The Academic Freedom Index Update 2026 provides an overview on the state of academic freedom in 179 countries and territories around the world. It identifies 50 countries and territories that have experienced a statistically and substantially significant decline in academic freedom compared to ten years ago, while only nine countries saw an increase in academic freedom. The report also highlights the central role of institutional autonomy in safeguarding academic freedom: in countries where institutional autonomy is well protected, the freedom to research and teach is also more protected. Comparing the decline in institutional autonomy in the United States with that in other major autocratizing countries, we find that the decline in the United States has been faster and more pronounced.
The State of Academic Freedom Worldwide
The interactive map above provides a comprehensive overview of academic freedom in 179 countries and territories in 2025. Based on assessments of the de facto protection of academic freedom as of December 2025, users can compare countries and investigate developments within countries over time.
New Update
Academic Freedom Index
The Academic Freedom Index (AFI) assesses de facto levels of academic freedom across the world based on five indicators: freedom to research and teach; freedom of academic exchange and dissemination; institutional autonomy; campus integrity; and freedom of academic and cultural expression. The AFI currently covers 179 countries and territories, and provides the most comprehensive dataset on the subject of academic freedom.
The AFI rests on assessments by 2,357 country experts worldwide, standardized questionnaires, and a well-established statistical model, implemented and adapted by the V-Dem project. The V-Dem project is known for generating sound data on various dimensions of democracy. The Academic Freedom Index uses a Bayesian measurement model method for data aggregation: it not only provides so-called point estimates, but also transparently reports measurement uncertainty in the global assessment of academic freedom. We strongly recommend that users take this uncertainty into account when comparing scores between countries and over time. You can learn more about our research and the index on our website. In addition, this introductory article explains the index design in more detail.
AFI Project History
The Academic Freedom Index (AFI) project started in 2017 with an expert consultation in Cologne, funded by the Fritz Thyssen Foundation. In 2019, with financial support from OSF’s Higher Education Program, researchers at Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), the V-Dem Institute, the Scholars at Risk Network, and the Global Public Policy Institute joined forces to launch the first version of the AFI, which was released in 2020. Please check out the team tab on this website to learn more about the key individuals who have worked on the AFI project so far. At present, V-Dem and FAU Erlangen-Nürnberg continue to implement the AFI project with a grant from the VolkswagenStiftung.