Mapped: Which Countries Have the Most Academic Freedom?
Key Takeaways
- Czechia ranks first globally for academic freedom, while Myanmar and Nicaragua rank last.
- The U.S. scores 0.40, placing it at a level similar to Bhutan and Thailand.
- India has recorded one of the world’s sharpest declines in academic freedom since 2010.
Globally, university autonomy is eroding. Since 2015, academic freedom has declined in 50 countries, while just nine have recorded improvements.
This map uses V-Dem’s 2025 Academic Freedom Index, via Our World in Data, to show where universities and academics are most free from state and institutional interference.
Czechia Ranks Ahead of Every Other Country
With a near-perfect score of 0.98, Czechia leads the ranking, followed by Estonia (0.97), Belgium (0.95), and Slovenia (0.94).
Europe dominates the top of the ranking, but Chile and Costa Rica are among the biggest surprises, outperforming many of the world’s richest nations. In much of Latin America, constitutions explicitly protect university autonomy from political control.
| Country | Academic Freedom Index 2025 | Change (2015–2025) |
|---|---|---|
 Czechia |
0.98 | +4% |
 Estonia |
0.97 | 0% |
 Belgium |
0.95 | -2% |
 Slovenia |
0.94 | -2% |
 Jamaica |
0.94 | -1% |
 Latvia |
0.93 | -4% |
 Sweden |
0.93 | -2% |
 Honduras |
0.93 | +4% |
 Seychelles |
0.93 | +26% |
 Chile |
0.92 | -5% |
 Luxembourg |
0.92 | -2% |
 Costa Rica |
0.92 | -1% |
 Ireland |
0.92 | 0% |
 Uruguay |
0.91 | -5% |
 Panama |
0.91 | +1% |
 Vanuatu |
0.91 | +3% |
 Solomon Islands |
0.90 | 0% |
 Barbados |
0.90 | +1% |
 Dominican Republic |
0.90 | +6% |
 Cyprus |
0.89 | -7% |
 Austria |
0.88 | -9% |
 Germany |
0.88 | -9% |
 Denmark |
0.88 | -8% |
 Nigeria |
0.88 | -4% |
 Spain |
0.87 | -9% |
 Malta |
0.87 | -3% |
 Cape Verde |
0.87 | 0% |
 Trinidad and Tobago |
0.87 | +1% |
 Poland |
0.86 | -11% |
 Australia |
0.86 | -3% |
 Sierra Leone |
0.86 | +1% |
 Kenya |
0.86 | +4% |
 Bulgaria |
0.85 | -7% |
 Canada |
0.85 | -6% |
 Norway |
0.85 | -5% |
 New Zealand |
0.85 | -5% |
 Brazil |
0.85 | -4% |
 Papua New Guinea |
0.85 | +5% |
 South Korea |
0.85 | +9% |
 Israel |
0.84 | -11% |
 Peru |
0.84 | -10% |
 Zambia |
0.84 | +18% |
 Portugal |
0.83 | -14% |
 Taiwan |
0.83 | -5% |
 Botswana |
0.83 | -4% |
 South Africa |
0.83 | 0% |
 Nepal |
0.83 | 0% |
 Suriname |
0.83 | +1% |
 Sri Lanka |
0.83 | +26% |
 Lithuania |
0.82 | -14% |
 Italy |
0.82 | -14% |
 Finland |
0.82 | -13% |
 Montenegro |
0.82 | +29% |
 Gambia |
0.82 | +56% |
 Slovakia |
0.81 | -15% |
 Croatia |
0.81 | -5% |
 France |
0.80 | -10% |
 Malawi |
0.80 | +4% |
 Switzerland |
0.77 | -17% |
 Iceland |
0.76 | -17% |
 Senegal |
0.76 | -14% |
 Netherlands |
0.76 | -13% |
 Albania |
0.76 | -12% |
 Guyana |
0.76 | -1% |
 Japan |
0.76 | +12% |
 Romania |
0.75 | -18% |
 Bosnia and Herzegovina |
0.75 | +3% |
 Guatemala |
0.74 | -8% |
 East Timor |
0.73 | -2% |
 Namibia |
0.72 | -1% |
 Mexico |
0.71 | -23% |
 Benin |
0.71 | -19% |
 Somaliland |
0.71 | +3% |
 Paraguay |
0.70 | -3% |
 Moldova |
0.69 | -15% |
 Niger |
0.69 | -9% |
 Haiti |
0.69 | -1% |
 Greece |
0.68 | -21% |
 Madagascar |
0.68 | -14% |
 United Kingdom |
0.67 | -28% |
 Mongolia |
0.67 | -22% |
 Ghana |
0.67 | -17% |
 North Macedonia |
0.66 | +4% |
 Sao Tome and Principe |
0.64 | -9% |
 Lesotho |
0.64 | -4% |
 Fiji |
0.64 | +71% |
 Argentina |
0.63 | -34% |
 Kosovo |
0.62 | -25% |
 Lebanon |
0.62 | -8% |
 Togo |
0.61 | -29% |
 Liberia |
0.61 | -24% |
 Serbia |
0.60 | -28% |
 Colombia |
0.60 | -16% |
 Iraq |
0.60 | +42% |
 Philippines |
0.59 | -26% |
 Mauritius |
0.59 | -9% |
 Georgia |
0.58 | -33% |
 Bolivia |
0.58 | -30% |
 Armenia |
0.58 | -13% |
 Cote d’Ivoire |
0.57 | -8% |
 Burkina Faso |
0.56 | -36% |
 Tunisia |
0.56 | -23% |
 Maldives |
0.56 | +51% |
 Tanzania |
0.52 | -25% |
 Guinea-Bissau |
0.52 | -20% |
 Bangladesh |
0.52 | +121% |
 Democratic Republic of Congo |
0.51 | +32% |
 Somalia |
0.49 | +3% |
