Armenia (Republic of Armenia)

https://www.humantruth.info/armenia.html

By Vexen Crabtree 2025

Armenia Republic of Armenia
Status	Independent State
Social and Moral Index	90th best
Capital	Yerevan
Land Area	28 480km²₁
Location	Asia, Europe
Population	3.0m₂
Life Expectancy	72.04yrs (2017)₃
GNI	$13 158 (2017)₄
ISO3166-1 Codes	AM, ARM, 51₅
Internet Domain	.am₆
Currency	Dram (AMD)₇
Telephone	+374₈

1. Overview

#armenia #azerbaijan #christianity #russia #turkey

“Armenia prides itself on being the first nation to formally adopt Christianity (early 4th century). Despite periods of autonomy, over the centuries Armenia came under the sway of various empires including the Roman, Byzantine, Arab, Persian, and Ottoman. During World War I in the western portion of Armenia, Ottoman Turkey instituted a policy of forced resettlement coupled with other harsh practices that resulted in at least 1 million Armenian deaths. The eastern area of Armenia was ceded by the Ottomans to Russia in 1828; this portion declared its independence in 1918, but was conquered by the Soviet Red Army in 1920. Armenian leaders remain preoccupied by the long conflict with Azerbaijan over Nagorno-Karabakh, a primarily Armenian-populated region, assigned to Soviet Azerbaijan in the 1920s by Moscow. Armenia and Azerbaijan began fighting over the area in 1988; the struggle escalated after both countries attained independence from the Soviet Union in 1991. By May 1994, when a cease-fire took hold, ethnic Armenian forces held not only Nagorno-Karabakh but also a significant portion of Azerbaijan proper. The economies of both sides have been hurt by their inability to make substantial progress toward a peaceful resolution. Turkey closed the common border with Armenia in 1994 in support of Azerbaijan in its conflict with Armenia over control of Nagorno-Karabakh and surrounding areas, further hampering Armenian economic growth. In 2009, senior Armenian leaders began pursuing rapprochement with Turkey, aiming to secure an opening of the border, but Turkey has not yet ratified the Protocols normalizing relations between the two countries.”
CIA's The World Factbook (2013)₉

“Armenia is said to have its head in the west and its heart in the east: here you can experience a Mediterranean lifestyle beneath the Caucasus mountains. [...] The rapidly modernising capital, the boutique tourism industry and the warm welcome you´ll receive everywhere seem to belie the country´s reputation for tragedy. Rather than letting past woes weigh it down, Armenia has built its memorials, dusted itself off and moved on. For travellers, easily visited highlights include ancient monasteries, candlelit churches and high-walled forts - but lasting impressions lie more with the ... gracious, humble and easy-going people, even without a common language. The travel experience is wide-ranging - you can have a four-star holiday in Yerevan and Sevan or a much simpler experience in rural towns like Dilijan and Goris.”
"The World" by Lonely Planet (2014)₁₀

2. Armenia 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
	...
82=	Dominican Rep.	0.767
83	Cuba	0.764
84	Peru	0.762
85	Armenia	0.759
86	Mexico	0.758
87	Brazil	0.754
88	Colombia	0.752
89	St Vincent & Grenadines	0.751
	Asia Avg	0.75
	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
	...
87	Grenada	$13 484
88	Gabon	$13 367
89	Ukraine	$13 256
90	Armenia	$13 158
91	Turkmenistan	$13 021
92	Iran	$13 001
93	S. Africa	$12 948
94	Suriname	$12 672
	Asia Avg	$22 215
	World Avg	$20 136
q=193.

Social & Moral Development Index₁₂
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₁₂
1	Denmark	27.2
2	Norway	29.2
3	Sweden	30.2
	...
87	Dominican Rep.	85.9
88	Russia	86.2
89	Vatican City	86.3
90	Armenia	86.7
91	Kazakhstan	87.4
92	St Vincent & Grenadines	87.4
93	Brunei	87.9
94	Belarus	88.4
	Asia Avg	92.2
	World Avg	89.2
q=200.

