Which has higher academic freedom index, Australia or Spain?

Spain, at 0.869 against 0.864 in Australia as of 2025.

How many years of comparable data are there for Australia and Spain?

125 years are reported by both, from 1901 to 2025.

Where does this data come from?

V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as Academic Freedom Index. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

Australia vs Spain: Academic Freedom Index

Australia

0.864

in 2025

Spain

0.869

in 2025

Australia rank

29th

Spain rank

26th

Academic Freedom Index over time

Australia
Spain

How they compare

Spain currently reports 0.869 against 0.864 in Australia, a difference of 0.005.

The two have swapped places 3 times across 125 shared years of data; in 1901 it was Australia ahead.

Australia ranks 29th and Spain ranks 26th of 174 countries.

Across the 13 decades both report, Australia averaged higher in 8 and Spain in 5.

Head to head by decade

Decade	Australia	Spain	Difference	Ahead
1900s	0.86	0.449	0.411	Australia
1910s	0.8564	0.449	0.4074	Australia
1920s	0.858	0.3203	0.5377	Australia
1930s	0.8579	0.5107	0.3472	Australia
1940s	0.888	0.023	0.865	Australia
1950s	0.8984	0.0304	0.868	Australia
1960s	0.899	0.0873	0.8117	Australia
1970s	0.9102	0.3434	0.5668	Australia
1980s	0.907	0.951	0.044	Spain
1990s	0.907	0.954	0.047	Spain
2000s	0.9088	0.9558	0.047	Spain
2010s	0.8952	0.9512	0.056	Spain
2020s	0.8855	0.9052	0.0197	Spain

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher academic freedom index, Australia or Spain?: Spain, at 0.869 against 0.864 in Australia as of 2025.
What is the difference in academic freedom index between Australia and Spain?: 0.005, with Spain ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Australia and Spain?: 125 years are reported by both, from 1901 to 2025.
How do Australia and Spain rank globally for academic freedom index?: Australia ranks 29th and Spain ranks 26th of 174 countries.
Where does this data come from?: V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as Academic Freedom Index. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

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Australia vs Spain: Academic Freedom Index. Statizoid, drawing on V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Retrieved 08 November 2026, from https://social-development.statizoid.com/compare/academic-freedom-index/australia/spain/

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About this data

Indicator: Academic Freedom Index
Source: V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence: CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage: 174 places, 16,942 data points, 1900–2025
Last refreshed: 30 October 2026

Central estimate of the extent to which academics can research, teach, publish, express opinions, and participate in academic bodies without interference, censorship, or institutional restrictions, and universities exercise institutional autonomy.