Iran vs North Korea: Academic Freedom Index
Iran
0.06
in 2025
North Korea
0.036
in 2025
Iran rank
168th
North Korea rank
171st
Academic Freedom Index over time
- Iran
- North Korea
How they compare
Iran currently reports 0.06 against 0.036 in North Korea, a difference of 0.024.
That makes Iran's figure about 1.7 times North Korea's.
Across all 91 years both countries report, Iran has been ahead every year.
Iran ranks 168th and North Korea ranks 171st of 174 countries.
Iran has averaged higher in every one of the 11 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Iran | North Korea | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1900s | 0.0715 | 0.049 | 0.0225 | Iran |
| 1910s | 0.082 | 0.019 | 0.063 | Iran |
| 1940s | 0.3725 | 0.0825 | 0.29 | Iran |
| 1950s | 0.2889 | 0.0267 | 0.2622 | Iran |
| 1960s | 0.201 | 0.0217 | 0.1793 | Iran |
| 1970s | 0.1921 | 0.012 | 0.1801 | Iran |
| 1980s | 0.0925 | 0.012 | 0.0805 | Iran |
| 1990s | 0.1467 | 0.01 | 0.1367 | Iran |
| 2000s | 0.1453 | 0.01 | 0.1353 | Iran |
| 2010s | 0.1177 | 0.0116 | 0.1061 | Iran |
| 2020s | 0.0928 | 0.018 | 0.0748 | Iran |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher academic freedom index, Iran or North Korea?
- Iran, at 0.06 against 0.036 in North Korea as of 2025.
- What is the difference in academic freedom index between Iran and North Korea?
- 0.024, with Iran ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Iran and North Korea?
- 91 years are reported by both, from 1900 to 2025.
- How do Iran and North Korea rank globally for academic freedom index?
- Iran ranks 168th and North Korea ranks 171st 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
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.