Photo: Infilms derivative work: Inkey · CC BY-SA 2.5 · via Wikimedia Commons, shown in greyscale
Topic 01 of 18 · Country Index 2026
Saint Kitts and Nevis: Governance & Institutions
How well is the state actually run?
Saint Kitts and Nevis is placed joint 127th of 194 countries on governance & institutions in the Country Index 2026, from 2 of its 4 key statistics. Readings behind it: Government Effectiveness 0.699 (2025); Statistical Performance Indicators 42.66 (2024).
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Governance & Institutions
joint127th
of 194 countries placed
Placed from 2 of 4 key statistics
Not placed in the Country Index 2026 overall: measured on too few topics.
01The evidence
The 4 key statistics that decide it
Only these place Saint Kitts and Nevis 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.
0.699
Governance estimate (−2.5 weak to 2.5 strong)
Higher is better
Saint Kitts and Nevis: 0.699. 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 Caribbean
- 1.103 Anguilla
Key 2 of 4
Statistical Performance Indicators
World Bank Group
2024 edition · data for 2024 · CC BY 4.0
42.66
SPI overall score (0–100)
Higher is better
Saint Kitts and Nevis: 42.66. 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 Caribbean
- 75.22 Dominican Republic
Key 3 of 4
Corruption Perceptions Index
Transparency International
2025 edition · data for 2025 · CC BY 4.0 (the data), CC BY-ND 4.0 (the website and report)
No reading
CPI score (0–100, where 100 is very clean)
Higher is better
Transparency International publishes no 2025 figure for Saint Kitts and Nevis, so the standing rests on the other keys.
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 Caribbean
- 68 Barbados
Key 4 of 4
Judicial Constraints on the Executive Index
V-Dem Institute, University of Gothenburg
2025 edition · data for 2025 · CC BY-SA 4.0
No reading
Judicial constraints on the executive index (0–1)
Higher is better
V-Dem Institute, University of Gothenburg publishes no 2025 figure for Saint Kitts and Nevis, so the standing rests on the other keys.
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 Caribbean
- 0.93 Barbados
02Over time
Which way Saint Kitts and Nevis 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
Saint Kitts and NevisWorld median
Saint Kitts and Nevis rose from 0.198 in 2004 to 0.699 in 2025; the world median went from -0.314 to 0.101.
Every year’s figures
Year Saint Kitts and Nevis World median 2025 0.6992 0.1006 2024 0.6928 0.0098 2023 0.6927 -0.0408 2022 0.6926 -0.0305 2021 0.4017 -0.0158 2020 0.7465 -0.0171 2019 0.7570 0.0150 2018 0.7542 0.0159 2017 0.7529 0.0158 2016 0.7536 0.0225 2015 0.7520 0.0038 2014 0.4072 0.0194 2013 1.2535 -0.0758 2012 1.2540 -0.0839 2011 1.2538 -0.1221 2010 1.2548 -0.1145 2009 0.9571 -0.1609 2008 0.9553 -0.2134 2007 0.9376 -0.3260 2006 0.9364 -0.3310 2005 0.9372 -0.3706 2004 0.1985 -0.3140 2003 — -0.4369 2002 — -0.3366 2000 — -0.3969 Statistical Performance Indicators
SPI overall score (0–100) · higher is better
Saint Kitts and NevisWorld median
Saint Kitts and Nevis rose from 35.61 in 2020 to 42.66 in 2024; the world median went from 62.91 to 69.3.
Every year’s figures
Year Saint Kitts and Nevis World median 2024 42.7 69.30 2023 38.2 68.86 2022 44.8 67.99 2021 44.9 69.96 2020 35.6 62.91 2019 — 61.19 2018 — 61.17 2017 — 59.55 2016 — 56.25
03In context
Saint Kitts and Nevis 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.
Saint Kitts and Nevis and Caribbean
Saint Kitts and Nevis has no land border, so the table compares it with its sub-region. Standing among all 194; the key columns are the publishers’ own values.
