Albania (Republic of Albania)

http://www.humantruth.info/albania.html

By Vexen Crabtree 2013

Albania Republic of Albania
Status	Independent State
Social and Moral Index	51st best
Capital	Tirana
Land Area	27 400km²₁
Location	Europe, The Balkans, The Mediterranean
Population	2.9m₂
Life Expectancy	76.46yrs (2017)₃
GNI	$14 131 (2017)₄
ISO3166-1 Codes	AL, ALB, 8₅
Internet Domain	.al₆
Currency	Lek (ALL)₇
Telephone	+355₈

1. Overview

“Albania declared its independence from the Ottoman Empire in 1912, but was conquered by Italy in 1939. Communist partisans took over the country in 1944. Albania allied itself first with the USSR (until 1960), and then with China (to 1978). In the early 1990s, Albania ended 46 years of xenophobic Communist rule and established a multiparty democracy. The transition has proven challenging as successive governments have tried to deal with high unemployment, widespread corruption, dilapidated infrastructure, powerful organized crime networks, and combative political opponents. Albania has made progress in its democratic development since first holding multiparty elections in 1991, but deficiencies remain. International observers judged elections to be largely free and fair since the restoration of political stability following the collapse of pyramid schemes in 1997; however, each of Albania's post-Communist elections have been marred by claims of electoral fraud. The 2009 general elections resulted in a coalition government, the first such in the country's history. Albania joined NATO in April 2009 and is a potential candidate for EU accession. Although Albania's economy continues to grow, the country is still one of the poorest in Europe, hampered by a large informal economy and an inadequate energy and transportation infrastructure.”
CIA's The World Factbook (2013)₉

“With stunning mountain scenery, a thriving, multicoloured capital city and beaches to rival anywhere else in the Mediterranean, Albania has become the sleeper hit of the Balkans. [...] Albania has natural beauty in such abundance that you might wonder why it´s taken 20 years for the country to take off as a tourist destination since the demise of a particularly insular strain of communism in 1991. [Albanians have] just got on with embracing life in a languid and chaotically post-communist way. Albania offers a remarkable array of unique attractions, largely due to this very isolation: ancient mountain codes of behaviours, forgotten archaeological sites and villages where time seems to have stood still are all on the menu. Lively, colourful Tirana is the beating heart of Albania, where this tiny nation´s hopes and dreams coalesce into a vibrant whirl of traffic, brash consumerism and unfettered fun.”
"The World" by Lonely Planet (2014)₁₀

2. Albania National and Social Development

#economics #human_development #wealth

UN HDI (2021)₁₁
Pos.		Higher is better Value₁₁
1	Switzerland	0.962
2	Norway	0.961
3	Iceland	0.959
	...
64	Georgia	0.802
65	Serbia	0.802
66	Thailand	0.800
67	Albania	0.796
68	Grenada	0.795
69	Bulgaria	0.795
70	Barbados	0.790
71	Antigua & Barbuda	0.788
	Europe Avg	0.87
	World Avg	0.72
q=191.

Gross National Income Per-Capita (2021)₁₁
Pos.		Higher is better PPP $₁₁
1	Liechtenstein	$146 830
2	Singapore	$90 919
3	Qatar	$87 134
	...
82	Colombia	$14 384
83	Brazil	$14 370
84	Azerbaijan	$14 257
85	Albania	$14 131
86	Palau	$13 819
87	Grenada	$13 484
88	Gabon	$13 367
89	Ukraine	$13 256
	Europe Avg	$40 512
	World Avg	$20 136
q=193.

Social & Moral Development Index₁₂
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₁₂
1	Taiwan	22.4
2	Norway	23.7
3	Denmark	24.6
	...
48	Serbia	53.0
49	Brazil	53.7
50	Israel	55.4
51	Albania	55.8
52	Moldova	57.0
53	Mongolia	57.0
54	Barbados	57.2
55	Mexico	58.0
	Europe Avg	44.8
	World Avg	67.3
q=195.

The United Nations produces an annual Human Development Report which includes the Human Development Index. The factors taken into account include life expectancy, education and schooling and Gross National Income (GNI) amongst many others..

The Social and Moral Development Index concentrates on moral issues and human rights, violence, public health, equality, tolerance, freedom and effectiveness in climate change mitigation and environmentalism, and on some technological issues. A country scores higher for achieving well in those areas, and for sustaining that achievement in the long term. Those countries towards the top of this index can truly said to be setting good examples and leading humankind onwards into a bright, humane, and free future. See: Which are the Best Countries in the World? The Social and Moral Development Index.

