Where does this common law countries data come from?

Name: Common Law Countries
Creator: Rankodex

Rankodex compiles it from World Population Review and the primary sources it cites: Legal Systems - CIA World Factbook; Civil Law vs Common Law - Diffen; List of National Legal Systems - Wikipedia; Alphabetical Index of the 192 United Nations Member States and Corresponding Legal Systems - University of Ottowa JuriGlobe.

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Common Law Countries

Common Law Countries: compare 226 countries on 3 metrics.

Law226 countries · 3 metricsUpdated Jan 20, 2025Original page

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Common Law Status

3 values across 226 entries

Legal System

6 values across 226 entries

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226 countries


Afghanistan	No	Religious	The Taliban is implementing its own interpretation of Islamic law, partially based on the Hanafi school of Islamic jurisprudence, enforcing strict punishments. Before the Taliban takeover, Afghanistan had a mixed legal system of civil, customary, and Islamic law.
Albania	No	Civil	Civil law system except in the northern rural areas where customary law known as the "Code of Leke" is still present.
Algeria	No	Mixed	Mixed legal system of French civil law and Islamic law; judicial review of legislative acts in an ad hoc Constitutional Council composed of various public officials, including several Supreme Court justices.
American Samoa	Partial	Mixed	Mixed legal system of US common law and customary law.
Andorra	No	Mixed	Mixed legal system of civil and customary law with the influence of canon (religious) law.
Angola	No	Civil	Civil legal system based on Portuguese civil law; no judicial review of legislation.
Anguilla	Yes	Common	Common law based on the English model.
Antigua and Barbuda	Yes	Common	Common law based on the English model.
Argentina	No	Civil	Civil law system based on West European legal systems; in mid-2015, Argentina adopted a new civil code, replacing the old one in force since 1871.
Armenia	No	Civil	Civil law system.
Aruba	No	Civil	Civil law system based on the Dutch civil code.
Australia	Yes	Common	Common law system based on the English model.
Austria	No	Civil	Civil law system; judicial review of legislative acts by the Constitutional Court.
Azerbaijan	No	Civil	Civil law system.
Bahamas	Yes	Common	Common law system based on the English model.
Bahrain	Partial	Mixed	Mixed legal system of Islamic (sharia) law, English common law, Egyptian civil, criminal, and commercial codes, and customary law.
Bangladesh	Partial	Mixed	Common law; statutory law enacted by the Parliament of Bangladesh is the primary legislation form. Bangladeshi law incorporates elements of English common law. Islamic law applies to Muslims in family and inheritance matters, with Hindu personal law applying to Hindus and Budd…
Barbados	Yes	Common	English common law; no judicial review of legislative acts.
Belarus	No	Civil	Civil law system; nearly all major codes (civil, civil procedure, criminal, criminal procedure, family, and labor) were revised and came into force in 1999 and 2000.
Belgium	No	Civil	Civil law system based on the French Civil Code; Belgian law continues to be modified in conformance with the legislative norms mandated by the European Union; judicial review of legislative acts.
Belize	Yes	Common	English common law.
Benin	No	Civil	Civil law system modeled largely on the French system and some customary law.
Bermuda	Yes	Common	English common law.
Bhutan	No	Civil	Civil law based on Buddhist religious law.
Bolivia	No	Civil	Civil law system with influences from Roman, Spanish, canon (religious), French, and indigenous law.
Bosnia and Herzegovina	No	Civil	Civil law system; Constitutional Court review of legislative acts.
Botswana	Partial	Mixed	Mixed legal system of civil law influenced by the Roman-Dutch model and also customary and common law.
Brazil	No	Civil	Civil law; a new civil law code was enacted in 2002, replacing the 1916 code.
British Virgin Islands	Yes	Common	English common law.
Brunei	Partial	Mixed	Mixed legal system based on English common law and Islamic law; in April 2019, the full sharia penal codes came into force, applying to Muslims and partly to non-Muslims in parallel with present common law codes.
Bulgaria	No	Civil	Civil law.
Burkina Faso	No	Mixed	Civil law based on the French model and customary law; in mid-2019, the National Assembly amended the penal code.
Burundi	Partial	Mixed	Mixed legal system of Belgian civil law and customary law.
Cambodia	No	Mixed	Civil law system influenced by the UN Transitional Authority in Cambodia, customary law, Communist legal theory, and common law.
Cameroon	Partial	Mixed	Mixed legal system of English common law, French civil law, and customary law.
