Academic Freedom Index in Venezuela
Venezuela: Academic Freedom Index was 0.129 in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2025)
0.129
Change on year
down 26.7%
World rank
154th
of 174 countries
All-time high
0.937
in 1986
All-time low
0.043
in 1920
Years of data
126
1900–2025
Academic Freedom Index in Venezuela, 1900–2025
Source: V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
Analysis
The most recent figure for academic freedom index in Venezuela is 0.129, measured in 2025.
The figure is down 26.7% on the previous year and down 57.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, academic freedom index in Venezuela peaked at 0.937 in 1986 and was at its lowest, 0.043, in 1920.
That places Venezuela 154th out of 174 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Academic Freedom Index in Venezuela, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1900 | 0.068 | — |
| 1901 | 0.068 | +0.0% |
| 1902 | 0.068 | +0.0% |
| 1903 | 0.068 | +0.0% |
| 1904 | 0.071 | +4.4% |
| 1905 | 0.071 | +0.0% |
| 1906 | 0.071 | +0.0% |
| 1907 | 0.094 | +32.4% |
| 1908 | 0.094 | +0.0% |
| 1909 | 0.099 | +5.3% |
| 1910 | 0.084 | -15.2% |
| 1911 | 0.084 | +0.0% |
| 1912 | 0.08 | -4.8% |
| 1913 | 0.08 | +0.0% |
| 1914 | 0.059 | -26.3% |
| 1915 | 0.057 | -3.4% |
| 1916 | 0.057 | +0.0% |
| 1917 | 0.055 | -3.5% |
| 1918 | 0.055 | +0.0% |
| 1919 | 0.055 | +0.0% |
| 1920 | 0.043 | -21.8% |
| 1921 | 0.043 | +0.0% |
| 1922 | 0.043 | +0.0% |
| 1923 | 0.043 | +0.0% |
| 1924 | 0.043 | +0.0% |
| 1925 | 0.045 | +4.7% |
| 1926 | 0.047 | +4.4% |
| 1927 | 0.047 | +0.0% |
| 1928 | 0.053 | +12.8% |
| 1929 | 0.046 | -13.2% |
| 1930 | 0.053 | +15.2% |
| 1931 | 0.053 | +0.0% |
| 1932 | 0.053 | +0.0% |
| 1933 | 0.053 | +0.0% |
| 1934 | 0.053 | +0.0% |
| 1935 | 0.053 | +0.0% |
| 1936 | 0.168 | +217.0% |
| 1937 | 0.259 | +54.2% |
| 1938 | 0.259 | +0.0% |
| 1939 | 0.259 | +0.0% |
| 1940 | 0.271 | +4.6% |
| 1941 | 0.339 | +25.1% |
| 1942 | 0.339 | +0.0% |
| 1943 | 0.339 | +0.0% |
| 1944 | 0.346 | +2.1% |
| 1945 | 0.4 | +15.6% |
| 1946 | 0.411 | +2.7% |
| 1947 | 0.411 | +0.0% |
| 1948 | 0.328 | -20.2% |
| 1949 | 0.148 | -54.9% |
| 1950 | 0.134 | -9.5% |
| 1951 | 0.134 | +0.0% |
| 1952 | 0.126 | -6.0% |
| 1953 | 0.113 | -10.3% |
| 1954 | 0.113 | +0.0% |
| 1955 | 0.113 | +0.0% |
| 1956 | 0.113 | +0.0% |
| 1957 | 0.113 | +0.0% |
| 1958 | 0.581 | +414.2% |
| 1959 | 0.792 | +36.3% |
| 1960 | 0.832 | +5.1% |
| 1961 | 0.832 | +0.0% |
| 1962 | 0.836 | +0.5% |
| 1963 | 0.836 | +0.0% |
| 1964 | 0.839 | +0.4% |
| 1965 | 0.839 | +0.0% |
| 1966 | 0.839 | +0.0% |
| 1967 | 0.839 | +0.0% |
| 1968 | 0.839 | +0.0% |
| 1969 | 0.768 | -8.5% |
| 1970 | 0.798 | +3.9% |
| 1971 | 0.799 | +0.1% |
| 1972 | 0.908 | +13.6% |
| 1973 | 0.907 | -0.1% |
| 1974 | 0.905 | -0.2% |
| 1975 | 0.911 | +0.7% |
| 1976 | 0.911 | +0.0% |
| 1977 | 0.909 | -0.2% |
| 1978 | 0.914 | +0.6% |
| 1979 | 0.914 | +0.0% |
| 1980 | 0.93 | +1.8% |
| 1981 | 0.93 | +0.0% |
| 1982 | 0.93 | +0.0% |
| 1983 | 0.933 | +0.3% |
| 1984 | 0.933 | +0.0% |
| 1985 | 0.933 | +0.0% |
| 1986 | 0.937 | +0.4% |
| 1987 | 0.937 | +0.0% |
| 1988 | 0.933 | -0.4% |
| 1989 | 0.928 | -0.5% |
| 1990 | 0.934 | +0.6% |
| 1991 | 0.934 | +0.0% |
| 1992 | 0.929 | -0.5% |
| 1993 | 0.929 | +0.0% |
| 1994 | 0.931 | +0.2% |
| 1995 | 0.93 | -0.1% |
| 1996 | 0.93 | +0.0% |
| 1997 | 0.93 | +0.0% |