3. Albania's Demographics and Migration

#birth_control #demographics #health #immigration #life_expectancy #longevity #migration #overpopulation #population

Population:

Albania's population is predicted to rise to 3.29 million by 2030. This rise is despite a low fertility rate, meaning, that this country is helping to alleviate problems with growing population in neighbouring countries by accepting immigrants, very likely as a requirement of maintaining an active workforce. This country has a fertility rate of 1.51. The fertility rate is, in simple terms, the average amount of children that each woman has. The higher the figure, the quicker the population is growing, although, to calculate the rate you also need to take into account morbidity, i.e., the rate at which people die. If people live healthy and long lives and morbidity is low, then, 2.0 approximates to the replacement rate, which would keep the population stable. If all countries had such a fertility rate, population growth would end. The actual replacement rate in most developed countries is around 2.1.

Population₂
Pos.		2018 Population₂
1	China	1.4b
2	India	1.4b
3	USA	327.1m
	...
135	Mongolia	3.2m
136	Armenia	3.0m
137	Jamaica	2.9m
138	Albania	2.9m
139	Lithuania	2.8m
140	Qatar	2.8m
141	Namibia	2.4m
142	Gambia	2.3m
	World Avg	39.0m
q=195.

Life Expectancy Higher is better₁₁
Pos.		2021 Years₁₁
1	Monaco	85.9
2	Hong Kong	85.5
3	Japan	84.8
	...
47	Estonia	77.1
48	Costa Rica	77.0
49	Saudi Arabia	76.9
50	Albania	76.5
51	Poland	76.5
52	Sri Lanka	76.4
53	Algeria	76.4
54	Montenegro	76.3
	World Avg	71.28
q=195.

Fertility Rate 2.0 is best₁₃
Pos.		2013₁₃
1	N. Korea	2.00
2	Brunei	1.99
3	St Vincent & Grenadines	2.01
	...
74	Switzerland	1.53
75	Mongolia	2.48
76	Russia	1.52
77	Albania	1.51
78	Latvia	1.50
79	Czechia	1.50
80	Spain	1.50
81	Croatia	1.49
	World Avg	2.81
q=180.

Old-Age Dependency Ratio Lower is better₁₄
Pos.		2016 Per 100₁₄
1	Uganda	04.3
2	Mali	04.5
3	Chad	04.7
	...
144	Ukraine	30.8
145	Australia	31.3
146	Slovakia	31.6
147	Albania	31.8
148	Norway	32.2
149	Iceland	32.5
150	Serbia	32.7
151	Hungary	32.9
	World Avg	18.3
q=185.

Migration:

Immigrants₁₅
Pos.		2017 %₁₅
1	UAE	88.4%
2	Kuwait	75.5%
3	Qatar	65.2%
	...
132	Romania	1.9%
133	Japan	1.8%
134	Sudan	1.8%
135	Albania	1.8%
136	Pakistan	1.7%
137	Nepal	1.7%
138	Poland	1.7%
139	Senegal	1.7%
	World Avg	9.4%
q=195.

Emigrants₁₆
Pos.		2010 %₁₆
1	Dominica	104.8%
2	Palestine	68.4%
3	Samoa	67.3%
	...
7	Monaco	56.3%
8	Antigua & Barbuda	47.6%
9	Tonga	45.4%
10	Albania	45.4%
11	Barbados	41.0%
12	Suriname	39.0%
13	Bosnia & Herzegovina	38.9%
14	Palau	38.8%
	World Avg	11.5%
q=192.

4. Albania's Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance

#equality #freedom #freethought #gender #gender_equality #homosexuality #human_rights #international_law #mass_media #misogyny #morals #politics #prejudice #religious_tolerance #slavery #tolerance #women

Compared to Europe (2020)₁₇
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₁₇
1	Sweden	9.0
2	Norway	14.5
3	Denmark	14.5
	...
30	Kosovo	54.2
31	Greece	58.1
32	Croatia	58.1
33	Albania	59.3
34	Ukraine	59.5
35	Serbia	59.9
36	Bosnia & Herzegovina	63.2
37	Georgia	64.2
38	Armenia	71.4
	Europe Avg	51.4
q=49.

Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance (2020)₁₇
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₁₇
1	Sweden	9.0
2	Norway	14.5
3	Denmark	14.5
	...
48	Ecuador	57.9
49	Greece	58.1
50	Croatia	58.1
51	Albania	59.3
52	Ukraine	59.5
53	Panama	59.7
54	Serbia	59.9
55	Mongolia	60.3
	World Avg	87.9
q=199.

The best countries in the world at ensuring human rights, fostering equality and promoting tolerance, are Sweden, Norway and Denmark₁₈. These countries are displaying the best traits that humanity has to offer. The worst countries are The Solomon Islands, Somalia and Tuvalu₁₈.

