Photo: Base64 and Derivative work by Globe-trotter · CC BY-SA 3.0 · via Wikimedia Commons, shown in greyscale
Topic 01 of 18 · Country Index 2026
Hong Kong: Governance & Institutions
How well is the state actually run?
Hong Kong is placed 36th of 194 countries on governance & institutions in the Country Index 2026, from 3 of its 4 key statistics. Readings behind it: Government Effectiveness 1.539 (2025); Corruption Perceptions Index 76 (2025).
Governance & Institutions
36th
of 194 countries placed
Placed from 3 of 4 key statistics
Not placed in the Country Index 2026 overall: measured on too few topics.
- 1.539Government Effectiveness, 2025Governance estimate (−2.5 weak to 2.5 strong)
- —Statistical Performance Indicators, 2024No reading for this country
- 76Corruption Perceptions Index, 2025CPI score (0–100, where 100 is very clean)
- 0.579Judicial Constraints on the Executive Index, 2025Judicial constraints on the executive index (0–1)
01The evidence
The 4 key statistics that decide it
Only these place Hong Kong on governance & institutions — one vote each. Every value is the publisher’s own, read at the edition the Country Index 2026 used; the grey ticks are every other country it was compared with, lowest on the left.
Key 1 of 4
Government Effectiveness
World Bank Group
Why it is a key: The quality of public services and the civil service that delivers them, and the credibility of a government's commitment to its own policies. Where the Corruption Perceptions Index asks whether a state is honest, this asks whether it is competent.
2025 edition · data for 2025 · CC BY 4.0
1.539
Governance estimate (−2.5 weak to 2.5 strong)
Higher is better
Hong Kong: 1.539. Across the 209 countries in this edition, values run from -2.251 (South Sudan) to 2.092 (Singapore); the world median is 0.101.
- World median
- 0.101
- Best in Eastern Asia
- 2.041 Japan
- Land neighbours
- China 0.624
Each grey tick is one of 209 countries in the 2025 edition.
Key 2 of 4
Statistical Performance Indicators
World Bank Group
Why it is a key: Whether a state can measure its own country. Nothing else here tests the capacity of the statistical system itself.
2024 edition · data for 2024 · CC BY 4.0
No reading
SPI overall score (0–100)
Higher is better
World Bank Group publishes no 2024 figure for Hong Kong, so the standing rests on the other keys.
Across the 188 countries in this edition, values run from 27.12 (South Sudan) to 94.14 (Norway); the world median is 69.3.
- World median
- 69.3
- Best in Eastern Asia
- 91.57 South Korea
- Land neighbours
- China 57.93
Each grey tick is one of 188 countries in the 2024 edition.
Key 3 of 4
Corruption Perceptions Index
Transparency International
Why it is a key: How much corruption the people who actually deal with a government perceive — an outcome, where the other keys measure the state’s capacity and the limits the law puts on it.
2025 edition · data for 2025 · CC BY 4.0 (the data), CC BY-ND 4.0 (the website and report)
76
CPI score (0–100, where 100 is very clean)
Higher is better
Ranked 12th of 181 by Transparency International
Hong Kong: 76. Across the 182 countries in this edition, values run from 9 (Somalia) to 89 (Denmark); the world median is 39.
- World median
- 39
- Best in Eastern Asia
- 76 Hong Kong
- Land neighbours
- China 43
Each grey tick is one of 182 countries in the 2025 edition.
Key 4 of 4
Judicial Constraints on the Executive Index
V-Dem Institute, University of Gothenburg
Why it is a key: Whether the executive respects the constitution and obeys the courts, and whether the courts can rule against it freely — the law binding those who write it.
2025 edition · data for 2025 · CC BY-SA 4.0
0.579
Judicial constraints on the executive index (0–1)
Higher is better
Hong Kong: 0.579. Across the 176 countries in this edition, values run from 0.003 (Nicaragua) to 0.988 (Australia); the world median is 0.676.
- World median
- 0.676
- Best in Eastern Asia
- 0.881 Japan
- Land neighbours
- China 0.03
Each grey tick is one of 176 countries in the 2025 edition.
