For the fifth consecutive year, Ethiopia’s rule of law score declined under the Abiy Ahmed regime, according to the World Justice Program’s Rule of Law Index 2025.
In 2025, Ethiopia’s overall rule of law score decreased 2.4%. The country now ranks 130th out of 142 countries worldwide, and 30th out of 34 countries in sub-Saharan Africa.
The Rule of Law Index considers 8 factors in determining a country’s overall score (see Figure 2 below). A country’s overall score ranges from 0 – 1, with 1 indicating the strongest adherence to the rule of law.
The Rule of Law in Ethiopia
In 2025, Ethiopia’s overall rule of law score of 0.36 ranks 130th out of 142 countries worldwide, and 30th out of 34 countries in sub-Saharan Africa — a 2.4% decrease, and commensurate with a 1 position decline from 2024 (Figure 1).
Figure 1: Ethiopia’s Rule of Law Score (2025)
According to the report, the most significant factors for the continuing decline in rule of law in Ethiopia are deteriorations in: Criminal Justice, Civil Justice, Order and Security, Absence of Corruption, and Constraints on Government Powers (Figure 2). Ethiopia did not show improvement in any of the 8 factors of the rule of law index in 2025.
Notably, Ethiopia performs particularly poorly in several factors, including: Fundamental Rights (138/143); Regulatory Enforcement (137/143); Open Government (135/143); Constraints on Government (134/143); and Order and Security (131/143).
Figure 2: Ethiopia’s Overall Rule of Law Score by Factor (2025)
Deterioration of Rule of Law in Ethiopia Over Time
Ethiopia’s overall rule of law score continues to consistently declined over time. Declining from a high of 0.41 in 2020 to its lowest score of 0.36 in 2025 (Figure 3).
Figure 3: Ethiopia’s Overall Rule of Law Score Over Time (2015-2025)
The consistent decline in the rule of law since 2020 is particularly noteworthy. It coincides with the 2-year civil war in northern Ethiopia, which lasted from 2020-22, and the ongoing war in Ethiopia’s Amhara region, which has been raging since April 2023.
As the Rule of Law Index 2025 reflects, the combination of armed conflict, violence against civilians, gross human rights violations, and total disregard for the rule of law continues to adversely effect governance, socioeconomic growth and development in Ethiopia.
Regional Context
Regionally, Ethiopia ranks 30th out of 34 countries in sub-Saharan Africa. Among low-income countries, Ethiopia ranks 13th out of 16 countries.
The region’s top performer is Rwanda (ranked 39th out of 143 globally), followed by Namibia, Mauritius, Botswana, and Senegal.
The five countries with the lowest scores in the region are Ethiopia, Mauritania, Cameroon, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Sudan (137th globally).
Figure 4: Rule of Law in Sub-Saharan Africa Region (2025)
Ethiopian Policy Institute 