The data sets used to calculate points for each country are statistics on commentary in Human Rights Watch reports, its nominal commitment to Human Rights, speed of uptake of HR treaties, supporting personal, civil & economic freedoms, supporting press freedom, eliminating modern slavery, opposing gender inequality, the rate of gender bias (from 7 indicators), the year from which women could participate in democracy, its success in fighting anti-semitic prejudice, LGBT equality and freethought. The regions with the best average results per country are Scandinavia, Baltic States and Europe₁₈, whereas the worst are Melanesia, Micronesia and Australasia₁₈.

For more, see:

"Which are the Best Countries for Human Rights, Equality and Tolerance?" by Vexen Crabtree (2020).

Human Rights & Tolerance:

Nominal Commitment to HR Higher is better₁₉
Pos.		2009 Treaties₁₉
1	Argentina	24
2	Chile	23
3	Costa Rica	23
	...
29	Hungary	20
30	Czechia	20
31	Georgia	20
32	Albania	20
33	Cyprus	20
34	Namibia	20
35	Ukraine	20
36	Macedonia	20
	Europe Avg	19.5
	World Avg	15.1
q=194.

HR Treaties Lag Lower is better₂₀
Pos.		2019 Avg Yrs/Treaty₂₀
1	Ecuador	2.15
2	Uruguay	2.25
3	Tunisia	3.65
	...
103	Croatia	10.65
104	Zambia	10.81
105	Iran	10.81
106	Albania	10.94
107	Israel	10.97
108	Armenia	11.00
109	Lithuania	11.03
110	Mozambique	11.04
	Europe Avg	9.09
	World Avg	10.02
q=195.

Personal, Civil & Economic Freedom Lower is better₂₁
Pos.		2014 Rank₂₁
1	Hong Kong	1
2	Switzerland	2
3	New Zealand	3
	...
47	Mongolia	47
48	Bahamas	48
49	Greece	48
50	Albania	50
51	Seychelles	51
52	Israel	52
53	Peru	53
54	Bosnia & Herzegovina	54
	Europe Avg	33.9
	World Avg	79.7
q=159.

Press Freedom Lower is better₂₂
Pos.		2013₂₂
1	Finland	638
2	Netherlands	648
3	Norway	652
	...
98	Mali	3003
99	Georgia	3009
100	Lebanon	3015
101	Albania	3088
102	Maldives	3110
103	Uganda	3169
104	Peru	3187
105	Kyrgyzstan	3220
	Europe Avg	2044
	World Avg	3249
q=178.

Slavery Lower is better₂₃
Pos.		2018 % Victims₂₃
1	Japan	0.03
2	Canada	0.05
3	Taiwan	0.05
	...
123	Togo	0.68
124	Cameroon	0.69
125	Kenya	0.69
126	Albania	0.69
127	Malaysia	0.69
128	Djibouti	0.71
129	Angola	0.72
130	Syria	0.73
	Europe Avg	0.38
	World Avg	0.65
q=167.

Amnesty International's 2023-23 summary on human rights in Albania stated:

“Intimidation against journalists continued. A specialized forensic psychiatric facility was lacking to accommodate and treat patients. Roma and Egyptian people were subjected to discrimination and segregation in education. Violence persisted against women and LGBTI people. There were fears that the restructuring of the courts would make justice less accessible.”
"The State of the World's Human Rights 2022/23" by Amnesty International (2023)₂₄

Gender Equality:

Albania is on the way towards ending gender inequality but women are still in an unfavourable position much of the time.

See:

"Religion Versus Womankind" by Vexen Crabtree

Gender Inequality Lower is better₂₅
Pos.		2015₂₅
1	Switzerland	0.04
2	Denmark	0.04
3	Netherlands	0.04
	...
48	Bahrain	0.23
49	Hungary	0.25
50	Saudi Arabia	0.26
51	Albania	0.27
52	Russia	0.27
53	Mongolia	0.28
54	Oman	0.28
55	Uruguay	0.28
	Europe Avg	0.15
	World Avg	0.36
q=159.

Year Women Can Vote Lower is better
Pos.		0 Year
1	New Zealand	1893
2	Australia	1902
3	Finland	1906
	...
19	Poland	1919
20	Canada	1920
21	USA	1920
22	Albania	1920
23	Lithuania	1921
24	Sweden	1921
25	Azerbaijan	1921
26	Armenia	1921
	Europe Avg	1895
	World Avg	1930
q=189.

Prejudice:

LGBT Equality Higher is better₂₆
Pos.		2017 Score₂₆
1	Netherlands	103
2	Belgium	90
3	Sweden	86
	...
36	USA	44
37	Monaco	40
38	Poland	40
39	Albania	40
40	Switzerland	40
41	Serbia	40
42	Cyprus	40
43	Italy	40
	Europe Avg	46.9
	World Avg	12.6
q=196.