02Over time
Which way Hong Kong is moving
Each key’s published value, edition by edition, beside the world median. The Country Index 2026 is the first edition of the standing, so the standing itself has no history to chart yet.
Government Effectiveness
Governance estimate (−2.5 weak to 2.5 strong) · higher is better
Hong KongWorld median
Hong Kong rose from 1.461 in 2000 to 1.539 in 2025; the world median went from -0.397 to 0.101.
Every year’s figures
Year Hong Kong World median 2025 1.539 0.1006 2024 1.378 0.0098 2023 1.317 -0.0408 2022 1.344 -0.0305 2021 1.355 -0.0158 2020 1.331 -0.0171 2019 1.585 0.0150 2018 1.730 0.0159 2017 1.719 0.0158 2016 1.682 0.0225 2015 1.628 0.0038 2014 1.631 0.0194 2013 1.537 -0.0758 2012 1.679 -0.0839 2011 1.462 -0.1221 2010 1.451 -0.1145 2009 1.497 -0.1609 2008 1.536 -0.2134 2007 1.626 -0.3260 2006 1.688 -0.3310 2005 1.554 -0.3706 2004 1.472 -0.3140 2003 1.528 -0.4369 2002 1.220 -0.3366 2000 1.461 -0.3969 Corruption Perceptions Index
CPI score (0–100, where 100 is very clean) · higher is better
Hong KongWorld median
Hong Kong fell from 77 in 2012 to 76 in 2025; the world median went from 37 to 39.
Every year’s figures
Year Hong Kong World median 2025 76 39.0 2024 74 40.0 2023 75 40.0 2022 76 39.5 2021 76 39.0 2020 77 40.0 2019 76 39.5 2018 76 38.0 2017 77 38.5 2016 77 38.0 2015 75 37.0 2014 74 38.0 2013 75 38.0 2012 77 37.0 Judicial Constraints on the Executive Index
Judicial constraints on the executive index (0–1) · higher is better
Hong KongWorld median
Hong Kong fell from 0.862 in 2000 to 0.579 in 2025; the world median went from 0.647 to 0.676.
Every year’s figures
Year Hong Kong World median 2025 0.579 0.6760 2024 0.561 0.6645 2023 0.603 0.6590 2022 0.621 0.6600 2021 0.645 0.6580 2020 0.707 0.6645 2019 0.853 0.6560 2018 0.823 0.6485 2017 0.855 0.6550 2016 0.855 0.6520 2015 0.859 0.6700 2014 0.859 0.6515 2013 0.859 0.6550 2012 0.859 0.6750 2011 0.859 0.6680 2010 0.859 0.6640 2009 0.862 0.6580 2008 0.862 0.6590 2007 0.862 0.6630 2006 0.862 0.6590 2005 0.862 0.6580 2004 0.862 0.6480 2003 0.862 0.6480 2002 0.862 0.6470 2001 0.862 0.6530 2000 0.862 0.6465
03In context
Hong Kong beside its neighbours
A position reads best beside the countries around it. Every position below is a place among all 194 countries on governance & institutions, never a place within the region.
Hong Kong and the countries it borders
The standing is each country’s place among all 194 placed on the topic; the other columns are the publishers’ own values, read at the edition the standing used.
| Country | Standing | Government EffectivenessGovernance estimate (−2.5 weak to 2.5 strong) | Statistical Performance IndicatorsSPI overall score (0–100) | Corruption Perceptions IndexCPI score (0–100, where 100 is very clean) | Judicial Constraints on the Executive IndexJudicial constraints on the executive index (0–1) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hong Kong | 36th | 1.539 | — | 76 | 0.579 |
 China | 125th | 0.624 | 57.93 | 43 | 0.03 |
“—” means the publisher gives no reading for that country in that edition. A country needs readings on enough keys to be placed.
Across Eastern Asia
Every country in the sub-region, by its place among all 194.
Placed either side on governance & institutions
The countries immediately above and below Hong Kong in the topic’s list.
04Context, no vote
Where Hong Kong is ahead of the world, and behind
18 more statistics filed under governance & institutions, published in full and deliberately given no vote in the standing. Select a row for the publisher, the rank and the links.
Ahead of the world median13
Statistics on which Hong Kong does better than the middle country measured.
