Mexico falls again in the Global Justice Index

In Latin America and the Caribbean, Mexico ranked 28th out of 32 countries evaluated. Uruguay led the region with global position 23, followed by Costa Rica and Barbados. The three countries with the lowest regional ratings were Nicaragua, Haiti and Venezuela, the latter occupying last place worldwide (143rd place).

Of the 32 Latin American countries measured, 24 showed deterioration in adherence to the rule of law during the last year. Of those 24, 19 had also declined the previous year, evidencing a sustained regional trend.

Among the 41 upper-middle-income nations evaluated, Mexico ranked 38th, placing it near the lower end of its economic category.

The WJP Rule of Law Index bases its evaluations on more than 215,000 household surveys and 3,500 questionnaires administered to legal professionals and experts in 143 jurisdictions, covering 95% of the world’s population.

The index evaluates eight factors through 44 sub-factors: limits on government power, absence of corruption, open government, fundamental rights, order and security, regulatory compliance, civil justice and criminal justice. Ratings range between 0 and 1, where 1 represents the highest adherence to the rule of law.

Globally, Denmark topped the ranking, followed by Norway, Finland, Sweden and New Zealand. At the opposite extreme, Venezuela recorded the lowest rating, preceded by Afghanistan, Cambodia, Haiti and Nicaragua.