Governance Indicators in the OIC Countries: A Descriptive Study for the Period 1996 – 2018

The study aims to describe and analyze the governance indicators in OIC countriesduring the 1996-2018 period based on the data of World Governance Indicators (WGI). Thedescriptive-analytical approach had been adopted for using statistical methods toanalyze the level and evolution of governance indicators. The researcher relied onaggregated indicators of governance based on the six sub-indicators of WGI indicatorsand then classified the level of governance in the OIC countries into four levels. Thestudy reaped a number of results, the most important of them are: i) In general, thelevel of the aggregate index of governance in the OIC is lower than the world average by0.62 and 0.70 points in 1996 and 2018, respectively; ii) Most Islamic countries fallwithin the low level of governance, and there is no Islamic country in the first levelof governance (very high); iii) the average of governance index in Islamic countriesdeclined by (0.07) points between 1996 and 2018. The study recommended that Islamiccountries shall adopt policies aiming at improving public governance and combatingcorruption, by taking advantage from the sub-indicators of governance. The researchersalso recommended to develop indicators of governance that are compatible with theprinciples of the Islamic Law and that can be used by the OIC. Keywords: Governanceindicators, Islamic countries, OIC countries, Voice and Accountability, PoliticalStability and Absence of Violence/Terrorism, Government Effectiveness, RegulatoryQuality, Rule of Law, and Control of Corruption.