Regulatory QualityWorld Bank Group · 2025 · world median -0.0931.617-0.093▼ Worsened since 2015
Hong Kong: 1.617 · world median -0.093 · Regulatory Quality (−2.5 to 2.5). World Bank Group, 2025 edition, data for 2025.
Published values in that edition run from -2.106 to 2.113; higher is better.
Position 9th of 209 — derived here by ordering the published values, 1st = best. The publisher ranks no country on this.
Control of CorruptionWorld Bank Group · 2025 · world median -0.1971.636-0.197No real change since 2015
Hong Kong: 1.636 · world median -0.197 · Control of Corruption (−2.5 to 2.5). World Bank Group, 2025 edition, data for 2025.
Published values in that edition run from -2.096 to 2.259; higher is better.
Position 15th of 211 — derived here by ordering the published values, 1st = best. The publisher ranks no country on this.
Business Ready: Operational EfficiencyWorld Bank Group · 2024 · world median 65.8278.5265.82No earlier reading
Hong Kong: 78.52 · world median 65.82 · Operational efficiency score (0–100). World Bank Group, 2024 edition, data for 2024.
Published values in that edition run from 40.36 to 87.33; higher is better.
Position 5th of 50 — derived here by ordering the published values, 1st = best. The publisher ranks no country on this.
Political Corruption IndexV-Dem Institute, University of Gothenburg · 2025 · world median 0.5180.0850.518No real change since 2015
Hong Kong: 0.085 · world median 0.518 · Political corruption index (0–1; higher = more corrupt). V-Dem Institute, University of Gothenburg, 2025 edition, data for 2025.
Published values in that edition run from 0.004 to 0.968; lower is better.
Position 149th of 176 — derived here by ordering the published values, 1st = worst. The publisher ranks no country on this.
Rule of LawWorld Bank Group · 2025 · world median -0.1020.941-0.102▼ Worsened since 2015
Hong Kong: 0.941 · world median -0.102 · Rule of Law estimate (−2.5 to 2.5). World Bank Group, 2025 edition, data for 2025.
Published values in that edition run from -2.199 to 2.012; higher is better.
Position 42nd of 211 — derived here by ordering the published values, 1st = best. The publisher ranks no country on this.
Women, Business and the LawWorld Bank Group · 2024 · world median 81.2591.8881.25No real change since 2014
Hong Kong: 91.88 · world median 81.25 · WBL Index (0–100, where 100 is full legal parity). World Bank Group, 2024 edition, data for 2024.
Published values in that edition run from 26.25 to 100; higher is better.
Position 37th of 190 — derived here by ordering the published values, 1st = best. The publisher ranks no country on this.
Business Ready: Regulatory FrameworkWorld Bank Group · 2024 · world median 66.872.4766.8No earlier reading
Hong Kong: 72.47 · world median 66.8 · Regulatory framework score (0–100). World Bank Group, 2024 edition, data for 2024.
Published values in that edition run from 46.21 to 78.34; higher is better.
Position 13th of 50 — derived here by ordering the published values, 1st = best. The publisher ranks no country on this.
Trade Union DensityILO · 2020 · world median 16.6826.0616.68No earlier reading
Hong Kong: 26.06 · world median 16.68 · Employees who are trade union members (%). International Labour Organization (ILO), 2020 edition, data for 2020.
Published values in that edition run from 0.2 to 91.42; higher is better.
Position 36th of 139 — derived here by ordering the published values, 1st = best. The publisher ranks no country on this.
Business Ready: Public ServicesWorld Bank Group · 2024 · world median 50.1362.6450.13No earlier reading
Hong Kong: 62.64 · world median 50.13 · Public services score (0–100). World Bank Group, 2024 edition, data for 2024.
Published values in that edition run from 18.35 to 73.31; higher is better.
Position 16th of 50 — derived here by ordering the published values, 1st = best. The publisher ranks no country on this.
Government Funding per Primary StudentUIS · 2022 · world median 17.811917.81▲ Improved since 2012
Hong Kong: 19 · world median 17.81 · Government funding per primary student (% of GDP per capita). UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS), 2022 edition, data for 2022.
Published values in that edition run from 3.771 to 34.57; higher is better.
