Which has higher academic freedom index, Nepal or South Africa?

Nepal, at 0.831 against 0.831 in South Africa as of 2025.

How many years of comparable data are there for Nepal and South Africa?

68 years are reported by both, from 1958 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.

Nepal vs South Africa: Academic Freedom Index

Nepal

0.831

in 2025

South Africa

0.831

in 2025

Nepal rank

44th

South Africa rank

44th

Academic Freedom Index over time

Nepal
South Africa

How they compare

Nepal currently reports 0.831 against 0.831 in South Africa, a difference of 0.

The two have swapped places 3 times across 68 shared years of data; in 1958 it was Nepal ahead.

Nepal ranks 44th and South Africa ranks 44th of 174 countries.

Across the 8 decades both report, Nepal averaged higher in 6 and South Africa in 2.

Head to head by decade

Decade	Nepal	South Africa	Difference	Ahead
1950s	0.3565	0.185	0.1715	Nepal
1960s	0.2288	0.185	0.0438	Nepal
1970s	0.224	0.185	0.039	Nepal
1980s	0.228	0.1995	0.0285	Nepal
1990s	0.7685	0.6632	0.1053	Nepal
2000s	0.7395	0.9203	0.1808	South Africa
2010s	0.8423	0.8461	0.0038	South Africa
2020s	0.8363	0.8355	0.0008	Nepal

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher academic freedom index, Nepal or South Africa?: Nepal, at 0.831 against 0.831 in South Africa as of 2025.
What is the difference in academic freedom index between Nepal and South Africa?: 0, with Nepal ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Nepal and South Africa?: 68 years are reported by both, from 1958 to 2025.
How do Nepal and South Africa rank globally for academic freedom index?: Nepal ranks 44th and South Africa ranks 44th 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.

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Nepal vs South Africa: Academic Freedom Index. Statizoid, drawing on V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Retrieved 08 November 2026, from https://social-development.statizoid.com/compare/academic-freedom-index/nepal/south-africa/

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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: 30 October 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.