Freedom of Thought Lower is better₂₇
Pos.		2021₂₇
1	Belgium	1.0
2	Netherlands	1.0
3	Taiwan	1.0
	...
14	Guinea-Bissau	1.7
15	S. Africa	1.7
16	S. Korea	1.8
17	Albania	1.8
18	Palau	1.8
19	USA	1.8
20	Kosovo	1.8
21	St Kitts & Nevis	1.8
	Europe Avg	2.6
	World Avg	3.0
q=196.

5. Albania's Health

#alcohol #birth_control #demographics #health #life_expectancy #longevity #mental_health #obesity #overpopulation #parenting #population #smoking #suicide #vaccines

Compared to Europe (2020)₂₈
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₂₈
1	Monaco	13.0
2	Norway	61.0
3	Finland	65.3
	...
27	Czechia	83.6
28	France	83.8
29	Bosnia & Herzegovina	84.0
30	Albania	84.0
31	Turkey	84.5
32	Estonia	85.3
33	Ireland	87.4
34	Lithuania	92.4
35	Latvia	93.1
	Europe Avg	82.5
q=46.

Health (2020)₂₈
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₂₈
1	Monaco	13.0
2	Hong Kong	18.3
3	Maldives	41.0
	...
63	Czechia	83.6
64	France	83.8
65	Bosnia & Herzegovina	84.0
66	Albania	84.0
67	Turkey	84.5
68	Australia	84.6
69	Jordan	84.8
70	Barbados	85.1
	World Avg	93.5
q=196.

The countries with the best overall approach to public health, in terms of both public policy and individual lifestyle choices, are Monaco, Hong Kong and The Maldives₂₉. These countries are worth emulating. And, although often through no fault of the average citizen, the worst countries are The Marshall Islands, S. Sudan and Palau₂₉.

The data sets used to calculate points for each country are its average life expectancy, its alcohol consumption rate, its fertility rate, its smoking rate, its suicide rate, its food aid and health contributions and WHO compliance, the prevalence of overweight adults, its adolescent birth rate and its immunizations take-up. The regions with the best average results per country are Scandinavia, Asia and The Mediterranean₂₉, whereas the worst are Micronesia, Australasia and Africa₂₉.

For more, see:

"Countries With the Healthiest Cultures and Health Policies" by Vexen Crabtree (2020).

Health:

Albania does relatively well in encouraging good health, compared to many other countries. Albania does better than average when it comes to its suicide rate₃₀, its fertility rate₁₃, its immunizations take-up₃₁, its average life expectancy₁₁ (but low for Europe) and in its adolescent birth rate₂₅ (but bad for Europe). But, things still need to improve in Albania. Albania does worse than average in its alcohol consumption rate₃₂ (still low for Europe), its smoking rate₃₃ (still low for Europe) and in its food aid and health contributions and WHO compliance₃₄ (the highest in Europe). The number of overweight adults has increased by 14% over the past 40 years. Life expectancy in Albania improved by +6.1yrs in the 30 years from 1990, less than the global average of +7.9yrs.

Life Expectancy Higher is better₁₁
Pos.		2021 Years₁₁
1	Monaco	85.9
2	Hong Kong	85.5
3	Japan	84.8
	...
47	Estonia	77.1
48	Costa Rica	77.0
49	Saudi Arabia	76.9
50	Albania	76.5
51	Poland	76.5
52	Sri Lanka	76.4
53	Algeria	76.4
54	Montenegro	76.3
	Europe Avg	78.36
	World Avg	71.28
q=195.

Alcohol Consumption Lower is better₃₂
Pos.		2016 Per Capita₃₂
1	Bangladesh	0.0
2	Kuwait	0.0
3	Libya	0.0
	...
107	China	7.2
108	Paraguay	7.2
109	Mongolia	7.4
110	Albania	7.5
111	Burundi	7.5
112	Italy	7.5
113	Norway	7.5
114	Kazakhstan	7.7
	Europe Avg	10.3
	World Avg	6.2
q=189.

Fertility Rate 2.0 is best₁₃
Pos.		2013₁₃
1	N. Korea	2.00
2	Brunei	1.99
3	St Vincent & Grenadines	2.01
	...
74	Switzerland	1.53
75	Mongolia	2.48
76	Russia	1.52
77	Albania	1.51
78	Latvia	1.50
79	Czechia	1.50
80	Spain	1.50
81	Croatia	1.49
	Europe Avg	1.61
	World Avg	2.81
q=180.

Smoking Rates Lower is better₃₃
Pos.		2014₃₃
1	Guinea	15
2	Solomon Islands	26
3	Kiribati	28
	...
129	Lithuania	1 124
130	Uruguay	1 135
131	Canada	1 154
132	Albania	1 177
133	Egypt	1 188
134	Vietnam	1 215
135	Iraq	1 227
136	Spain	1 265
	Europe Avg	1 648
	World Avg	819
q=182.

