Which has higher academic freedom index, France or Netherlands?

France, at 0.8 against 0.763 in Netherlands as of 2025.

How many years of comparable data are there for France and Netherlands?

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.

France vs Netherlands: Academic Freedom Index

France

0.8

in 2025

Netherlands

0.763

in 2025

France rank

57th

Netherlands rank

60th

Academic Freedom Index over time

France
Netherlands

How they compare

France currently reports 0.8 against 0.763 in Netherlands, a difference of 0.037.

The two have swapped places 5 times across 126 shared years of data; in 1900 it was Netherlands ahead.

France ranks 57th and Netherlands ranks 60th of 174 countries.

Across the 13 decades both report, France averaged higher in 2 and Netherlands in 11.

Head to head by decade

Decade	France	Netherlands	Difference	Ahead
1900s	0.711	0.848	0.137	Netherlands
1910s	0.6589	0.848	0.1891	Netherlands
1920s	0.704	0.848	0.144	Netherlands
1930s	0.6993	0.848	0.1487	Netherlands
1940s	0.596	0.6267	0.0307	Netherlands
1950s	0.8445	0.925	0.0805	Netherlands
1960s	0.8398	0.9294	0.0896	Netherlands
1970s	0.855	0.932	0.077	Netherlands
1980s	0.8783	0.9378	0.0595	Netherlands
1990s	0.8789	0.9416	0.0627	Netherlands
2000s	0.885	0.9053	0.0203	Netherlands
2010s	0.893	0.8874	0.0056	France
2020s	0.8712	0.8142	0.057	France

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher academic freedom index, France or Netherlands?: France, at 0.8 against 0.763 in Netherlands as of 2025.
What is the difference in academic freedom index between France and Netherlands?: 0.037, with France ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for France and Netherlands?: 126 years are reported by both, from 1900 to 2025.
How do France and Netherlands rank globally for academic freedom index?: France ranks 57th and Netherlands ranks 60th 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.