Academic Freedom Index in Malta

Malta: Academic Freedom Index was 0.874 in 2025. ▲ Rising

Latest (2025)
0.874
Change on year
unchanged
Rank
25th
of 174 regions
All-time high
0.922
in 2005
All-time low
0.681
in 1979
Years of data
126
1900–2025

Academic Freedom Index in Malta, 1900–2025

00.20.40.60.81190019622025

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

Analysis

Malta recorded 0.874 for academic freedom index in 2025.

The figure is down 2.6% over ten years.

Over the whole period, academic freedom index in Malta peaked at 0.922 in 2005 and was at its lowest, 0.681, in 1979.

Malta ranks 25th of 174 regions 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

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1900s 0.702 0.702 0.702 10
1910s 0.702 0.702 0.702 10
1920s 0.702 0.702 0.702 10
1930s 0.702 0.702 0.702 10
1940s 0.6941 0.685 0.713 10
1950s 0.713 0.713 0.713 10
1960s 0.7289 0.713 0.741 10
1970s 0.7005 0.681 0.741 10
1980s 0.7286 0.681 0.858 10
1990s 0.86 0.86 0.86 10
2000s 0.9007 0.875 0.922 10
2010s 0.9036 0.888 0.922 10
2020s 0.8882 0.874 0.919 6

Countries ranked near Malta

  1. 22 Germany 0.877 compare
  2. 23 Nigeria 0.876 compare
  3. 24 Denmark 0.875 compare
  4. 26 Spain 0.869 compare
  5. 27 Cape Verde 0.866 compare
  6. 27 Trinidad and Tobago 0.866 compare

See the full ranking of 174 places →

More social development data for Malta

All data for Malta →

Frequently asked questions

What is academic freedom index in Malta?
Academic freedom index in Malta was 0.874 in 2025, according to V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest academic freedom index recorded in Malta?
The highest recorded value was 0.922 in 2005.
What is the lowest academic freedom index recorded in Malta?
The lowest recorded value was 0.681 in 1979.
How does Malta rank for academic freedom index?
Malta ranks 25th out of 174 regions with data for 2025.
Is academic freedom index rising or falling in Malta?
Over the last ten years it is down 2.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Malta 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

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.