Antigua and Barbuda has maintained its position among the Caribbean’s top performers in the latest World Justice Project Rule of Law Index, ranking 38th out of 143 countries and fifth in Latin America and the Caribbean.
According to the 2025 Index, the country recorded an overall score of 0.64, unchanged from 2024, despite a year of global declines in governance and institutional integrity. The World Justice Project (WJP) said 68 percent of nations worldwide saw their rule-of-law performance deteriorate, marking the sixth straight year of decline.
Antigua and Barbuda’s strongest results came in “Absence of Corruption,” “Fundamental Rights,” and “Order and Security.” The judiciary received one of the highest integrity scores in the Caribbean, with a 0.80 rating, while the police and military scored 0.73, reflecting relatively low perceptions of bribery or abuse.
However, the WJP found that the legislature remains the weakest area, earning just 0.39 on the corruption scale—well below the regional average—indicating persistent public skepticism about political transparency. The executive branch scored 0.59, showing moderate confidence in government accountability.
Under the “Constraints on Government Powers” category, Antigua and Barbuda scored 0.62, buoyed by judicial independence and a strong record of lawful transition of power. But the report cited limited access to government data and slow administrative processes, which pulled down the country’s “Open Government” rating to 0.52.
Civil justice remained one of the nation’s standout strengths, with a 0.68 score and high marks for impartiality and low corruption within the court system. Criminal justice scored 0.53, reflecting moderate efficiency in investigations and adjudication but weaknesses in correctional systems.
The 2025 Index notes that even as global rule-of-law safeguards eroded, Antigua and Barbuda’s performance held steady, a sign of institutional resilience within a region experiencing mixed results.
The World Justice Project described this year’s overall findings as “sobering,” warning that democratic checks and civic freedoms have weakened worldwide. Yet, it said the Index remains a tool “to identify strengths to build on and weaknesses to confront.”