Academic Freedom Index in Gambia
Gambia: Academic Freedom Index was 0.821 in 2025. ▲ Rising
Academic Freedom Index in Gambia, 1978–2025
Source: V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
Analysis
In 2025, academic freedom index in Gambia stood at 0.821.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 1.2% on the previous year and up 56.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, academic freedom index in Gambia peaked at 0.851 in 2019 and was at its lowest, 0.358, in 1994.
That places Gambia 53rd out of 174 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 48 years of available data.
Academic Freedom Index in Gambia, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1978 | 0.548 | — |
| 1979 | 0.548 | +0.0% |
| 1980 | 0.548 | +0.0% |
| 1981 | 0.465 | -15.1% |
| 1982 | 0.465 | +0.0% |
| 1983 | 0.483 | +3.9% |
| 1984 | 0.483 | +0.0% |
| 1985 | 0.447 | -7.5% |
| 1986 | 0.482 | +7.8% |
| 1987 | 0.482 | +0.0% |
| 1988 | 0.482 | +0.0% |
| 1989 | 0.482 | +0.0% |
| 1990 | 0.494 | +2.5% |
| 1991 | 0.494 | +0.0% |
| 1992 | 0.494 | +0.0% |
| 1993 | 0.386 | -21.9% |
| 1994 | 0.358 | -7.3% |
| 1995 | 0.393 | +9.8% |
| 1996 | 0.393 | +0.0% |
| 1997 | 0.385 | -2.0% |
| 1998 | 0.385 | +0.0% |
| 1999 | 0.509 | +32.2% |
| 2000 | 0.503 | -1.2% |
| 2001 | 0.503 | +0.0% |
| 2002 | 0.503 | +0.0% |
| 2003 | 0.503 | +0.0% |
| 2004 | 0.503 | +0.0% |
| 2005 | 0.503 | +0.0% |
| 2006 | 0.503 | +0.0% |
| 2007 | 0.503 | +0.0% |
| 2008 | 0.503 | +0.0% |
| 2009 | 0.503 | +0.0% |
| 2010 | 0.503 | +0.0% |
| 2011 | 0.503 | +0.0% |
| 2012 | 0.503 | +0.0% |
| 2013 | 0.499 | -0.8% |
| 2014 | 0.499 | +0.0% |
| 2015 | 0.525 | +5.2% |
| 2016 | 0.518 | -1.3% |
| 2017 | 0.762 | +47.1% |
| 2018 | 0.843 | +10.6% |
| 2019 | 0.851 | +0.9% |
| 2020 | 0.847 | -0.5% |
| 2021 | 0.83 | -2.0% |
| 2022 | 0.801 | -3.5% |
| 2023 | 0.813 | +1.5% |
| 2024 | 0.811 | -0.2% |
| 2025 | 0.821 | +1.2% |
Gambia compared with similar countries
- Gambia's 0.821 is above the median for low income countries, which is 0.326, 2.5× the median. (25 countries reporting)
- Gambia's 0.821 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 0.548 | 0.548 | 0.548 | 2 |
| 1980s | 0.4819 | 0.447 | 0.548 | 10 |
| 1990s | 0.4291 | 0.358 | 0.509 | 10 |
| 2000s | 0.503 | 0.503 | 0.503 | 10 |
| 2010s | 0.6006 | 0.499 | 0.851 | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.8205 | 0.801 | 0.847 | 6 |
Countries ranked near Gambia
More social development data for Gambia
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 4,108 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 6,728 (2025)
- Political Rights Rating 4 (2025)
- Electoral democracy 1 (2025)
- Political rights rating fh, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Political rights rating fh, gaps filled 4 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0.0024 units per person (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 6,728 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0.0015 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 Gambia?
- Academic freedom index in Gambia was 0.821 in 2025, according to V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest academic freedom index recorded in Gambia?
- The highest recorded value was 0.851 in 2019.
- What is the lowest academic freedom index recorded in Gambia?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.358 in 1994.
- How does Gambia rank for academic freedom index?
- Gambia ranks 53rd out of 174 countries with data for 2025.
- Is academic freedom index rising or falling in Gambia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 56.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Gambia 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 — 48 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.