What is academic freedom index in Ireland?

Academic freedom index in Ireland was 0.922 in 2025, according to V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.

What is the highest academic freedom index recorded in Ireland?

The highest recorded value was 0.937 in 2010.

What is the lowest academic freedom index recorded in Ireland?

The lowest recorded value was 0.651 in 1919.

How does Ireland rank for academic freedom index?

Ireland ranks 10th out of 174 regions with data for 2025.

Is academic freedom index rising or falling in Ireland?

Over the last ten years it is down 0.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.

Where does this Ireland 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 Ireland

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

Ireland: Academic Freedom Index was 0.922 in 2025. ▲ Rising

Latest (2025)

0.922

Change on year

unchanged

Rank

10th

of 174 regions

All-time high

0.937

in 2010

All-time low

0.651

in 1919

Years of data

126

1900–2025

Academic Freedom Index in Ireland, 1900–2025

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

Analysis

Ireland recorded 0.922 for academic freedom index in 2025.

The figure is down 0.2% over ten years.

Over the whole period, academic freedom index in Ireland peaked at 0.937 in 2010 and was at its lowest, 0.651, in 1919.

That places Ireland 10th out of 174 regions with data for 2025, putting it in the top 10%.

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

Averages by decade

Decade	Average	Lowest	Highest	Years
1900s	0.915	0.915	0.915	10
1910s	0.8886	0.651	0.915	10
1920s	0.6845	0.651	0.702	10
1930s	0.72	0.72	0.72	10
1940s	0.7496	0.735	0.777	10
1950s	0.777	0.777	0.777	10
1960s	0.83	0.83	0.83	10
1970s	0.852	0.852	0.852	10
1980s	0.87	0.87	0.87	10
1990s	0.935	0.926	0.936	10
2000s	0.9304	0.922	0.936	10
2010s	0.9234	0.907	0.937	10
2020s	0.922	0.922	0.922	6

Countries ranked near Ireland

7 Honduras 0.931 compare
7 Seychelles 0.931 compare
9 Latvia 0.928 compare
11 Chile 0.918 compare
13 Costa Rica 0.915 compare

See the full ranking of 174 places →

More social development data for Ireland

Political Rights Rating 1 (2025)
Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of asy 137,869 (2025)
Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of ori 69 (2025)
Electoral democracy 1 (2025)
Key features of democracy 0.887 (2025)
Freedom of Expression Index 0.97 (2025)
Freedom of Association Index 0.912 (2025)
Electoral Democracy Index 0.887 (2025)
Participatory Democracy Index 0.619 (2025)
Liberal Democracy Index 0.822 (2025)

All data for Ireland →

Frequently asked questions

What is academic freedom index in Ireland?: Academic freedom index in Ireland was 0.922 in 2025, according to V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest academic freedom index recorded in Ireland?: The highest recorded value was 0.937 in 2010.
What is the lowest academic freedom index recorded in Ireland?: The lowest recorded value was 0.651 in 1919.
How does Ireland rank for academic freedom index?: Ireland ranks 10th out of 174 regions with data for 2025.
Is academic freedom index rising or falling in Ireland?: Over the last ten years it is down 0.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Ireland 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.