Botswana vs South Africa: Academic freedom index
Botswana
0.834
in 2025
South Africa
0.831
in 2025
Botswana rank
43rd
South Africa rank
44th
Academic freedom index over time
- Botswana
- South Africa
How they compare
Botswana currently reports 0.834 against 0.831 in South Africa, a difference of 0.003.
The two have swapped places 6 times across 62 shared years of data; in 1964 it was Botswana ahead.
Botswana ranks 43rd and South Africa ranks 44th of 174 countries.
Across the 7 decades both report, Botswana averaged higher in 6 and South Africa in 1.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Botswana | South Africa | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 0.867 | 0.185 | 0.682 | Botswana |
| 1970s | 0.8946 | 0.185 | 0.7096 | Botswana |
| 1980s | 0.8986 | 0.1995 | 0.6991 | Botswana |
| 1990s | 0.8976 | 0.6632 | 0.2344 | Botswana |
| 2000s | 0.8843 | 0.9203 | 0.036 | South Africa |
| 2010s | 0.867 | 0.8461 | 0.0209 | Botswana |
| 2020s | 0.8625 | 0.8355 | 0.027 | Botswana |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher academic freedom index, Botswana or South Africa?
- Botswana, at 0.834 against 0.831 in South Africa as of 2025.
- What is the difference in academic freedom index between Botswana and South Africa?
- 0.003, with Botswana ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Botswana and South Africa?
- 62 years are reported by both, from 1964 to 2025.
- How do Botswana and South Africa rank globally for academic freedom index?
- Botswana ranks 43rd and South Africa ranks 44th of 174 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- Our World in Data, published as Academic freedom index. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.