Morocco ranked 109th out of 178 countries in the 2026 Academic Freedom Index (AFI), according to a report released by Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nuremberg and the V-Dem Institute.
The index evaluates academic freedom worldwide based on indicators including freedom of research and teaching, academic exchange, dissemination of knowledge, institutional autonomy and cultural expression.
Czech Republic, Estonia and Belgium ranked among the top three globally, while Myanmar and Nicaragua placed at the bottom of the list.
Among Arab countries, Lebanon ranked highest, followed by Iraq, Tunisia and Kuwait, according to the report.
The report found that academic freedom continues to deteriorate in more countries than those showing improvement. Between 2015 and 2025, levels declined in 50 countries, while only nine recorded gains.
Researchers highlighted institutional autonomy as a key factor in protecting academic freedom, noting that universities with greater independence are better able to safeguard the rights of scholars.
Institutional autonomy refers to the ability of higher education institutions to govern their academic, administrative and research activities without excessive interference from governments or external actors, in line with international standards such as UNESCO’s 1997 recommendation on higher education teaching personnel.
According to the report, academic freedom remains better protected in Latin America, Europe, North America and Oceania, as well as parts of sub-Saharan Africa, compared with Asia and the Middle East and North Africa region.
Globally, academic freedom has been on a downward trend since around 2012, driven largely by declines in Latin America, Asia and the MENA region.
The study also noted that legal protections do not always translate into real-world safeguards. Even in countries where university autonomy is constitutionally protected, institutional independence has weakened in recent years.
Between 2015 and 2025, 43 countries experienced significant declines in institutional autonomy, including several in Europe, North America and Latin America—an indication, the report said, of a broader erosion of academic independence even within liberal democracies.
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