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
4	Hong Kong	0.952
5	Australia	0.951
	...
64	Georgia	0.802
65	Serbia	0.802
66	Thailand	0.800
67	Albania	0.796
68	Grenada	0.795
69	Bulgaria	0.795
	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
4	Luxembourg	$84 649
5	Ireland	$76 169
	...
82	Colombia	$14 384
83	Brazil	$14 370
84	Azerbaijan	$14 257
85	Albania	$14 131
86	Palau	$13 819
87	Grenada	$13 484
	Europe Avg	$40 512
	World Avg	$20 136
q=193.

Social & Moral Development Index₁₂_,₁₃
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₁₂_,₁₃
1	Taiwan	28.6
2	Norway	29.4
3	Denmark	31.2
4	Sweden	32.2
5	Finland	32.6
	...
48	Serbia	68.6
49	Liechtenstein	68.9
50	Israel	69.9
51	Albania	70.7
52	Mongolia	71.2
53	Moldova	71.3
	Europe Avg	57.3
	World Avg	86.1
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.

Population (2018)₂
Pos.		Population₂
1	China	1.4b
2	India	1.4b
3	USA	327.1m
4	Indonesia	267.7m
5	Pakistan	212.2m
	...
135	Mongolia	3.2m
136	Armenia	3.0m
137	Jamaica	2.9m
138	Albania	2.9m
139	Lithuania	2.8m
140	Qatar	2.8m
	World Avg	39.0m
q=195.

Life Expectancy (2021)₁₁
Pos.		Higher is better Years₁₁
1	Monaco	85.9
2	Hong Kong	85.5
3	Japan	84.8
4	Australia	84.5
5	Switzerland	84.0
	...
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
	World Avg	71.28
q=195.

Fertility Rate (2013)₁₄
Pos.		2.0 is best₁₄
1	N. Korea	2.00
2	Brunei	1.99
3	St Vincent & Grenadines	2.01
4	France	1.99
5	Turkey	2.04
	...
74	Switzerland	1.53
75	Mongolia	2.48
76	Russia	1.52
77	Albania	1.51
78	Latvia	1.50
79	Czechia	1.50
	World Avg	2.81
q=180.

Old-Age Dependency Ratio (2016)₁₅
Pos.		Lower is better Per 100₁₅
1	Uganda	04.3
2	Mali	04.5
3	Chad	04.7
4	Burkina Faso	04.7
5	Sierra Leone	04.8
	...
144	Ukraine	30.8
145	Australia	31.3
146	Slovakia	31.6
147	Albania	31.8
148	Norway	32.2
149	Iceland	32.5
	World Avg	18.3
q=185.

Migration:

Immigrants (2017)₁₆
Pos.		%₁₆
1	UAE	88.4%
2	Kuwait	75.5%
3	Qatar	65.2%
4	Liechtenstein	65.1%
5	Monaco	54.9%
	...
132	Romania	1.9%
133	Japan	1.8%
134	Sudan	1.8%
135	Albania	1.8%
136	Pakistan	1.7%
137	Nepal	1.7%
	World Avg	9.4%
q=195.

Emigrants (2010)₁₇
Pos.		%₁₇
1	Dominica	104.8%
2	Palestine	68.4%
3	Samoa	67.3%
4	Grenada	65.5%
5	St Kitts & Nevis	61.1%
6	Guyana	56.9%
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%
	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)₁₈_,₁₉
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₁₈_,₁₉
1	Sweden	9.2
2	Norway	14.7
3	Denmark	14.7
4	Netherlands	15.8
5	Iceland	20.1
	...
30	Kosovo	54.2
31	Greece	58.3
32	Croatia	58.3
33	Albania	59.6
34	Ukraine	59.7
35	Serbia	59.9
36	Bosnia & Herzegovina	63.4
	Europe Avg	50.3
q=49.

Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance (2020)₁₈_,₁₉
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₁₈_,₁₉
1	Sweden	9.2
2	Norway	14.7
3	Denmark	14.7
4	Netherlands	15.8
5	New Zealand	17.5
	...
48	Ecuador	58.1
49	Greece	58.3
50	Croatia	58.3
51	Albania	59.6
52	Ukraine	59.7
53	Serbia	59.9
54	Panama	59.9
	World Avg	87.7
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 (2009)₂₀
Pos.		Higher is better Treaties₂₀
1	Argentina	24
2	Chile	23
3	Costa Rica	23
4	Ecuador	23
5	Germany	23
	...
29	Hungary	20
30	Czechia	20
31	Georgia	20
32	Albania	20
33	Cyprus	20
34	Namibia	20
	Europe Avg	19.5
	World Avg	15.1
q=194.

HR Treaties Lag (2019)₂₁
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Yrs/Treaty₂₁
1	Ecuador	2.15
2	Uruguay	2.25
3	Tunisia	3.65
4	Colombia	3.68
5	Costa Rica	4.05
	...
103	Croatia	10.65
104	Zambia	10.81
105	Iran	10.81
106	Albania	10.94
107	Israel	10.97
108	Armenia	11.00
	Europe Avg	9.09
	World Avg	10.02
q=195.

Personal, Civil & Economic Freedom (2014)₂₂
Pos.		Lower is better Rank₂₂
1	Hong Kong	1
2	Switzerland	2
3	New Zealand	3
4	Ireland	4
5	Denmark	5
	...
47	Mongolia	47
48	Bahamas	48
49	Greece	48
50	Albania	50
51	Seychelles	51
52	Israel	52
	Europe Avg	33.9
	World Avg	79.7
q=159.

Press Freedom (2013)₂₃
Pos.		Lower is better₂₃
1	Finland	638
2	Netherlands	648
3	Norway	652
4	Luxembourg	668
5	Andorra	682
	...
98	Mali	3003
99	Georgia	3009
100	Lebanon	3015
101	Albania	3088
102	Maldives	3110
103	Uganda	3169
	Europe Avg	2044
	World Avg	3249
q=178.

Slavery (2018)₂₄
Pos.		Lower is better % Victims₂₄
1	Japan	0.03
2	Canada	0.05
3	Taiwan	0.05
4	Australia	0.06
5	New Zealand	0.06
	...
123	Togo	0.68
124	Cameroon	0.69
125	Kenya	0.69
126	Albania	0.69
127	Malaysia	0.69
128	Djibouti	0.71
	Europe Avg	0.38
	World Avg	0.65
q=167.

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 (2007)

Gender Inequality (2015)₂₅
Pos.		Lower is better₂₅
1	Switzerland	0.04
2	Denmark	0.04
3	Netherlands	0.04
4	Sweden	0.05
5	Iceland	0.05
	...
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
	Europe Avg	0.15
	World Avg	0.36
q=159.

Year Women Can Vote
Pos.		Lower is better Year
1	New Zealand	1893
2	Australia	1902
3	Finland	1906
4	Norway	1913
5	Denmark	1915
	...
19	Poland	1919
20	Canada	1920
21	USA	1920
22	Albania	1920
23	Lithuania	1921
24	Sweden	1921
	Europe Avg	1895
	World Avg	1930
q=189.

Prejudice:

LGBT Equality (2017)₂₆
Pos.		Higher is better Score₂₆
1	Netherlands	103
2	Belgium	90
3	Sweden	86
4	Brazil	81
5	Spain	79
	...
36	USA	44
37	Monaco	40
38	Poland	40
39	Albania	40
40	Switzerland	40
41	Serbia	40
	Europe Avg	46.9
	World Avg	12.6
q=196.

Freedom of Thought (2021)₂₇
Pos.		Lower is better₂₇
1	Belgium	1.0
2	Netherlands	1.0
3	Taiwan	1.0
4	Sao Tome & Principe	1.3
5	Ecuador	1.3
	...
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
	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_,₂₉
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₂₈_,₂₉
1	Monaco	13.0
2	Norway	61.0
3	Finland	65.3
4	Switzerland	65.6
5	Italy	67.5
	...
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
	Europe Avg	82.5
q=46.