| 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) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Barbados | 45th | 0.611 | 61.74 | 68 | 0.93 |
 Jamaica | 56th | 0.189 | 73.47 | 44 | 0.88 |
 Saint Lucia | 66th | 0.32 | 64.17 | 59 | — |
 Bahamas | 69th | 0.649 | 51.26 | 64 | — |
 Trinidad and Tobago | 77th | 0.234 | 59.38 | 41 | 0.827 |
 Dominican Republic | =79th | 0.043 | 75.22 | 37 | 0.749 |
 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | 82nd | 0.222 | 51.96 | 63 | — |
 Antigua and Barbuda | =84th | 0.441 | 63.21 | — | — |
 Dominica | 100th | 0.16 | 40.71 | 60 | — |
 Grenada | =106th | 0.005 | 50.81 | 56 | — |
| Saint Kitts and Nevis | =127th | 0.699 | 42.66 | — | — |
 Cuba | 145th | -0.399 | — | 40 | 0.089 |
 Haiti | 184th | -2.041 | 38.74 | 16 | 0.226 |
 Anguilla | not placed | 1.103 | — | — | — |
 Aruba | not placed | 0.905 | — | — | — |
 British Virgin Islands | not placed | — | — | — | — |
 Cayman Islands | not placed | 1.062 | — | — | — |
 Curaçao | not placed | — | — | — | — |
 Montserrat | not placed | — | — | — | — |
 Puerto Rico | not placed | -0.424 | — | — | — |
 Saint Martin | not placed | — | — | — | — |
 Sint Maarten | not placed | — | — | — | — |
 Turks and Caicos Islands | not placed | — | — | — | — |
 United States Virgin Islands | not placed | 0.355 | — | — | — |
“—”: no published reading in that edition. What a standing is
Across Caribbean
Every country in the sub-region, by its place among all 194.
- Barbados45th
- Jamaica56th
- Saint Lucia66th
- Bahamas69th
- Trinidad and Tobago77th
- Dominican Republic=79th
- Saint Vincent and the Grenadines82nd
- Antigua and Barbuda=84th
- Dominica100th
- Grenada=106th
- Saint Kitts and Nevis=127th
- Cuba145th
- Haiti184th
- Anguillanot placed
- Arubanot placed
- British Virgin Islandsnot placed
- Cayman Islandsnot placed
- Curaçaonot placed
- Montserratnot placed
- Puerto Riconot placed
- Saint Martinnot placed
- Sint Maartennot placed
- Turks and Caicos Islandsnot placed
- United States Virgin Islandsnot placed
Placed either side on governance & institutions
The countries immediately above and below Saint Kitts and Nevis in the topic’s list.
Tonga124th
China125th
Paraguay126th- Saint Kitts and Nevis=127th
São Tomé and Príncipe=127th
Honduras129th
Nepal130th
04Context, no vote
Where Saint Kitts and Nevis is ahead of the world, and behind
21 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 median11
Statistics on which Saint Kitts and Nevis does better than the middle country measured.
Agriculture Orientation IndexFAO · 2024 · world median 0.3052.160.305No real change since 2015
Saint Kitts and Nevis: 2.16 · world median 0.305 · Agriculture orientation index (1.0 = spending matches sector size). Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), 2024 edition, data for 2024.
Published values in that edition run from 0.03 to 5.38; higher is better.
Position 5th of 132 · derived.
Civic Space RatingsCIVICUS · 2025 · world median 50.4689.6850.46No earlier reading
Saint Kitts and Nevis: 89.68 · 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 9th of 198 · derived.
Climate Readiness (ND-GAIN)Notre Dame Global Adaptation Initiative (ND-GAIN), University of Notre Dame · 2024 · world median 0.3870.620.387▲ Improved since 2014
Saint Kitts and Nevis: 0.62 · world median 0.387 · ND-GAIN Readiness (0–1, where 1 is the most ready). Notre Dame Global Adaptation Initiative (ND-GAIN), University of Notre Dame, 2024 edition, data for 2024.
Published values in that edition run from 0.137 to 0.749; higher is better.
Ranked 22nd of 192 by Notre Dame Global Adaptation Initiative (ND-GAIN), University of Notre Dame.
Social Protection CoverageILO · 2025 · world median 52.190.252.1No earlier reading
Saint Kitts and Nevis: 90.2 · 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.
Bribery IncidenceWorld Bank Group · 2026 · world median 7.2692.2297.269No earlier reading
Saint Kitts and Nevis: 2.229 · world median 7.269 · Firms asked for a bribe at least once in six dealings with officials (%). World Bank Group, 2026 edition, data for 2026.
Published values in that edition run from 0 to 64.26; lower is better.
Position 141st of 175 · derived, 1st = worst.
Regulatory QualityWorld Bank Group · 2025 · world median -0.0930.583-0.093▲ Improved since 2015
Saint Kitts and Nevis: 0.583 · 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 55th of 209 · derived.
Rule of LawWorld Bank Group · 2025 · world median -0.1020.58-0.102▼ Worsened since 2015
Saint Kitts and Nevis: 0.58 · 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 64th of 211 · derived.
Voice and AccountabilityWorld Bank Group · 2025 · world median -0.0220.579-0.022▼ Worsened since 2015
Saint Kitts and Nevis: 0.579 · 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 65th of 206 · derived.