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. Armenia's Demographics and Migration

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

Population Datasets:

Armenia's population is predicted to rise to 3.105 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 1.58. The fertility rate is, in simple terms, the average amount of children that each woman has. The higher the figure, the quicker the population will grow, although, to calculate the rate you also need to take into account morbidity - 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 (two new children for each set of parents who die), 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, once you take mortality into account₁₃. The highest fertility rate ever detected in a single year was in Yemen in 1985, at 8.86.₁₄

Population₂
Pos.		2018 Population₂
1	China	1.4b
2	India	1.4b
3	USA	327.1m
	...
133	Uruguay	3.4m
134	Bosnia & Herzegovina	3.3m
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 Higher is better₁₁
Pos.		2021 Years₁₁
1	Monaco	85.9
2	Hong Kong	85.5
3	Japan	84.8
	...
91	Bangladesh	72.4
92	Peru	72.4
93	Syria	72.1
94	Armenia	72.0
95	Libya	71.9
96	Bhutan	71.8
97	Bulgaria	71.8
98	Georgia	71.7
	World Avg	71.28
q=195. Also scored for 1990s-2010s.

Fertility Rate 2.0 is best₁₅
Pos.		2022₁₅
1	US Virgin Islands	2.00
2	Ecuador	2.00
3	Nepal	2.01
	...
68	Iceland	1.59
69	Dominica	1.59
70	Antigua & Barbuda	1.58
71	Armenia	1.58
72	St Martin	2.39
73	Isle of Man	1.57
74=	Slovakia	1.57
74=	UK	1.57
	World Avg	2.47
q=208. Also scored for 1960s-2010s.

Old-Age Dependency Ratio Lower is better₁₆
Pos.		2016 Per 100₁₆
1	Uganda	04.3
2	Mali	04.5
3=	Chad	04.7
	...
134	Chile	27.0
135	Macedonia	27.7
136	Luxembourg	28.3
137	Armenia	28.7
138=	Thailand	29.2
138=	Ireland	29.2
140	Russia	29.5
141	Georgia	29.7
	World Avg	18.3
q=185.

Migration Datasets:

Immigrants₁₇
Pos.		2017 %₁₇
1	UAE	88.4%
2	Kuwait	75.5%
3	Qatar	65.2%
	...
72	S. Africa	7.1%
73	S. Sudan	6.7%
74	Grenada	6.6%
75	Armenia	6.5%
76	Bhutan	6.5%
77	Macedonia	6.3%
78	Finland	6.2%
79	Marshall Islands	6.2%
	World Avg	9.4%
q=195.

Emigrants₁₈
Pos.		2010 %₁₈
1	Dominica	104.8%
2	Palestine	68.4%
3	Samoa	67.3%
	...
15	St Vincent & Grenadines	37.7%
16	Cape Verde	37.6%
17	Jamaica	36.1%
18	Armenia	28.2%
19	Trinidad & Tobago	26.7%
20	Malta	26.2%
21	Georgia	25.1%
22	Kazakhstan	23.6%
	World Avg	11.5%
q=192.

4. Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance

#armenia_politics #equality #freedom #gender_equality #human_rights #mass_media #morals #politics #prejudice #tolerance

Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance (2025)₁₉
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₁₉
1	Sweden	7.5
2	Netherlands	8.6
3	Denmark	9.0
	...
107	St Kitts & Nevis	98.9
108	Turkey	99.7
109	Madagascar	100.2
110	Armenia	100.8
111	Tonga	101.0
112	Indonesia	101.5
	Asia Avg	110.11
	World Avg	90.04
q=198.

Armenia is generally poor at ensuring human rights and freedom compared to the rest of the world. Armenia does better than average in supporting press freedom₂₀ (one of the highest in Asia), commentary in Human Rights Watch reports₂₁, opposing gender inequality₂₂ and in its nominal commitment to Human Rights₂₃. But, things still need to improve in Armenia. Armenia does worse than average when it comes to the rate of gender bias (from 7 indicators)₂₄ (still good for Asia), freethought₂₅ (still good for Asia), its average Freedom in the World rating (still good for Asia), combatting modern slavery₂₆ and in LGBT equality in the 2020s₂₇. And finally, it falls into the worst-performing 20 in its success in fighting anti-semitic prejudice₂₈. Domestic violence persists as a serious problem and in 2017 there were many examples of human-rights defenders facing threats and harassment, and excessive force was used against protesters and journalists₂₉.

