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Academic freedom index

What this indicator measures

This V-Dem index estimates the extent to which academics can research, teach, publish and speak out without interference or censorship, and whether universities are autonomous.

How to read this?

The closer the index is to 1, the freer research and teaching are; the closer it is to 0, the less free they are.

Ranking : ranked from highest to lowest

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173countries with data
0.98maximum · Czechia
0.62median
0.02minimum · Nicaragua
2025data year(s)

In brief

The "Academic freedom index" ranking covers 173 countries and territories. Lowest value: Nicaragua (0.02). Highest value: Czechia (0.98). Median: 0.62 (data: 2025). The top 10% of countries exceed 0.9, while the bottom 10% stay below 0.11. By continent, the median is highest in Oceania (0.86) and lowest in Asia (0.27).

Median by continent

Lower Higher
  • Oceania 0.86 (6)
  • North America 0.85 (15)
  • Europe 0.82 (39)
  • South America 0.73 (12)
  • Africa 0.49 (51)
  • Asia 0.27 (47)

Why this indicator matters

Research and higher education need to be able to express themselves without pressure. This index makes it possible to compare the freedom that academics and universities have to research, teach and publish.

What makes this indicator vary

Academic freedom depends on the political regime, the autonomy given to universities, how research is funded and the history of relations between power and knowledge. It can change fairly quickly.

Reading precautions

The index relies on expert assessments and carries a margin of uncertainty. A single score summarises several aspects. It does not describe the quality of research, nor the situation of each university or each researcher.

