Academic Freedom Index in Botswana
Botswana: Academic Freedom Index was 0.834 in 2025. ▬ Flat
Latest (2025)
0.834
Change on year
down 6.3%
World rank
43rd
of 174 countries
All-time high
0.901
in 1981
All-time low
0.814
in 1964
Years of data
62
1964–2025
Academic Freedom Index in Botswana, 1964–2025
Source: V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
Analysis
Botswana recorded 0.834 for academic freedom index in 2025.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 6.3% on the previous year and down 3.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, academic freedom index in Botswana peaked at 0.901 in 1981 and was at its lowest, 0.814, in 1964.
That places Botswana 43rd out of 174 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the top quarter.
Academic Freedom Index in Botswana, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1964 | 0.814 | — |
| 1965 | 0.814 | +0.0% |
| 1966 | 0.889 | +9.2% |
| 1967 | 0.895 | +0.7% |
| 1968 | 0.895 | +0.0% |
| 1969 | 0.895 | +0.0% |
| 1970 | 0.895 | +0.0% |
| 1971 | 0.895 | +0.0% |
| 1972 | 0.895 | +0.0% |
| 1973 | 0.895 | +0.0% |
| 1974 | 0.895 | +0.0% |
| 1975 | 0.895 | +0.0% |
| 1976 | 0.895 | +0.0% |
| 1977 | 0.895 | +0.0% |
| 1978 | 0.893 | -0.2% |
| 1979 | 0.893 | +0.0% |
| 1980 | 0.893 | +0.0% |
| 1981 | 0.901 | +0.9% |
| 1982 | 0.894 | -0.8% |
| 1983 | 0.901 | +0.8% |
| 1984 | 0.901 | +0.0% |
| 1985 | 0.901 | +0.0% |
| 1986 | 0.901 | +0.0% |
| 1987 | 0.901 | +0.0% |
| 1988 | 0.901 | +0.0% |
| 1989 | 0.892 | -1.0% |
| 1990 | 0.89 | -0.2% |
| 1991 | 0.899 | +1.0% |
| 1992 | 0.899 | +0.0% |
| 1993 | 0.899 | +0.0% |
| 1994 | 0.899 | +0.0% |
| 1995 | 0.899 | +0.0% |
| 1996 | 0.899 | +0.0% |
| 1997 | 0.899 | +0.0% |
| 1998 | 0.899 | +0.0% |
| 1999 | 0.894 | -0.6% |
| 2000 | 0.894 | +0.0% |
| 2001 | 0.894 | +0.0% |
| 2002 | 0.894 | +0.0% |
| 2003 | 0.894 | +0.0% |
| 2004 | 0.894 | +0.0% |
| 2005 | 0.887 | -0.8% |
| 2006 | 0.892 | +0.6% |
| 2007 | 0.878 | -1.6% |
| 2008 | 0.849 | -3.3% |
| 2009 | 0.867 | +2.1% |
| 2010 | 0.861 | -0.7% |
| 2011 | 0.863 | +0.2% |
| 2012 | 0.865 | +0.2% |
| 2013 | 0.866 | +0.1% |
| 2014 | 0.867 | +0.1% |
| 2015 | 0.866 | -0.1% |
| 2016 | 0.866 | +0.0% |
| 2017 | 0.866 | +0.0% |
| 2018 | 0.868 | +0.2% |
| 2019 | 0.882 | +1.6% |
| 2020 | 0.869 | -1.5% |
| 2021 | 0.884 | +1.7% |
| 2022 | 0.836 | -5.4% |
| 2023 | 0.862 | +3.1% |
| 2024 | 0.89 | +3.2% |
| 2025 | 0.834 | -6.3% |
Botswana compared with similar countries
- Botswana's 0.834 is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 0.5905, 1.4× the median. (48 countries reporting)
- Botswana's 0.834 is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 0.519, 1.6× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 0.867 | 0.814 | 0.895 | 6 |
| 1970s | 0.8946 | 0.893 | 0.895 | 10 |
| 1980s | 0.8986 | 0.892 | 0.901 | 10 |
| 1990s | 0.8976 | 0.89 | 0.899 | 10 |
| 2000s | 0.8843 | 0.849 | 0.894 | 10 |
| 2010s | 0.867 | 0.861 | 0.882 | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.8625 | 0.834 | 0.89 | 6 |
Countries ranked near Botswana
More social development data for Botswana
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 847 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 384 (2025)
- Political Rights Rating 2 (2025)
- Electoral democracy 1 (2025)
- Political rights rating fh, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Political rights rating fh, gaps filled 2 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0.0001 units per person (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 384 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0.0003 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 Botswana?
- Academic freedom index in Botswana was 0.834 in 2025, according to V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest academic freedom index recorded in Botswana?
- The highest recorded value was 0.901 in 1981.
- What is the lowest academic freedom index recorded in Botswana?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.814 in 1964.
- How does Botswana rank for academic freedom index?
- Botswana ranks 43rd out of 174 countries with data for 2025.
- Is academic freedom index rising or falling in Botswana?
- Over the last ten years it is down 3.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- Where does this Botswana 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
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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.