What is academic freedom index in Nigeria?

Academic freedom index in Nigeria was 0.876 in 2025, according to V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.

What is the highest academic freedom index recorded in Nigeria?

The highest recorded value was 0.924 in 2022.

What is the lowest academic freedom index recorded in Nigeria?

The lowest recorded value was 0.668 in 1995.

How does Nigeria rank for academic freedom index?

Nigeria ranks 23rd out of 174 countries with data for 2025.

Is academic freedom index rising or falling in Nigeria?

Over the last ten years it is down 4.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.

Where does this Nigeria 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 Nigeria

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

Nigeria: Academic Freedom Index was 0.876 in 2025. ▲ Rising

Latest (2025)

0.876

Change on year

up 1.5%

World rank

23rd

of 174 countries

All-time high

0.924

in 2022

All-time low

0.668

in 1995

Years of data

1947–2025

Academic Freedom Index in Nigeria, 1947–2025

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

Analysis

Nigeria recorded 0.876 for academic freedom index in 2025.

The figure is up 1.5% on the previous year and down 4.2% over ten years.

Over the whole period, academic freedom index in Nigeria peaked at 0.924 in 2022 and was at its lowest, 0.668, in 1995.

Nigeria ranks 23rd of 174 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 79 years of available data.

Averages by decade

Decade	Average	Lowest	Highest	Years
1940s	0.7953	0.792	0.797	3
1950s	0.7959	0.786	0.797	10
1960s	0.815	0.769	0.848	10
1970s	0.746	0.726	0.764	10
1980s	0.7145	0.673	0.774	10
1990s	0.6966	0.668	0.815	10
2000s	0.9156	0.915	0.917	10
2010s	0.9118	0.902	0.914	10
2020s	0.8895	0.863	0.924	6

Countries ranked near Nigeria

20 Cyprus 0.889 compare
21 Austria 0.881 compare
22 Germany 0.877 compare
24 Denmark 0.875 compare
26 Spain 0.869 compare

See the full ranking of 174 places →

More social development data for Nigeria

Political Rights Rating 4 (2025)
Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of asy 123,848 (2025)
Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of ori 478,150 (2025)
Electoral democracy 0 (2025)
Key features of democracy 0.505 (2025)
Freedom of Expression Index 0.849 (2025)
Freedom of Association Index 0.846 (2025)
Electoral Democracy Index 0.505 (2025)
Participatory Democracy Index 0.323 (2025)
Liberal Democracy Index 0.311 (2025)

All data for Nigeria →

Frequently asked questions

What is academic freedom index in Nigeria?: Academic freedom index in Nigeria was 0.876 in 2025, according to V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest academic freedom index recorded in Nigeria?: The highest recorded value was 0.924 in 2022.
What is the lowest academic freedom index recorded in Nigeria?: The lowest recorded value was 0.668 in 1995.
How does Nigeria rank for academic freedom index?: Nigeria ranks 23rd out of 174 countries with data for 2025.
Is academic freedom index rising or falling in Nigeria?: Over the last ten years it is down 4.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Nigeria 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 — 79 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.