Transportation
Road Quality by Country 2025
QRI Score (1-7)
2
2.5
3
3.5
4
4.5
5
5.5
6
6.5
5 Countries with the Best Roads
- Higher scores are preferable in all indicators displayed.
- The World Bank / World Economic Forum’s Quality of Road Infrastructure (QRI) score is based on data from a survey of business leaders in 144 countries, who are asked to rate the quality of roads on a scale from 1 (underdeveloped) to 7 (extensive and efficient by international standards).
- The International Monetary Foundation’s Mean Speed Score is a measure of cross-country road quality based on the travel time between large cities according to Google Maps. MS score correlates closely with the World Bank’s Rural Access Index and the WEF’s Quality of Road Infrastructure score, demonstrating its accuracy as a proxy for road quality and access.
Road quality is a crucial part of the infrastructure of countries worldwide. However, some countries have better road quality than others. To determine the country with the best roads, a QRI score or Roads Quality Index score has been awarded to many countries. The QRI rating was determined after a survey was conducted that involved business leaders from 144 countries and their opinions on roadways around the world. In this article, we will dive deeper into the most current worldwide road quality statistics available as of May 2025.
Top 10 Countries with the Highest QRI Score (2019, World Economic Forum)
Although the United States has the most roads in the world, it does not have the highest road quality rating. Currently, the country with the highest road quality index of 6.45 is Singapore. Switzerland is currently second with a QRI rating of 6.36. The Netherlands is third at a 6.18 QRI. Hong Kong takes the fourth spot at a healthy 6.06 QRI. The fifth belongs to Portugal at 6.05.
Other countries that have high QRI ratings include Japan (6.02), France and Oman tying for the 7th spot (5.96), UAE (5.92), and Austria (5.89).
While some countries have great road systems, others lag noticeably behind. Currently, Mauritania has the lowest road quality index in the world with a rating of only 2.03. Three other countries hovering just above the score of 2.0 are Haiti (2.05), Angola (2.08), and DR Congo (2.09).
Three countries are in the 2.2+ range – Yemen (2.22), Chad (2.24), and Guinea (2.25). And three more African countries round out the list of those with the lowest QRI Scores: Mozambique (2.37), Nigeria (2.4), and Lesotho (2.41).
Another important statistic to consider when judging the quality of a country’s roads is the mean speed score, which is based on the travel times between major cities. According to the latest data (International Money Fund, 2022), the United States heads the list with a score of 107. Three countries are currently tied for second place in regard to mean speed score. Canada, Saudi Arabia, and Portugal all have scores of 106. France comes in fifth with an impressive rating of 105. Spain at 103, Oman at 102, and South Africa at 100 are also high on the list and round out the 100 and up club of mean speed score countries.
The country with the lowest mean speed score is currently Bhutan, which has a score of 38. Nepal and Timor Leste have slightly better mean speed scores than Bhutan and come in at 40. Bangladesh and Haiti, both at 41, and Nicaragua at 46 make up the final countries that round out the five with the lowest mean speed scores.
