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  • Worldwide Governance Indicators

    A global compilation of data capturing household, business, and citizen perceptions of the quality of governance in more than 200 economies.

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Usage Advisory

About the WGI

The Worldwide Governance Indicators (WGI) are a product of the staff of The World Bank with external contributions. The findings, interpretations, and conclusions expressed in this work do not necessarily reflect the views of The World Bank, its Board of Executive Directors, or the governments they represent. The World Bank does not guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or currency of the data included in this work and does not assume responsibility for any errors, omissions, or discrepancies in the information, or liability with respect to the use of or failure to use the information, methods, processes, or conclusions set forth.

Note on External Review of the WGI

Some stakeholders have raised concerns about the methodology, sources and nature of WGI. In response, the World Bank commissioned an external review of WGI, the results of which are published here, together with a description of the changes being made to strengthen WGI. The usage advisory below is one of these changes that have been adopted for the 2024 WGI.

Usage Advisory:

This usage advisory aims to provide clarity on the limitations and appropriate use of the WGI data, ensuring that users are well-informed about the nature and scope of the indicators.  Please see the WGI FAQs for additional information.

  1. Amalgamation of Survey Data and Expert Assessments: The WGI are based on 35 data sources that fall into two broad categories: (1) surveys of households and firms (accounting for 11 data sources), and (2) expert assessments (accounting for 24 data sources).  Household and firm surveys capture the views of people living and working in the countries to which the data apply.  Expert assessments reflect the views and perceptions of experts employed and/or convened by the organizations producing the data sources. 
  2. WGI is Derived from Subjective Perceptions-Based Data: All the data used in the WGI is perceptions-based and inherently subjective. The views and perceptions of firms, experts and households matter because they make decisions based on those views and perceptions.
  3. Rankings: Accordingly, the rankings of countries in the WGI are intended to reflect general conclusions arising from compilation of accumulated data, applying the methodology described. Rankings rise and fall relative to other countries, and changes in rankings from year to year depend on the data and methodologies as applied to other countries for those years. Rankings are not intended to reflect a definitive statement or hierarchy of government performance or effectiveness.
  4. Lag in Perception Changes: Perceptions may be slower to change than actual governance reforms. As a result, there may be a delay between changes in laws, rules, and their implementation in any country and the perceptions of those changes captured in survey data and expert assessments.
  5.  Limitations on measuring governance over time: The WGI measure governance in units where the average score for the world as a whole is zero in every period. Therefore, the six composite WGI measures cannot be used to study trends in world averages of governance. They may be used to compare countries’ performance relative to one another at any point in time but are less suitable for measuring absolute change in governance of any particular country over time.
  6. Intended Use of WGI: The WGI are intended for research and policy analysis purposes. WGI data are not intended to serve as definitive criteria for use in credit assessments, credit ratings, investment risk, or other critical financial decisions. Users are advised to carefully consider the strengths and limitations of the WGI in relation to the context and purpose of such decisions.