Full ranking

ranked from highest to lowest

RankCountryValueYear
1er🇨🇿 Czechia0.982025
2e🇪🇪 Estonia0.972025
3e🇧🇪 Belgium0.952025
4e🇯🇲 Jamaica0.942025
5e🇸🇮 Slovenia0.942025
6e🇸🇪 Sweden0.932025
7e🇭🇳 Honduras0.932025
7e🇸🇨 Seychelles0.932025
9e🇱🇻 Latvia0.932025
10e🇮🇪 Ireland0.922025
11e🇨🇱 Chile0.922025
11e🇱🇺 Luxembourg0.922025
13e🇨🇷 Costa Rica0.922025
14e🇵🇦 Panama0.912025
15e🇺🇾 Uruguay0.912025
16e🇻🇺 Vanuatu0.912025
17e🇧🇧 Barbados0.92025
18e🇩🇴 Dominican Republic0.92025
19e🇸🇧 Solomon Islands0.92025
20e🇨🇾 Cyprus0.892025
21e🇦🇹 Austria0.882025
22e🇩🇪 Germany0.882025
23e🇳🇬 Nigeria0.882025
24e🇩🇰 Denmark0.882025
25e🇲🇹 Malta0.872025
26e🇪🇸 Spain0.872025
27e🇨🇻 Cape Verde0.872025
27e🇹🇹 Trinidad & Tobago0.872025
29e🇦🇺 Australia0.862025
29e🇰🇪 Kenya0.862025
29e🇵🇱 Poland0.862025
32e🇸🇱 Sierra Leone0.862025
33e🇨🇦 Canada0.852025
33e🇳🇴 Norway0.852025
35e🇧🇬 Bulgaria0.852025
35e🇰🇷 South Korea0.852025
37e🇧🇷 Brazil0.852025
37e🇵🇬 Papua New Guinea0.852025
39e🇳🇿 New Zealand0.852025
40e🇿🇲 Zambia0.842025
41e🇮🇱 Israel0.842025
42e🇵🇪 Peru0.842025
43e🇧🇼 Botswana0.832025
44e🇳🇵 Nepal0.832025
44e🇿🇦 South Africa0.832025
46e🇱🇰 Sri Lanka0.832025
46e🇸🇷 Suriname0.832025
46e🇹🇼 Taiwan0.832025
49e🇵🇹 Portugal0.832025
50e🇲🇪 Montenegro0.822025
51e🇱🇹 Lithuania0.822025
52e🇮🇹 Italy0.822025
53e🇬🇲 Gambia0.822025
54e🇫🇮 Finland0.822025
55e🇭🇷 Croatia0.812025
56e🇸🇰 Slovakia0.812025
57e🇫🇷 France0.82025
58e🇲🇼 Malawi0.82025
59e🇨🇭 Switzerland0.772025
60e🇳🇱 Netherlands0.762025
61e🇬🇾 Guyana0.762025
62e🇦🇱 Albania0.762025
62e🇯🇵 Japan0.762025
64e🇮🇸 Iceland0.762025
65e🇸🇳 Senegal0.762025
66e🇷🇴 Romania0.752025
67e🇧🇦 Bosnia & Herzegovina0.752025
68e🇬🇹 Guatemala0.742025
69e🇹🇱 Timor-Leste0.732025
70e🇳🇦 Namibia0.722025
71e🇧🇯 Benin0.712025
72e🇲🇽 Mexico0.712025
73e🇵🇾 Paraguay0.72025
74e🇭🇹 Haiti0.692025
75e🇲🇩 Moldova0.692025
75e🇳🇪 Niger0.692025
77e🇲🇬 Madagascar0.682025
78e🇬🇷 Greece0.682025
79e🇲🇳 Mongolia0.672025
80e🇬🇭 Ghana0.672025
81e🇬🇧 United Kingdom0.672025
82e🇲🇰 North Macedonia0.662025
83e🇱🇸 Lesotho0.642025
84e🇫🇯 Fiji0.642025
84e🇸🇹 São Tomé & Príncipe0.642025
86e🇦🇷 Argentina0.632025
87e🇱🇧 Lebanon0.622025
88e🇱🇷 Liberia0.612025
88e🇹🇬 Togo0.612025
90e🇮🇶 Iraq0.62025
91e🇨🇴 Colombia0.62025
92e🇷🇸 Serbia0.62025
93e🇲🇺 Mauritius0.592025
94e🇵🇭 Philippines0.592025
95e🇬🇪 Georgia0.582025
96e🇦🇲 Armenia0.582025
96e🇧🇴 Bolivia0.582025
98e🇨🇮 Côte d’Ivoire0.582025
99e🇧🇫 Burkina Faso0.562025
100e🇹🇳 Tunisia0.562025
101e🇲🇻 Maldives0.562025
102e🇬🇼 Guinea-Bissau0.522025
103e🇧🇩 Bangladesh0.522025
104e🇹🇿 Tanzania0.522025
105e🇨🇩 Congo - Kinshasa0.512025
106e🇸🇴 Somalia0.492025
107e🇲🇦 Morocco0.482025
108e🇸🇬 Singapore0.472025
109e🇪🇨 Ecuador0.432025
110e🇬🇦 Gabon0.432025
111e🇰🇼 Kuwait0.422025
112e🇦🇴 Angola0.422025
113e🇲🇿 Mozambique0.412025
114e🇧🇹 Bhutan0.42025
115e🇺🇸 United States0.42025
116e🇹🇭 Thailand0.382025
117e🇰🇬 Kyrgyzstan0.382025
118e🇪🇹 Ethiopia0.342025
119e🇰🇿 Kazakhstan0.332025
120e🇮🇩 Indonesia0.332025
121e🇨🇫 Central African Republic0.332025
122e🇰🇲 Comoros0.32025
123e🇩🇯 Djibouti0.32025
124e🇬🇳 Guinea0.32025
125e🇭🇺 Hungary0.32025
126e🇲🇾 Malaysia0.292025
127e🇱🇾 Libya0.282025
128e🇲🇱 Mali0.282025
128e🇺🇦 Ukraine0.282025
130e🇵🇰 Pakistan0.272025
131e🇨🇬 Congo - Brazzaville0.262025
132e🇲🇷 Mauritania0.252025
133e🇺🇿 Uzbekistan0.252025
134e🇾🇪 Yemen0.242025
135e🇭🇰 Hong Kong SAR China0.242025
136e🇻🇳 Vietnam0.222025
137e🇰🇭 Cambodia0.222025
138e🇴🇲 Oman0.222025
139e🇨🇲 Cameroon0.212025
140e🇩🇿 Algeria0.212025
140e🇸🇩 Sudan0.212025
142e🇸🇾 Syria0.22025
143e🇧🇭 Bahrain0.22025
144e🇺🇬 Uganda0.22025
145e🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates0.22025
146e🇸🇿 Eswatini0.182025
147e🇷🇺 Russia0.182025
148e🇯🇴 Jordan0.172025
149e🇸🇻 El Salvador0.172025
150e🇿🇼 Zimbabwe0.162025
151e🇧🇮 Burundi0.142025
152e🇮🇳 India0.142025
153e🇹🇩 Chad0.132025
154e🇻🇪 Venezuela0.132025
155e🇱🇦 Laos0.122025
156e🇬🇶 Equatorial Guinea0.112025
157e🇶🇦 Qatar0.12025
158e🇷🇼 Rwanda0.12025
159e🇦🇿 Azerbaijan0.092025
160e🇹🇷 Türkiye0.092025
161e🇦🇫 Afghanistan0.092025
162e🇨🇺 Cuba0.082025
163e🇹🇯 Tajikistan0.082025
164e🇪🇬 Egypt0.082025
165e🇨🇳 China0.072025
166e🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia0.072025
167e🇹🇲 Turkmenistan0.062025
168e🇧🇾 Belarus0.062025
168e🇮🇷 Iran0.062025
170e🇰🇵 North Korea0.042025
171e🇪🇷 Eritrea0.032025
172e🇲🇲 Myanmar (Burma)0.022025
173e🇳🇮 Nicaragua0.022025

Frequently asked questions

Which country has the highest value for "Academic freedom index"?

The highest value is in Czechia, at 0.98 (2025).

Which country has the lowest value for "Academic freedom index"?

The lowest value is in Nicaragua, at 0.02 (2025).

What is the world median value of "Academic freedom index"?

The world median is 0.62, calculated across 173 countries: half of the countries are above it, the other half below.

What is the value of "Academic freedom index" for France?

France scores 0.8 (2025), ranking 57 out of 173 countries (ranked from highest to lowest).

Where does the "Academic freedom index" data come from?

It comes from V-Dem (Varieties of Democracy), version 16 – via Our World in Data. Site last updated: November 8, 2026. Each country is shown with the year of its most recent value.

How should the scale of the index be read?

The index runs from zero to one. The closer it is to one, the freer research and teaching are. The closer it is to zero, the stronger the interference or censorship.

What does this index look at in practice?

It estimates whether academics can research, teach, publish and speak out without interference or censorship, and whether universities have autonomy from those in power.

Source and update

Source : V-Dem (Varieties of Democracy), version 16 – via Our World in Data. Site last updated: November 8, 2026.

Indicators in the same category : Civil Liberties & Human Rights