Nicaragua ranks lowest in Central American rule of law index

According to the 2026 Rule of Law Index by the World Justice Project, Nicaragua has the worst performance in Central America. The country is ranked 139th globally with a score of 0.32 on a scale of zero to one, placing it among the bottom five countries in the international classification. Nicaragua also saw a 2.5% decrease in its score compared to 2025, the largest decline among the seven Central American nations.

In the same region, Costa Rica remains the highest-rated country with a global rank of 31 and a score of 0.67, though it experienced a 1.2% decrease. Panama follows as the second-best in the region, ranking 72nd globally. Guatemala showed the most significant improvement in Central America, increasing its score by 1.1% to reach 106th place. Other regional rankings include Belize at 84th, El Salvador at 114th, and Honduras at 115th.