Position 28th of 68 — derived here by ordering the published values, 1st = best. The publisher ranks no country on this.
Social Protection CoverageILO · 2025 · world median 52.163.352.1No earlier reading
Hong Kong: 63.3 · world median 52.1 · Population covered by at least one social protection benefit (%). International Labour Organization (ILO), 2025 edition, data for 2025.
Published values in that edition run from 0 to 100; higher is better.
Government Spending on EducationUIS · 2023 · world median 3.7093.8033.709▲ Improved since 2013
Hong Kong: 3.803 · world median 3.709 · Government expenditure on education (% of GDP). UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS), 2023 edition, data for 2023.
Published values in that edition run from 0 to 16.39; higher is better.
Position 59th of 123 — derived here by ordering the published values, 1st = best. The publisher ranks no country on this.
GovTech Maturity IndexWorld Bank Group · 2025 · world median 0.630.6520.63▼ Worsened since 2022
Hong Kong: 0.652 · world median 0.63 · GTMI score (0–1). World Bank Group, 2025 edition, data for 2025.
Published values in that edition run from 0.01 to 0.997; higher is better.
Position 95th of 196 — derived here by ordering the published values, 1st = best. The publisher ranks no country on this.
Behind the world median4
Statistics on which Hong Kong does worse than the middle country measured.
Voice and AccountabilityWorld Bank Group · 2025 · world median -0.022-0.523-0.022▼ Worsened since 2015
Hong Kong: -0.523 · world median -0.022 · Voice and Accountability estimate (−2.5 to 2.5). World Bank Group, 2025 edition, data for 2025.
Published values in that edition run from -2.348 to 1.825; higher is better.
Position 131st of 206 — derived here by ordering the published values, 1st = best. The publisher ranks no country on this.
Liberal Democracy IndexV-Dem Institute, University of Gothenburg · 2025 · world median 0.3530.1420.353▼ Worsened since 2015
Hong Kong: 0.142 · world median 0.353 · Liberal democracy index (0–1). V-Dem Institute, University of Gothenburg, 2025 edition, data for 2025.
Published values in that edition run from 0.009 to 0.884; higher is better.
Position 123rd of 176 — derived here by ordering the published values, 1st = best. The publisher ranks no country on this.
Civic Space RatingsCIVICUS · 2025 · world median 50.4615.8650.46No earlier reading
Hong Kong: 15.86 · world median 50.46 · Civic space score (0–100). CIVICUS, 2025 edition, data for 2025.
Published values in that edition run from 2.17 to 100; higher is better.
Position 172nd of 198 — derived here by ordering the published values, 1st = best. The publisher ranks no country on this.
V-Dem Electoral Democracy IndexV-Dem Institute, University of Gothenburg · 2025 · world median 0.4970.1510.497▼ Worsened since 2015
Hong Kong: 0.151 · world median 0.497 · Electoral democracy index (0–1). V-Dem Institute, University of Gothenburg, 2025 edition, data for 2025.
Published values in that edition run from 0.016 to 0.913; higher is better.
Position 156th of 176 — derived here by ordering the published values, 1st = best. The publisher ranks no country on this.
No better end1
These describe the shape of a country — more is not better or worse, only different — so they are never ahead or behind.
General Government ConsumptionWorld Bank Group · 2025 · world median 16.2112.5716.21Moved since 2015
Hong Kong: 12.57 · world median 16.21 · General government final consumption expenditure (% of GDP). World Bank Group, 2025 edition, data for 2025.
Published values in that edition run from 5.445 to 38.94.
Position 93rd of 132 — derived here by ordering the published values, counted from the highest value. The publisher ranks no country on this.
No current reading for Hong Kong
Agriculture Orientation Index (last 2023), Central Bank Independence Index, Climate Readiness (ND-GAIN), Completeness of Birth Registration, Country Policy and Institutional Assessment, Debt Service on External Debt, External Debt Stocks (% of GNI), Government AI Readiness Index, Open Data Inventory, Public Sector Employment, Public Sector Wage Bill (last 2020), State Authority over Territory and Statistical Performance Indicators. Listed rather than hidden, so the page can be checked against it.
