Paloma Duran, Mexico Business News
Mexico dropped three positions in the 2025 Rule of Law Index compiled by the World Justice Project (WJP), ranking 121st among 143 countries assessed. The evaluation corresponds to 2024, the last year of López Obrador’s administration.
The index is composed of eight subcomponents: constraints on government power, absence of corruption, open government, fundamental rights, order and security, regulatory enforcement, civil justice, and criminal justice.
A closer look at Mexico’s performance over the past decade, covering the administrations of Enrique Peña Nieto, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, and the early months of Claudia Sheinbaum’s government reveals setbacks in areas such as protection of rights, civil justice, and the erosion of institutional checks and balances.
In the order and security component, Mexico ranks 132nd out of 143 countries. This category measures factors such as effective control over organized crime, the use of violence to resolve disputes, and the ability to limit civil conflicts.
In the constraints on government power subcomponent, Mexico fell two places, from 106th to 108th. This segment evaluates legislative and judicial limits on government authority, independence of auditing bodies, lawful transitions of power, and public officials’ independence from undue influence.
In the absence of corruption category, Mexico ranks 134th out of 143 countries, placing it among the lowest globally. This subcomponent evaluates whether executives, legislators, judges, police, and military officials avoid using their positions for private gain.
In criminal justice, Mexico ranks 135th, just ahead of countries like Venezuela, Bolivia, El Salvador, Myanmar, Cameroon, Haiti, Afghanistan, and Nicaragua. This segment assesses the efficiency, impartiality, and corruption-free operation of criminal investigations and judicial proceedings.
https://mexicobusiness.news/policyandeconomy/news/mexico-drops-121st-2025-rule-law-index
