Which has higher academic freedom index, South Korea or Norway?

Norway, at 0.854 against 0.85 in South Korea as of 2025.

How many years of comparable data are there for South Korea and Norway?

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.

South Korea vs Norway: Academic Freedom Index

South Korea

0.85

in 2025

Norway

0.854

in 2025

South Korea rank

35th

Norway rank

33rd

Academic Freedom Index over time

South Korea
Norway

How they compare

Norway currently reports 0.854 against 0.85 in South Korea, a difference of 0.004.

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

South Korea ranks 35th and Norway ranks 33rd of 174 countries.

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

Head to head by decade

Decade	South Korea	Norway	Difference	Ahead
1900s	0.049	0.768	0.719	Norway
1910s	0.0173	0.768	0.7507	Norway
1920s	0.018	0.781	0.763	Norway
1930s	0.018	0.7789	0.7609	Norway
1940s	0.0898	0.3893	0.2995	Norway
1950s	0.1892	0.8824	0.6932	Norway
1960s	0.1894	0.8984	0.709	Norway
1970s	0.1615	0.905	0.7435	Norway
1980s	0.3933	0.926	0.5327	Norway
1990s	0.7659	0.926	0.1601	Norway
2000s	0.8404	0.9239	0.0835	Norway
2010s	0.8079	0.8952	0.0873	Norway
2020s	0.8538	0.8622	0.0083	Norway

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher academic freedom index, South Korea or Norway?: Norway, at 0.854 against 0.85 in South Korea as of 2025.
What is the difference in academic freedom index between South Korea and Norway?: 0.004, with Norway ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for South Korea and Norway?: 126 years are reported by both, from 1900 to 2025.
How do South Korea and Norway rank globally for academic freedom index?: South Korea ranks 35th and Norway ranks 33rd 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.