What is academic freedom index in Canada?

Academic freedom index in Canada was 0.854 in 2025, according to V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.

What is the highest academic freedom index recorded in Canada?

The highest recorded value was 0.944 in 1990.

What is the lowest academic freedom index recorded in Canada?

The lowest recorded value was 0.724 in 1914.

How does Canada rank for academic freedom index?

Canada ranks 33rd out of 174 countries with data for 2025.

Is academic freedom index rising or falling in Canada?

Over the last ten years it is down 6.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.

Where does this Canada 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.

Academic Freedom Index in Canada

Name: Academic Freedom Index in Canada
Creator: V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data
License: CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)

Canada: Academic Freedom Index was 0.854 in 2025. ▲ Rising

Latest (2025)

0.854

Change on year

up 0.2%

World rank

33rd

of 174 countries

All-time high

0.944

in 1990

All-time low

0.724

in 1914

Years of data

126

1900–2025

Academic Freedom Index in Canada, 1900–2025

Source: V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.

Analysis

Canada recorded 0.854 for academic freedom index in 2025.

That represents a change of up 0.2% on the previous year and down 6.4% over ten years.

Over the whole period, academic freedom index in Canada peaked at 0.944 in 1990 and was at its lowest, 0.724, in 1914.

Canada ranks 33rd of 174 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 126 years of available data.

Averages by decade

Decade	Average	Lowest	Highest	Years
1900s	0.739	0.739	0.739	10
1910s	0.733	0.724	0.746	10
1920s	0.755	0.755	0.755	10
1930s	0.7529	0.734	0.755	10
1940s	0.7818	0.757	0.794	10
1950s	0.8588	0.812	0.864	10
1960s	0.922	0.922	0.922	10
1970s	0.9375	0.933	0.938	10
1980s	0.938	0.938	0.938	10
1990s	0.9264	0.922	0.944	10
2000s	0.9185	0.915	0.922	10
2010s	0.913	0.909	0.919	10
2020s	0.87	0.842	0.904	6

Countries ranked near Canada

32 Sierra Leone 0.862 compare
33 Norway 0.854 compare
35 Bulgaria 0.85 compare
35 South Korea 0.85 compare

See the full ranking of 174 places →

More social development data for Canada

Political Rights Rating 1 (2025)
Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of asy 416,028 (2025)
Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of ori 360 (2025)
Electoral democracy 1 (2025)
Key features of democracy 0.84 (2025)
Freedom of Expression Index 0.933 (2025)
Freedom of Association Index 0.865 (2025)
Electoral Democracy Index 0.84 (2025)
Participatory Democracy Index 0.589 (2025)
Liberal Democracy Index 0.736 (2025)

All data for Canada →

Frequently asked questions

What is academic freedom index in Canada?: Academic freedom index in Canada was 0.854 in 2025, according to V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest academic freedom index recorded in Canada?: The highest recorded value was 0.944 in 1990.
What is the lowest academic freedom index recorded in Canada?: The lowest recorded value was 0.724 in 1914.
How does Canada rank for academic freedom index?: Canada ranks 33rd out of 174 countries with data for 2025.
Is academic freedom index rising or falling in Canada?: Over the last ten years it is down 6.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Canada 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

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: 07 August 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.