05Country Index 2026
Governance & Institutions among Hong Kong’s 11 topics
Governance & Institutions is Hong Kong’s 4th best-placed topic of 11. Strongest first; each marker sits at the position divided by that topic’s field, so fields of different sizes compare fairly.
- Mobility & Trade2nd of 1473/3 keys
- Peace & Security15th of 1773/4 keys
- Work & Labour22nd of 1824/4 keys
- Governance & Institutions36th of 1943/4 keys
- Development & Human Capitaljoint 40th of 1962/3 keys
- Economy & Innovation37th of 1764/4 keys
- Gender & Equalityjoint 41st of 1834/4 keys
- Digital & Technology69th of 1982/3 keys
- Education & Knowledge60th of 1712/4 keys
- Democracy & Civil Liberties133rd of 1983/3 keys
- Energy165th of 1933/3 keys
No standing on Health & Wellbeing, Environment & Sustainability, Risk & Resilience, Food & Agriculture, Poverty & Inequality: too few of those topics’ key statistics are published for this country.
06The top of the list
Who leads on governance & institutions
The three countries placed highest of 194, and the leaders Hong Kong can most readily be measured against.
1
DenmarkNorthern Europe
1st of 194 · 4 of 4 keys
Photo: User:Aconcagua · CC BY-SA 3.0, greyscale
2
New ZealandAustralia and New Zealand
2nd of 194 · 4 of 4 keys
Photo: Karora derivative work: Inkey · Public domain, greyscale
3
SwedenNorthern Europe
3rd of 194 · 4 of 4 keys
Photo: User:Pieter Kuiper · Public domain, greyscale
Placed highest nearby
Highest in Asia
Japan=10th4/4 keysThis page
Hong Kong36th3/4 keys
Positions out of 194 placed on the topic. A country needs readings on enough keys to be placed, and the top of the list is often held on fewer of them.
07Analysis
Charts and analysis about Hong Kong and governance & institutions
08Questions
Hong Kong on governance & institutions: questions answered
Every answer is built from the numbers on this page, so none can say something the page does not.
How does Hong Kong rank on governance & institutions?
Hong Kong is placed 36th of 194 countries on Governance & Institutions in the Country Index 2026, from 3 of its 4 key statistics (Government Effectiveness, Corruption Perceptions Index and Judicial Constraints on the Executive Index). The position is this site’s ordering of published statistics, not a rank any publisher printed.
What is the latest Government Effectiveness figure for Hong Kong?
1.539 in 2025 (governance estimate (−2.5 weak to 2.5 strong)), according to World Bank Group. The world median in the same edition was 0.101.
What is the latest Corruption Perceptions Index figure for Hong Kong?
76 in 2025 (cPI score (0–100, where 100 is very clean)), according to Transparency International. The world median in the same edition was 39.
How does Hong Kong compare with China on governance & institutions?
China is placed 125th of 194, and Hong Kong 36th. Government Effectiveness: China 0.624, Hong Kong 1.539; Corruption Perceptions Index: China 43, Hong Kong 76; Judicial Constraints on the Executive Index: China 0.03, Hong Kong 0.579.
How have Hong Kong’s governance & institutions figures changed?
Government Effectiveness rose from 1.461 in 2000 to 1.539 in 2025; Corruption Perceptions Index fell from 77 in 2012 to 76 in 2025; Judicial Constraints on the Executive Index fell from 0.862 in 2000 to 0.579 in 2025.
Which governance & institutions statistics are missing for Hong Kong?
No current reading is published for Hong Kong on Agriculture Orientation Index, Central Bank Independence Index, Climate Readiness (ND-GAIN), Completeness of Birth Registration, Country Policy and Institutional Assessment, Debt Service on External Debt, External Debt Stocks (% of GNI), Government AI Readiness Index, Open Data Inventory, Public Sector Employment, Public Sector Wage Bill, State Authority over Territory and Statistical Performance Indicators. They are listed rather than hidden, so the evidence on the page can be checked against it.