Suicide Rate₃₀
Pos.		2013 Per 100k₃₀
1	Haiti	0
2	Grenada	0
3	Egypt	0.1
	...
21	Barbados	7.3
22	Belize	7.3
23	Bahrain	7.5
24	Albania	8
25	Mexico	8.5
26	Israel	8.5
27	Georgia	8.8
28	Seychelles	8.9
	Europe Avg	26.99
	World Avg	20.93
q=91.

Food Aid, Health Contributions & WHO Compliance Lower is better₃₄
Pos.		2017 Rank₃₄
1	Sweden	1
2	Ireland	2
3	Denmark	3
	...
135	Iraq	135
136	Madagascar	136
137	Congo, (Brazzaville)	137
138	Albania	138
139	Ghana	139
140	Chad	140
141	Rwanda	141
142	Mali	142
	Europe Avg	47.4
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Overweight Adults Lower is better₃₅
Pos.		2016 %₃₅
1	Vietnam	18.3
2	India	19.7
3	Bangladesh	20.0
	...
113	Russia	57.1
114	Portugal	57.5
115	Peru	57.5
116	Albania	57.7
117	Romania	57.7
118	Netherlands	57.8
119	Latvia	57.8
120	Finland	57.9
	Europe Avg	58.5
	World Avg	49.0
q=191.

Children's Health:

Adolescent Birth Rate Lower is better₂₅
Pos.		2015 Per 1000₂₅
1	N. Korea	0.5
2	S. Korea	1.6
3	Switzerland	2.9
	...
63	Brunei	21.0
64	Bhutan	21.4
65	Djibouti	21.5
66	Albania	21.7
67	Moldova	22.6
68	USA	22.6
69	Armenia	23.0
70	Jordan	23.2
	Europe Avg	14.6
	World Avg	47.9
q=185.

Infant Immunizations 2011-2015 Higher is better₃₁
Pos.		2015 Avg %₃₁
1	Hungary	99.0
2	China	99.0
3	Uzbekistan	98.9
	...
29	St Vincent & Grenadines	97.2
30	Dominica	97.1
31	Kazakhstan	97.1
32	Albania	97.1
33	Andorra	97.1
34	Russia	97.0
35	Guyana	97.0
36	Slovakia	97.0
	Europe Avg	92.7
	World Avg	88.3
q=194.

6. Albania's Modernity and Learning

#education #english #intelligence #maths #modernity #religion #religiosity #research #science #secularisation #technology #the_internet

Compared to Europe (2020)₃₆
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₃₆
1	Finland	8.4
2	Switzerland	15.1
3	Estonia	15.8
	...
41	Monaco	64.5
42	Georgia	65.1
43	Montenegro	66.0
44	Armenia	70.0
45	Azerbaijan	70.1
46	Macedonia	71.0
47	Albania	72.4
48	Andorra	74.5
49	San Marino	125.0
	Europe Avg	41.2
q=49.

Modernity & Learning (2020)₃₆
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₃₆
1	Finland	8.4
2	Taiwan	10.0
3	Switzerland	15.1
	...
82	Aruba	71.5
83	Iran	71.7
84	Kyrgyzstan	71.8
85	Albania	72.4
86	Thailand	72.9
87	Tunisia	73.4
88	India	73.8
89	Andorra	74.5
	World Avg	83.2
q=205.

Modernity and Education:

In the 1990s, the expected duration of education in Albania fell by almost a year, whereas most of the rest of the world's increased. ₃₇

Research & Development Higher is better
Pos.		2016 % RDP PPP
1	S. Korea	4.29₃₈
2	Israel	4.11₃₈
3	Japan	3.58₃₈
	...
98	Bolivia	0.16₃₉
99	Kyrgyzstan	0.16₄₀
100	Sri Lanka	0.16₄₁
101	Albania	0.15₄₂
102	Namibia	0.14₄₁
103	Georgia	0.13₄₃
104	Gambia	0.13₄₀
105	Tajikistan	0.12₄₄
	Europe Avg	1.32
	World Avg	0.84
q=126.

Secondary Education Higher is better₄₅
Pos.		2018₄₅
1	Luxembourg	100.0%
2	Estonia	100.0%
3	Austria	100.0%
	...
32	Japan	93.6%
33	Tajikistan	93.1%
34	Barbados	92.9%
35	Albania	92.9%
36	Belarus	92.2%
37	Marshall Islands	92.1%
38	Montenegro	91.6%
39	Australia	90.4%
	Europe Avg	88.3%
	World Avg	63.0%
q=169.

