Academic freedom - Country rankings

* indicates monthly or quarterly data series

Academic freedom index, 2023:

The average for 2023 based on 171 countries was 0.588 index points. The highest value was in the Czechia: 0.978 index points and the lowest value was in North Korea: 0.014 index points. The indicator is available from 1960 to 2023. Below is a chart for all countries where data are available.

Measure: index points; Source: Varieties of Democracy (V-Dem)
Select indicator
* indicates monthly or quarterly data series


Countries Academic freedom, 2023 Global rank Available data
Czechia 0.978 1 1960 - 2023
Estonia 0.97 2 1990 - 2023
Belgium 0.968 3 1960 - 2023
Argentina 0.967 4 1960 - 2023
Italy 0.947 5 1960 - 2023
Honduras 0.946 6 1960 - 2023
Luxembourg 0.944 7 1960 - 2023
Slovenia 0.943 8 1989 - 2023
Jamaica 0.941 9 1960 - 2023
Sweden 0.939 10 1960 - 2023
Germany 0.934 11 1960 - 2023
Finland 0.929 12 1960 - 2023
Spain 0.929 13 1960 - 2023
Portugal 0.928 14 1960 - 2023
Cyprus 0.924 15 1961 - 2023
Chile 0.916 16 1960 - 2023
Barbados 0.915 17 1962 - 2023
Domin. Rep. 0.914 18 1960 - 2023
Latvia 0.913 19 1990 - 2023
Nigeria 0.911 20 1960 - 2023
Vanuatu 0.908 21 1968 - 2023
Seychelles 0.907 22 2009 - 2023
Solomon Isl. 0.901 23 1968 - 2023
France 0.9 24 1960 - 2023
Australia 0.898 25 1960 - 2023
Ireland 0.894 26 1960 - 2023
Panama 0.894 27 1960 - 2023
Denmark 0.893 28 1960 - 2023
Uruguay 0.891 29 1960 - 2023
Slovakia 0.882 30 1993 - 2023
Malta 0.881 31 1960 - 2023
Sierra Leone 0.879 32 1960 - 2023
Papua N.G. 0.874 33 1965 - 2023
Austria 0.872 34 1960 - 2023
Suriname 0.872 35 1968 - 2023
Norway 0.87 36 1960 - 2023
Taiwan 0.87 37 1960 - 2023
Peru 0.869 38 1960 - 2023
Zambia 0.869 39 1963 - 2023
Iceland 0.865 40 1960 - 2023
Canada 0.864 41 1960 - 2023
Botswana 0.859 42 1964 - 2023
Israel 0.85 43 1960 - 2023
Switzerland 0.85 44 1960 - 2023
Tr.&Tobago 0.849 45 1960 - 2023
Bulgaria 0.836 46 1960 - 2023
Cape Verde 0.832 47 1979 - 2023
Romania 0.832 48 1960 - 2023
South Korea 0.828 49 1960 - 2023
Gambia 0.826 50 1978 - 2023
South Africa 0.823 51 1960 - 2023
Burkina Faso 0.822 52 1960 - 2023
Malawi 0.82 53 1960 - 2023
Montenegro 0.819 54 1998 - 2023
Ecuador 0.818 55 1960 - 2023
Lithuania 0.816 56 1990 - 2023
Kenya 0.811 57 1960 - 2023
Moldova 0.811 58 1990 - 2023
Georgia 0.801 59 1990 - 2023
Croatia 0.798 60 1991 - 2023
Senegal 0.796 61 1960 - 2023
Netherlands 0.794 62 1960 - 2023
New Zealand 0.793 63 1960 - 2023
UK 0.787 64 1960 - 2023
Greece 0.783 65 1960 - 2023
North Macedonia 0.776 66 1991 - 2023
Ghana 0.774 67 1960 - 2023
Niger 0.77 68 1963 - 2023
Serbia 0.762 69 1960 - 2023
Guyana 0.76 70 1963 - 2023
Nepal 0.759 71 1960 - 2023
Bosnia & Herz. 0.758 72 1992 - 2023
Brazil 0.756 73 1960 - 2023
Tanzania 0.754 74 1960 - 2023
Mongolia 0.748 75 1960 - 2023
Poland 0.748 76 1960 - 2023
Paraguay 0.744 77 1960 - 2023
Bolivia 0.729 78 1960 - 2023
Togo 0.715 79 1960 - 2023
Benin 0.706 80 1970 - 2023
Ivory Coast 0.705 81 1960 - 2023
