World Justice Project Releases 2026 Rule of Law Index: Cyprus Ranks 28th Globally

The World Justice Project (WJP) has released its Rule of Law Index 2026, assessing the state of the rule of law across 143 countries and jurisdictions worldwide. The latest findings highlight the continued global decline in adherence to the rule of law, while providing important insights into Cyprus’s performance, particularly in relation to the administration of justice.

Cyprus ranked 28th out of 143 countries and jurisdictions, with an overall score of 0.67 out of 1, above the global average of 0.55. The country improved its global ranking by two places compared with 2025, recording a marginal increase of 0.1% in its overall score. Nevertheless, its score remains 1.4% below its 2021 level.

At the regional level, Cyprus ranked 21st out of 31 countries in the European Union, European Free Trade Association and North America grouping.

Cyprus’s Performance Across the Rule of Law Indicators

The Index evaluates adherence to the rule of law through eight factors, including constraints on government powers, absence of corruption, fundamental rights, regulatory enforcement, and the effectiveness of civil and criminal justice systems.

Between 2021 and 2026, Cyprus recorded improvements in four of the eight factors. The most significant increases concerned Open Government (+2.5%) and Constraints on Government Powers (+1.1%), followed by Regulatory Enforcement (+0.8%) and Fundamental Rights (+0.4%).

However, declines were recorded in the remaining four factors: Criminal Justice (-7.4%), Absence of Corruption (-3.5%), Order and Security (-2.5%), and Civil Justice (-1.6%).

Civil and Criminal Justice in Cyprus

Of particular relevance to the administration of justice are the findings concerning the effectiveness, accessibility and independence of the judicial system.

In the Civil Justice category, Cyprus ranked 34th globally, with a score of 0.62, representing a decline of 1.6% between 2021 and 2026.. The findings reveal notable differences across the individual indicators. While Cyprus received relatively higher scores for the absence of corruption in civil justice (0.73) and freedom from improper government influence (0.73), it recorded a particularly low score of 0.27 for the absence of unreasonable delays in civil justice proceedings.

This finding highlights the continuing importance of judicial efficiency and the timely resolution of civil disputes in assessing the effectiveness of the justice system.

In the Criminal Justice category, Cyprus ranked 25th globally, with a score of 0.65. However, the country recorded a decline of 7.4% between 2021 and 2026, the largest decrease among its eight rule of law factors over this period. The assessment considers, among other matters, the effectiveness of criminal investigations, the timeliness of adjudication, impartiality, due process and freedom from improper influence.

Global Trends in the Rule of Law

The 2026 Index also identifies continuing challenges to the rule of law internationally. According to the WJP, the global decline in the rule of law persists, notwithstanding a slowdown in its pace. The report draws particular attention to the weakening of institutional checks on government powers, restrictions on civic participation and fundamental freedoms, and increasing interference with judicial institutions.

These findings underline the importance of effective and independent judicial institutions, accountability, and access to justice in safeguarding the rule of law.

The Importance of the Findings

The 2026 results provide a valuable basis for examining the performance of Cyprus’s legal and judicial institutions. Although Cyprus maintains an overall score above the global average and has improved its international ranking compared with 2025, the findings concerning delays in civil proceedings and the decline in criminal justice performance over the period 2021–2026 point to areas warranting continued attention.

The full Rule of Law Index 2026, including the country-specific findings for Cyprus, is available on the World Justice Project’s official website.