The World Justice Project (WJP) has unveiled new research at a high-level summit in New York that examines how 62 countries are performing on UN Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) indicator 16.3.3, the measure of access to informal and formal mechanisms to address non-criminal disputes. The report also presents country-level insights on the justice gap for more than 100 countries.

The graphical report reveals a prevalence of legal problem experiences within the two-year reference period of the WJP’s legal needs survey, and persistent unmet civil legal needs. Outside of access to formal and informal justice services, the report also confirms barriers to access adequate information to help resolve legal problems, a lack access to appropriate assistance or legal representation, and difficulties managing costs incurred during the problem resolution process. The report indicates estimated impacts of 1.7% of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) that derive from lost income, health issues and related problems that result from legal problem experiences.

Part I of the WJP Justice Data Graphical Report can be accessed online here: https://worldjusticeproject.org/wjp-justice-data-graphical-report-i. Part II of the report will be published in advance of the SDG Summit in September 2023.