Academic Freedom Index in Bhutan
Bhutan: Academic Freedom Index was 0.401 in 2025. ▲ Rising
Academic Freedom Index in Bhutan, 2003–2025
Source: V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
Analysis
Bhutan recorded 0.401 for academic freedom index in 2025.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 5.6% on the previous year and up 2.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, academic freedom index in Bhutan peaked at 0.425 in 2024 and was at its lowest, 0.356, in 2003.
Bhutan ranks 114th of 174 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 23 years of available data.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 0.3649 | 0.356 | 0.388 | 7 |
| 2010s | 0.3912 | 0.388 | 0.398 | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.3993 | 0.375 | 0.425 | 6 |
Countries ranked near Bhutan
- 111 Kuwait 0.418 compare
- 112 Angola 0.416 compare
- 113 Mozambique 0.408 compare
- 115 United States 0.397 compare
- 116 Thailand 0.382 compare
- 117 Kyrgyzstan 0.378 compare
More social development data for Bhutan
- Political Rights Rating 2 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of ori 7,257 (2025)
- Electoral democracy 1 (2025)
- Key features of democracy 0.566 (2025)
- Freedom of Expression Index 0.682 (2025)
- Freedom of Association Index 0.609 (2025)
- Electoral Democracy Index 0.566 (2025)
- Participatory Democracy Index 0.349 (2025)
- Liberal Democracy Index 0.457 (2025)
- Varieties of democracy 0.566 (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is academic freedom index in Bhutan?
- Academic freedom index in Bhutan was 0.401 in 2025, according to V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest academic freedom index recorded in Bhutan?
- The highest recorded value was 0.425 in 2024.
- What is the lowest academic freedom index recorded in Bhutan?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.356 in 2003.
- How does Bhutan rank for academic freedom index?
- Bhutan ranks 114th out of 174 countries with data for 2025.
- Is academic freedom index rising or falling in Bhutan?
- Over the last ten years it is up 2.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Bhutan 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.
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CSV · JSON — 23 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.