Academic Freedom Index in Belarus
Belarus: Academic Freedom Index was 0.06 in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2025)
0.06
Change on year
up 46.3%
World rank
168th
of 174 countries
All-time high
0.579
in 1992
All-time low
0.004
in 1938
Years of data
126
1900–2025
Academic Freedom Index in Belarus, 1900–2025
Source: V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
Analysis
Belarus recorded 0.06 for academic freedom index in 2025.
That represents a change of up 46.3% on the previous year and down 66.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, academic freedom index in Belarus peaked at 0.579 in 1992 and was at its lowest, 0.004, in 1938.
That places Belarus 168th 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 Belarus, 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 | 0.35 | +0.3% |
| 1991 | 0.483 | +38.0% |
| 1992 | 0.579 | +19.9% |
| 1993 | 0.579 | +0.0% |
| 1994 | 0.579 | +0.0% |
| 1995 | 0.509 | -12.1% |
| 1996 | 0.359 | -29.5% |
| 1997 | 0.325 | -9.5% |
| 1998 | 0.308 | -5.2% |
| 1999 | 0.299 | -2.9% |
| 2000 | 0.272 | -9.0% |
| 2001 | 0.272 | +0.0% |
| 2002 | 0.242 | -11.0% |
| 2003 | 0.243 | +0.4% |
| 2004 | 0.236 | -2.9% |
| 2005 | 0.207 | -12.3% |
| 2006 | 0.19 | -8.2% |
| 2007 | 0.19 | +0.0% |
| 2008 | 0.184 | -3.2% |
| 2009 | 0.184 | +0.0% |
| 2010 | 0.169 | -8.2% |
| 2011 | 0.169 | +0.0% |
| 2012 | 0.169 | +0.0% |
| 2013 | 0.181 | +7.1% |
| 2014 | 0.185 | +2.2% |
| 2015 | 0.18 | -2.7% |
| 2016 | 0.195 | +8.3% |
| 2017 | 0.196 | +0.5% |
| 2018 | 0.196 | +0.0% |
| 2019 | 0.191 | -2.6% |
| 2020 | 0.076 | -60.2% |
| 2021 | 0.059 | -22.4% |
| 2022 | 0.036 | -39.0% |
| 2023 | 0.036 | +0.0% |
| 2024 | 0.041 | +13.9% |
| 2025 | 0.06 | +46.3% |
Belarus compared with similar countries
- Belarus's 0.06 is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 0.5905, 10% of the median. (48 countries reporting)
- Belarus's 0.06 is below the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 0.7865, 8% of the median. (48 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Academic Freedom Index in Belarus 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 |
| 1987 | +92.9% | 0.084 | 0.162 |
| 1988 | +76.5% | 0.162 | 0.286 |
| 1918 | -75.9% | 0.316 | 0.076 |
| 1970 | +64.0% | 0.025 | 0.041 |
| 2020 | -60.2% | 0.191 | 0.076 |
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 | 0.437 | 0.299 | 0.579 | 10 |
| 2000s | 0.222 | 0.184 | 0.272 | 10 |
| 2010s | 0.1831 | 0.169 | 0.196 | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.0513 | 0.036 | 0.076 | 6 |
Countries ranked near Belarus
- 165 China 0.071 compare
- 166 Saudi Arabia 0.066 compare
- 167 Turkmenistan 0.064 compare
- 168 Iran 0.06 compare
- 170 South Sudan 0.054 compare
- 171 North Korea 0.036 compare
More social development data for Belarus
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 40,794 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 19,462 (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 0.0021 units per person (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 19,462 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0.0045 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 Belarus?
- Academic freedom index in Belarus was 0.06 in 2025, according to V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest academic freedom index recorded in Belarus?
- The highest recorded value was 0.579 in 1992.
- What is the lowest academic freedom index recorded in Belarus?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.004 in 1938.
- How does Belarus rank for academic freedom index?
- Belarus ranks 168th out of 174 countries with data for 2025.
- Is academic freedom index rising or falling in Belarus?
- Over the last ten years it is down 66.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Belarus 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.