Academic Freedom Index in Sao Tome and Principe
Sao Tome and Principe: Academic Freedom Index was 0.636 in 2025. ▲ Rising
Academic Freedom Index in Sao Tome and Principe, 1992–2025
Source: V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
Analysis
In 2025, academic freedom index in Sao Tome and Principe stood at 0.636.
That represents a change of down 8.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, academic freedom index in Sao Tome and Principe peaked at 0.696 in 2013 and was at its lowest, 0.535, in 1992.
That places Sao Tome and Principe 84th 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 34 years of available data.
Academic Freedom Index in Sao Tome and Principe, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1992 | 0.535 | — |
| 1993 | 0.535 | +0.0% |
| 1994 | 0.535 | +0.0% |
| 1995 | 0.535 | +0.0% |
| 1996 | 0.633 | +18.3% |
| 1997 | 0.635 | +0.3% |
| 1998 | 0.635 | +0.0% |
| 1999 | 0.635 | +0.0% |
| 2000 | 0.675 | +6.3% |
| 2001 | 0.675 | +0.0% |
| 2002 | 0.675 | +0.0% |
| 2003 | 0.675 | +0.0% |
| 2004 | 0.675 | +0.0% |
| 2005 | 0.658 | -2.5% |
| 2006 | 0.658 | +0.0% |
| 2007 | 0.658 | +0.0% |
| 2008 | 0.658 | +0.0% |
| 2009 | 0.658 | +0.0% |
| 2010 | 0.689 | +4.7% |
| 2011 | 0.689 | +0.0% |
| 2012 | 0.689 | +0.0% |
| 2013 | 0.696 | +1.0% |
| 2014 | 0.696 | +0.0% |
| 2015 | 0.696 | +0.0% |
| 2016 | 0.696 | +0.0% |
| 2017 | 0.696 | +0.0% |
| 2018 | 0.696 | +0.0% |
| 2019 | 0.696 | +0.0% |
| 2020 | 0.696 | +0.0% |
| 2021 | 0.691 | -0.7% |
| 2022 | 0.691 | +0.0% |
| 2023 | 0.675 | -2.3% |
| 2024 | 0.636 | -5.8% |
| 2025 | 0.636 | +0.0% |
Sao Tome and Principe compared with similar countries
- Sao Tome and Principe's 0.636 is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 0.515, 1.2× the median. (45 countries reporting)
- Sao Tome and Principe's 0.636 is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 0.519, 1.2× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 0.5847 | 0.535 | 0.635 | 8 |
| 2000s | 0.6665 | 0.658 | 0.675 | 10 |
| 2010s | 0.6939 | 0.689 | 0.696 | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.6708 | 0.636 | 0.696 | 6 |
Countries ranked near Sao Tome and Principe
More social development data for Sao Tome and Principe
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 8 (2025)
- Political Rights Rating 2 (2025)
- Electoral democracy 1 (2025)
- Political rights rating fh, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Political rights rating fh, gaps filled 2 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0 units per person (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 8 (2025)
- Sovereign state gleditsch ward, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 60 % change on previous year (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 Sao Tome and Principe?
- Academic freedom index in Sao Tome and Principe was 0.636 in 2025, according to V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest academic freedom index recorded in Sao Tome and Principe?
- The highest recorded value was 0.696 in 2013.
- What is the lowest academic freedom index recorded in Sao Tome and Principe?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.535 in 1992.
- How does Sao Tome and Principe rank for academic freedom index?
- Sao Tome and Principe ranks 84th out of 174 countries with data for 2025.
- Is academic freedom index rising or falling in Sao Tome and Principe?
- Over the last ten years it is down 8.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Sao Tome and Principe 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 — 34 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.