Which has higher academic freedom index, Ireland or Latvia?

Latvia, at 0.928 against 0.922 in Ireland as of 2025.

How many years of comparable data are there for Ireland and Latvia?

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.

Ireland vs Latvia: Academic Freedom Index

Ireland

0.922

in 2025

Latvia

0.928

in 2025

Ireland rank

10th

Latvia rank

9th

Academic Freedom Index over time

Ireland
Latvia

How they compare

Latvia currently reports 0.928 against 0.922 in Ireland, a difference of 0.006.

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

Ireland ranks 10th and Latvia ranks 9th of 174 countries.

Across the 13 decades both report, Ireland averaged higher in 9 and Latvia in 4.

Head to head by decade

Decade	Ireland	Latvia	Difference	Ahead
1900s	0.915	0.4366	0.4784	Ireland
1910s	0.8886	0.3475	0.5411	Ireland
1920s	0.6845	0.8205	0.136	Latvia
1930s	0.72	0.6845	0.0355	Ireland
1940s	0.7496	0.0045	0.7451	Ireland
1950s	0.777	0.0186	0.7584	Ireland
1960s	0.83	0.0287	0.8013	Ireland
1970s	0.852	0.0376	0.8144	Ireland
1980s	0.87	0.1183	0.7517	Ireland
1990s	0.935	0.8657	0.0693	Ireland
2000s	0.9304	0.941	0.0106	Latvia
2010s	0.9234	0.9612	0.0378	Latvia
2020s	0.922	0.9395	0.0175	Latvia

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher academic freedom index, Ireland or Latvia?: Latvia, at 0.928 against 0.922 in Ireland as of 2025.
What is the difference in academic freedom index between Ireland and Latvia?: 0.006, with Latvia ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Ireland and Latvia?: 126 years are reported by both, from 1900 to 2025.
How do Ireland and Latvia rank globally for academic freedom index?: Ireland ranks 10th and Latvia ranks 9th 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.