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

South Africa, at 0.831 against 0.828 in Taiwan as of 2025.

What is the difference in academic freedom index between South Africa and Taiwan?

0.003, with South Africa ahead.

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

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 Africa vs Taiwan: Academic Freedom Index

South Africa

0.831

in 2025

Taiwan

0.828

in 2025

South Africa rank

44th

Taiwan rank

46th

Academic Freedom Index over time

South Africa
Taiwan

How they compare

South Africa currently reports 0.831 against 0.828 in Taiwan, a difference of 0.003.

The two have swapped places 4 times across 126 shared years of data; in 1900 it was South Africa ahead.

South Africa ranks 44th and Taiwan ranks 46th of 174 countries.

Across the 13 decades both report, South Africa averaged higher in 9 and Taiwan in 4.

Head to head by decade

Decade	South Africa	Taiwan	Difference	Ahead
1900s	0.424	0.107	0.317	South Africa
1910s	0.424	0.108	0.316	South Africa
1920s	0.424	0.1152	0.3088	South Africa
1930s	0.424	0.1005	0.3235	South Africa
1940s	0.3842	0.1009	0.2833	South Africa
1950s	0.1874	0.1494	0.038	South Africa
1960s	0.185	0.157	0.028	South Africa
1970s	0.185	0.1555	0.0295	South Africa
1980s	0.1995	0.2687	0.0692	Taiwan
1990s	0.6632	0.716	0.0528	Taiwan
2000s	0.9203	0.8574	0.0629	South Africa
2010s	0.8461	0.8737	0.0276	Taiwan
2020s	0.8355	0.8463	0.0108	Taiwan

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher academic freedom index, South Africa or Taiwan?: South Africa, at 0.831 against 0.828 in Taiwan as of 2025.
What is the difference in academic freedom index between South Africa and Taiwan?: 0.003, with South Africa ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for South Africa and Taiwan?: 126 years are reported by both, from 1900 to 2025.
How do South Africa and Taiwan rank globally for academic freedom index?: South Africa ranks 44th and Taiwan ranks 46th 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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South Africa vs Taiwan: 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/south-africa/taiwan/

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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.