianism are weakeningcnnportugal.iol.pt ·
