Academic Freedom Index in Netherlands

Netherlands: Academic Freedom Index was 0.763 in 2025. ▲ Rising

Latest (2025)
0.763
Change on year
up 2.0%
World rank
60th
of 174 countries
All-time high
0.945
in 1989
All-time low
0.398
in 1943
Years of data
126
1900–2025

Academic Freedom Index in Netherlands, 1900–2025

00.20.40.60.81190019622025

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

Analysis

The most recent figure for academic freedom index in Netherlands is 0.763, measured in 2025.

The figure is up 2.0% on the previous year and down 13.3% over ten years.

Over the whole period, academic freedom index in Netherlands peaked at 0.945 in 1989 and was at its lowest, 0.398, in 1943.

That places Netherlands 60th 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 126 years of available data.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1900s 0.848 0.848 0.848 10
1910s 0.848 0.848 0.848 10
1920s 0.848 0.848 0.848 10
1930s 0.848 0.848 0.848 10
1940s 0.6267 0.398 0.925 10
1950s 0.925 0.925 0.925 10
1960s 0.9294 0.925 0.936 10
1970s 0.932 0.932 0.932 10
1980s 0.9378 0.932 0.945 10
1990s 0.9416 0.941 0.944 10
2000s 0.9053 0.88 0.944 10
2010s 0.8874 0.88 0.921 10
2020s 0.8142 0.748 0.872 6

Countries ranked near Netherlands

  1. 57 France 0.8 compare
  2. 58 Malawi 0.795 compare
  3. 59 Switzerland 0.773 compare
  4. 61 Guyana 0.761 compare
  5. 62 Albania 0.76 compare
  6. 62 Japan 0.76 compare

See the full ranking of 174 places →

More social development data for Netherlands

All data for Netherlands →

Frequently asked questions

What is academic freedom index in Netherlands?
Academic freedom index in Netherlands was 0.763 in 2025, according to V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest academic freedom index recorded in Netherlands?
The highest recorded value was 0.945 in 1989.
What is the lowest academic freedom index recorded in Netherlands?
The lowest recorded value was 0.398 in 1943.
How does Netherlands rank for academic freedom index?
Netherlands ranks 60th out of 174 countries with data for 2025.
Is academic freedom index rising or falling in Netherlands?
Over the last ten years it is down 13.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Netherlands 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.