Length of Schooling Higher is better₄₆
Pos.		2021 Years₄₆
1	Australia	21.1
2	New Zealand	20.3
3	Greece	20.0
	...
72	Trinidad & Tobago	14.5
73	Slovakia	14.5
74	Dominican Rep.	14.5
75	Albania	14.4
76	Cuba	14.4
77	Colombia	14.4
78	Moldova	14.4
79	Serbia	14.4
	Europe Avg	16.1
	World Avg	13.5
q=193.

Intellectual Endeavours Lower is better₃₄
Pos.		2017 Rank₃₄
1	Ukraine	1
2	Czechia	2
3	Hungary	3
	...
102	Peru	102
103	Cape Verde	103
104	Swaziland	104
105	Albania	105
106	Madagascar	106
107	Thailand	107
108	Yemen	108
109	Brazil	109
	Europe Avg	31.3
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Maths, Science & Reading Higher is better₄₇
Pos.		2015 Score₄₇
1	Singapore	1655
2	Hong Kong	1598
3	Japan	1586
	...
53	Montenegro	1256
54	Costa Rica	1247
55	Mexico	1247
56	Albania	1245
57	Thailand	1245
58	Colombia	1231
59	Qatar	1222
60	Georgia	1216
	Europe Avg	1417
	World Avg	1389
q=70.

Religiosity Lower is better₄₈
Pos.		2018 %₄₈
1	China	3
2	Estonia	6
3	Czechia	7
	...
13	Belgium	11
14	Austria	12
15	Hungary	14
16	Albania	15
17	Lithuania	16
18	S. Korea	16
19	Russia	16
20	Australia	18
	Europe Avg	25.8
	World Avg	54.3
q=106.

IQ Higher is better₄₉
Pos.		2006₄₉
1	Hong Kong	108
2	Singapore	108
3	S. Korea	106
	...
52	Thailand	91
53	Lithuania	91
54	Cambodia	91
55	Albania	90
56	Croatia	90
57	Kyrgyzstan	90
58	Chile	90
59	Costa Rica	89
	Europe Avg	96.6
	World Avg	85.6
q=138.

Technology and Information:

Internet Users Higher is better₅₀
Pos.		2016₅₀
1	Iceland	100%
2	Faroe Islands	99%
3	Norway	98%
	...
70	Greece	65%
71	Saudi Arabia	65%
72	French Polynesia	64%
73	Albania	63%
74	Palestine	63%
75	Montenegro	62%
76	Bosnia & Herzegovina	62%
77	Azerbaijan	61%
	Europe Avg	76.7%
	World Avg	48.1%
q=201.

IPv6 Uptake Higher is better₅₁
Pos.		2017 Ratio₅₁
1	Belgium	55.4
2	Germany	41.8
3	Switzerland	35.1
	...
122	Swaziland	0.0
123	Mongolia	0.0
124	Samoa	0.0
125	Albania	0.0
126	Micronesia	0.0
127	Algeria	0.0
128	Djibouti	0.0
129	Guyana	0.0
	Europe Avg	8.11
	World Avg	3.82
q=176.

7. National Culture

#charity #corruption #happiness #morals #politics

World Giving Index Higher is better₅₂
Pos.		2022 %₅₂
1	Indonesia	68.0
2	Kenya	61.0
3	USA	59.0
	...
92	Namibia	35.0
93	Togo	34.0
94	Mozambique	34.0
95	Albania	34.0
96	Montenegro	34.0
97	Kazakhstan	34.0
98	Gabon	34.0
99	Taiwan	34.0
	Europe Avg	39.0
	World Avg	39.6
q=125.

Corruption Higher is better₅₃
Pos.		2022 Points₅₃
1	Denmark	90.0
2	Finland	87.0
3	New Zealand	87.0
	...
103	Turkey	36.0
104	Sri Lanka	36.0
105	Panama	36.0
106	Albania	36.0
107	Ecuador	36.0
108	Kazakhstan	36.0
109	Thailand	36.0
110	Gambia	34.0
	Europe Avg	57.61
	World Avg	42.98
q=180.

Happiness Higher is better₅₄
Pos.		2018 Score₅₄
1	Finland	7.6
2	Norway	7.6
3	Denmark	7.6
	...
109	Senegal	4.6
110	Laos	4.6
111	Tunisia	4.6
112	Albania	4.6
113	Sierra Leone	4.6
114	Congo, (Brazzaville)	4.6
115	Bangladesh	4.5
116	Sri Lanka	4.5
	Europe Avg	6.06
	World Avg	5.38
q=156.

