Which has higher academic freedom index, Japan or Netherlands?

Netherlands, at 0.763 against 0.76 in Japan as of 2025.

How many years of comparable data are there for Japan 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.

Japan vs Netherlands: Academic Freedom Index

Japan

0.76

in 2025

Netherlands

0.763

in 2025

Japan rank

62nd

Netherlands rank

60th

Academic Freedom Index over time

Japan
Netherlands

How they compare

Netherlands currently reports 0.763 against 0.76 in Japan, a difference of 0.003.

The two have swapped places 2 times across 126 shared years of data; in 1900 it was Netherlands ahead.

Japan ranks 62nd and Netherlands ranks 60th of 174 countries.

Netherlands has averaged higher in every one of the 13 decades both report.

Head to head by decade

Decade	Japan	Netherlands	Difference	Ahead
1900s	0.351	0.848	0.497	Netherlands
1910s	0.3516	0.848	0.4964	Netherlands
1920s	0.3442	0.848	0.5038	Netherlands
1930s	0.2659	0.848	0.5821	Netherlands
1940s	0.343	0.6267	0.2837	Netherlands
1950s	0.6412	0.925	0.2838	Netherlands
1960s	0.649	0.9294	0.2804	Netherlands
1970s	0.6672	0.932	0.2648	Netherlands
1980s	0.675	0.9378	0.2628	Netherlands
1990s	0.6822	0.9416	0.2594	Netherlands
2000s	0.664	0.9053	0.2413	Netherlands
2010s	0.6715	0.8874	0.2159	Netherlands
2020s	0.668	0.8142	0.1462	Netherlands

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher academic freedom index, Japan or Netherlands?: Netherlands, at 0.763 against 0.76 in Japan as of 2025.
What is the difference in academic freedom index between Japan and Netherlands?: 0.003, with Netherlands ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Japan and Netherlands?: 126 years are reported by both, from 1900 to 2025.
How do Japan and Netherlands rank globally for academic freedom index?: Japan ranks 62nd 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.