Winners in the Chandler Good Government Index 2024
Good government is a deciding factor in whether nations succeed. The Chandler Good Government Index (CGGI) shows why investing in strong government capabilities is vital to securing positive outcomes for citizens and businesses. The CGGI is an annual Index measuring the capabilities and effectiveness of 113 governments around the world.
Government Effectiveness Around the World
Uruguay ranked 31st in CGGI 2024, and overtakes Chile to be the top performer from Latin America and the Caribbean for the first time. Uruguay has done particularly well in the Leadership & Foresight pillar, coming in 7th place globally, a remarkable improvement from 27th place in 2021. Also notable is Uruguay’s 21st place in the Attractive Marketplace pillar, with improved performance in several constituent indicators within this pillar, such as Property Rights, Macroeconomic Environment, and Stable Business Regulations.
Ranked 50th in CGGI 2024, Vietnam gets first place amongst its peers in the lower-middle income group. Vietnam improved eight places from CGGI 2021, which is the 3rd biggest improvement globally. Like Uruguay, Vietnam does well in the Leadership & Foresight and Attractive Marketplace pillars, ranking 28th and 27th respectively. To continue this positive trajectory, Vietnam would need to overcome challenges in some areas that have dragged down its overall performance, such as in the Strong Institutions and Global Influence & Reputation pillars.
Ranked 56th in the CGGI this year, Rwanda has maintained its position as the best performing low-income country in the CGGI for the fourth consecutive year. Although higher income countries generally perform better on the CGGI than their lower income peers, Rwanda has consistently stood out as an outlier, outperforming not only all countries in the low-income group, but also many others at more advanced stages of development. This achievement is particularly remarkable given that just 30 years ago, Rwanda was devastated by one of the worst humanitarian crises in recent history.
Government capabilities take time to build. Progress that is often invisible day to day can produce significant change when it is sustained over months, years, or even decades. In that sense, the governance competition is more of a marathon than a sprint—a race that is ongoing. We recognise and celebrate countries that have made significant progress since 2021, while sounding a cautionary note for countries that are lagging, as no nation should be left behind by the global community.
No country has improved more over the past four years than the UAE, which jumped ten places in the overall rankings between 2021 and 2024 (from 24th to 14th). It is also the only Middle Eastern country in the top 20. The UAE’s progress has been broad-based, with rank improvements in six out of the seven pillars of the CGGI. Of note is its strong performance in the Financial Stewardship and Leadership & Foresight pillars, where it ranked 1st and 2nd respectively in 2024.
Greece moved up nine spots from 50th in 2021, to 41st in 2024, which is the largest improvement amongst European countries and the second largest globally. The country improved in four pillars of the CGGI, with notable jumps in Leadership & Foresight (from 89th to 40th) and Attractive Marketplace (from 101st to 75th). As The Economist magazine aptly said, while naming Greece as its “Country of the Year” for 2023, “Greece shows that from the verge of collapse it is possible to enact tough, sensible economic reforms, rebuild the social contract, exhibit restrained patriotism—and still win elections.”
Endnotes
