In late October, the World Justice Project published its 2026 Rule of Law Index, and Singapore, a small city-state that rarely lacks for attention in such rankings, climbed two places to 14th among 143 countries. The climb arrives against a grim backdrop in which authoritarian pressure has settled into much of the world, leaving Singapore among the few places where the scaffolding of accountable government appears to have held or strengthened. Yet the same report notes a quieter erosion: the space for public debate and open criticism is narrowing here as elsewhere, a reminder that a strong ran
Singapore Climbs to 14th in Global Rule of Law Index, Ranks Top for Order and Security
Authoritarianism is no longer an emerging trend but an entrenched one.
Mark
Singapore went up two places to 14th. Why is that notable this year?
Mimi
Because most countries are heading the other way. WJP says Singapore is among a minority whose score rose in 2026, while over 86% of countries declined in at least one safeguard against authoritarian rule.
Luke
Careful with that 86%. It's WJP's figure, and it covers a sustained five-year decline in at least one of three safeguards. It isn't a measure of how many countries are authoritarian.
Mark
Fair. What did Singapore do best on?
Mimi
It ranked first for order and security and second for absence of corruption, out of 143 countries.
Luke
Worth remembering how the index works. It rests on more than 215,000 household surveys and 3,400 expert surveys, so it measures experience and perception. That's useful, but it isn't an audit.
Mark
And the report didn't give Singapore a clean sheet?
Mimi
No. WJP said freedoms tied to civic space, public debate and government oversight are shrinking in most countries, Singapore included.
Luke
The source doesn't say how much it shrank in Singapore or which indicators moved. So we can say the finding exists, not how large it is.
Mark
So what's the takeaway?
Mimi
Strong marks on security and corruption, a rising rank, and one flagged weakness in civic freedoms worth watching.
O Pulso
- Singapore ranks first worldwide for order and security and second for absence of corruption, a standing that draws attention in a year of widespread institutional strain.
- While more than 86% of countries have slid in at least one safeguard against authoritarian rule, Singapore is explicitly excluded from that decline and its score has risen.
- The index's own findings show civic space, public debate and government oversight shrinking, and Singapore is counted among those places.
- The trajectory to watch is whether those narrowing freedoms begin to pull on Singapore's overall score in future editions.
In late October, the World Justice Project published its 2026 Rule of Law Index, and Singapore, a small city-state that rarely lacks for attention in such rankings, climbed two places to 14th among 143 countries. The climb arrives against a grim backdrop in which authoritarian pressure has settled into much of the world, leaving Singapore among the few places where the scaffolding of accountable government appears to have held or strengthened. Yet the same report notes a quieter erosion: the space for public debate and open criticism is narrowing here as elsewhere, a reminder that a strong ranking measures how a system is experienced, and that experience can shift even while the figures rise.
On October 21, the World Justice Project released its 2026 Rule of Law Index, and Singapore rose two places to 14th out of 143 countries. It ranked first globally for order and security and second for absence of corruption, a notable result in a year when the broader picture is grim.
The WJP, an independent US-based advocacy group, has published the index annually since 2009. This edition draws on more than 215,000 household surveys and 3,400 expert and practitioner surveys, measuring how the rule of law is actually experienced, not only how it is written down. Scores span eight factors, from constraints on government power to criminal justice.
The global context is sobering. WJP describes authoritarianism as entrenched rather than emerging, with over 86% of countries declining over five years in at least one safeguard against authoritarian rule. Singapore is not among them, and it is one of the few countries whose score increased in 2026. Executive interference is identified as the leading cause of decay elsewhere.
The report is not wholly reassuring. WJP also found that civic space, public debate and government oversight are shrinking across most countries, Singapore included. In the regional table, Singapore placed third of 15 in East Asia and the Pacific, behind New Zealand and Australia.
The question for future editions is whether that narrowing of public debate begins to weigh on the score.
On Oct 21, the World Justice Project released its 2026 Rule of Law Index, and Singapore found itself in a position few countries could claim this year: moving up. The city-state rose two places to 14th out of 143 countries. It was also ranked first in the world for order and security, and second for absence of corruption.
The World Justice Project, or WJP, is an independent advocacy group based in the United States. It has published the index annually since 2009. The 2026 edition draws on more than 215,000 household surveys and 3,400 surveys of practitioners and experts, an approach meant to capture how the rule of law is experienced and perceived rather than only how it is written into statute.
WJP defines the rule of law as a durable system of laws, institutions, norms and community commitment that delivers accountability, just law, open government, and accessible and impartial justice. The index scores countries on eight factors: constraints on government powers, absence of corruption, government openness, fundamental rights, order and security, regulatory enforcement, civil justice and criminal justice.
The backdrop to Singapore's rise is a bleak global picture. WJP said authoritarianism is no longer an emerging trend but an entrenched one. Over 86% of countries have suffered a sustained five-year decline in at least one of three safeguards against authoritarian rule: constraints on government powers, open government, or fundamental rights. WJP stated plainly that this does not include Singapore. It added that Singapore is among the minority of countries whose index score increased in 2026.
The organisation pointed to executive interference as the leading driver of institutional decay. Civil justice weakened in 64% of countries and criminal justice in 58%, with improper government influence a central factor in both. More broadly, the extent to which the judiciary limits government powers fell in 63% of countries. Again, WJP noted that Singapore is not part of that group.
The report was not uniformly favourable, however. WJP also observed that freedoms essential to civic space, public debate and government oversight are shrinking across most countries, and it included Singapore in that finding.
At the top of the global table, Denmark ranked first, followed by Norway, Finland, Sweden and Luxembourg. At the bottom, Venezuela had the lowest score, followed by Afghanistan, Haiti, Cambodia and Nicaragua.
Within East Asia and the Pacific, Singapore placed third out of 15 countries, behind New Zealand and Australia.
The detail to watch in coming editions is the one tucked inside the praise: whether the narrowing of civic space and public debate that WJP identified in Singapore begins to weigh on its overall score.
Citações Notáveis
Over 86% of countries have suffered a sustained five-year decline in at least one safeguard against authoritarian rule; this does not include Singapore.— World Justice Project
Freedoms essential to civic space, public debate and government oversight are shrinking across most countries, including Singapore.— World Justice Project (paraphrased)
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