What is academic freedom index in Saudi Arabia?

Academic freedom index in Saudi Arabia was 0.066 in 2025, according to V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.

What is the highest academic freedom index recorded in Saudi Arabia?

The highest recorded value was 0.068 in 2005.

What is the lowest academic freedom index recorded in Saudi Arabia?

The lowest recorded value was 0.042 in 1955.

How does Saudi Arabia rank for academic freedom index?

Saudi Arabia ranks 166th out of 174 countries with data for 2025.

Is academic freedom index rising or falling in Saudi Arabia?

Over the last ten years it is up 32.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.

Where does this Saudi Arabia 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 Saudi Arabia

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

Saudi Arabia: Academic Freedom Index was 0.066 in 2025. ▲ Rising

Latest (2025)

0.066

Change on year

unchanged

World rank

166th

of 174 countries

All-time high

0.068

in 2005

All-time low

0.042

in 1955

Years of data

1949–2025

Academic Freedom Index in Saudi Arabia, 1949–2025

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

Analysis

Saudi Arabia recorded 0.066 for academic freedom index in 2025.

The figure is up 32.0% over ten years.

Over the whole period, academic freedom index in Saudi Arabia peaked at 0.068 in 2005 and was at its lowest, 0.042, in 1955.

Saudi Arabia ranks 166th of 174 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 77 years of available data.

Averages by decade

Decade	Average	Lowest	Highest	Years
1940s	0.063	0.063	0.063	1
1950s	0.0514	0.042	0.063	10
1960s	0.051	0.046	0.066	10
1970s	0.0531	0.049	0.057	10
1980s	0.0575	0.053	0.058	10
1990s	0.058	0.058	0.058	10
2000s	0.0632	0.058	0.068	10
2010s	0.0585	0.05	0.068	10
2020s	0.0613	0.059	0.066	6

Countries ranked near Saudi Arabia

163 Tajikistan 0.082 compare
164 Egypt 0.075 compare
165 China 0.071 compare
167 Turkmenistan 0.064 compare
168 Belarus 0.06 compare
168 Iran 0.06 compare

See the full ranking of 174 places →

More social development data for Saudi Arabia

Political Rights Rating 7 (2025)
Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of asy 448 (2025)
Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of ori 2,368 (2025)
Electoral democracy 0 (2025)
Key features of democracy 0.016 (2025)
Freedom of Expression Index 0.092 (2025)
Freedom of Association Index 0.026 (2025)
Electoral Democracy Index 0.016 (2025)
Participatory Democracy Index 0.026 (2025)
Liberal Democracy Index 0.047 (2025)

All data for Saudi Arabia →

Frequently asked questions

What is academic freedom index in Saudi Arabia?: Academic freedom index in Saudi Arabia was 0.066 in 2025, according to V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest academic freedom index recorded in Saudi Arabia?: The highest recorded value was 0.068 in 2005.
What is the lowest academic freedom index recorded in Saudi Arabia?: The lowest recorded value was 0.042 in 1955.
How does Saudi Arabia rank for academic freedom index?: Saudi Arabia ranks 166th out of 174 countries with data for 2025.
Is academic freedom index rising or falling in Saudi Arabia?: Over the last ten years it is up 32.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Saudi Arabia 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 — 77 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.