What is academic freedom index in Sweden?

Academic freedom index in Sweden was 0.934 in 2025, according to V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.

What is the highest academic freedom index recorded in Sweden?

The highest recorded value was 0.954 in 1975.

What is the lowest academic freedom index recorded in Sweden?

The lowest recorded value was 0.851 in 1900.

How does Sweden rank for academic freedom index?

Sweden ranks 6th out of 174 countries with data for 2025.

Is academic freedom index rising or falling in Sweden?

Over the last ten years it is down 1.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.

Where does this Sweden 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 Sweden

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

Sweden: Academic Freedom Index was 0.934 in 2025. ▲ Rising

Latest (2025)

0.934

Change on year

down 0.8%

World rank

6th

of 174 countries

All-time high

0.954

in 1975

All-time low

0.851

in 1900

Years of data

126

1900–2025

Academic Freedom Index in Sweden, 1900–2025

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

Analysis

In 2025, academic freedom index in Sweden stood at 0.934.

That represents a change of down 0.8% on the previous year and down 1.8% over ten years.

Over the whole period, academic freedom index in Sweden peaked at 0.954 in 1975 and was at its lowest, 0.851, in 1900.

That places Sweden 6th out of 174 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the top 10%.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 126 years of available data.

Academic Freedom Index in Sweden, year by year

Annual values for Academic Freedom Index in Sweden, 1900 to 2025.
Year	Value	Change
1900	0.851	—
1901	0.851	+0.0%
1902	0.851	+0.0%
1903	0.851	+0.0%
1904	0.851	+0.0%
1905	0.851	+0.0%
1906	0.851	+0.0%
1907	0.851	+0.0%
1908	0.851	+0.0%
1909	0.851	+0.0%
1910	0.851	+0.0%
1911	0.851	+0.0%
1912	0.851	+0.0%
1913	0.851	+0.0%
1914	0.851	+0.0%
1915	0.852	+0.1%
1916	0.852	+0.0%
1917	0.852	+0.0%
1918	0.852	+0.0%
1919	0.855	+0.4%
1920	0.9	+5.3%
1921	0.9	+0.0%
1922	0.904	+0.4%
1923	0.904	+0.0%
1924	0.904	+0.0%
1925	0.904	+0.0%
1926	0.904	+0.0%
1927	0.904	+0.0%
1928	0.904	+0.0%
1929	0.904	+0.0%
1930	0.904	+0.0%
1931	0.904	+0.0%
1932	0.904	+0.0%
1933	0.904	+0.0%
1934	0.904	+0.0%
1935	0.904	+0.0%
1936	0.904	+0.0%
1937	0.904	+0.0%
1938	0.904	+0.0%
1939	0.89	-1.5%
1940	0.896	+0.7%
1941	0.896	+0.0%
1942	0.896	+0.0%
1943	0.896	+0.0%
1944	0.896	+0.0%
1945	0.896	+0.0%
1946	0.912	+1.8%
1947	0.912	+0.0%
1948	0.912	+0.0%
1949	0.912	+0.0%
1950	0.943	+3.4%
1951	0.943	+0.0%
1952	0.943	+0.0%
1953	0.943	+0.0%
1954	0.943	+0.0%
1955	0.943	+0.0%
1956	0.943	+0.0%
1957	0.943	+0.0%
1958	0.943	+0.0%
1959	0.943	+0.0%
1960	0.943	+0.0%
1961	0.943	+0.0%
1962	0.943	+0.0%
1963	0.943	+0.0%
1964	0.943	+0.0%
1965	0.943	+0.0%
1966	0.943	+0.0%
1967	0.943	+0.0%
1968	0.943	+0.0%
1969	0.943	+0.0%
1970	0.946	+0.3%
1971	0.946	+0.0%
1972	0.95	+0.4%
1973	0.95	+0.0%
1974	0.95	+0.0%
1975	0.954	+0.4%
1976	0.954	+0.0%
1977	0.95	-0.4%
1978	0.95	+0.0%
1979	0.947	-0.3%
1980	0.951	+0.4%
1981	0.951	+0.0%
1982	0.951	+0.0%
1983	0.951	+0.0%
1984	0.951	+0.0%
1985	0.951	+0.0%
1986	0.951	+0.0%
1987	0.951	+0.0%
1988	0.951	+0.0%
1989	0.951	+0.0%
1990	0.951	+0.0%
1991	0.951	+0.0%
1992	0.951	+0.0%
1993	0.951	+0.0%
1994	0.951	+0.0%
1995	0.951	+0.0%
1996	0.951	+0.0%
1997	0.951	+0.0%
1998	0.951	+0.0%
1999	0.951	+0.0%
2000	0.951	+0.0%
2001	0.951	+0.0%
2002	0.951	+0.0%
2003	0.951	+0.0%
2004	0.951	+0.0%
2005	0.951	+0.0%
2006	0.951	+0.0%
2007	0.951	+0.0%
2008	0.951	+0.0%
2009	0.951	+0.0%
2010	0.951	+0.0%
2011	0.951	+0.0%
2012	0.951	+0.0%
2013	0.951	+0.0%
2014	0.951	+0.0%
2015	0.951	+0.0%
2016	0.951	+0.0%
2017	0.951	+0.0%
2018	0.951	+0.0%
2019	0.951	+0.0%
2020	0.951	+0.0%
2021	0.951	+0.0%
2022	0.943	-0.8%
2023	0.942	-0.1%
2024	0.942	+0.0%
2025	0.934	-0.8%

