Academic Freedom Index in Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan: Academic Freedom Index was 0.092 in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2025)
0.092
Change on year
down 39.5%
World rank
159th
of 174 countries
All-time high
0.473
in 1907
All-time low
0.004
in 1938
Years of data
126
1900–2025
Academic Freedom Index in Azerbaijan, 1900–2025
Source: V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
Analysis
The most recent figure for academic freedom index in Azerbaijan is 0.092, measured in 2025.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 39.5% on the previous year and down 6.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, academic freedom index in Azerbaijan peaked at 0.473 in 1907 and was at its lowest, 0.004, in 1938.
That places Azerbaijan 159th out of 174 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Academic Freedom Index in Azerbaijan, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1900 | 0.407 | — |
| 1901 | 0.407 | +0.0% |
| 1902 | 0.407 | +0.0% |
| 1903 | 0.407 | +0.0% |
| 1904 | 0.422 | +3.7% |
| 1905 | 0.451 | +6.9% |
| 1906 | 0.464 | +2.9% |
| 1907 | 0.473 | +1.9% |
| 1908 | 0.466 | -1.5% |
| 1909 | 0.462 | -0.9% |
| 1910 | 0.441 | -4.5% |
| 1911 | 0.441 | +0.0% |
| 1912 | 0.446 | +1.1% |
| 1913 | 0.446 | +0.0% |
| 1914 | 0.423 | -5.2% |
| 1915 | 0.404 | -4.5% |
| 1916 | 0.408 | +1.0% |
| 1917 | 0.316 | -22.5% |
| 1918 | 0.076 | -75.9% |
| 1919 | 0.074 | -2.6% |
| 1920 | 0.044 | -40.5% |
| 1921 | 0.044 | +0.0% |
| 1922 | 0.042 | -4.5% |
| 1923 | 0.044 | +4.8% |
| 1924 | 0.035 | -20.5% |
| 1925 | 0.025 | -28.6% |
| 1926 | 0.025 | +0.0% |
| 1927 | 0.025 | +0.0% |
| 1928 | 0.017 | -32.0% |
| 1929 | 0.009 | -47.1% |
| 1930 | 0.005 | -44.4% |
| 1931 | 0.005 | +0.0% |
| 1932 | 0.005 | +0.0% |
| 1933 | 0.005 | +0.0% |
| 1934 | 0.005 | +0.0% |
| 1935 | 0.005 | +0.0% |
| 1936 | 0.005 | +0.0% |
| 1937 | 0.005 | +0.0% |
| 1938 | 0.004 | -20.0% |
| 1939 | 0.004 | +0.0% |
| 1940 | 0.004 | +0.0% |
| 1941 | 0.004 | +0.0% |
| 1942 | 0.004 | +0.0% |
| 1943 | 0.004 | +0.0% |
| 1944 | 0.004 | +0.0% |
| 1945 | 0.005 | +25.0% |
| 1946 | 0.005 | +0.0% |
| 1947 | 0.005 | +0.0% |
| 1948 | 0.005 | +0.0% |
| 1949 | 0.005 | +0.0% |
| 1950 | 0.007 | +40.0% |
| 1951 | 0.007 | +0.0% |
| 1952 | 0.007 | +0.0% |
| 1953 | 0.008 | +14.3% |
| 1954 | 0.025 | +212.5% |
| 1955 | 0.025 | +0.0% |
| 1956 | 0.029 | +16.0% |
| 1957 | 0.026 | -10.3% |
| 1958 | 0.026 | +0.0% |
| 1959 | 0.026 | +0.0% |
| 1960 | 0.032 | +23.1% |
| 1961 | 0.032 | +0.0% |
| 1962 | 0.032 | +0.0% |
| 1963 | 0.029 | -9.4% |
| 1964 | 0.029 | +0.0% |
| 1965 | 0.027 | -6.9% |
| 1966 | 0.027 | +0.0% |
| 1967 | 0.027 | +0.0% |
| 1968 | 0.027 | +0.0% |
| 1969 | 0.025 | -7.4% |
| 1970 | 0.041 | +64.0% |
| 1971 | 0.041 | +0.0% |
| 1972 | 0.041 | +0.0% |
| 1973 | 0.041 | +0.0% |
| 1974 | 0.035 | -14.6% |
| 1975 | 0.037 | +5.7% |
| 1976 | 0.035 | -5.4% |
| 1977 | 0.035 | +0.0% |
| 1978 | 0.035 | +0.0% |
| 1979 | 0.035 | +0.0% |
| 1980 | 0.044 | +25.7% |
| 1981 | 0.049 | +11.4% |
| 1982 | 0.049 | +0.0% |
| 1983 | 0.049 | +0.0% |
| 1984 | 0.056 | +14.3% |
| 1985 | 0.055 | -1.8% |
| 1986 | 0.084 | +52.7% |
| 1987 | 0.162 | +92.9% |
| 1988 | 0.286 | +76.5% |
| 1989 | 0.349 | +22.0% |
| 1990 | 0.097 | -72.2% |
| 1991 | 0.119 | +22.7% |
| 1992 | 0.264 | +121.8% |
| 1993 | 0.22 | -16.7% |
| 1994 | 0.144 | -34.5% |
| 1995 | 0.132 | -8.3% |
| 1996 | 0.126 | -4.5% |
| 1997 | 0.126 | +0.0% |
| 1998 | 0.121 | -4.0% |
| 1999 | 0.112 | -7.4% |
| 2000 | 0.112 | +0.0% |