For tables, charts and commentary, see:

Human Rights, Equality and Freedom in Armenia

5. Armenia's Health

#health

Compared to Asia (2025)₃₀
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₃₀
1	Japan	40.8
2	Singapore	43.3
3	S. Korea	53.7
	...
18	Oman	80.7
19	Iran	80.8
20	Maldives	82.2
21	Armenia	85.3
22	Russia	86.8
23	Saudi Arabia	88.6
24	Turkmenistan	90.2
25	Kazakhstan	90.8
26	Lebanon	92.1
	Asia Avg	90.68
q=50.

Health (2025)₃₀
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₃₀
1	Monaco	10.3
2	Liechtenstein	30.1
3	Japan	40.8
	...
75	Chile	84.1
76	Bahamas	84.1
77	Serbia	84.1
78	Armenia	85.3
79	St Vincent & Grenadines	85.3
80	Jamaica	85.4
81	Latvia	85.5
82	Lithuania	85.5
	World Avg	97.39
q=207.

The countries with the best overall approach to public health, in terms of both public policy and individual lifestyle choices, are Monaco, Liechtenstein and Japan₃₁. These countries are worth emulating. And, although often through no fault of the average citizen, the worst countries are Angola, Somalia and S. Sudan₃₁.

42 datasets are used to calculate points for each country, including multiple decades of data on 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, obesity rate, its adolescent birth rate, delivery rate of infant DTP immunizations, delivery rate of 7x Infant Immunizations 2011-2015 and childhood mortality. The regions with the best average results per country are Scandinavia, Europe and The Mediterranean₃₁, whereas the worst are Micronesia, Africa and Melanesia₃₁.

For more, see:

"Countries With the Healthiest Cultures and Health Policies" by Vexen Crabtree (2025).

5.1. Health Datasets

#2010s #alcohol #armenia #birth_control #demographics #health #life_expectancy #longevity #mental_health #obesity #overpopulation #smoking #suicide

Armenia does relatively well in encouraging good health, compared to many other countries. Armenia does better than average in its food aid and health contributions and WHO compliance₃₂, delivery rate of 7x Infant Immunizations 2011-2015₃₃, its suicide rate₃₄, its adolescent birth rate₃₅, its fertility rate₁₅, childhood mortality in the 2020s₃₆, delivery rate of infant DTP immunizations in the 2020s₃₇, its alcohol consumption rate₃₈ (but high for Asia) and in its average life expectancy₁₁. Armenia does not succeed in everything, however. Armenia does worse than average in terms of its smoking rate₃₉ and in the prevalence of overweight adults₄₀. The number of overweight adults has increased by 14% during the past 40 years. Life expectancy in Armenia improved by +6.6yrs in the 30 years from 1990, less than the global average of +7.9yrs. Armenia's peak fertility rate was 4.79 in 1960.

Life Expectancy Higher is better₁₁
Pos.		2021 Years₁₁
1	Monaco	85.9
2	Hong Kong	85.5
3	Japan	84.8
	...
91	Bangladesh	72.4
92	Peru	72.4
93	Syria	72.1
94	Armenia	72.0
95	Libya	71.9
96	Bhutan	71.8
97	Bulgaria	71.8
98	Georgia	71.7
	Asia Avg	73.48
	World Avg	71.28
q=195. Also scored for 1990s-2010s.

Alcohol Consumption Lower is better₃₈
Pos.		2016 Per Capita₃₈
1	Bangladesh	0.0
2	Kuwait	0.0
3	Libya	0.0
	...
81	Suriname	5.1
82	Nicaragua	5.2
83	Turkmenistan	5.4
84	Armenia	5.5
85	Venezuela	5.6
86=	Sierra Leone	5.7
86=	India	5.7
86=	Cape Verde	5.7
	Asia Avg	3.9
	World Avg	6.2
q=189.

Fertility Rate 2.0 is best₁₅
Pos.		2022₁₅
1	US Virgin Islands	2.00
2	Ecuador	2.00
3	Nepal	2.01
	...
68	Iceland	1.59
69	Dominica	1.59
70	Antigua & Barbuda	1.58
71	Armenia	1.58
72	St Martin	2.39
73	Isle of Man	1.57
74=	Slovakia	1.57
74=	UK	1.57
	Asia Avg	2.17
	World Avg	2.47
q=208. Also scored for 1960s-2010s.