Canada	Yes	Common	Common law system except in Quebec, where civil law based on the French civil code prevails.
Cape Verde	No	Civil	Civil law system of Portugal.
Cayman Islands	Yes	Common	English common law and local statutes.
Central African Republic	No	Civil	Civil law system based on the French model.
Chad	Partial	Mixed	Mixed legal system of civil and customary law.
Chile	No	Civil	Civil law system influenced by several West European civil legal systems; judicial review of legislative acts by the Constitutional Tribunal.
China	No	Civil	Civil law influenced by Soviet and continental European civil law systems; legislature retains power to interpret statutes; in May 2020, the National People's Congress adopted the PRC Civil Code.
Colombia	No	Civil	Civil law system influenced by the Spanish and French civil codes.
Comoros	Partial	Mixed	Mixed legal system of Islamic religious law, the French civil code of 1975, and customary law.
Cook Islands	Yes	Common	Common law similar to New Zealand common law.
Costa Rica	No	Civil	Civil law system based on Spanish civil code; judicial review of legislative acts in the Supreme Court.
Croatia	No	Civil	Civil law system influenced by the legal heritage of Austria-Hungary; Croatian law was fully harmonized with the European Community acquis as of June 2010.
Cuba	No	Civil	Civil law system based on the Spanish civil code.
Curacao	No	Civil	Based on Dutch civil law.
Cyprus	Partial	Mixed	Mixed legal system of English common law and civil law with European law supremacy.
Czechia	No	Civil	New civil code enacted in 2014, replacing the 1964 civil code, based on former Austro-Hungarian civil codes and socialist theory, reintroducing former Czech legal terminology.
Denmark	No	Civil	Civil law; judicial review of legislative acts.
Djibouti	Partial	Mixed	Mixed legal system based primarily on the French civil code (as it existed in 1997), Islamic religious law (in matters of family law and successions), and customary law.
Dominica	Yes	Common	Common law based on the English model.
Dominican Republic	No	Civil	Civil law system based on the French civil code; Criminal Procedures Code modified in 2004 to include important elements of an accusatory system.
DR Congo	No	Civil	Civil law system primarily based on Belgian law, but also customary and tribal law.
Ecuador	No	Civil	Civil law based on the Chilean civil code with modifications; traditional law in indigenous communities.
Egypt	Partial	Mixed	Mixed legal system based on Napoleonic civil and penal law, Islamic religious law, and vestiges of colonial-era laws; judicial review of the constitutionality of laws by the Supreme Constitutional Court.
El Salvador	No	Civil	Civil law system with minor common law influence; judicial review of legislative acts in the Supreme Court.
Equatorial Guinea	Partial	Mixed	Mixed system of civil and customary law.
Eritrea	Partial	Mixed	Mixed legal system of civil, customary, and Islamic religious law.
Estonia	No	Civil	Civil law system.
Eswatini	Partial	Mixed	Mixed legal system of civil, common, and customary law.
Ethiopia	No	Civil	Civil law system
Falkland Islands	Yes	Common	English common law and local statutes.
Faroe Islands	No	Civil	The laws of Denmark apply where applicable.
Fiji	Yes	Common	Common law system based on the English model.
Finland	No	Civil	Civil law system based on the Swedish model.
France	No	Civil	Civil law; review of administrative but not legislative acts.
French Polynesia	No	Civil	The laws of France, where applicable, apply.
Gabon	Partial	Mixed	Mixed legal system of French civil law and customary law.
Gambia	Partial	Mixed	Mixed legal system of English common law, Islamic law, and customary law.
Georgia	No	Civil	Civil law system.
Germany	No	Civil	Civil law system.
Ghana	Partial	Mixed	Mixed system of English common law and customary law.
Gibraltar	Yes	Common	The laws of the UK, where applicable, apply.
Greece	No	Civil	Civil legal system based on Roman law.
Greenland	No	Mixed	The laws of Denmark apply where applicable, and Greenlandic law applies to other areas.
Grenada	Yes	Common	Common law based on English model.
Guam	Yes	Common	Common law modeled on US system; US federal laws apply.
Guatemala	No	Civil	Civil law system; judicial review of legislative acts.
Guernsey	Partial	Mixed	Customary legal system based on Norman customary law; includes elements of the French civil code and English common law.
Guinea	No	Civil	Civil law system based on the French model.
Guinea-Bissau	Partial	Mixed	Mixed legal system of civil law incorporating Portuguese law, influenced by ECOWAS, UEMOA, African Francophone Public Law, and customary law.
Guyana	Yes	Common	Common law system based on the English model, with some Roman-Dutch civil law influence.
Haiti	No	Civil	Civil law system strongly influenced by Napoleonic Code.
