Academic Freedom Index in Rwanda
Rwanda: Academic Freedom Index was 0.097 in 2025. ▼ Falling
Latest (2025)
0.097
Change on year
up 76.4%
World rank
158th
of 174 countries
All-time high
0.18
in 2023
All-time low
0.045
in 1974
Years of data
63
1963–2025
Academic Freedom Index in Rwanda, 1963–2025
Source: V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
Analysis
In 2025, academic freedom index in Rwanda stood at 0.097.
The figure is up 76.4% on the previous year and up 29.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, academic freedom index in Rwanda peaked at 0.18 in 2023 and was at its lowest, 0.045, in 1974.
That places Rwanda 158th out of 174 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 63 years of available data.
Academic Freedom Index in Rwanda, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1963 | 0.129 | — |
| 1964 | 0.129 | +0.0% |
| 1965 | 0.129 | +0.0% |
| 1966 | 0.129 | +0.0% |
| 1967 | 0.129 | +0.0% |
| 1968 | 0.129 | +0.0% |
| 1969 | 0.128 | -0.8% |
| 1970 | 0.129 | +0.8% |
| 1971 | 0.129 | +0.0% |
| 1972 | 0.123 | -4.7% |
| 1973 | 0.122 | -0.8% |
| 1974 | 0.045 | -63.1% |
| 1975 | 0.045 | +0.0% |
| 1976 | 0.045 | +0.0% |
| 1977 | 0.045 | +0.0% |
| 1978 | 0.045 | +0.0% |
| 1979 | 0.045 | +0.0% |
| 1980 | 0.081 | +80.0% |
| 1981 | 0.081 | +0.0% |
| 1982 | 0.081 | +0.0% |
| 1983 | 0.081 | +0.0% |
| 1984 | 0.081 | +0.0% |
| 1985 | 0.081 | +0.0% |
| 1986 | 0.081 | +0.0% |
| 1987 | 0.081 | +0.0% |
| 1988 | 0.081 | +0.0% |
| 1989 | 0.081 | +0.0% |
| 1990 | 0.075 | -7.4% |
| 1991 | 0.148 | +97.3% |
| 1992 | 0.148 | +0.0% |
| 1993 | 0.148 | +0.0% |
| 1994 | 0.055 | -62.8% |
| 1995 | 0.048 | -12.7% |
| 1996 | 0.079 | +64.6% |
| 1997 | 0.079 | +0.0% |
| 1998 | 0.095 | +20.3% |
| 1999 | 0.095 | +0.0% |
| 2000 | 0.1 | +5.3% |
| 2001 | 0.1 | +0.0% |
| 2002 | 0.1 | +0.0% |
| 2003 | 0.1 | +0.0% |
| 2004 | 0.08 | -20.0% |
| 2005 | 0.08 | +0.0% |
| 2006 | 0.079 | -1.3% |
| 2007 | 0.079 | +0.0% |
| 2008 | 0.079 | +0.0% |
| 2009 | 0.079 | +0.0% |
| 2010 | 0.076 | -3.8% |
| 2011 | 0.076 | +0.0% |
| 2012 | 0.077 | +1.3% |
| 2013 | 0.077 | +0.0% |
| 2014 | 0.076 | -1.3% |
| 2015 | 0.075 | -1.3% |
| 2016 | 0.075 | +0.0% |
| 2017 | 0.067 | -10.7% |
| 2018 | 0.077 | +14.9% |
| 2019 | 0.072 | -6.5% |
| 2020 | 0.068 | -5.6% |
| 2021 | 0.067 | -1.5% |
| 2022 | 0.084 | +25.4% |
| 2023 | 0.18 | +114.3% |
| 2024 | 0.055 | -69.4% |
| 2025 | 0.097 | +76.4% |
Rwanda compared with similar countries
- Rwanda's 0.097 is below the median for low income countries, which is 0.326, 30% of the median. (25 countries reporting)
- Rwanda's 0.097 is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 0.519, 19% of the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 0.1289 | 0.128 | 0.129 | 7 |
| 1970s | 0.0773 | 0.045 | 0.129 | 10 |
| 1980s | 0.081 | 0.081 | 0.081 | 10 |
| 1990s | 0.097 | 0.048 | 0.148 | 10 |
| 2000s | 0.0876 | 0.079 | 0.1 | 10 |
| 2010s | 0.0748 | 0.067 | 0.077 | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.0918 | 0.055 | 0.18 | 6 |
Countries ranked near Rwanda
- 155 Laos 0.122 compare
- 156 Equatorial Guinea 0.108 compare
- 157 Qatar 0.1 compare
- 159 Azerbaijan 0.092 compare
- 160 Turkey 0.088 compare
- 161 Afghanistan 0.086 compare
More social development data for Rwanda
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 115,794 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 244,415 (2025)
- Political Rights Rating 6 (2025)
- Electoral democracy 0 (2025)
- Political rights rating fh, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Political rights rating fh, gaps filled 6 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0.0168 units per person (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 244,415 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0.0079 units per person (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is academic freedom index in Rwanda?
- Academic freedom index in Rwanda was 0.097 in 2025, according to V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest academic freedom index recorded in Rwanda?
- The highest recorded value was 0.18 in 2023.
- What is the lowest academic freedom index recorded in Rwanda?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.045 in 1974.
- How does Rwanda rank for academic freedom index?
- Rwanda ranks 158th out of 174 countries with data for 2025.
- Is academic freedom index rising or falling in Rwanda?
- Over the last ten years it is up 29.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Rwanda 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 — 63 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.