What is academic freedom index in Costa Rica?

Academic freedom index in Costa Rica was 0.915 in 2025, according to V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.

What is the highest academic freedom index recorded in Costa Rica?

The highest recorded value was 0.922 in 1980.

What is the lowest academic freedom index recorded in Costa Rica?

The lowest recorded value was 0.76 in 1948.

How does Costa Rica rank for academic freedom index?

Costa Rica ranks 13th out of 174 countries with data for 2025.

Is academic freedom index rising or falling in Costa Rica?

Over the last ten years it is down 0.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.

Where does this Costa Rica 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 Costa Rica

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

Costa Rica: Academic Freedom Index was 0.915 in 2025. ▲ Rising

Latest (2025)

0.915

Change on year

unchanged

World rank

13th

of 174 countries

All-time high

0.922

in 1980

All-time low

0.76

in 1948

Years of data

1940–2025

Academic Freedom Index in Costa Rica, 1940–2025

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

Analysis

Costa Rica recorded 0.915 for academic freedom index in 2025.

That represents a change of down 0.8% over ten years.

Over the whole period, academic freedom index in Costa Rica peaked at 0.922 in 1980 and was at its lowest, 0.76, in 1948.

That places Costa Rica 13th out of 174 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the top 10%.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 86 years of available data.

Averages by decade

Decade	Average	Lowest	Highest	Years
1940s	0.7722	0.76	0.774	10
1950s	0.7988	0.789	0.822	10
1960s	0.9	0.9	0.9	10
1970s	0.9121	0.91	0.917	10
1980s	0.922	0.922	0.922	10
1990s	0.922	0.922	0.922	10
2000s	0.922	0.922	0.922	10
2010s	0.9208	0.916	0.922	10
2020s	0.917	0.915	0.922	6

Countries ranked near Costa Rica

10 Ireland 0.922 compare
11 Chile 0.918 compare
11 Luxembourg 0.918 compare
14 Panama 0.914 compare
15 Uruguay 0.91 compare
16 Vanuatu 0.909 compare

See the full ranking of 174 places →

More social development data for Costa Rica

Political Rights Rating 1 (2025)
Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of asy 36,395 (2025)
Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of ori 367 (2025)
Electoral democracy 1 (2025)
Key features of democracy 0.862 (2025)
Freedom of Expression Index 0.915 (2025)
Freedom of Association Index 0.922 (2025)
Electoral Democracy Index 0.862 (2025)
Participatory Democracy Index 0.606 (2025)
Liberal Democracy Index 0.809 (2025)

All data for Costa Rica →

Frequently asked questions

What is academic freedom index in Costa Rica?: Academic freedom index in Costa Rica was 0.915 in 2025, according to V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest academic freedom index recorded in Costa Rica?: The highest recorded value was 0.922 in 1980.
What is the lowest academic freedom index recorded in Costa Rica?: The lowest recorded value was 0.76 in 1948.
How does Costa Rica rank for academic freedom index?: Costa Rica ranks 13th out of 174 countries with data for 2025.
Is academic freedom index rising or falling in Costa Rica?: Over the last ten years it is down 0.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Costa Rica 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 — 86 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.