Smoking in the 2020s Lower is better₃₉
Pos.		Smoking in the 2020s %₃₉
1	Nigeria	3.3%
2	Ghana	3.4%
3	Panama	5.2%
	...
115	Egypt	24.8%
116	Austria	24.9%
117	Ukraine	25.0%
118	Armenia	25.0%
119	Switzerland	25.6%
120	Portugal	25.7%
121	Maldives	26.4%
122	Belgium	26.8%
	Asia Avg	22.8%
	World Avg	20.0%
q=165. Also scored for 2000s-2020s.

Suicide Rate in the 2010s Lower is better₃₄
Pos.		Suicide Rate in the 2010s Per 100k₃₄
1=	Jordan	1.00
1=	Sao Tome & Principe	1.00
1=	Antigua & Barbuda	1.00
	...
61	Ethiopia	5.38
62	Ghana	5.40
63=	Mexico	5.44
63=	Armenia	5.44
65	Bolivia	5.53
66	Kenya	5.55
67	Libya	5.61
68	Dominican Rep.	5.62
	Asia Avg	7.22
	World Avg	9.24
q=185. Also scored for 2000s-2010s.

Food Aid, Health Contributions & WHO Compliance Lower is better₃₂
Pos.		2017 Rank₃₂
1	Sweden	1
2	Ireland	2
3	Denmark	3
	...
28	Austria	28
29	Greece	29
30	Nicaragua	30
31	Armenia	31
32	Bangladesh	32
33	Hungary	33
34	Macedonia	34
35	India	35
	Asia Avg	64.4
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Overweight Adults Lower is better₄₀
Pos.		1976 %₄₀
1	Bangladesh	4.7
2	Vietnam	5.1
3	Nepal	5.4
	...
123	Albania	33.8
124	Syria	34.3
125	Ireland	34.5
126	Armenia	34.6
127	Austria	35.1
128	Turkey	35.2
129	Fiji	35.6
130	Finland	35.7
	Asia Avg	23.1
	World Avg	27.1
q=191.

Adult Obesity Lower is better₄₁
Pos.		2022 %₄₁
1	Vietnam	2.1%
2	Timor-Leste (E. Timor)	2.2%
3	Ethiopia	2.4%
	...
116	Canada	27.3%
117	Azerbaijan	27.5%
118	Bolivia	27.8%
119	Armenia	27.9%
120	Guyana	28.0%
121	Russia	28.0%
122	Greenland	28.2%
123	Tunisia	28.3%
	Asia Avg	21.1%
	World Avg	24.7%
q=199. Also scored for 1990s-2010s.

5.2. Children's Health Datasets

#children's_health #health #parenting #population #vaccines

Adolescent Birth Rate Lower is better₃₅
Pos.		2022 Per 1000₃₅
1	Hong Kong	1.6
2	Denmark	1.8
3	S. Korea	2.1
	...
64	Uzbekistan	15.7
65	Macedonia	16.1
66	India	16.3
67	Armenia	18.3
68	Bhutan	18.5
69	Tonga	19.2
70	Lebanon	20.0
71	Kazakhstan	20.9
	Asia Avg	25.9
	World Avg	43.8
q=195. Also scored for 1990s-2010s.

Infant DTP Immunizations (2020s) Higher is better₃₇
Pos.		Infant DTP Immunizations (2020s) Avg %₃₇
1=	Luxembourg	99.0
1=	Oman	99.0
1=	Niue	99.0
	...
84=	UAE	94.8
85=	Thailand	94.6
85=	Trinidad & Tobago	94.6
85=	Armenia	94.6
88	Kiribati	94.5
89=	Iceland	94.4
89=	Italy	94.4
91	Australia	94.2
	Asia Avg	90.6
	World Avg	88.5
q=211. Also scored for 1980s-2020s.

7x Infant Immunizations (2011-2015) Higher is better₃₃
Pos.		2015 Avg %₃₃
1=	Hungary	99.0
1=	China	99.0
3	Uzbekistan	98.9
	...
54	Japan	95.7
55	Portugal	95.7
56=	Qatar	95.6
56=	Armenia	95.6
58	Uruguay	95.6
59	Bhutan	95.6
60	Turkey	95.5
61	Malta	95.5
	Asia Avg	90.5
	World Avg	88.3
q=194.