Sweden compared with similar countries

Sweden's 0.934 is above the median for high income countries, which is 0.847, 1.1× the median. (55 countries reporting)
Sweden's 0.934 is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 0.7865, 1.2× the median. (48 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

Decade	Average	Lowest	Highest	Years
1900s	0.851	0.851	0.851	10
1910s	0.8518	0.851	0.855	10
1920s	0.9032	0.9	0.904	10
1930s	0.9026	0.89	0.904	10
1940s	0.9024	0.896	0.912	10
1950s	0.943	0.943	0.943	10
1960s	0.943	0.943	0.943	10
1970s	0.9497	0.946	0.954	10
1980s	0.951	0.951	0.951	10
1990s	0.951	0.951	0.951	10
2000s	0.951	0.951	0.951	10
2010s	0.951	0.951	0.951	10
2020s	0.9438	0.934	0.951	6

Countries ranked near Sweden

3 Belgium 0.946 compare
4 Jamaica 0.939 compare
5 Slovenia 0.937 compare
7 Honduras 0.931 compare
7 Seychelles 0.931 compare
9 Latvia 0.928 compare

See the full ranking of 174 places →

More social development data for Sweden

Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 144,116 (2025)
Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 128 (2025)
Political Rights Rating 1 (2025)
Electoral democracy 1 (2025)
Political rights rating fh, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
Political rights rating fh, gaps filled 1 (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 128 (2025)
Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0.0136 units per person (2025)
Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)

All data for Sweden →

Frequently asked questions

What is academic freedom index in Sweden?: Academic freedom index in Sweden was 0.934 in 2025, according to V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest academic freedom index recorded in Sweden?: The highest recorded value was 0.954 in 1975.
What is the lowest academic freedom index recorded in Sweden?: The lowest recorded value was 0.851 in 1900.
How does Sweden rank for academic freedom index?: Sweden ranks 6th out of 174 countries with data for 2025.
Is academic freedom index rising or falling in Sweden?: Over the last ten years it is down 1.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Sweden 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.

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Academic Freedom Index in Sweden. Statizoid, drawing on V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Retrieved 23 September 2026, from https://social-development.statizoid.com/stat/academic-freedom-index/sweden/

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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: 18 September 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.