China vs Saudi Arabia: Academic freedom index
China
0.071
in 2025
Saudi Arabia
0.066
in 2025
China rank
165th
Saudi Arabia rank
166th
Academic freedom index over time
- China
- Saudi Arabia
How they compare
China currently reports 0.071 against 0.066 in Saudi Arabia, a difference of 0.005.
That makes China's figure about 1.1 times Saudi Arabia's.
The two have swapped places 6 times across 77 shared years of data; in 1949 it was China ahead.
China ranks 165th and Saudi Arabia ranks 166th of 174 countries.
Across the 9 decades both report, China averaged higher in 7 and Saudi Arabia in 2.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | China | Saudi Arabia | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1940s | 0.379 | 0.063 | 0.316 | China |
| 1950s | 0.0665 | 0.0514 | 0.0151 | China |
| 1960s | 0.0348 | 0.051 | 0.0162 | Saudi Arabia |
| 1970s | 0.0471 | 0.0531 | 0.006 | Saudi Arabia |
| 1980s | 0.2837 | 0.0575 | 0.2262 | China |
| 1990s | 0.245 | 0.058 | 0.187 | China |
| 2000s | 0.2814 | 0.0632 | 0.2182 | China |
| 2010s | 0.1366 | 0.0585 | 0.0781 | China |
| 2020s | 0.0687 | 0.0613 | 0.0073 | China |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher academic freedom index, China or Saudi Arabia?
- China, at 0.071 against 0.066 in Saudi Arabia as of 2025.
- What is the difference in academic freedom index between China and Saudi Arabia?
- 0.005, with China ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for China and Saudi Arabia?
- 77 years are reported by both, from 1949 to 2025.
- How do China and Saudi Arabia rank globally for academic freedom index?
- China ranks 165th and Saudi Arabia ranks 166th 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.