 Morocco |
0.48 | -23% |
 Singapore |
0.47 | +1% |
 Gabon |
0.43 | -49% |
 Ecuador |
0.43 | -37% |
 Kuwait |
0.42 | -13% |
 Angola |
0.42 | +4% |
 Mozambique |
0.41 | -37% |
 United States |
0.40 | -57% |
 Bhutan |
0.40 | +3% |
 Kyrgyzstan |
0.38 | -39% |
 Thailand |
0.38 | +224% |
 Ethiopia |
0.34 | +4% |
 Indonesia |
0.33 | -56% |
 Central African Republic |
0.33 | -47% |
 Kazakhstan |
0.33 | +40% |
 Comoros |
0.30 | -53% |
 Hungary |
0.30 | -43% |
 Guinea |
0.30 | -20% |
 Djibouti |
0.30 | +9% |
 Malaysia |
0.29 | -29% |
 Mali |
0.28 | -67% |
 Ukraine |
0.28 | -49% |
 Libya |
0.28 | -35% |
 Pakistan |
0.27 | -52% |
 Congo |
0.26 | -37% |
 Mauritania |
0.25 | -19% |
 Uzbekistan |
0.25 | +428% |
 Hong Kong |
0.24 | -57% |
 Yemen |
0.24 | -17% |
| Zanzibar |
0.23 | -49% |
 Cambodia |
0.22 | -42% |
 Vietnam |
0.22 | -24% |
 Cameroon |
0.21 | -41% |
 Algeria |
0.21 | -35% |
 Sudan |
0.21 | 0% |
 Oman |
0.21 | +1% |
 Uganda |
0.20 | -58% |
 UAE |
0.20 | +40% |
 Bahrain |
0.20 | +255% |
 Syria |
0.20 | +443% |
 Russia |
0.18 | -53% |
 Eswatini |
0.18 | +4% |
 El Salvador |
0.17 | -80% |
 Jordan |
0.17 | -53% |
 Zimbabwe |
0.16 | +12% |
 India |
0.14 | -66% |
 Burundi |
0.14 | +5% |
 Chad |
0.13 | -76% |
 Venezuela |
0.13 | -57% |
 Laos |
0.12 | +139% |
 Equatorial Guinea |
0.11 | +69% |
 Palestine/Gaza |
0.10 | -72% |
 Qatar |
0.10 | -43% |
 Rwanda |
0.10 | +29% |
 Afghanistan |
0.09 | -83% |
 Turkey |
0.09 | -68% |
 Azerbaijan |
0.09 | -6% |
 Cuba |
0.08 | -21% |
 Tajikistan |
0.08 | +3% |
 China |
0.07 | -40% |
 Egypt |
0.07 | +4% |
 Saudi Arabia |
0.07 | +32% |
 Belarus |
0.06 | -67% |
 Iran |
0.06 | -52% |
 Turkmenistan |
0.06 | +256% |
 South Sudan |
0.05 | +15% |
 North Korea |
0.04 | +200% |
 Eritrea |
0.03 | +70% |
 Nicaragua |
0.02 | -95% |
 Myanmar |
0.02 | -94% |
Jamaica and Seychelles also rank alongside wealthier economies, suggesting that institutional safeguards may matter more for academic freedom than economic or geopolitical power.
By contrast, China, Iran, Myanmar, and Nicaragua are among the world’s most restrictive environments for academic freedom. In China, classroom surveillance cameras, student informants, and ideological oversight constrain scholars, while the country’s score has declined by 40% over the past decade.
The U.S. Now Ranks Near Bhutan and Thailand
The U.S. now scores lowest among G7 countries, at a level comparable to Bhutan and Thailand.
The decline accelerated in 2025, with 20 federal actions targeting university autonomy. Thousands of federal research grants were frozen or terminated, while proposed funding cuts of up to 35%, or $32 billion, placed further pressure on higher education.
Unlike in Hungary, India, and Türkiye, where academic freedom declined gradually over many years, the U.S. deterioration unfolded in just six years, showing how quickly university autonomy can erode.
India Has Seen One of the World’s Steepest Declines
India’s academic freedom score has fallen faster than that of almost any other country since 2010.
Under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, textbooks have been revised, parts of the country’s history have been rewritten, and scholars who challenge government narratives have faced growing pressure and intimidation.
Recent student protests have also drawn attention to broader concerns about higher education. After the 2026 NEET-UG medical entrance exam was canceled over a paper leak, a youth-led protest movement spread across India, ultimately contributing to Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation.
The rankings show how quickly academic freedom can change. Even long-established university systems have experienced sharp shifts within a decade as political and legal changes reshape higher education.
Learn More on the Voronoi App
To learn more about this topic, check out this graphic on the countries with the biggest declines in academic freedom over the past decade.