Infant Mortality (2020s) Lower is better₃₆
Pos.		Infant Mortality (2020s) Per 1000₃₆
1	San Marino	2.11
2	Finland	2.59
3	Luxembourg	2.60
	...
78	Mauritius	14.97
79	El Salvador	15.03
80	Kosovo	15.11
81	Armenia	15.18
82	Bahamas	15.20
83	British Virgin Islands	15.26
84	Moldova	15.77
85	Colombia	15.90
	Asia Avg	23.58
	World Avg	32.19
q=195. Also scored for 1960s-2020s.

From the 1990s to the 2000s, Armenia was amongst the 10 countries that made the greatest improvements to their adolescent birth rates.

6. Armenia's Responsibility Towards The Environment

#biodiversity #climate_change #deforestation #environmentalism #food #internationalism #meat #over-exploitation #the_environment #veganism #vegetarianism

Compared to Asia (2025)₄₂
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₄₂
1	Sri Lanka	34.9
2	Nepal	47.9
3	India	49.5
	...
39	Lebanon	103.9
40	Bahrain	107.9
41	Mongolia	108.1
42	Armenia	108.2
43	Kyrgyzstan	108.7
44	Kazakhstan	109.8
45	Bhutan	115.3
46	Uzbekistan	116.1
47	Tajikistan	128.6
	Asia Avg	88.09
q=51.

Responsibility Towards The Environment (2025)₄₂
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₄₂
1	Sri Lanka	34.9
2	Uruguay	43.2
3	Switzerland	45.0
	...
166	Samoa	107.0
167	Bahrain	107.9
168	Mongolia	108.1
169	Armenia	108.2
170	Suriname	108.5
171	Kyrgyzstan	108.7
172	Angola	109.5
173	Kazakhstan	109.8
	World Avg	84.93
q=199.

We have known for a long term that we must protect the environment from habitation destruction, over-exploitation, pollution, and the emissions that cause climate change. In 1998, Greenpeace wrote that "Environment can no longer be meaningfully separated from health, quality of life, democracy, education, economy or trade"₄₃. What countries have been doing the right thing, via legislation and national culture? All countries' current and historical approach towards the environment is gauged via 21 datasets, including multiple decades of data on its forested percent change 2000-2020, its environmental performance, energy to GDP efficiency, its sign-up rate to major international accords on protecting the environment, the rate of rational beliefs on the environment in the population, reducing annual meat consumption per person and its score on the Green Future Index.

The countries that do the best (Sri Lanka, Uruguay and Switzerland) tend to have avoided the excesses of early industrial countries, and have not yet repeated the same mistakes of environmental destruction - at least, not on the same scale. The regions with the best average results per country are Central America, South America and Scandinavia. The worst are Eritrea, The Vatican City and Timor-Leste (E. Timor), and the worst regions Micronesia, Australasia and Melanesia.

For more, see:

"Countries With the Best Environmental Records" by Vexen Crabtree (2025).

Armenia is 169th in the world when it comes to its responsibility towards the environment. This rank is calculated from 21 data sets. Armenia does better than average for its sign-up rate to major international accords on protecting the environment and in its environmental performance₄₄. But unfortunately Armenia gets most other things wrong. It does worse than average when it comes to reducing annual meat consumption per person₄₅, the rate of rational beliefs on the environment in the population₄₆, energy to GDP efficiency₄₇ and in its forested percent change 2000-2020₄₈.

Forest Area Change 2000-2020 Higher is better₄₈
Pos.		Total₄₈
1	Guernsey	82.6%
2	Bahrain	75.2%
3	Iceland	64.7%
	...
149	Congo, (Brazzaville)	-1.1%
150	St Lucia	-1.1%
151	Papua New Guinea	-1.2%
152	Armenia	-1.3%
153	Philippines	-1.3%
154	British Virgin Islands	-1.4%
155	Cayman Islands	-1.6%
156	Bangladesh	-1.9%
	Asia Avg	3.2%
	World Avg	-0.1%
q=234.

Environmental Performance Higher is better₄₄
Pos.		2018₄₄
1	Switzerland	87.4
2	France	84.0
3	Denmark	81.6
	...
60	S. Korea	62.3
61	Kuwait	62.3
62	Jordan	62.2
63	Armenia	62.1
64	Peru	61.9
65	Montenegro	61.3
66	Egypt	61.2
67	Lebanon	61.1
	Asia Avg	54.5
	World Avg	56.4
q=180.

