World Bank Group · Global Indicators of Regulatory Governance Score
Regulatory governance by country
How openly does a government make the rules that businesses must follow?
Of the 186 countries compared in 2018, 16 countries shared the highest reading, 5.0, and 13 countries shared the lowest reading, 0.0. In the middle country the figure was 2.3.
Share
Part ofGovernance & Institutions
Regulatory governance · 2018
Context statistic
16 countries share the highest value, 5.0 — no single country is named first.
012018 · values only
Who leads
The three countries at the highest end of 186 compared, the three at the other end, and the first on each continent.
Highest in 2018 · shared
16 countries share the highest reading, 5.0
No single country is named first: picking one from a shared value would be a choice the data does not make.
Highest on each continent
- Africa
2 countries share 4.0
- Americas
4 countries share 5.0
- Asia
4 countries share 5.0
- Europe
8 countries share 5.0
- Oceania
New Zealand4.3 - Every region
02Every measured country
Regulatory governance on a map
Each country is shaded by its value, in five groups holding the same number of countries. Hover a country for its value, or select it to open its profile. Below the map, each continent’s middle country.
Darker is a higher value — the better end.
- 0.0–1.0
- 1.3–1.8
- 2.0–3.3
- 3.5–4.5
- 4.8–5.0
- No reading in 2018
- Europe
4.5
the middle country, of 41 measured · 49 members
8 share 5.0
San Marino2.3Highest and lowest reading in Europe.
- Asia
2.8
the middle country, of 47 measured · 52 members
4 share 5.0
4 share 0.0
Highest and lowest reading in Asia.
- Americas
1.9
the middle country, of 34 measured · 48 members
4 share 5.0
3 share 0.0
Highest and lowest reading in Americas.
- Africa
1.3
the middle country, of 52 measured · 55 members
2 share 4.0
5 share 0.0
Highest and lowest reading in Africa.
- Oceania
1.3
the middle country, of 12 measured · 21 members
New Zealand4.3
Vanuatu0.0Highest and lowest reading in Oceania.
- Every region
22 sub-regions, highest middle country first
- Eastern Asia
5.0
the middle country, of 6 measured · 8 members
4 share 5.0
China1.8Highest and lowest reading in Eastern Asia.
- Northern Europe
4.6
the middle country, of 10 measured · 13 members
3 share 5.0
Latvia3.0Highest and lowest reading in Northern Europe.
- Western Europe
4.5
the middle country, of 7 measured · 9 members
2 share 5.0
Belgium3.8Highest and lowest reading in Western Europe.
- Eastern Europe
4.4
the middle country, of 10 measured · 10 members
2 share 5.0
Ukraine3.0Highest and lowest reading in Eastern Europe.
- Southern Europe
4.4
the middle country, of 14 measured · 17 members
Croatia5.0San Marino2.3Highest and lowest reading in Southern Europe.
- South-eastern Asia
2.8
the middle country, of 11 measured · 11 members
Thailand4.5
Brunei1.0Highest and lowest reading in South-eastern Asia.
- South America
2.5
the middle country, of 11 measured · 12 members
Colombia4.3
Ecuador0.5Highest and lowest reading in South America.
- Central America
1.9
the middle country, of 8 measured · 8 members
2 share 5.0
Guatemala0.0Highest and lowest reading in Central America.
- Western Asia
1.9
the middle country, of 18 measured · 19 members
2 share 4.0
4 share 0.0
Highest and lowest reading in Western Asia.
- Southern Asia
1.6
the middle country, of 8 measured · 9 members
India3.53 share 1.0
Highest and lowest reading in Southern Asia.
- Caribbean
1.5
the middle country, of 13 measured · 24 members
Jamaica3.02 share 0.0
Highest and lowest reading in Caribbean.
- Eastern Africa
1.5
the middle country, of 17 measured · 19 members
2 share 3.3
Eritrea0.0Highest and lowest reading in Eastern Africa.
- Northern Africa
1.3
the middle country, of 6 measured · 6 members
Morocco4.0
Libya0.0Highest and lowest reading in Northern Africa.
- Southern Africa
1.3
the middle country, of 5 measured · 5 members
South Africa4.0
Lesotho0.0Highest and lowest reading in Southern Africa.
- Western Africa
1.3
the middle country, of 16 measured · 16 members
Nigeria2.8
Liberia0.0Highest and lowest reading in Western Africa.
- Middle Africa
1.0
the middle country, of 8 measured · 9 members
Angola1.8
Central African Republic0.0Highest and lowest reading in Middle Africa.
- Australia and New Zealand
2 of 2 measured — too few for a middle: Australia, New Zealand.
New Zealand4.3
Australia3.8Highest and lowest reading in Australia and New Zealand.
- Central Asia
4 of 5 measured — too few for a middle: Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan.
Kazakhstan4.8
Tajikistan2.8Highest and lowest reading in Central Asia.
- Melanesia
4 of 5 measured — too few for a middle: Fiji, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Vanuatu.
Solomon Islands2.3Vanuatu0.0Highest and lowest reading in Melanesia.
- Micronesia
4 of 7 measured — too few for a middle: Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Palau.
Kiribati1.0
Palau0.3Highest and lowest reading in Micronesia.
- Northern America
2 of 4 measured — too few for a middle: Canada, United States.
2 share 5.0
2 share 5.0
Highest and lowest reading in Northern America.
- Polynesia
2 of 7 measured — too few for a middle: Samoa, Tonga.
Tonga1.8
Samoa1.0Highest and lowest reading in Polynesia.
03The whole field at once
The spread
186 countries, one dot each, on one scale — further right is a higher value. Half the countries are above 2.3; a quarter are above 4.0, and a quarter below 1.1. The bar in each row marks that continent’s middle country.
