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Government effectiveness

The UK ranks 13th of 28 on Government effectiveness (2025)

The UK ranks 13th of 28 on Government effectiveness in 2025: 1.23, unit WGI estimate, about −2.5 (weak) to +2.5 (strong), against an EU27 median of 1.13. Source: World Bank Indicators (WDI and WGI), GOV_WGI_GE.EST, snapshot of 6 November 2026.

Worldwide Governance Indicators estimate of perceived quality of public services and civil service, from survey and expert sources.

Caveat. Perception-based and overlaps with the Corruption Perceptions Index. Scores are relative to the average of all countries covered, so small changes can reflect other countries moving.

The UK

Government effectiveness

1.23WGI estimate, about −2.5 (weak) to +2.5 (strong)(2025)

13th of 28Moved down 5 places from 2016 to 2025.
EU27 median
1.13 WGI estimate, about −2.5 (weak) to +2.5 (strong)
UK minus EU27 median
+0.10 WGI estimate, about −2.5 (weak) to +2.5 (strong)

League table

Values in WGI estimate, about −2.5 (weak) to +2.5 (strong). Countries ranked by value, 1 = top of the table, 28 with a value.

Government effectiveness, 2025: league table of countries
1Luxembourg1.982025
2Denmark1.962025
3Finland1.942025
4Sweden1.822025
5Netherlands1.742025
6Ireland1.632025
7Austria1.542025
8Estonia1.502025
9Germany1.492025
10Belgium1.322025
11Lithuania1.242025
12Czechia1.242025
13United KingdomUK1.232025
14France1.212025
15Spain1.132025
16Slovenia1.102025
17Portugal1.022025
18Italy0.922025
19Cyprus0.832025
20Latvia0.832025
21Poland0.802025
22Croatia0.772025
23Malta0.762025
24Slovakia0.582025
25Hungary0.472025
26Romania0.372025
27Greece0.322025
28Bulgaria0.132025

Trend, 2000 to 2025

Government effectiveness, 2000 to 2025Line chart, 2000 to 2025: the UK (heavy ink line), Germany, France, Italy and Spain (solid lines), and reference countries (faint lines). Dotted segments are IMF projections and are not ranked. Shaded bands and markers show events.WGI estimate, about −2.5 (weak) to +2.5 (strong)12200020052010201520202025123Japan2Switzerland2Norway2Canada2Australia2Germany1United Kingdom1France1United States1Spain1Italy1Government effectiveness, 2000 to 2025Line chart, 2000 to 2025: the UK (heavy ink line), Germany, France, Italy and Spain (solid lines), and reference countries (faint lines). Dotted segments are IMF projections and are not ranked. Shaded bands and markers show events.WGI estimate, about −2.5 (weak) to +2.5 (strong)12200020102020123JapanSwitzerlandNorwayCanadaAustraliaGermanyUnited KingdomFranceUnited StatesSpainItaly
  • Heavy ink line: United Kingdom
  • France
  • Germany
  • Italy
  • Spain
  • Thin grey lines, reference countries (not the big four): Australia, Canada, Japan, Norway, Switzerland, United States
  • Shaded: 2008–09 financial crisis
  • Shaded: 2020–21 Covid-19 pandemic
  • Shaded: 2022–23 energy price shock
  • Marker 1: EU referendum (23 June 2016)
  • Marker 2: UK leaves the EU (31 January 2020)
  • Marker 3: Transition period ends; Trade and Cooperation Agreement in force (1 January 2021)
Trends show what happened, not why; Covid, energy prices and policy changes overlap the same years. Dotted lines are projections and are not ranked.

UK rank over time

Rank 1 is the top of the table; the line is drawn with rank 1 at the top. Each year is ranked on that year's values.

UK rank, 2000 to 2025: 9th to 13th5th9th12th15th200020052010201520202025June 201613thUK rank, 2000 to 2025: 9th to 13th5th9th12th15th200020102020June 201613th

2000: 9th · 2025: 13th

Sources and method

Worldwide Governance Indicators estimate of perceived quality of public services and civil service, from survey and expert sources.

Source: World Bank Indicators (WDI and WGI) · series GOV_WGI_GE.EST· vintage 2026-09-25 · fetched 2026-11-06

Source: World Bank, World Development Indicators / Worldwide Governance Indicators (CC BY 4.0); accessed 2026-11-06.

Licence: CC BY 4.0 (World Bank open data default); WGI and some datasets carry their own terms in the Data Catalog metadata. Reuse with credit allowed, including derived figures.