Which has higher academic freedom index, Bulgaria or Norway?

Norway, at 0.854 against 0.85 in Bulgaria as of 2025.

How many years of comparable data are there for Bulgaria and Norway?

126 years are reported by both, from 1900 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.

Bulgaria vs Norway: Academic Freedom Index

Bulgaria

0.85

in 2025

Norway

0.854

in 2025

Bulgaria rank

35th

Norway rank

33rd

Academic Freedom Index over time

Bulgaria
Norway

How they compare

Norway currently reports 0.854 against 0.85 in Bulgaria, a difference of 0.004.

The two have swapped places 4 times across 126 shared years of data; in 1900 it was Norway ahead.

Bulgaria ranks 35th and Norway ranks 33rd of 174 countries.

Across the 13 decades both report, Bulgaria averaged higher in 2 and Norway in 11.

Head to head by decade

Decade	Bulgaria	Norway	Difference	Ahead
1900s	0.5995	0.768	0.1685	Norway
1910s	0.6208	0.768	0.1472	Norway
1920s	0.5508	0.781	0.2302	Norway
1930s	0.5389	0.7789	0.24	Norway
1940s	0.2741	0.3893	0.1152	Norway
1950s	0.0827	0.8824	0.7997	Norway
1960s	0.105	0.8984	0.7934	Norway
1970s	0.113	0.905	0.792	Norway
1980s	0.1427	0.926	0.7833	Norway
1990s	0.8843	0.926	0.0417	Norway
2000s	0.9362	0.9239	0.0123	Bulgaria
2010s	0.9123	0.8952	0.0171	Bulgaria
2020s	0.8538	0.8622	0.0083	Norway

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher academic freedom index, Bulgaria or Norway?: Norway, at 0.854 against 0.85 in Bulgaria as of 2025.
What is the difference in academic freedom index between Bulgaria and Norway?: 0.004, with Norway ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Bulgaria and Norway?: 126 years are reported by both, from 1900 to 2025.
How do Bulgaria and Norway rank globally for academic freedom index?: Bulgaria ranks 35th and Norway ranks 33rd 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.

Individual pages

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: 07 August 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.