04All 186 ever measured
Every country
In order, highest value first. No rank or position is shown: too many countries share the same value for an order to mean anything. The score records whether each practice exists, not how well it works, and it moves in quarter-point steps — many countries share the same score, at both ends, so no positions are shown. The figures date from 2017–18 and have not been updated.
Showing 25 of 186 countries
Values for 2018.
05In this edition
Regulatory governance in records
The extremes of the statistic. A record reached by more than one country names none of them.
Highest reading
Reached 16 times by 16 countries — shared, so no holder is named
5.0
Regulatory governance score (0–5, where 5 is the most transparent rule-making)
Lowest reading
Reached 13 times by 13 countries — shared, so no holder is named
0.0
Regulatory governance score (0–5, where 5 is the most transparent rule-making)
06The parts of the index
Inside the number
World Bank Group publishes the parts the headline is built from. Each part’s highest and lowest country, and its middle value.
| Part | Highest | Lowest | Middle country |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forward regulatory plans (0–1)186 countries | 53 countries share 1.0 | 101 countries share 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Consultation on proposed regulations (0–1)186 countries | 57 countries share 1.0 | 50 countries share 0.0 | 0.5 |
| Reporting back on consultations (0–1)186 countries | 39 countries share 1.0 | 100 countries share 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Regulatory impact assessment (0–1)186 countries | 47 countries share 1.0 | 99 countries share 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Access to the laws in force (0–1)186 countries | 140 countries share 1.0 | 25 countries share 0.0 | 1.0 |
07The measure
About regulatory governance
This score, from the World Bank's Global Indicators of Regulatory Governance, rates how openly a government makes the rules businesses must follow: whether it publishes plans for new regulation, consults the public on drafts, reports back on what it heard, assesses the likely impact, and makes the laws in force easy to find. Each of the five practices scores up to one point, for a total out of five.
What the number is: Regulatory governance score (0–5, where 5 is the most transparent rule-making).
08Where it fits
Connections
Its part in the Country Index, the statistics whose values line up most closely with it across countries, and others on the same subject.
In the Country Index
Context, with no vote
This statistic is published in full under Governance & Institutions, but does not help decide any Country Index standing.
Moves with
Where regulatory governance is higher, these tend to be higher too.
- Statistical Performance IndicatorsKeyWorld Bank Group · 180 countries in commonρ 0.80
- Women's Empowerment IndexUNDP Human Development Report Office and UN Women · 113 countries in commonρ 0.80
- State Capacity IndexJonathan K. Hanson (University of Michigan) and Rachel Sigman (Naval Postgraduate School) · 160 countries in commonρ 0.75
Moves against
Where regulatory governance is higher, these tend to be lower.
- Prevalence of Moderate or Severe Food InsecurityFAO · 135 countries in commonρ −0.76
- Climate Vulnerability (ND-GAIN)KeyNotre Dame Global Adaptation Initiative (ND-GAIN), University of Notre Dame · 179 countries in commonρ −0.74
- Coefficient of Variation of Habitual Caloric ConsumptionFAO · 160 countries in commonρ −0.74
Rank correlation (ρ, from −1 to 1) across countries, on each statistic’s newest edition, out of 381 statistics sharing at least 80 countries with this one. Two statistics that move together do not cause each other.
09Keep reading
Explore further
The subject
The data, edition by edition
More from World Bank Group
10Questions
Regulatory governance: questions and answers
Which country has the highest regulatory governance?
16 countries share the highest reading, 5.0, among the 186 compared in 2018, so no single country is named.
Which country has the lowest regulatory governance?
13 countries share the lowest reading, 0.0, among the 186 compared in 2018, so no single country is named.
How many countries does the Global Indicators of Regulatory Governance Score cover?
186 in 2018.
What is the world average regulatory governance?
This site does not calculate a world average, which would depend on how countries are weighted. In the middle country of the 186 compared in 2018, the figure was 2.3.
Is this World Bank Group’s own ranking?
No ranking is shown. World Bank Group publishes values only, and too many countries share the same value for an ordering to mean anything, so none is derived.
How often is the Global Indicators of Regulatory Governance Score published?
This site holds one edition, describing 2018.
Where does the data come from, and can I download it?
From World Bank Group, under CC BY 4.0. From World Bank Data360 (Global Indicators of Regulatory Governance). The five parts beside the score are the Bank's own and add up to it. Every edition is on this site’s Datasets pages as a full table, and downloads as a CSV file with every value unrounded.
11Method
Sources, method and citation
Source
Global Indicators of Regulatory Governance Score — World Bank Group
From World Bank Data360 (Global Indicators of Regulatory Governance). The five parts beside the score are the Bank's own and add up to it.
Newest edition
Report year 2018Data year 2018
Cite the source as: World Bank. Global Indicators of Regulatory Governance. Washington, DC: World Bank Group.
Licence: CC BY 4.0, checked 2026-10-03.
How this page reads the numbers
- No rank or position is shown: World Bank Group publishes values only, and too many countries share the same value for an ordering to mean anything.
- Which end is better follows the publisher’s own reading of the measure.
- A country is named at an end only when it holds that value alone. Where several share it, the page says how many and names none first.
- Values are stored exactly as published and trimmed only for display. “The middle country” is the median of the countries measured, not a world average.
The file itself, column by column — where it came from, what each column holds, and every edition as a CSV — is on its dataset page.
Cite this page
Nations Inquiry (2026). Regulatory governance by country: Global Indicators of Regulatory Governance Score, data from World Bank Group. https://nationsinquiry.com/statistics/regulatory-governance