Health (2020)₂₈_,₂₉
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₂₈_,₂₉
1	Monaco	13.0
2	Hong Kong	18.3
3	Maldives	41.0
4	Singapore	42.6
5	Japan	51.0
	...
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
	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 Maldives₂₈. 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 Palau₂₈.

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 Mediterranean₂₈, whereas the worst are Micronesia, Australasia and Africa₂₈.

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 for its suicide rate₃₀, its fertility rate₁₄, its immunizations take-up₃₁, its average life expectancy₁₁ (but low for Europe) and in its adolescent birth rate₂₅ (but high for Europe). Albania doesn't do so well in other areas. Albania does worse than average when it comes to 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 worst in Europe). The prevalence of overweight adults has increased by 14% between 1976 and 2016.

Life Expectancy (2021)₁₁
Pos.		Higher is better Years₁₁
1	Monaco	85.9
2	Hong Kong	85.5
3	Japan	84.8
4	Australia	84.5
5	Switzerland	84.0
	...
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
	Europe Avg	78.36
	World Avg	71.28
q=195.

Alcohol Consumption (2016)₃₂
Pos.		Lower is better Per Capita₃₂
1	Bangladesh	0.0
2	Kuwait	0.0
3	Libya	0.0
4	Mauritania	0.0
5	Somalia	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
	Europe Avg	10.3
	World Avg	6.2
q=189.

Fertility Rate (2013)₁₄
Pos.		2.0 is best₁₄
1	N. Korea	2.00
2	Brunei	1.99
3	St Vincent & Grenadines	2.01
4	France	1.99
5	Turkey	2.04
	...
74	Switzerland	1.53
75	Mongolia	2.48
76	Russia	1.52
77	Albania	1.51
78	Latvia	1.50
79	Czechia	1.50
	Europe Avg	1.61
	World Avg	2.81
q=180.

Smoking Rates (2014)₃₃
Pos.		Higher is worse₃₃
182	Montenegro	4 125
181	Belarus	3 831
180	Lebanon	3 023
179	Macedonia	2 732
178	Russia	2 690
	...
135	Iraq	1 227
134	Vietnam	1 215
133	Egypt	1 188
132	Albania	1 177
131	Canada	1 154
130	Uruguay	1 135
	Europe Avg	1 648
	World Avg	819
q=182.

Suicide Rate (2013)₃₀
Pos.		Per 100k₃₀
1	Haiti	0
2	Grenada	0
3	Egypt	0.1
4	Jordan	0.2
5	Maldives	0.7
	...
21	Barbados	7.3
22	Belize	7.3
23	Bahrain	7.5
24	Albania	8
25	Mexico	8.5
26	Israel	8.5
	Europe Avg	26.99
	World Avg	20.93
q=91.

Food Aid, Health Contributions & WHO Compliance (2017)₃₄
Pos.		Lower is better Rank₃₄
1	Sweden	1
2	Ireland	2
3	Denmark	3
4	UK	4
5	Norway	5
	...
135	Iraq	135
136	Madagascar	136
137	Congo, (Brazzaville)	137
138	Albania	138
139	Ghana	139
140	Chad	140
	Europe Avg	47.4
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Overweight Adults (2016)₃₅
Pos.		Lower is better %₃₅
1	Vietnam	18.3
2	India	19.7
3	Bangladesh	20.0
4	Ethiopia	20.9
5	Nepal	21.0
	...
113	Russia	57.1
114	Portugal	57.5
115	Peru	57.5
116	Albania	57.7
117	Romania	57.7
118	Netherlands	57.8
	Europe Avg	58.5
	World Avg	49.0
q=191.

Children's Health:

Adolescent Birth Rate (2015)₂₅
Pos.		Lower is better Per 1000₂₅
1	N. Korea	0.5
2	S. Korea	1.6
3	Switzerland	2.9
4	Hong Kong	3.2
5	Slovenia	3.8
	...
63	Brunei	21.0
64	Bhutan	21.4
65	Djibouti	21.5
66	Albania	21.7
67	Moldova	22.6
68	USA	22.6
	Europe Avg	14.6
	World Avg	47.9
q=185.