Creativity & Culture Lower is better₃₄
Pos.		2017 Rank₃₄
1	Belgium	1
2	Netherlands	2
3	Estonia	3
	...
75	Turkey	75
76	Kyrgyzstan	76
77	Togo	77
78	Albania	78
79	Brunei	79
80	Suriname	80
81	Fiji	81
82	Kenya	82
	Europe Avg	35.0
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Open Trading, Aid & Development Lower is better₃₄
Pos.		2017 Rank₃₄
1	Ireland	1
2	Denmark	2
3	Sweden	3
	...
12	Philippines	12
13	Austria	13
14	Germany	14
15	Albania	15
16	Togo	16
17	France	17
18	Singapore	18
19	Malaysia	19
	Europe Avg	42.6
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

8. Peace Versus Instability

#extremism #human_development #peace #politics #religious_violence #terrorism

Global Peace Index Lower is better₅₅
Pos.		2023 Score₅₅
1	Iceland	1.12
2	Denmark	1.31
3	Ireland	1.31
	...
38	Macedonia	1.71
39	Costa Rica	1.73
40	Vietnam	1.75
41	Albania	1.75
42	Botswana	1.76
43	S. Korea	1.76
44	Mongolia	1.77
45	Montenegro	1.77
	Europe Avg	1.70
	World Avg	2.07
q=163.

Peacekeeping & Security Lower is better₃₄
Pos.		2017 Rank₃₄
1	Samoa	1
2	S. Africa	2
3	Tunisia	3
	...
77	Iceland	77
78	Turkey	78
79	Georgia	79
80	Albania	80
81	Gabon	81
82	Russia	82
83	Iran	83
84	Serbia	84
	Europe Avg	84.6
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Refugees & UN Treaties Lower is better₃₄
Pos.		2017 Rank₃₄
1	Austria	1
2	Germany	2
3	Netherlands	3
	...
71	Guatemala	71
72	Estonia	72
73	Guinea-Bissau	73
74	Albania	74
75	Botswana	75
76	Lebanon	76
77	Bahrain	77
78	Sri Lanka	78
	Europe Avg	37.8
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Impact of Terrorism Lower is better₅₆
Pos.		2019 Score₅₆
1	Togo	0.00
2	Mongolia	0.00
3	Swaziland	0.00
	...
37	Zambia	0.31
38	Djibouti	0.32
39	Bulgaria	0.37
40	Albania	0.42
41	Cyprus	0.42
42	Lithuania	0.46
43	Sierra Leone	0.46
44	Jamaica	0.47
	Europe Avg	1.62
	World Avg	2.78
q=150.

9. The Natural Environment

#biodiversity #climate_change #deforestation #over-exploitation #the_environment

Forest Area Change 1990-2015 Higher is better₅₇
Pos.		2015 %₅₇
1	Iceland	+205.6
2	Bahrain	+144.4
3	Uruguay	+131.3
	...
108	Bosnia & Herzegovina	-01.5
109	Congo, (Brazzaville)	-01.7
110	Central African Rep.	-01.7
111	Albania	-02.2
112	Sierra Leone	-02.4
113	Trinidad & Tobago	-02.6
114	Jamaica	-02.7
115	Australia	-02.9
	Europe Avg	+15.0
	World Avg	+02.8
q=184.

Environmental Performance Higher is better₅₈
Pos.		2018₅₈
1	Switzerland	87.4
2	France	84.0
3	Denmark	81.6
	...
37	Latvia	66.1
38	Turkmenistan	66.1
39	Seychelles	66.0
40	Albania	65.5
41	Croatia	65.5
42	Colombia	65.2
43	Hungary	65.0
44	Belarus	65.0
	Europe Avg	69.6
	World Avg	56.4
q=180.

Energy to GDP Efficiency Higher is better₅₉
Pos.		2014₅₉
1	Hong Kong	26.32
2	Sri Lanka	20.00
3	Panama	17.86
	...
19	Italy	13.16
20	Cyprus	12.99
21	Morocco	12.66
22	Albania	12.50
23	Spain	12.50
24	Yemen	12.50
25	Namibia	12.35
26	Portugal	12.35
	Europe Avg	09.80
	World Avg	09.29
q=119.

Convention on Biological Diversity Earlier is better
Pos.		0 Signed
1	China	1993 Dec 29
2	Guinea	1993 Dec 29
3	Cook Islands	1993 Dec 29
	...
41	Germany	1994 Mar 21
42	Denmark	1994 Mar 21
43	Belize	1994 Mar 30
44	Albania	1994 Apr 05
45	Malawi	1994 May 03
46	Samoa	1994 May 10
47	India	1994 May 19
48	Paraguay	1994 May 25
	Europe Avg	1899 Dec 30
	World Avg	1899 Dec 30
q=197.