Energy to GDP Efficiency Lower is better₄₇
Pos.		2022 Avg₄₇
1	Rwanda	0.25
2	Chad	0.26
3	Tanzania	0.31
	...
115	USA	1.36
116	Czechia	1.36
117	Liberia	1.37
118	Armenia	1.42
119	Finland	1.44
120	Qatar	1.46
121	Belgium	1.49
122	Panama	1.49
	Asia Avg	1.50
	World Avg	1.23
q=165. Also scored for 1960s-2010s.

International Accords on the Environment Higher is better
Pos.		International Accords on the Environment Avg Rate
1	Sweden	83%
2	Canada	82%
3	Norway	81%
	...
17	Panama	74%
18	Denmark	73%
19	Ecuador	72%
20	Armenia	72%
21	Montenegro	72%
22	Peru	72%
23	Mauritius	72%
24	Brazil	71%
	Asia Avg	55.4%
	World Avg	57.5%
q=197. Also scored for 1970s-2020s.

Armenia was one of the 30 who signed the Convention on Biological Diversity on its first day.

Rational Beliefs on the Environment Higher is better₄₆
Pos.		2011 %₄₆
1	Argentina	78.3%
2	Greece	77.6%
3	Brazil	77.1%
	...
107	S. Africa	26.2%
108	Lithuania	25.6%
109	Nigeria	25.3%
110	Armenia	25.3%
111	Kazakhstan	25.0%
112	Iraq	24.9%
113	Sweden	24.3%
114	New Zealand	24.2%
	Asia Avg	37.9%
	World Avg	39.9%
q=145.

Meat Consumption Lower is better₄₅
Pos.		2021 kg₄₅
1	Congo, DR	03.0
2	Burundi	03.5
3	Bangladesh	04.3
	...
101	Turkmenistan	57.4
102	Papua New Guinea	58.5
103	Trinidad & Tobago	58.5
104	Armenia	60.0
105	Suriname	60.8
106	Colombia	60.9
107	Slovenia	61.2
108	Bulgaria	61.8
	Asia Avg	46.7
	World Avg	52.5
q=185. Also scored for 2010s.

7. Armenia's Modernity and Learning

#education #modernity #technology #the_internet

Compared to Asia (2025)₄₉
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₄₉
1	S. Korea	23.5
2	Taiwan	25.4
3	Japan	27.4
	...
12	Georgia	60.6
13	Azerbaijan	65.5
14	Kyrgyzstan	65.5
15	Armenia	65.6
16	Thailand	68.4
17	Uzbekistan	68.5
18	China	69.3
19	Lebanon	69.8
20	UAE	71.4
	Asia Avg	86.04
q=51.

Modernity & Learning (2025)₄₉
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₄₉
1	Finland	6.1
2	Iceland	8.1
3	Denmark	8.8
	...
69	Colombia	65.4
70	Azerbaijan	65.5
71	Kyrgyzstan	65.5
72	Armenia	65.6
73	Panama	68.0
74=	Dominican Rep.	68.3
74=	Bolivia	68.3
76	Thailand	68.4
	World Avg	84.96
q=197.

The most modern countries, with the best results from education, the highest levels of research, and with the easiest access to information on the Internet, are Finland, Iceland and Denmark₅₀. The worst countries are S. Sudan, Eritrea and Somalia₅₀. Despite improves in global education, access to tertiary (adult) education is becoming increasingly unequal between the rich haves and the poor have-nots₅₁.

“Education, at all levels and ages, is the single most vital support for equality as well as being a country's most vital economic and social resource. [...] Every successful aspirant to modernisation and economic development, from Japan to South Korea, China to Chile, has got there with a big emphasis on education.”
Bill Emmott (2017)₅₂

27 datasets are used to calculate points for each country, including multiple decades of data on Research and Development, Intellectual Endeavours, metric system adoption rate, Religiosity, IQ, Secondary Education, Length of Schooling, Maths, Science & Reading, the percent of citizens with access to the internet, Freedom On The Internet, IT Security, IPv6 Uptake and digital quality of life. The regions with the best average results per country are Scandinavia, Baltic States and Europe₅₀, whereas the worst are Melanesia, Africa and Micronesia₅₀.

For more, see:

" Which Countries are Most Modern, With the Best Education and Internet Access?" by Vexen Crabtree (2025).