Infant Immunizations 2011-2015 (2015)₃₁
Pos.		Higher is better Avg %₃₁
1	Hungary	99.0
2	China	99.0
3	Uzbekistan	98.9
4	Niue	98.8
5	Mongolia	98.7
	...
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
	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)₁₉
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₁₉
1	Finland	8.4
2	Switzerland	15.1
3	Estonia	15.8
4	Denmark	16.0
5	Belgium	16.1
	...
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 and Learning (2020)₁₉
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₁₉
1	Finland	8.4
2	Taiwan	10.0
3	Switzerland	15.1
4	Estonia	15.8
5	Denmark	16.0
	...
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
	World Avg	83.2
q=205.

Modernity and Education:

Research and Development (2016)
Pos.		Higher is better % RDP PPP
1	S. Korea	4.29₃₆
2	Israel	4.11₃₆
3	Japan	3.58₃₆
4	Finland	3.17₃₆
5	Sweden	3.16₃₆
	...
98	Bolivia	0.16₃₇
99	Kyrgyzstan	0.16₃₈
100	Sri Lanka	0.16₃₉
101	Albania	0.15₄₀
102	Namibia	0.14₃₉
103	Georgia	0.13₄₁
	Europe Avg	1.32
	World Avg	0.84
q=126.

Secondary Education (2018)₄₂
Pos.		Higher is better₄₂
1	Luxembourg	100.0%
2	Estonia	100.0%
3	Austria	100.0%
4	Canada	100.0%
5	Finland	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%
	Europe Avg	88.3%
	World Avg	63.0%
q=169.

Length of Schooling (2021)₄₃
Pos.		Higher is better Years₄₃
1	Australia	21.1
2	New Zealand	20.3
3	Greece	20.0
4	Belgium	19.6
5	Sweden	19.4
	...
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
	Europe Avg	16.1
	World Avg	13.5
q=193.

Intellectual Endeavours (2017)₃₄
Pos.		Lower is better Rank₃₄
1	Ukraine	1
2	Czechia	2
3	Hungary	3
4	Denmark	4
5	UK	5
	...
102	Peru	102
103	Cape Verde	103
104	Swaziland	104
105	Albania	105
106	Madagascar	106
107	Thailand	107
	Europe Avg	31.3
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Maths, Science & Reading (2015)₄₄
Pos.		Higher is better Score₄₄
1	Singapore	1655
2	Hong Kong	1598
3	Japan	1586
4	Macau	1582
5	Estonia	1573
	...
53	Montenegro	1256
54	Costa Rica	1247
55	Mexico	1247
56	Albania	1245
57	Thailand	1245
58	Colombia	1231
	Europe Avg	1417
	World Avg	1389
q=70.

Religiosity (2018)₄₅
Pos.		Lower is better %₄₅
1	China	3
2	Estonia	6
3	Czechia	7
4	Switzerland	9
5	Denmark	9
	...
13	Belgium	11
14	Austria	12
15	Hungary	14
16	Albania	15
17	Lithuania	16
18	S. Korea	16
	Europe Avg	25.8
	World Avg	54.3
q=106.

IQ (2006)₄₆
Pos.		Higher is better₄₆
1	Hong Kong	108
2	Singapore	108
3	S. Korea	106
4	Japan	105
5	Taiwan	105
	...
52	Thailand	91
53	Lithuania	91
54	Cambodia	91
55	Albania	90
56	Croatia	90
57	Kyrgyzstan	90
	Europe Avg	96.6
	World Avg	85.6
q=138.

Technology and Information:

Internet Users (2016)₄₇
Pos.		Higher is better₄₇
1	Iceland	100%
2	Faroe Islands	99%
3	Norway	98%
4	Bermuda	97%
5	Andorra	97%
	...
70	Greece	65%
71	Saudi Arabia	65%
72	French Polynesia	64%
73	Albania	63%
74	Palestine	63%
75	Montenegro	62%
	Europe Avg	76.7%
	World Avg	48.1%
q=201.

