Academic Freedom Index in Norway

Norway: Academic Freedom Index was 0.854 in 2025. ▲ Rising

Latest (2025)
0.854
Change on year
up 1.3%
World rank
33rd
of 174 countries
All-time high
0.926
in 1980
All-time low
0.038
in 1944
Years of data
126
1900–2025

Academic Freedom Index in Norway, 1900–2025

00.20.40.60.81190019622025

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

Analysis

In 2025, academic freedom index in Norway stood at 0.854.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 1.3% on the previous year and down 4.7% over ten years.

Over the whole period, academic freedom index in Norway peaked at 0.926 in 1980 and was at its lowest, 0.038, in 1944.

Norway ranks 33rd of 174 countries 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 0.768 0.768 0.768 10
1910s 0.768 0.768 0.768 10
1920s 0.781 0.781 0.781 10
1930s 0.7789 0.76 0.781 10
1940s 0.3893 0.038 0.853 10
1950s 0.8824 0.867 0.901 10
1960s 0.8984 0.886 0.905 10
1970s 0.905 0.905 0.905 10
1980s 0.926 0.926 0.926 10
1990s 0.926 0.926 0.926 10
2000s 0.9239 0.917 0.926 10
2010s 0.8952 0.885 0.899 10
2020s 0.8622 0.843 0.869 6

Countries ranked near Norway

  1. 32 Sierra Leone 0.862 compare
  2. 33 Canada 0.854 compare
  3. 35 Bulgaria 0.85 compare
  4. 35 South Korea 0.85 compare

See the full ranking of 174 places →

More social development data for Norway

All data for Norway →

Frequently asked questions

What is academic freedom index in Norway?
Academic freedom index in Norway was 0.854 in 2025, according to V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest academic freedom index recorded in Norway?
The highest recorded value was 0.926 in 1980.
What is the lowest academic freedom index recorded in Norway?
The lowest recorded value was 0.038 in 1944.
How does Norway rank for academic freedom index?
Norway ranks 33rd out of 174 countries with data for 2025.
Is academic freedom index rising or falling in Norway?
Over the last ten years it is down 4.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Norway 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.