| 1998 | 0.919 | -1.2% |
| 1999 | 0.896 | -2.5% |
| 2000 | 0.587 | -34.5% |
| 2001 | 0.561 | -4.4% |
| 2002 | 0.561 | +0.0% |
| 2003 | 0.546 | -2.7% |
| 2004 | 0.524 | -4.0% |
| 2005 | 0.5 | -4.6% |
| 2006 | 0.485 | -3.0% |
| 2007 | 0.473 | -2.5% |
| 2008 | 0.475 | +0.4% |
| 2009 | 0.475 | +0.0% |
| 2010 | 0.421 | -11.4% |
| 2011 | 0.395 | -6.2% |
| 2012 | 0.362 | -8.4% |
| 2013 | 0.337 | -6.9% |
| 2014 | 0.327 | -3.0% |
| 2015 | 0.3 | -8.3% |
| 2016 | 0.276 | -8.0% |
| 2017 | 0.251 | -9.1% |
| 2018 | 0.255 | +1.6% |
| 2019 | 0.252 | -1.2% |
| 2020 | 0.212 | -15.9% |
| 2021 | 0.216 | +1.9% |
| 2022 | 0.228 | +5.6% |
| 2023 | 0.236 | +3.5% |
| 2024 | 0.176 | -25.4% |
| 2025 | 0.129 | -26.7% |
Venezuela compared with similar countries
- Venezuela's 0.129 is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 0.515, 25% of the median. (45 countries reporting)
- Venezuela's 0.129 is below the median for Latin America & Caribbean, which is 0.761, 17% of the median. (25 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Academic Freedom Index in Venezuela changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1958 | +414.2% | 0.113 | 0.581 |
| 1936 | +217.0% | 0.053 | 0.168 |
| 1949 | -54.9% | 0.328 | 0.148 |
| 1937 | +54.2% | 0.168 | 0.259 |
| 1959 | +36.3% | 0.581 | 0.792 |
| 2000 | -34.5% | 0.896 | 0.587 |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1900s | 0.0772 | 0.068 | 0.099 | 10 |
| 1910s | 0.0666 | 0.055 | 0.084 | 10 |
| 1920s | 0.0453 | 0.043 | 0.053 | 10 |
| 1930s | 0.1263 | 0.053 | 0.259 | 10 |
| 1940s | 0.3332 | 0.148 | 0.411 | 10 |
| 1950s | 0.2332 | 0.113 | 0.792 | 10 |
| 1960s | 0.8299 | 0.768 | 0.839 | 10 |
| 1970s | 0.8876 | 0.798 | 0.914 | 10 |
| 1980s | 0.9324 | 0.928 | 0.937 | 10 |
| 1990s | 0.9262 | 0.896 | 0.934 | 10 |
| 2000s | 0.5187 | 0.473 | 0.587 | 10 |
| 2010s | 0.3176 | 0.251 | 0.421 | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.1995 | 0.129 | 0.236 | 6 |
Countries ranked near Venezuela
More social development data for Venezuela
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 14,333 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 417,010 (2025)
- Political Rights Rating 7 (2025)
- Electoral democracy 0 (2025)
- Political rights rating fh, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Political rights rating fh, gaps filled 7 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0.0146 units per person (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 417,010 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0.0005 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 Venezuela?
- Academic freedom index in Venezuela was 0.129 in 2025, according to V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest academic freedom index recorded in Venezuela?
- The highest recorded value was 0.937 in 1986.
- What is the lowest academic freedom index recorded in Venezuela?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.043 in 1920.
- How does Venezuela rank for academic freedom index?
- Venezuela ranks 154th out of 174 countries with data for 2025.
- Is academic freedom index rising or falling in Venezuela?
- Over the last ten years it is down 57.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Venezuela 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 — 126 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.