IPv6 Uptake (2017)₄₈
Pos.		Higher is better Ratio₄₈
1	Belgium	55.4
2	Germany	41.8
3	Switzerland	35.1
4	USA	35.0
5	Greece	33.5
	...
122	Swaziland	0.0
123	Mongolia	0.0
124	Samoa	0.0
125	Albania	0.0
126	Micronesia	0.0
127	Algeria	0.0
	Europe Avg	8.11
	World Avg	3.82
q=176.

7. National Culture

#charity #corruption #happiness #morals #politics

World Giving Index (2013-2021)₄₉
Pos.		Lower is better₄₉
1	Myanmar (Burma)	2.7
2	New Zealand	4.0
3	USA	4.7
4	Australia	4.9
5	Indonesia	9.0
	...
117	Gabon	94.1
118	Lesotho	95.0
119	Congo, (Brazzaville)	95.3
120	Albania	96.1
121	Romania	96.7
122	Slovakia	100.6
	Europe Avg	75.2
	World Avg	67.9
q=160.

Corruption (2022)₅₀
Pos.		Higher is better Points₅₀
1	Denmark	90.0
2	Finland	87.0
3	New Zealand	87.0
4	Norway	84.0
5	Singapore	83.0
	...
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
	Europe Avg	57.61
	World Avg	42.98
q=180.

Happiness (2018)₅₁
Pos.		Higher is better₅₁
1	Finland	7.6
2	Norway	7.6
3	Denmark	7.6
4	Iceland	7.5
5	Switzerland	7.5
	...
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
	Europe Avg	6.06
	World Avg	5.38
q=156.

Creativity and Culture (2017)₃₄
Pos.		Lower is better Rank₃₄
1	Belgium	1
2	Netherlands	2
3	Estonia	3
4	Switzerland	4
5	Sweden	5
	...
75	Turkey	75
76	Kyrgyzstan	76
77	Togo	77
78	Albania	78
79	Brunei	79
80	Suriname	80
	Europe Avg	35.0
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Open Trading, Aid and Development (2017)₃₄
Pos.		Lower is better Rank₃₄
1	Ireland	1
2	Denmark	2
3	Sweden	3
4	Netherlands	4
5	Switzerland	5
	...
12	Philippines	12
13	Austria	13
14	Germany	14
15	Albania	15
16	Togo	16
17	France	17
	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 (2021)₅₂
Pos.		Lower is better₅₂
1	Iceland	1.10
2	New Zealand	1.25
3	Denmark	1.26
4	Portugal	1.27
5	Slovenia	1.32
	...
45	Laos	1.81
46	Sierra Leone	1.81
47	Uruguay	1.82
48	Albania	1.82
49	Chile	1.83
50	Vietnam	1.84
	Europe Avg	1.69
	World Avg	2.08
q=163.

Peacekeeping and Security (2017)₃₄
Pos.		Lower is better Rank₃₄
1	Samoa	1
2	S. Africa	2
3	Tunisia	3
4	Egypt	4
5	Nigeria	5
	...
77	Iceland	77
78	Turkey	78
79	Georgia	79
80	Albania	80
81	Gabon	81
82	Russia	82
	Europe Avg	84.6
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Refugees and UN Treaties (2017)₃₄
Pos.		Lower is better Rank₃₄
1	Austria	1
2	Germany	2
3	Netherlands	3
4	Sweden	4
5	Malta	5
	...
71	Guatemala	71
72	Estonia	72
73	Guinea-Bissau	73
74	Albania	74
75	Botswana	75
76	Lebanon	76
	Europe Avg	37.8
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Impact of Terrorism (2019)₅₃
Pos.		Lower is better Score₅₃
1	Togo	0.00
2	Mongolia	0.00
3	Swaziland	0.00
4	Equatorial Guinea	0.00
5	Cambodia	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
	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 (2015)₅₄
Pos.		Higher is better %₅₄
1	Iceland	+205.6
2	Bahrain	+144.4
3	Uruguay	+131.3
4	Kuwait	+81.2
5	Dominican Rep.	+79.5
	...
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
	Europe Avg	+15.0
	World Avg	+02.8
q=184.