7.1. Modernity Datasets

#intelligence #metric #religion #religiosity #research #science #secularisation

Research & Development Higher is better
Pos.		2016 % RDP PPP
1	S. Korea	4.29₅₃
2	Israel	4.11₅₃
3	Japan	3.58₅₃
	...
81	Pakistan	0.29₅₄
82	Zambia	0.28₅₅
83	Botswana	0.25₅₆
84	Armenia	0.24₅₄
85=	Sudan	0.23₅₇
85=	Uruguay	0.23₅₆
85=	Mongolia	0.23₅₄
85=	Bermuda	0.23₅₄
	Asia Avg	0.75
	World Avg	0.84
q=126.

Intellectual Endeavours Lower is better₃₂
Pos.		2017 Rank₃₂
1	Ukraine	1
2	Czechia	2
3	Hungary	3
	...
53	Russia	53
54	St Lucia	54
55	Turkey	55
56	Armenia	56
57	Guinea-Bissau	57
58	Central African Rep.	58
59	Kenya	59
60	Egypt	60
	Asia Avg	97.1
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Metric System Adoption Rate Higher is better₅₈
Pos.		2025 %₅₈
1=	Slovakia	100
1=	Poland	100
1=	Portugal	100
	...
52=	Bolivia	95
52=	Djibouti	95
52=	Turkmenistan	95
52=	Armenia	95
52=	Belarus	95
52=	Georgia	95
52=	Mauritius	95
52=	Chile	95
	Asia Avg	90
	World Avg	92
q=187. Also scored for 1960s-2020s.

Officially adopted metric in 1922, as part of the USSR. Progression:

1960 (90%): USSR metric standards in official sectors.
1970 (95%): Further standardization.
1980 (95%): High completeness.
2000 (95%): Post-independence continuity.
2025 (95%).

Religiosity Lower is better₅₉
Pos.		2018 %₅₉
1	China	3
2	Estonia	6
3	Czechia	7
	...
47=	Tajikistan	50
47=	Romania	50
49	Georgia	51
50=	Armenia	53
50=	USA	53
52	Bosnia & Herzegovina	54
53=	Greece	56
53=	Paraguay	56
	Asia Avg	55.8
	World Avg	54.3
q=106.

IQ Higher is better₆₀
Pos.		2006₆₀
1=	Hong Kong	108
1=	Singapore	108
3	S. Korea	106
	...
40=	Israel	95
41=	Kazakhstan	94
41=	Vietnam	94
41=	Armenia	94
41=	Romania	94
41=	Georgia	94
46=	Argentina	93
46=	Bulgaria	93
	Asia Avg	90.4
	World Avg	85.6
q=138.

7.2. Education Datasets

#education

Secondary Education Higher is better₆₁
Pos.		2018₆₁
1=	Luxembourg	100.0%
1=	Estonia	100.0%
1=	Austria	100.0%
	...
12	Kyrgyzstan	98.4%
13	Georgia	98.0%
14	Slovenia	97.6%
15	Armenia	97.2%
16	Hungary	97.2%
17	Palau	97.1%
18	New Zealand	96.9%
19	Switzerland	96.5%
	Asia Avg	66.0%
	World Avg	63.0%
q=169.

Length of Schooling Higher is better₆₂
Pos.		2021 Years₆₂
1	Australia	21.1
2	New Zealand	20.3
3	Greece	20.0
	...
103	Turkmenistan	13.2
104	Kyrgyzstan	13.2
105	Philippines	13.1
106	Armenia	13.1
107	Cameroon	13.1
108	Panama	13.1
109	Suriname	13.0
110	Belize	13.0
	Asia Avg	13.5
	World Avg	13.5
q=193. Also scored for 1990s-2010s.

7.3. Technology and Information Datasets

#it_security #modernity #technology #the_internet

Internet Users (2020s) Higher is better
Pos.		Internet Users (2020s)
1=	Iceland	99%
1=	Kuwait	99%
1=	UAE	99%
	...
86	Albania	79%
87	Barbados	78%
88	Iran	78%
89	Armenia	78%
90	Botswana	77%
91	Bulgaria	77%
92	Georgia	77%
93	Paraguay	77%
	Asia Avg	74.9%
	World Avg	67.8%
q=188. Also scored for 1990s-2020s.