Rational Beliefs on the Environment Higher is better₆₀
Pos.		2011 %₆₀
1	Argentina	78.3%
2	Greece	77.6%
3	Brazil	77.1%
	...
138	Denmark	14.9%
139	Libya	14.6%
140	Iceland	13.1%
141	Uzbekistan	11.3%
142	Tajikistan	11.1%
143	Haiti	10.0%
144	Albania	9.4%
145	Turkmenistan	8.6%
	Europe Avg	33.6%
	World Avg	39.9%
q=145.

10. Economic Inequality and Poverty

#capitalism #economics #health #inequality #life_expectancy #poverty #social_development

Inequality in Life Expectancy Lower is better₆₁
Pos.		2019₆₁
1	Iceland	2.40
2	Singapore	2.50
3	Hong Kong	2.50
	...
56	Sri Lanka	7.00
57	Costa Rica	7.10
58	Russia	7.10
59	Albania	7.20
60	Lebanon	7.40
61	Ukraine	7.40
62	Brunei	7.60
63	Kazakhstan	7.70
	Europe Avg	4.86
	World Avg	14.59
q=184.

Income Inequality (Gini Coefficient) Lower is better₆₂
Pos.		2017 %₆₂
1	Ukraine	25.0
2	Belarus	25.4
3	Slovenia	25.4
	...
15	Netherlands	28.2
16	Serbia	28.5
17	Timor-Leste (E. Timor)	28.7
18	Albania	29.0
19	Sweden	29.2
20	Malta	29.4
21	Iraq	29.5
22	Hungary	30.4
	Europe Avg	31.5
	World Avg	38.1
q=152.

Multidimensional Poverty Lower is better₆₃
Pos.		2018 Severity₆₃
1	Armenia	.001
2	Ukraine	.001
3	Serbia	.001
	...
7	Montenegro	.002
8	Trinidad & Tobago	.002
9	Maldives	.003
10	Albania	.003
11	Thailand	.003
12	Moldova	.004
13	Palestine	.004
14	Tunisia	.005
	Europe Avg	.004
	World Avg	.154
q=101.

11. Religion and Beliefs

#belief #buddhism #christianity #god #hinduism #islam #judaism #religion #religiosity #secularisation

Religiosity (2018)₄₈
Pos.		Lower is better %₄₈
1	China	3
2	Estonia	6
3	Czechia	7
	...
13	Belgium	11
14	Austria	12
15	Hungary	14
16	Albania	15
17	Lithuania	16
18	S. Korea	16
19	Russia	16
20	Australia	18
21	Vietnam	18
22	Bulgaria	19
23	Norway	19
24	Netherlands	20
25	Italy	21
26	Belarus	21
27	Ireland	22
28	Kazakhstan	22
	World Avg	54.3
q=106.

Disbelief In God (2007)₆₄
Pos.		Higher is better %₆₄
1	Vietnam	81
2	Japan	65
3	Sweden	64
	...
40	Uruguay	12
41	USA	10
42	Trinidad & Tobago	9
43	Albania	8
44	Dominican Rep.	7
45	Croatia	7
46	Kyrgyzstan	7
47	Cambodia	7
48	Moldova	6
49	Italy	6
50	Laos	5
51	Ireland	5
52	Mozambique	5
53	Zimbabwe	4
54	Namibia	4
55	Iran	4
	World Avg	9.9
q=137.

Data from the Pew Forum, a professional polling outfit, states that in 2010 the religious makeup of this country was as follows in the table below₆₅:

Christian	18%
Muslim	80.3%
Hindu	0.1%
Buddhist	0.1%
Folk Religion	0.1%
Jewish	0.1%
Unaffiliated	1.4%

By adding up the Pew Forum data for the major monotheistic religions we can see that these make up 98.4% of the population. Yet there are simply too many who disbelieve in God for this to be true (8%). This is due to the so-called 'Census Effect', whereby many put down a religion for cultural reasons rather than because it reflects their beliefs. In highly Christian countries, as many as half of those who say they're a Christian lack any connection to a Church, and do not hold Christian beliefs (such as believing in God!).

It appears that when asked "What religion are you" many give pollsters the 'correct' answer despite how they actually feel, and despite what they actually believe. Although 98.7% of the populace say they belong to a religion, only 15% say that they are religious when the question is phrased as "Is religion an important part of your daily life?".

For more on this phenomenon, see:

"Institutionalized Religions Have Their Numbers Inflated by National Polls" by Vexen Crabtree

The CIA World Factbook has slightly different data, and states: Muslim 70%, Albanian Orthodox 20%, Roman Catholic 10%. Note: percentages are estimates; there are no available current statistics on religious affiliation; all mosques and churches were closed in 1967 and religious observances prohibited; in November 1990, Albania began allowing private religious practice₆₆.

Links:

There isn't much information in the database for Albania, most likely because it is either a part of another country (i.e., a territory or possession) and therefore most international statistics are counted for the country as a whole, or, this is such an exotic place that little data exists about it.