Environmental Performance (2018)₅₅
Pos.		Higher is better₅₅
1	Switzerland	87.4
2	France	84.0
3	Denmark	81.6
4	Malta	80.9
5	Sweden	80.5
	...
37	Latvia	66.1
38	Turkmenistan	66.1
39	Seychelles	66.0
40	Albania	65.5
41	Croatia	65.5
42	Colombia	65.2
	Europe Avg	69.6
	World Avg	56.4
q=180.

Energy to GDP Efficiency (2014)₅₆
Pos.		Higher is better₅₆
1	Hong Kong	26.32
2	Sri Lanka	20.00
3	Panama	17.86
4	Colombia	17.54
5	Ireland	17.54
	...
19	Italy	13.16
20	Cyprus	12.99
21	Morocco	12.66
22	Albania	12.50
23	Spain	12.50
24	Yemen	12.50
	Europe Avg	09.80
	World Avg	09.29
q=119.

Convention on Biological Diversity
Pos.		Earlier is better Signed
1	China	1993 Dec 29
2	Guinea	1993 Dec 29
3	Cook Islands	1993 Dec 29
4	Vanuatu	1993 Dec 29
5	Papua New Guinea	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
	Europe Avg	1899 Dec 30
	World Avg	1899 Dec 30
q=197.

Rational Beliefs on the Environment (2011)₅₇
Pos.		Higher is better %₅₇
1	Argentina	78.3%
2	Greece	77.6%
3	Brazil	77.1%
4	Trinidad & Tobago	74.5%
5	Costa Rica	74.2%
	...
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 (2019)₅₈
Pos.		Higher is worse₅₈
184	Chad	40.90
183	Central African Rep.	40.10
182	Sierra Leone	39.00
181	Somalia	38.90
180	Nigeria	37.10
	...
62	Brunei	7.60
61	Ukraine	7.40
60	Lebanon	7.40
59	Albania	7.20
58	Costa Rica	7.10
57	Russia	7.10
	Europe Avg	4.86
	World Avg	14.59
q=184.

Income Inequality (Gini Coefficient) (2017)₅₉
Pos.		Lower is better %₅₉
1	Ukraine	25.0
2	Belarus	25.4
3	Slovenia	25.4
4	Czechia	25.9
5	Moldova	25.9
	...
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
	Europe Avg	31.5
	World Avg	38.1
q=152.

Multidimensional Poverty (2018)₆₀
Pos.		Lower is better Severity₆₀
1	Armenia	.001
2	Ukraine	.001
3	Serbia	.001
4	Turkmenistan	.001
5	Jordan	.002
6	Kazakhstan	.002
7	Montenegro	.002
8	Trinidad & Tobago	.002
9	Maldives	.003
10	Albania	.003
11	Thailand	.003
12	Moldova	.004
	Europe Avg	.004
	World Avg	.154
q=101.

11. Religion and Beliefs

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

Religiosity (2018)₄₅
Pos.		Lower is better %₄₅
1	China	3
2	Estonia	6
3	Czechia	7
4	Switzerland	9
5	Denmark	9
	...
13	Belgium	11
14	Austria	12
15	Hungary	14
16	Albania	15
17	Lithuania	16
18	S. Korea	16
	World Avg	54.3
q=106.

Disbelief In God (2007)₆₁
Pos.		Higher is better %₆₁
1	Vietnam	81
2	Japan	65
3	Sweden	64
4	Czechia	61
5	Estonia	49
	...
40	Uruguay	12
41	USA	10
42	Trinidad & Tobago	9
43	Albania	8
44	Dominican Rep.	7
45	Croatia	7
	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 below₆₂:

Christian	18%
Muslim	80.3%
Hindu	0.1%
Buddhist	0.1%
Folk Religion	0.1%
Jew	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 (2009)

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 practice₆₃.

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