| 2001 | 0.112 | +0.0% |
| 2002 | 0.112 | +0.0% |
| 2003 | 0.118 | +5.4% |
| 2004 | 0.118 | +0.0% |
| 2005 | 0.118 | +0.0% |
| 2006 | 0.108 | -8.5% |
| 2007 | 0.1 | -7.4% |
| 2008 | 0.1 | +0.0% |
| 2009 | 0.1 | +0.0% |
| 2010 | 0.106 | +6.0% |
| 2011 | 0.096 | -9.4% |
| 2012 | 0.096 | +0.0% |
| 2013 | 0.099 | +3.1% |
| 2014 | 0.098 | -1.0% |
| 2015 | 0.098 | +0.0% |
| 2016 | 0.089 | -9.2% |
| 2017 | 0.092 | +3.4% |
| 2018 | 0.093 | +1.1% |
| 2019 | 0.087 | -6.5% |
| 2020 | 0.079 | -9.2% |
| 2021 | 0.127 | +60.8% |
| 2022 | 0.148 | +16.5% |
| 2023 | 0.191 | +29.1% |
| 2024 | 0.152 | -20.4% |
| 2025 | 0.092 | -39.5% |
Azerbaijan compared with similar countries
- Azerbaijan's 0.092 is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 0.5905, 16% of the median. (48 countries reporting)
- Azerbaijan's 0.092 is below the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 0.7865, 12% of the median. (48 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Academic Freedom Index in Azerbaijan changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1954 | +212.5% | 0.008 | 0.025 |
| 1992 | +121.8% | 0.119 | 0.264 |
| 1987 | +92.9% | 0.084 | 0.162 |
| 1988 | +76.5% | 0.162 | 0.286 |
| 1918 | -75.9% | 0.316 | 0.076 |
| 1990 | -72.2% | 0.349 | 0.097 |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1900s | 0.4366 | 0.407 | 0.473 | 10 |
| 1910s | 0.3475 | 0.074 | 0.446 | 10 |
| 1920s | 0.031 | 0.009 | 0.044 | 10 |
| 1930s | 0.0048 | 0.004 | 0.005 | 10 |
| 1940s | 0.0045 | 0.004 | 0.005 | 10 |
| 1950s | 0.0186 | 0.007 | 0.029 | 10 |
| 1960s | 0.0287 | 0.025 | 0.032 | 10 |
| 1970s | 0.0376 | 0.035 | 0.041 | 10 |
| 1980s | 0.1183 | 0.044 | 0.349 | 10 |
| 1990s | 0.1461 | 0.097 | 0.264 | 10 |
| 2000s | 0.1098 | 0.1 | 0.118 | 10 |
| 2010s | 0.0954 | 0.087 | 0.106 | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.1315 | 0.079 | 0.191 | 6 |
Countries ranked near Azerbaijan
More social development data for Azerbaijan
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 6,389 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 130,983 (2025)
- Political Rights Rating 7 (2025)
- Electoral democracy 0 (2025)
- Political rights rating fh, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Political rights rating fh, gaps filled 7 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0.0128 units per person (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 130,983 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0.0006 units per person (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is academic freedom index in Azerbaijan?
- Academic freedom index in Azerbaijan was 0.092 in 2025, according to V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest academic freedom index recorded in Azerbaijan?
- The highest recorded value was 0.473 in 1907.
- What is the lowest academic freedom index recorded in Azerbaijan?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.004 in 1938.
- How does Azerbaijan rank for academic freedom index?
- Azerbaijan ranks 159th out of 174 countries with data for 2025.
- Is academic freedom index rising or falling in Azerbaijan?
- Over the last ten years it is down 6.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Azerbaijan data come from?
- The figures come from V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Academic Freedom Index. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 126 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
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.