Honduras	No	Civil	Civil law system.
Hong Kong	Partial	Mixed	Mixed legal system of common law based on the English model and Chinese customary law (in matters of family and land tenure); PRC imposition of National Security Law incorporates elements of Chinese civil law.
Hungary	No	Civil	Civil legal system influenced by the German model.
Iceland	No	Civil	Civil law system influenced by the Danish model.
India	Yes	Common	Common law system based on the English model; separate personal law codes apply to Muslims, Christians, and Hindus; judicial review of legislative acts.
Indonesia	No	Civil	Civil law system based on the Roman-Dutch model and influenced by customary law.
Iran	No	Religious	Religious legal system based on secular and Islamic law.
Iraq	Partial	Mixed	Mixed legal system of civil and Islamic law.
Ireland	Yes	Common	Common law system based on the English model but substantially modified by customary law; judicial review of legislative acts by the Supreme Court.
Isle of Man	Yes	Common	The laws of the UK apply where applicable and include Manx statutes.
Israel	Partial	Mixed	Mixed legal system of English common law, British Mandate regulations, and Jewish, Christian, and Muslim religious laws.
Italy	No	Civil	Civil law system; judicial review of legislation under certain conditions in the Constitutional Court.
Ivory Coast	No	Civil	Civil law system based on the French civil code; judicial review of legislation held in the Constitutional Chamber of the Supreme Court.
Jamaica	Yes	Common	Common law system based on the English model.
Japan	No	Civil	Civil law system based on the German model; reflects Anglo-American influence and Japanese traditions; judicial review of legislative acts in the Supreme Court.
Jersey	Partial	Mixed	The laws of the UK apply where applicable; includes local statutes.
Jordan	Partial	Mixed	Mixed system developed from codes instituted by the Ottoman Empire (based on French law), British common law, and Islamic law
Kazakhstan	No	Civil	Civil law system influenced by Roman-Germanic law and by the theory and practice of the Russian Federation.
Kenya	Partial	Mixed	Mixed legal system of English common law, Islamic law, and customary law; judicial review in the new Supreme Court established by the new constitution.
Kiribati	Yes	Common	English common law supplemented by customary law.
Kuwait	Partial	Mixed	Mixed legal system consisting of English common law, French civil law, and Islamic sharia law.
Kyrgyzstan	No	Civil	Civil law system, which includes features of French civil law and Russian Federation laws.
Laos	No	Civil	Civil law system similar in form to the French system.
Latvia	No	Civil	Civil law system with traces of socialist legal traditions and practices.
Lebanon	Partial	Mixed	Mixed legal system of civil law based on the French civil code, Ottoman legal tradition, and religious laws covering personal status for Jewish, Islamic, and Christian communities.
Lesotho	Partial	Mixed	Mixed legal system of English common law and Roman-Dutch law; judicial review of legislative acts in High Court and Court of Appeal.
Liberia	Yes	Mixed	Mixed legal system of common law (Anglo-American) and customary law.
Libya	No	Mixed	Legal system in flux, driven by state and non-state entities post-revolution.
Liechtenstein	No	Civil	Civil law system influenced by Swiss, Austrian, and German law.
Lithuania	No	Civil	Civil law system; legislative acts can be appealed to the Constitutional Court.
Luxembourg	No	Civil	Civil law system.
Macau	No	Civil	Civil law system based on the Portuguese model.
Madagascar	Partial	Mixed	Civil law system based on the old French civil code; customary law in marriage, family, and obligations.
Malawi	Partial	Mixed	Mixed legal system of English common law and customary law; judicial review of legislative acts in the Supreme Court of Appeal.
Malaysia	Partial	Mixed	Mixed legal system of English common law, Islamic law (sharia), and customary law; judicial review in the Federal Court.
Maldives	Partial	Mixed	Islamic (sharia) legal system with English common law influences, primarily in commercial matters.
Mali	Partial	Mixed	Civil law system based on the French civil law model; influenced by customary law; judicial review in the Constitutional Court.
Malta	Partial	Mixed	Mixed legal system of English common law and civil law (Roman and Napoleonic civil codes); subject to EU law.
Marshall Islands	Partial	Mixed	Mixed legal system of US and English common law, customary law, and local statutes.
Mauritania	Partial	Mixed	Mixed legal system of Islamic and French civil law.
Mauritius	Partial	Mixed	Civil legal system based on French civil law with elements of English common law.
Mexico	No	Civil	Civil law system with US constitutional law influence; judicial review of legislative acts.