Guatemala 0.701 82 1960 - 2023
Lesotho 0.7 83 1960 - 2023
Indonesia 0.695 84 1960 - 2023
USA 0.687 85 1960 - 2023
Tunisia 0.685 86 1960 - 2023
Armenia 0.683 87 1990 - 2023
Madagascar 0.682 88 1960 - 2023
Colombia 0.679 89 1960 - 2023
Albania 0.678 90 1960 - 2023
S.T.&Principe 0.677 91 1992 - 2023
Mexico 0.653 92 1960 - 2023
Namibia 0.638 93 1980 - 2023
G.-Bissau 0.635 94 1979 - 2023
Fiji 0.63 95 1960 - 2023
Morocco 0.628 96 1960 - 2023
Haiti 0.624 97 1960 - 2023
Sri Lanka 0.616 98 1960 - 2023
Japan 0.601 99 1960 - 2023
C.A. Republic 0.577 100 1961 - 2023
Liberia 0.565 101 1960 - 2023
Lebanon 0.55 102 1960 - 2023
Mozambique 0.55 103 1962 - 2023
Philippines 0.545 104 1960 - 2023
Pakistan 0.524 105 1960 - 2023
Maldives 0.523 106 2011 - 2023
Kuwait 0.52 107 1966 - 2023
Ukraine 0.501 108 1990 - 2023
Somalia 0.492 109 1960 - 2023
Mauritius 0.489 110 1965 - 2023
Mali 0.481 111 1960 - 2023
Kyrgyzstan 0.48 112 1990 - 2023
Singapore 0.48 113 1960 - 2023
Gabon 0.461 114 1960 - 2023
Angola 0.445 115 1962 - 2023
Kazakhstan 0.441 116 1990 - 2023
R. of Congo 0.431 117 1960 - 2023
Iraq 0.427 118 1960 - 2023
Bhutan 0.424 119 2003 - 2023
Uganda 0.405 120 1960 - 2023
DR Congo 0.389 121 1960 - 2023
Libya 0.359 122 1960 - 2023
Malaysia 0.352 123 1960 - 2023
Chad 0.35 124 1963 - 2023
Vietnam 0.322 125 1960 - 2023
Sudan 0.318 126 1960 - 2023
Thailand 0.308 127 1960 - 2023
Hungary 0.304 128 1960 - 2023
Uzbekistan 0.302 129 1990 - 2023
Ethiopia 0.3 130 1960 - 2023
El Salvador 0.295 131 1960 - 2023
Djibouti 0.282 132 2006 - 2023
Mauritania 0.279 133 1966 - 2023
Comoros 0.275 134 2003 - 2023
Guinea 0.266 135 1962 - 2023
Venezuela 0.266 136 1960 - 2023
Jordan 0.261 137 1962 - 2023
Cameroon 0.253 138 1961 - 2023
Cambodia 0.247 139 1960 - 2023
Hong Kong 0.238 140 1960 - 2023
Oman 0.224 141 1982 - 2023
Yemen 0.22 142 1970 - 2023
Russia 0.204 143 1960 - 2023
Zimbabwe 0.204 144 1960 - 2023
Burundi 0.2 145 1960 - 2023
Swaziland 0.197 146 1976 - 2023
Algeria 0.186 147 1960 - 2023
Rwanda 0.185 148 1963 - 2023
India 0.182 149 1960 - 2023
Azerbaijan 0.129 150 1990 - 2023
Bangladesh 0.129 151 1971 - 2023
Laos 0.113 152 1960 - 2023
Qatar 0.105 153 1973 - 2023
Cuba 0.1 154 1960 - 2023
Egypt 0.1 155 1960 - 2023
Turkey 0.092 156 1960 - 2023
Afghanistan 0.087 157 1960 - 2023
UA Emirates 0.085 158 1976 - 2023
Eq. Guinea 0.084 159 1995 - 2023
Iran 0.084 160 1960 - 2023
Tajikistan 0.079 161 1990 - 2023
Bahrain 0.075 162 1968 - 2023
Syria 0.067 163 1960 - 2023
China 0.065 164 1960 - 2023
Saudi Arabia 0.064 165 1960 - 2023
Nicaragua 0.052 166 1960 - 2023
Turkmenistan 0.052 167 1990 - 2023
Belarus 0.036 168 1990 - 2023
Burma 0.027 169 1960 - 2023
Eritrea 0.022 170 1960 - 2023
North Korea 0.014 171 1960 - 2023


New - World map: Academic freedom




Definition: Measures academics' rights to teach and discuss, carry out research, express freely their opinion with no censorship and the freedom to participate in professional or representative academic bodies.