09Keep reading
Explore further
Hong Kong, topic by topic
- Economy & Innovation37th of 176
- Work & Labour22nd of 182
- Education & Knowledge60th of 171
- Development & Human Capital=40th of 196
- Gender & Equality=41st of 183
- Democracy & Civil Liberties133rd of 198
- Peace & Security15th of 177
- Mobility & Trade2nd of 147
- Energy165th of 193
- Digital & Technology69th of 198
- The full Hong Kong profile
Nearby, on governance & institutions
The key statistics, for every country
10Method
Method, sources and how to cite
What this topic does not measure
Governance is not democracy. Free elections, civil liberties and press freedom belong to the Democracy & Civil Liberties topic, and a country can place well on one and poorly on the other. How openly official data is published sits here as context, beside the statistical capacity that is a key. Nor does this topic measure the size of government or how much it spends — the share of the economy run by the state is published on this page as context, with no better end.
How the Governance & Institutions standing is decided, step by step
A standing is a place in a list, not a mark out of anything. This one is part of the Country Index 2026, and it is worked out like this.
- A few key indicators decide it; the rest are context. 4 indicators on this topic are keys and 30 are charted alongside them without a vote. That split is the point: if every statistic voted, importing five more of one kind would quietly change what the topic is about.
- Each key is read at one edition. ⚠ The keys behind this standing do not all describe the same year — they run from 2024 to 2025, because publishers release on their own schedules. Read the standing as “how this country places now”, not as a snapshot of one year.
- Every country’s published value is turned into a place within that one key’s own field, and then expressed as a share of that field — how far down this key’s list the country sits, rather than how many countries are above it. Keys where a higher published number is worse (terrorism, hunger, disaster risk) are turned round first, so the good end is always the same end.
- Dividing by the field first is the whole reason this works. A place carries the size of its list inside it: 22nd of 44 and 108th of 215 are the same showing, and averaging the numbers 22 and 108 says loudly that they are not. Fields on this site run from about 44 countries to about 215, so averaging raw places would reward a country for happening to be measured in small ones. Dividing each place by its own field removes the size and leaves only the showing.
- The shares are averaged, plainly. One key, one vote — no key is weighted above another, because any weighting would be this site’s opinion presented as a measurement. Countries are then put in order by that average, and the average itself is never published. It is our arithmetic with nothing anchoring it, so printing it would invite it to be read as a measurement somebody made. The position it produces, the band, and the keys it was built from are all published instead — every one of them checkable against the tables on this page.
- A country needs 2 of this topic’s 4 keys — half, rounded up, and never fewer than 2. A standing built from one reading, printed beside one built from four, is two different things sharing a column heading. 194 countries clear the bar here.
- A key has to earn its vote every edition. It must measure at least 120 countries (below that it starts measuring who was surveyed rather than the world), it must not have more than 10% of its field tied at either end, and it must not repeat another key in the same topic — Spearman correlation above 0.92 counts as repeating. A topic needs at least 2 surviving keys to place anyone at all; this one has 4.
- A standing is relative, and the grouping is ours. It says where a country places against the others measured alongside it, so it moves when they move. The publishers listed on this page did not agree to be read together, and each measures its subject its own way: the underlying numbers are theirs, the ordering on top is this site’s — the same method as the rest of the Country Index, applied to one subject instead of all of them.
The key statistics and their licences
- Government Effectiveness — World Bank Group, CC BY 4.0
- Statistical Performance Indicators — World Bank Group, CC BY 4.0
- Corruption Perceptions Index — Transparency International, CC BY 4.0 (the data), CC BY-ND 4.0 (the website and report)
- Judicial Constraints on the Executive Index — V-Dem Institute, University of Gothenburg, CC BY-SA 4.0
The other 18 statistics on this page come from 5 publishers, each named beside its numbers, with every edition and licence on the datasets pages.
The standing itself is part of the Country Index 2026, published under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Photographs
Hong Kong’s banner and the countries placed highest, from their profiles: Wikimedia Commons, shown in greyscale, each used under the licence named.
- Hong Kong (banner) — Base64 and Derivative work by Globe-trotter, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Denmark — User:Aconcagua, CC BY-SA 3.0
- New Zealand — Karora derivative work: Inkey, Public domain
- Sweden — User:Pieter Kuiper, Public domain
Cite this page
Nations Inquiry (2026). Hong Kong: Governance & Institutions — standing and statistics, Country Index 2026. https://nationsinquiry.com/countries/hong-kong/governance