Micronesia	Partial	Mixed	Mixed legal system of common law and customary law.
Moldova	No	Civil	Civil law system with Germanic law influences; legislative acts reviewed by the Constitutional Court.
Monaco	No	Civil	Civil law system influenced by French legal tradition.
Mongolia	No	Civil	Civil law system influenced by Soviet and Romano-Germanic legal systems; constitution ambiguous on judicial review.
Montenegro	No	Civil	Civil law system.
Montserrat	Yes	Common	English common law.
Morocco	Partial	Mixed	Mixed legal system of civil law (French) and Islamic (sharia) law; judicial review by the Constitutional Court.
Mozambique	Partial	Mixed	Mixed legal system of Portuguese civil law and customary law.
Myanmar	Partial	Mixed	Mixed legal system of English common law (as introduced in codifications designed for colonial India) and customary law.
Namibia	Partial	Mixed	Mixed legal system of uncodified civil law (Roman-Dutch) and customary law.
Nauru	Partial	Mixed	Mixed legal system of common law (English) and customary law.
Nepal	Partial	Mixed	English common law and Hindu legal concepts; new criminal and civil codes effective 17 August 2018.
Netherlands	No	Civil	Civil law system based on the French system; constitution prohibits judicial review of acts of the States General.
New Caledonia	No	Civil	Civil law system based on French civil law.
New Zealand	Yes	Common	Common law system based on the English model, with special legislation and land courts for the Maori.
Nicaragua	No	Civil	Civil law system; Supreme Court may review administrative acts.
Niger	Partial	Mixed	Following the 26 July 2023 military coup, the National Council for the Safeguard of the Homeland assumed control and rules by decree; formerly a mixed legal system of French civil law, Islamic law, and customary law.
Nigeria	Partial	Mixed	Mixed legal system of English common law, Islamic law (12 northern states), and traditional law.
Niue	Yes	Common	English common law.
North Korea	No	Civil	Civil law system based on the Prussian model; system influenced by Japanese traditions and Communist legal theory.
North Macedonia	No	Civil	Civil law system; judicial review of legislative acts.
Northern Mariana Islands	No	Mixed	The laws of the US apply, except for customs and some taxation aspects.
Norway	Partial	Mixed	Mixed legal system of civil, common, and customary law; Supreme Court can advise on legislative acts.
Oman	Partial	Mixed	Mixed legal system of Anglo-Saxon law and Islamic law.
Pakistan	Partial	Mixed	Common law system with Islamic law influence.
Palau	Partial	Mixed	Mixed legal system of civil, common, and customary law.
Panama	No	Civil	Civil law system; judicial review of legislative acts in the Supreme Court of Justice.
Papua New Guinea	Partial	Mixed	Mixed legal system of English common law and customary law.
Paraguay	No	Civil	Civil law system with influences from Argentine, Spanish, Roman, and French models; judicial review of legislative acts in Supreme Court of Justice.
Peru	No	Civil	Civil law system.
Philippines	Partial	Mixed	Mixed legal system of civil, common, Islamic (sharia), and customary law.
Poland	No	Civil	Civil law system; judicial review of legislative, administrative, and other governmental acts; constitutional law rulings are final.
Portugal	No	Civil	Civil law system; Constitutional Court review of legislative acts.
Puerto Rico	No	Civil	Civil law system based on the Spanish civil code within the framework of the US federal system.
Qatar	Partial	Mixed	Mixed legal system of civil law and Islamic (sharia) law (in family and personal matters).
Republic of the Congo	Partial	Mixed	Mixed legal system of French civil law and customary law.
Romania	No	Civil	Civil law system.
Russia	No	Civil	Civil law system; judicial review of legislative acts.
Rwanda	Partial	Mixed	Mixed legal system of civil law (German and Belgian models) and customary law; judicial review in the Supreme Court.
Saint Barthelemy	No	Civil	French civil law.
Saint Kitts and Nevis	Yes	Common	English common law.
Saint Lucia	Yes	Common	English common law.
Saint Martin	No	Civil	French civil law.
Saint Pierre and Miquelon	No	Civil	French civil law.
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines	Yes	Common	English common law.
Samoa	Partial	Mixed	Mixed legal system of English common law and customary law; judicial review of legislative acts with respect to fundamental rights of the citizen.
San Marino	No	Civil	Civil law system with Italian civil law influences.
Sao Tome and Principe	Partial	Mixed	Mixed legal system of civil law (Portuguese model) and customary law.
Saudi Arabia	No	Islamic	Islamic (sharia) legal system with some elements of Egyptian, French, and customary law; commercial disputes handled by special committees.
