Good governance is essential for development. It helps countries improve economic growth, build human capital, and strengthen social cohesion. The Worldwide Governance Indicators (WGI) are designed to help researchers and analysts assess broad patterns in perceptions of governance across countries and over time.
The WGI aggregate data from more than 30 think tanks, international organizations, nongovernmental organizations, and private firms across the world selected on the basis of three key criteria:
1) they are produced by credible organizations;
2) they provide comparable cross-country data; and
3) they are regularly updated.
The data reflect the diverse views on governance of many stakeholders worldwide, including tens of thousands of survey respondents and experts.
The WGI feature six aggregate governance indicators for over 200 countries and territories over the period 1996 - 2022:
The WGI were developed in 1999 by two World Bank researchers, Daniel Kaufmann and Aart Kraay. The data are updated annually each September. For questions about the WGI data please contact Aart Kraay.
Last updated by source: 2023-09-29
| Dataset type: | Time-Series |
| Dataset level: | Country |
(Kaufmann & Kraay,
2023)
Control of Corruption - Estimate: 'Control of Corruption' measures perceptions of corruption, conventionally defined as the exercise of public power for private gain. The particular aspect of corruption measured by the various sources differs somewhat, ranging from the frequency of 'additional payments to get things done', to the effects of corruption on the business environment, to measuring 'grand corruption' in the political arena or in the tendency of elite forms to engage in 'state capture'.
More about this variableControl of Corruption - Number of Sources.
More about this variableControl of Corruption - Standard Errors.
More about this variableGovernment Effectiveness - Estimate: 'Government Effectiveness' combines into a single grouping responses on the quality of public service provision, the quality of the bureaucracy, the competence of civil servants, the independence of the civil service from political pressures, and the credibility of the government's commitment to policies. The main focus of this index is on 'inputs' required for the government to be able to produce and implement good policies and deliver public goods.
More about this variableGovernment Effectiveness - Number of Sources.
More about this variableGovernment Effectiveness - Standard Errors.
More about this variablePolitical Stability and Absence of Violence- Estimate: 'Political Stability and Absence of Violence/Terrorism' measures perceptions of the likelihood of political instability and/or politically-motivated violence, including terrorism.
More about this variablePolitical Stability and Absence of Violence - Number of Sources.
More about this variablePolitical Stability and Absence of Violence - Standard Errors.
More about this variableRule of Law - Estimate: 'Rule of Law' includes several indicators which measure the extent to which agents have confidence in and abide by the rules of society. These include perceptions of the incidence of crime, the effectiveness and predictability of the judiciary, and the enforceability of contracts. Together, these indicators measure the success of a society in developing an environment in which fair and predictable rules form the basis for economic and social interactions and the extent to which property rights are protected.
More about this variableRule of Law - Number of Sources.
More about this variableRule of Law - Standard Errors.
More about this variableRegulatory Quality - Estimate: 'Regulatory Quality' includes measures of the incidence of market-unfriendly policies such as price controls or inadequate bank supervision, as well as perceptions of the burdens imposed by excessive regulation in areas such as foreign trade and business development.
More about this variableRegulatory Quality - Number of Sources.
More about this variableRegulatory Quality - Standard Errors.
More about this variableVoice and Accountability - Estimate: 'Voice and Accountability' includes a number of indicators measuring various aspects of the political process, civil liberties and political rights. These indicators measure the extent to which citizens of a country are able to participate in the selection of governments. This category also includes indicators measuring the independence of the media, which serves an important role in monitoring those in authority and holding them accountable for their actions.
More about this variableVoice and Accountability - Number of Sources.
More about this variableVoice and Accountability - Standard Errors.
More about this variable