Control of CorruptionWorld Bank Group · 2025 · world median -0.1970.318-0.197▼ Worsened since 2015
Saint Kitts and Nevis: 0.318 · 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 77th of 211 · derived.
Old-Age Pension CoverageILO · 2025 · world median 80.884.780.8No earlier reading
Saint Kitts and Nevis: 84.7 · world median 80.8 · People above statutory pensionable age receiving an old-age pension (%). International Labour Organization (ILO), 2025 edition, data for 2025.
Published values in that edition run from 0 to 100; higher is better.
Firms Expecting to Make Informal Payments to Public OfficialsWorld Bank Group · 2026 · world median 6.4036.0916.403No earlier reading
Saint Kitts and Nevis: 6.091 · world median 6.403 · Firms saying firms like theirs pay officials informally to get things done (%). World Bank Group, 2026 edition, data for 2026.
Published values in that edition run from 0 to 55.03; lower is better.
Position 93rd of 178 · derived, 1st = worst.
Behind the world median7
Statistics on which Saint Kitts and Nevis does worse than the middle country measured.
Government Spending on EducationUIS · 2023 · world median 3.7093.4973.709▲ Improved since 2013
Saint Kitts and Nevis: 3.497 · 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 69th of 123 · derived.
Disability Benefit CoverageILO · 2025 · world median 43.927.743.9No earlier reading
Saint Kitts and Nevis: 27.7 · world median 43.9 · People with severe disabilities receiving disability benefits (%). International Labour Organization (ILO), 2025 edition, data for 2025.
Published values in that edition run from 0 to 100; higher is better.
Women, Business and the LawWorld Bank Group · 2025 · world median 81.2571.2581.25▼ Worsened since 2015
Saint Kitts and Nevis: 71.25 · world median 81.25 · WBL Index (0–100, where 100 is full legal parity). World Bank Group, 2026 edition, data for 2025.
Published values in that edition run from 3.125 to 100; higher is better.
Position 139th of 190 · derived.
Child and Family Benefit CoverageILO · 2024 · world median 23.755.323.75No earlier reading
Saint Kitts and Nevis: 5.3 · world median 23.75 · Children or households with children receiving child or family cash benefits (%). International Labour Organization (ILO), 2024 edition, data for 2024.
Published values in that edition run from 0 to 100; higher is better.
GovTech Maturity IndexWorld Bank Group · 2025 · world median 0.630.2880.63No real change since 2022
Saint Kitts and Nevis: 0.288 · 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 164th of 196 · derived.
Government AI Readiness IndexOxford Insights · 2025 · world median 40.1920.8540.19▼ Worsened since 2020
Saint Kitts and Nevis: 20.85 · world median 40.19 · AI readiness score (0–100). Oxford Insights, 2025 edition, data for 2025.
Published values in that edition run from 12.12 to 88.36; higher is better.
Ranked 170th of 195 by Oxford Insights.
Global Indicators of Regulatory Governance ScoreWorld Bank Group · 2018 · world median 2.2502.25No earlier reading
Saint Kitts and Nevis: 0 · world median 2.25 · Regulatory governance score (0–5, where 5 is the most transparent rule-making). World Bank Group, 2018 edition, data for 2018.
Published values in that edition run from 0 to 5; higher is better.
No better end3
These describe the shape of a country — more is not better or worse, only different — so they are never ahead or behind.
Public Sector Wage BillWorld Bank Group · 2022 · world median 7.97511.487.975Moved since 2012
Saint Kitts and Nevis: 11.48 · world median 7.975 · Public sector wage bill (% of GDP). World Bank Group, 2022 edition, data for 2022.
Published values in that edition run from 0.977 to 42.65.
Position 34th of 168 · derived, counted from the highest value.
Senior Management Time Spent on Government RegulationWorld Bank Group · 2026 · world median 6.79510.656.795No earlier reading
Saint Kitts and Nevis: 10.65 · world median 6.795 · Senior management time spent dealing with government regulation (% of a typical week). World Bank Group, 2026 edition, data for 2026.
Published values in that edition run from 0.025 to 31.33.
Central Bank Independence IndexAna Carolina Garriga, University of Essex · 2023 · world median 0.6080.6330.608No real change since 2013
Saint Kitts and Nevis: 0.633 · world median 0.608 · CBI index (0–1, where 1 is the most statutory independence). Ana Carolina Garriga, University of Essex, 2023 edition, data for 2023.
Published values in that edition run from 0.006 to 0.974.