Senegal	No	Civil	Civil law system based on French law; judicial review of legislative acts in the Constitutional Council.
Serbia	No	Civil	Civil law system.
Seychelles	Partial	Mixed	Mixed legal system of English common law, French civil law, and customary law.
Sierra Leone	Partial	Mixed	Mixed legal system of English common law and customary law.
Singapore	Yes	Common	English common law.
Sint Maarten	Partial	Mixed	Dutch civil law system with some English common law influence.
Slovakia	No	Civil	Civil law system based on Austro-Hungarian codes; legal code modified to comply with OSCE obligations.
Slovenia	No	Civil	Civil law system.
Solomon Islands	Partial	Mixed	Mixed legal system of English common law and customary law.
Somalia	Partial	Mixed	Mixed legal system of civil law, Islamic (sharia) law, and customary law (referred to as Xeer).
South Africa	Partial	Mixed	Mixed legal system of Roman-Dutch civil law, English common law, and customary law.
South Korea	Partial	Mixed	Mixed legal system combining European civil law, Anglo-American law, and Chinese classical thought.
Spain	No	Civil	Civil law system with regional variations.
Sri Lanka	Partial	Mixed	Mixed legal system of Roman-Dutch civil law, English common law, Jaffna Tamil customary law, and Muslim personal law.
Sudan	Partial	Mixed	Mixed legal system of Islamic law and English common law; amended penal code in mid-July 2020.
Suriname	No	Civil	Civil law system influenced by Dutch civil law; new criminal code enacted in 2017.
Sweden	No	Civil	Civil law system influenced by Roman-Germanic law and customary law.
Switzerland	No	Civil	Civil law system; judicial review of legislative acts, except for federal decrees of general obligatory character.
Syria	Partial	Mixed	Mixed legal system of civil and Islamic (sharia) law (for family courts).
Taiwan	No	Civil	Civil law system.
Tajikistan	No	Civil	Civil law system.
Tanzania	Yes	Common	English common law; judicial review limited to matters of interpretation.
Thailand	Partial	Mixed	Civil law system with common law influences.
Timor-Leste	No	Civil	Civil law system based on the Portuguese model; replaced Indonesian codes with new penal and civil codes in 2009 and 2011.
Togo	No	Customary	Customary law system.
Tokelau	Yes	Common	Common law system of New Zealand.
Tonga	Yes	Common	English common law.
Trinidad and Tobago	Yes	Common	English common law; judicial review in the Supreme Court.
Tunisia	Partial	Mixed	Mixed legal system of civil law (French model) and Islamic (sharia) law; limited judicial review in the Supreme Court in joint session.
Turkey	No	Civil	Civil law system based on various European legal systems, notably the Swiss civil code.
Turkmenistan	No	Civil	Civil law system with Islamic (sharia) law influences.
Turks and Caicos Islands	Partial	Mixed	Mixed legal system of English common law and civil law.
Tuvalu	Partial	Mixed	Mixed legal system of English common law and local customary law
Uganda	Partial	Mixed	Mixed legal system of English common law and customary law.
Ukraine	No	Civil	Civil law system; judicial review of legislative acts.
United Arab Emirates	Partial	Mixed	Mixed legal system of Islamic (sharia) law and civil law.
United Kingdom	Yes	Common	Common law system; has non-binding judicial review of Acts of Parliament under the Human Rights Act of 1998.
United States	Yes	Common	Common law system at the federal level; state legal systems based on common law, except Louisiana, where state law is based on Napoleonic civil code; judicial review applies.
United States Virgin Islands	Yes	Common	US common law.
Uruguay	No	Civil	Civil law system based on the Spanish civil code.
Uzbekistan	No	Civil	Civil law system; criminal code reforms were part of a constitutional referendum passed in April 2023.
Vanuatu	Partial	Mixed	Mixed legal system of English common law, French law, and customary law.
Vatican City	No	Religious	Religious legal system based on canon (religious) law.
Venezuela	No	Civil	Civil law system based on the Spanish civil code.
Vietnam	No	Civil	Civil law system; the civil code of 2005 reflects a European-style civil law.
Wallis and Futuna	No	Civil	French civil law.
Yemen	Partial	Mixed	Mixed legal system of Islamic (sharia) law, Napoleonic law, English common law, and customary law.
Zambia	Partial	Mixed	Mixed legal system of English common law and customary law.
Zimbabwe	Partial	Mixed	Mixed legal system of English common law, Roman-Dutch civil law, and customary law

Quick answers

Where does this common law countries data come from?: Rankodex compiles it from World Population Review and the primary sources it cites: Legal Systems - CIA World Factbook; Civil Law vs Common Law - Diffen; List of National Legal Systems - Wikipedia; Alphabetical Index of the 192 United Nations Member States and Corresponding Legal Systems - University of Ottowa JuriGlobe.