World

Unpacking Hong Kong’s rule of law score according to the World Justice Project’s ranking

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Based on a feed excerpt; full article content has not been acquired. Source evidence retrieved 03/11/2026, 03:30:24 UTC.

Briefings

Hong Kong ranked 24th in the World Justice Project's 2026 Rule of Law Index, a significant decline from its 16th position in 2016. The index evaluates eight factors including constraints on government power, absence of corruption, and fundamental rights. While the city performed well in 'order and security' and 'absence of corruption,' it scored poorly in 'constraints in government's power' (63rd) and 'fundamental rights' (69th), primarily due to the National Security Law enacted in 2020. This law empowered authorities to shut down independent media and restrict civil society, leading to a sharp drop in scores for rights and government constraints.

Key points

• Hong Kong ranked 24th in the 2026 Rule of Law Index, a sharp decline from 16th in 2016.
• The National Security Law enacted in 2020 was the primary driver for the drop in fundamental rights and government constraints scores.

Context

The World Justice Project's Rule of Law Index assesses 143 countries using eight factors. Hong Kong's 2026 score of 0.71 places it 24th globally, behind Singapore and Japan. The index highlights that while 'order and security' and 'absence of corruption' were strong, 'constraints in government's power' and 'fundamental rights' suffered significantly due to the National Security Law.

Limitations

Data is from a single snapshot in November 2026. The National Security Law's full impact on all subfactors is not fully quantified. Some specific subfactor rankings (e.g., security of suspects) are estimated rather than measured. The source does not provide a timeline of all historical scores beyond 2016.

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