Which has higher academic freedom index, Malaysia or Mali?

Malaysia, at 0.289 against 0.281 in Mali as of 2025.

How many years of comparable data are there for Malaysia and Mali?

122 years are reported by both, from 1904 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.

Malaysia vs Mali: Academic Freedom Index

Malaysia

0.289

in 2025

Mali

0.281

in 2025

Malaysia rank

126th

Mali rank

128th

Academic Freedom Index over time

Malaysia
Mali

How they compare

Malaysia currently reports 0.289 against 0.281 in Mali, a difference of 0.008.

The two have swapped places 2 times across 122 shared years of data; in 1904 it was Malaysia ahead.

Malaysia ranks 126th and Mali ranks 128th of 174 countries.

Across the 13 decades both report, Malaysia averaged higher in 9 and Mali in 4.

Head to head by decade

Decade	Malaysia	Mali	Difference	Ahead
1900s	0.256	0.088	0.168	Malaysia
1910s	0.256	0.088	0.168	Malaysia
1920s	0.256	0.0952	0.1608	Malaysia
1930s	0.256	0.096	0.16	Malaysia
1940s	0.2438	0.0974	0.1464	Malaysia
1950s	0.3549	0.1004	0.2545	Malaysia
1960s	0.516	0.1986	0.3174	Malaysia
1970s	0.3667	0.161	0.2057	Malaysia
1980s	0.351	0.1688	0.1822	Malaysia
1990s	0.35	0.7522	0.4022	Mali
2000s	0.3903	0.8586	0.4683	Mali
2010s	0.421	0.8532	0.4322	Mali
2020s	0.393	0.6007	0.2077	Mali

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher academic freedom index, Malaysia or Mali?: Malaysia, at 0.289 against 0.281 in Mali as of 2025.
What is the difference in academic freedom index between Malaysia and Mali?: 0.008, with Malaysia ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Malaysia and Mali?: 122 years are reported by both, from 1904 to 2025.
How do Malaysia and Mali rank globally for academic freedom index?: Malaysia ranks 126th and Mali ranks 128th 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.