The Law and Order Index, collected through the Gallup World Poll, uses four questions to gauge people’s sense of personal security. We use the “positive” responses to the questions to calculate a Law and Order Index score for each country. The higher the score, the higher the proportion of the population that reports feeling safe.
The latest Law and Order Index score for the world was 83 out of 100, as reported in the latest Global Safety Report.
What Are the Law and Order Index Questions?
Gallup uses the World Poll to ask people in more than 140 countries and territories the following questions that measure global safety:
- Do you feel safe walking alone at night in the city or area where you live?
- Do you have confidence in the local police force in the city or area where you live?
- Within the last 12 months, have you had money or property stolen from you or another household member?
- Within the past 12 months, have you been assaulted or mugged?
Scores on the Law and Order Index are highly related to traditional development indicators, including global income, health, food security and homicide metrics.
What Countries Have the Highest Law and Order Index Scores?
Tajikistan has the highest Law and Order Index score in the world, scoring 97 out of 100 in the latest Global Safety Report, followed by Singapore (95), Kosovo (94), China (93), Iceland (93) and Vietnam (93).
Law and Order Index Scores in Europe
A group of European countries score 90 or greater in the latest Law and Order Index, according to the Global Safety Report:
- Kosovo (94)
- Iceland (93)
- Norway (92)
- Austria (91)
- Switzerland (91)
- Denmark (90)
- Finland (90)
- Montenegro (90)
Law and Order Index Scores in Post-Soviet Eurasia
Tajikistan leads this region – and the world – with a Law and Order Index score of 97 out of 100, according to the latest Global Safety Report.
Law and Order Index Scores in Latin America and Caribbean
El Salvador has the highest Law and Order Index score in the Latin America and Caribbean region, scoring 90 out of 100 on the Law and Order Index in the latest Global Safety Report.
Law and Order Index Scores in Sub-Saharan Africa
Burkina Faso, Mauritius, and Tanzania each score 81 out of 100 on the Law and Order Index, according to the latest Global Safety Report.
Law and Order Index Scores in the Middle East and North Africa
Bahrain, Oman, and Saudi Arabia each score 91 out of 100 on the Law and Order Index, according to the latest Global Safety Report.
Law and Order Index Scores in Asia-Pacific
Singapore has the highest Law and Order Index score in the Asia-Pacific region, scoring 95 out of 100 on the Law and Order Index in the latest Global Safety Report.
Law and Order Index Scores in Northern America
The United States scores 84 out of 100 on the Law and Order Index in the latest Global Safety Report, while Canada scores 82.
Both countries’ scores are in line with the global Law and Order Index score of 83 out of 100 for the world.
Methodology
These results are from the latest Global Safety Report and based on nationally representative, probability-based samples among the adult population aged 15 and older in 144 countries and territories in 2024. The results are based on telephone or face-to-face surveys of approximately 1,000 or more respondents in each country or territory.
For results based on the total sample of national adults in 2024, the margin of sampling error ranges between ±3.3 and ±5.4 percentage points at the 95% confidence level. The margin of error reflects the influence of data weighting. In addition to sampling error, question wording and practical difficulties in conducting surveys can introduce error or bias into the findings of public opinion polls.