Introduction
Mexico has dropped three positions in the 2025 Rule of Law Index, compiled by the World Justice Project (WJP), placing it at 121 out of 143 countries evaluated. This decline reflects concerns over the erosion of fundamental rights protection, civil justice, and institutional checks and balances under recent administrations led by Enrique Peña Nieto, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, and Claudia Sheinbaum.
Contextual Background
The World Justice Project (WJP) is an international, multidisciplinary organization working to improve the rule of law worldwide. It defines the rule of law as a system of governance upholding four universal principles: accountability, fair laws, open government, and accessible, impartial dispute resolution mechanisms.
An effective rule of law reduces corruption, protects individuals from injustice, and combats poverty by fostering equality, opportunities, and peace.
Index Components and Mexico’s Performance
The index comprises eight subcomponents: constraints on government power, absence of corruption, open government, fundamental rights, order and security, law compliance, civil justice, and criminal justice.
Order and Security
Mexico ranks 132 out of 143 countries in the order and security subcomponent, which assesses factors like effective control over criminal organizations, limited resort to violence for resolving grievances or civil conflicts.
Constraints on Government Power
Mexico’s ranking in the constraints on government power subcomponent fell from 106 to 108. This segment evaluates limits on government power by the legislature, judiciary, independent audit bodies, transition of power subject to law, and public power exercise free from factual influences.
Corruption and Criminal Justice
Mexico ranks poorly in both the absence of corruption and criminal justice subcomponents, placing 134th and 135th out of 143 countries, respectively. These rankings reflect concerns over executive branch misuse of power for private gain and judicial, legislative, law enforcement, and military representatives’ potential for private advantage.
Criminal justice evaluation covers the criminal investigation system’s efficiency, timeliness, and impartiality, as well as the absence of corruption within it.
Global Trends and Authoritarianism
The WJP report highlights that the rise of authoritarianism is causing setbacks in the rule of law, reducing civic space and weakening checks on power.
Sixty-eight percent of countries evaluated by the WJP in its law compliance index reported declines in their ratings this year, indicating growing political interference in justice systems and executive overreach.
Key Questions and Answers
- What is the World Justice Project (WJP)? The WJP is an international, multidisciplinary organization working to enhance the rule of law worldwide. It defines the rule of law as a system of governance upholding accountability, fair laws, open government, and accessible dispute resolution mechanisms.
- What does the Rule of Law Index measure? The index evaluates eight subcomponents, including constraints on government power, absence of corruption, open government, fundamental rights, order and security, law compliance, civil justice, and criminal justice.
- Why is Mexico’s performance concerning? Mexico has dropped in rankings across several subcomponents, including order and security, constraints on government power, absence of corruption, and criminal justice. These declines reflect concerns over the erosion of fundamental rights protection, civil justice, and institutional checks and balances.
- What global trends does the WJP report highlight? The report indicates that authoritarianism is causing setbacks in the rule of law, reducing civic space, and weakening checks on power. Sixty-eight percent of evaluated countries reported declines in their law compliance index ratings this year, signaling growing political interference in justice systems and executive overreach.