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All articles

1. Czechia
2. Estonia
3. Belgium
4. Argentina
5. Italy
6. Honduras
7. Luxembourg
8. Slovenia
9. Jamaica
10. Sweden
11. Germany
12. Finland
13. Spain
14. Portugal
15. Cyprus
16. Chile
17. Barbados
18. Domin. Rep.
19. Latvia
20. Nigeria
21. Vanuatu
22. Seychelles
23. Solomon Isl.
24. France
25. Australia
26. Ireland
27. Panama
28. Denmark
29. Uruguay
30. Slovakia
31. Malta
32. Sierra Leone
33. Papua N.G.
34. Austria
35. Suriname
36. Norway
37. Taiwan
38. Peru
39. Zambia
40. Iceland
41. Canada
42. Botswana
43. Israel
44. Switzerland
45. Tr.&Tobago
46. Bulgaria
47. Cape Verde
48. Romania
49. South Korea
50. Gambia
51. South Africa
52. Burkina Faso
53. Malawi
54. Montenegro
55. Ecuador
56. Lithuania
57. Kenya
58. Moldova
59. Georgia
60. Croatia
61. Senegal
62. Netherlands
63. New Zealand
64. UK
65. Greece
66. North Macedonia
67. Ghana
68. Niger
69. Serbia
70. Guyana
71. Nepal
72. Bosnia & Herz.
73. Brazil
74. Tanzania
75. Mongolia
76. Poland
77. Paraguay
78. Bolivia
79. Togo
80. Benin
81. Ivory Coast
82. Guatemala
83. Lesotho
84. Indonesia
85. USA
86. Tunisia
87. Armenia
88. Madagascar
89. Colombia
90. Albania
91. S.T.&Principe
92. Mexico
93. Namibia
94. G.-Bissau
95. Fiji
96. Morocco
97. Haiti
98. Sri Lanka
99. Japan
100. C.A. Republic
101. Liberia
102. Lebanon
103. Mozambique
104. Philippines
105. Pakistan
106. Maldives
107. Kuwait
108. Ukraine
109. Somalia
110. Mauritius
111. Mali
112. Kyrgyzstan
113. Singapore
114. Gabon
115. Angola
116. Kazakhstan
117. R. of Congo
118. Iraq
119. Bhutan
120. Uganda
121. DR Congo
122. Libya
123. Malaysia
124. Chad
125. Vietnam
126. Sudan
127. Thailand
128. Hungary
129. Uzbekistan
130. Ethiopia
131. El Salvador
132. Djibouti
133. Mauritania
134. Comoros
135. Guinea
136. Venezuela
137. Jordan
138. Cameroon
139. Cambodia
140. Hong Kong
141. Oman
142. Yemen
143. Russia
144. Zimbabwe
145. Burundi
146. Swaziland
147. Algeria
148. Rwanda
149. India
150. Azerbaijan
151. Bangladesh
152. Laos
153. Qatar
154. Cuba
155. Egypt
156. Turkey
157. Afghanistan
158. UA Emirates
159. Eq. Guinea
160. Iran
161. Tajikistan
162. Bahrain
163. Syria
164. China
165. Saudi Arabia
166. Nicaragua
167. Turkmenistan
168. Belarus
169. Burma
170. Eritrea
171. North Korea
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0.968
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0.929
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0.928
0.924
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0.915
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0.911
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0.849
0.836
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0.828
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0.811
0.811
0.801
0.798
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0.787
0.783
0.776
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0.762
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0.748
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0.492
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0.389
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0.322
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0.295
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0.266
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0.238
0.224
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0.197
0.186
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0.182
0.129
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0.113
0.105
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0.100
0.092
0.087
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0.084
0.084
0.079
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0.052
0.052
0.036
0.027
0.022
0.014
0
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0.98


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