Academic Freedom Index in East Timor
East Timor: Academic Freedom Index was 0.731 in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Academic Freedom Index in East Timor, 1986–2025
Source: V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
Analysis
East Timor recorded 0.731 for academic freedom index in 2025.
The figure is up 0.8% on the previous year and down 1.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, academic freedom index in East Timor peaked at 0.789 in 2020 and was at its lowest, 0.119, in 1986.
That places East Timor 69th out of 174 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Academic Freedom Index in East Timor, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1986 | 0.119 | — |
| 1987 | 0.119 | +0.0% |
| 1988 | 0.119 | +0.0% |
| 1989 | 0.119 | +0.0% |
| 1990 | 0.119 | +0.0% |
| 1991 | 0.119 | +0.0% |
| 1992 | 0.119 | +0.0% |
| 1993 | 0.119 | +0.0% |
| 1994 | 0.119 | +0.0% |
| 1995 | 0.119 | +0.0% |
| 1996 | 0.119 | +0.0% |
| 1997 | 0.164 | +37.8% |
| 1998 | 0.187 | +14.0% |
| 1999 | 0.266 | +42.2% |
| 2000 | 0.756 | +184.2% |
| 2001 | 0.756 | +0.0% |
| 2002 | 0.743 | -1.7% |
| 2003 | 0.743 | +0.0% |
| 2004 | 0.743 | +0.0% |
| 2005 | 0.743 | +0.0% |
| 2006 | 0.745 | +0.3% |
| 2007 | 0.746 | +0.1% |
| 2008 | 0.745 | -0.1% |
| 2009 | 0.745 | +0.0% |
| 2010 | 0.745 | +0.0% |
| 2011 | 0.745 | +0.0% |
| 2012 | 0.748 | +0.4% |
| 2013 | 0.749 | +0.1% |
| 2014 | 0.744 | -0.7% |
| 2015 | 0.744 | +0.0% |
| 2016 | 0.744 | +0.0% |
| 2017 | 0.753 | +1.2% |
| 2018 | 0.756 | +0.4% |
| 2019 | 0.763 | +0.9% |
| 2020 | 0.789 | +3.4% |
| 2021 | 0.789 | +0.0% |
| 2022 | 0.789 | +0.0% |
| 2023 | 0.762 | -3.4% |
| 2024 | 0.725 | -4.9% |
| 2025 | 0.731 | +0.8% |
East Timor compared with similar countries
- East Timor's 0.731 is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 0.515, 1.4× the median. (45 countries reporting)
- East Timor's 0.731 is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 0.5275, 1.4× the median. (22 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 0.119 | 0.119 | 0.119 | 4 |
| 1990s | 0.145 | 0.119 | 0.266 | 10 |
| 2000s | 0.7465 | 0.743 | 0.756 | 10 |
| 2010s | 0.7491 | 0.744 | 0.763 | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.7642 | 0.725 | 0.789 | 6 |
Countries ranked near East Timor
More social development data for East Timor
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0 (2015)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 15 (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 15 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0 units per person (2015)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0 units per US$ of GDP (2015)
Frequently asked questions
- What is academic freedom index in East Timor?
- Academic freedom index in East Timor was 0.731 in 2025, according to V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest academic freedom index recorded in East Timor?
- The highest recorded value was 0.789 in 2020.
- What is the lowest academic freedom index recorded in East Timor?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.119 in 1986.
- How does East Timor rank for academic freedom index?
- East Timor ranks 69th out of 174 countries with data for 2025.
- Is academic freedom index rising or falling in East Timor?
- Over the last ten years it is down 1.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this East Timor 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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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.