Afghanistan, Oct. 1 -- Afghanistan's academic freedom has collapsed, ranking among the world's lowest with a 0.08 score in the Academic Freedom Index, the Scholars at Risk 2025 report shows.
The Free to Think 2025 report, released today, October 1, 2025, by Scholars at Risk (SAR), warns that Afghanistan's higher education system remains "completely restricted," with the Taliban continuing to impose ideological control and eliminate women's right to education.
According to the Academic Freedom Index (AFi), Afghanistan scored just 0.08, reflecting one of the lowest levels worldwide. The report stresses that since the Taliban takeover in 2021, the steepest declines have been in institutional autonomy and freedom of academic and cultural expr...