No current reading for Saint Kitts and Nevis
Business Ready: Operational Efficiency, Business Ready: Public Services, Business Ready: Regulatory Framework, Completeness of Birth Registration, Corruption Perceptions Index, Country Policy and Institutional Assessment, Debt Service on External Debt, Equal Protection Index, External Debt Stocks (% of GNI), Foundational ID Ownership, General Government Consumption, Government Funding per Primary Student (last 2021), Judicial Constraints on the Executive Index, Labour Inspectors per 10,000 Employed Persons, Liberal Democracy Index, Meritocratic Appointment in the State Administration, Neopatrimonial Rule Index, Open Data Inventory, Political Corruption Index, Public Sector Employment, Rigorous and Impartial Public Administration, State Authority over Territory, State Capacity Index, State Fiscal Source of Revenue, Trade Union Density and V-Dem Electoral Democracy Index. Listed rather than hidden, so the page can be checked against it.
“Position · derived” is this site’s ordering of the published values, 1st = best unless the row says otherwise; the publisher ranks no country on it. Rank, position and standing
05Country Index 2026
Governance & Institutions among Saint Kitts and Nevis’s 10 topics
Governance & Institutions is Saint Kitts and Nevis’s 7th best-placed topic of 10. Strongest first, each marker at its share of that topic’s field.
- Democracy & Civil Liberties34th of 1982/4 keys
- Risk & Resilience47th of 1933/4 keys
- Food & Agriculture56th of 1842/4 keys
- Development & Human Capital67th of 1963/3 keys
- Mobility & Trade82nd of 1772/4 keys
- Health & Wellbeing117th of 2002/4 keys
- Governance & Institutionsjoint 127th of 1942/4 keys
- Energy131st of 1652/3 keys
- Environment & Sustainability165th of 1862/4 keys
- Digital & Technology180th of 1983/4 keys
No standing on Economy & Innovation, Work & Labour, Education & Knowledge, Gender & Equality, Peace & Security, 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 Saint Kitts and Nevis 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 Americas
Canada8th4/4 keysHighest in Caribbean
Barbados45th4/4 keysThis page
Saint Kitts and Nevis=127th2/4 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 Saint Kitts and Nevis and governance & institutions
08Questions
Saint Kitts and Nevis 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 Saint Kitts and Nevis rank on governance & institutions?
Saint Kitts and Nevis is placed joint 127th of 194 countries on Governance & Institutions in the Country Index 2026, from 2 of its 4 key statistics (Government Effectiveness and Statistical Performance Indicators). The position is this site’s ordering of published statistics, not a rank any publisher printed.
What is the latest Government Effectiveness figure for Saint Kitts and Nevis?
0.699 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 Statistical Performance Indicators figure for Saint Kitts and Nevis?
42.66 in 2024 (sPI overall score (0–100)), according to World Bank Group. The world median in the same edition was 69.3.
How have Saint Kitts and Nevis’s governance & institutions figures changed?
Government Effectiveness rose from 0.198 in 2004 to 0.699 in 2025; Statistical Performance Indicators rose from 35.61 in 2020 to 42.66 in 2024.
Which governance & institutions statistics are missing for Saint Kitts and Nevis?
No current reading is published for Saint Kitts and Nevis on Business Ready: Operational Efficiency, Business Ready: Public Services, Business Ready: Regulatory Framework, Completeness of Birth Registration, Corruption Perceptions Index, Country Policy and Institutional Assessment, Debt Service on External Debt, Equal Protection Index, External Debt Stocks (% of GNI), Foundational ID Ownership, General Government Consumption, Government Funding per Primary Student, Judicial Constraints on the Executive Index, Labour Inspectors per 10,000 Employed Persons, Liberal Democracy Index, Meritocratic Appointment in the State Administration, Neopatrimonial Rule Index, Open Data Inventory, Political Corruption Index, Public Sector Employment, Rigorous and Impartial Public Administration, State Authority over Territory, State Capacity Index, State Fiscal Source of Revenue, Trade Union Density and V-Dem Electoral Democracy Index. They are listed rather than hidden, so the evidence on the page can be checked against it.
09Method
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
A standing is this site’s ordering, named with its edition — never a publisher’s rank. 4 key statistics vote, one vote each; every country’s published value becomes a place within that key’s own field, the places are averaged, and the average is never published. A country needs 2 of the 4 keys to be placed.
The governance & institutions method, step by stepHow every standing on this site is built
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 21 statistics on this page come from 8 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
Saint Kitts and Nevis’s banner and the countries placed highest, from their profiles: Wikimedia Commons, shown in greyscale, each used under the licence named.
- Saint Kitts and Nevis (banner) — Infilms derivative work: Inkey, CC BY-SA 2.5
- 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). Saint Kitts and Nevis: Governance & Institutions — standing and statistics, Country Index 2026. https://nationsinquiry.com/countries/saint-kitts-and-nevis/governance