Rule of Law Backsliding Across the OECD

In the World Economic Forum’s (WEF) newly released Global Risks Report, researchers note that as societal polarization rises globally in tandem with misinformation and disinformation, some government responses are increasingly authoritarian in nature. At the same time, the report highlights that many countries around the world are seeing a decline in the rule of law.

According to the World Justice Project (WJP), this decline is accelerating. While 57 percent of the countries and jurisdictions analyzed experienced a backslide in the rule of law in 2024 compared to the previous year, that figure rose to 68 percent in 2025. The WJP defines the rule of law as a “durable system of laws, institutions, norms and community commitment” that delivers four universal principles: accountability, just law, open government and accessible and impartial justice.

This deterioration is driven by several factors, including an erosion of constraints on government power. The WJP explains that this includes weaker non-governmental checks, reduced oversight by legislatures and judiciaries and declining independence in auditing and review mechanisms.

Further contributing to the decline are growing restrictions on open government, reflected in reduced civic participation and weakened access to information, alongside setbacks in fundamental human rights. These include increased limitations on freedom of opinion and expression, as well as on freedom of assembly and association. The WPJ also cites a deterioration in civil justice, marked by longer delays, fewer alternative dispute resolution mechanisms and greater government influence.

The WEF’s analysis shows that this trend is particularly pronounced in OECD countries. In 2025, 83 percent of OECD nations recorded a decline in their rule of law score compared to the previous year. This is worse than the global average and a sharp increase from 70 percent in 2024 and 63 percent in 2023. WEF researchers warn that the speed of this deterioration is especially troubling, noting how it shows that “typically slow and painstaking progress in establishing the rule of law can be reversed quickly.”