Academic Freedom Index in Lesotho
Lesotho: Academic Freedom Index was 0.643 in 2025. ▲ Rising
Academic Freedom Index in Lesotho, 1945–2025
Source: V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
Analysis
The most recent figure for academic freedom index in Lesotho is 0.643, measured in 2025.
That represents a change of down 7.7% on the previous year and down 3.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, academic freedom index in Lesotho peaked at 0.747 in 2022 and was at its lowest, 0.429, in 1950.
That places Lesotho 83rd 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 81 years of available data.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1940s | 0.433 | 0.433 | 0.433 | 5 |
| 1950s | 0.429 | 0.429 | 0.429 | 10 |
| 1960s | 0.4366 | 0.429 | 0.448 | 10 |
| 1970s | 0.429 | 0.429 | 0.429 | 10 |
| 1980s | 0.503 | 0.503 | 0.503 | 10 |
| 1990s | 0.5418 | 0.503 | 0.567 | 10 |
| 2000s | 0.6574 | 0.654 | 0.664 | 10 |
| 2010s | 0.6644 | 0.657 | 0.669 | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.694 | 0.643 | 0.747 | 6 |
Countries ranked near Lesotho
- 80 Ghana 0.67 compare
- 81 United Kingdom 0.668 compare
- 82 North Macedonia 0.664 compare
- 84 Fiji 0.636 compare
- 84 Sao Tome and Principe 0.636 compare
- 86 Argentina 0.625 compare
More social development data for Lesotho
- Political Rights Rating 2 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of asy 478 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of ori 27 (2025)
- Electoral democracy 1 (2025)
- Key features of democracy 0.661 (2025)
- Freedom of Expression Index 0.728 (2025)
- Freedom of Association Index 0.873 (2025)
- Electoral Democracy Index 0.661 (2025)
- Participatory Democracy Index 0.404 (2025)
- Liberal Democracy Index 0.512 (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is academic freedom index in Lesotho?
- Academic freedom index in Lesotho was 0.643 in 2025, according to V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest academic freedom index recorded in Lesotho?
- The highest recorded value was 0.747 in 2022.
- What is the lowest academic freedom index recorded in Lesotho?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.429 in 1950.
- How does Lesotho rank for academic freedom index?
- Lesotho ranks 83rd out of 174 countries with data for 2025.
- Is academic freedom index rising or falling in Lesotho?
- Over the last ten years it is down 3.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Lesotho 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 — 81 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.