IT Security Lower is better₆₃
Pos.		2013₆₃
1=	Ireland	0.11
1=	Luxembourg	0.11
1=	Belize	0.11
	...
53	Mauritania	1.19
54	Azerbaijan	1.21
55	Belarus	1.22
56	Armenia	1.22
57	Malawi	1.23
58	Turkmenistan	1.23
59	Kazakhstan	1.23
60	Djibouti	1.29
	Asia Avg	1.08
	World Avg	0.98

IPv6 Uptake Higher is better₆₄
Pos.		2017 Ratio₆₄
1	Belgium	55.4
2	Germany	41.8
3	Switzerland	35.1
	...
95=	Belarus	0.0
95=	Azerbaijan	0.0
95=	Angola	0.0
95=	Armenia	0.0
95=	Cape Verde	0.0
95=	Nigeria	0.0
95=	Uzbekistan	0.0
95=	Colombia	0.0
	Asia Avg	2.11
	World Avg	3.82
q=176.

Digital Quality of Life Higher is better₆₅
Pos.		2024₆₅
1	Germany	77.9%
2	Finland	76.9%
3	France	73.9%
	...
69	Morocco	44.8%
70	Mexico	44.6%
71	Vietnam	44.2%
72	Armenia	43.9%
73	Belarus	43.5%
74	Georgia	43.4%
75	Dominican Rep.	43.4%
76	Ecuador	43.3%
	Asia Avg	46.4%
	World Avg	48.4%
q=121.

8. Armenia's Culture, Peace and Inequality

#charitability #culture #equality #human_development #inequality #peace

Compared to Asia (2025)₆₆
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₆₆
1	Singapore	16.8
2	Hong Kong	28.6
3	Japan	33.2
	...
20	China	79.6
21	Indonesia	79.7
22	Bahrain	80.5
23	Armenia	82.4
24	Philippines	84.5
25	Turkey	85.8
26	Georgia	86.9
27	Sri Lanka	89.3
28	Russia	90.7
	Asia Avg	84.07
q=50.

Culture, Peace & Inequality (2025)₆₆
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₆₆
1	Denmark	10.4
2	Netherlands	11.8
3	Finland	12.2
	...
85	Botswana	81.9
86	Vanuatu	82.1
87	Grenada	82.3
88	Armenia	82.4
89	Cape Verde	82.8
90	Brazil	83.1
91	Ukraine	84.5
92	Philippines	84.5
	World Avg	80.47
q=183.

This is the final pillar of the Social and Moral Development Index; it has 39 datasets, including multiple decades of data on resisting corruption, Creativity and Culture, overall happiness, Open Trading, Aid and Development, passport utility (so far), personal financial stability, World Giving Index, its Global Peace Index rating, Peacekeeping and Security, Refugees and UN Treaties, the impact of terrorism, poverty (so far), life expectancy inequality, Income Inequality (Gini Coefficient) and Multidimensional Poverty.

For more, see:

"Which are the Countries for International Contributions, Creativity, Peace and Inequality?" by Vexen Crabtree (2026).

8.1. National Culture Datasets

#charity #corruption #freedom #happiness #internationalism #morals #politics

On the Corruption Index, Armenia scored on average 35 over the 2012-2016 period. Over the 10 years since then, it improved by 11 points.

Corruption Higher is better₆₇
Pos.		2022 Points₆₇
1	Denmark	90.0
2=	Finland	87.0
2=	New Zealand	87.0
	...
60	Vanuatu	48.0
61=	Jordan	47.0
61=	Malaysia	47.0
63=	Armenia	46.0
63=	Romania	46.0
65=	China	45.0
65=	Sao Tome & Principe	45.0
65=	Montenegro	45.0
	Asia Avg	39.98
	World Avg	42.98
q=180. Also scored for 1990s-2010s.

Creativity & Culture Lower is better₃₂
Pos.		2017 Rank₃₂
1	Belgium	1
2	Netherlands	2
3	Estonia	3
	...
100	Nicaragua	100
101	Russia	101
102	Vietnam	102
103	Armenia	103
104	Ghana	104
105	Bahrain	105
106	Ecuador	106
107	Uganda	107
	Asia Avg	99.0
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Happiness Higher is better₆₈
Pos.		2024 Score₆₈
1	Finland	7.7
2	Denmark	7.5
3	Iceland	7.5
	...
84	Algeria	5.6
85	Bulgaria	5.6
86	Macedonia	5.5
87	Armenia	5.5
88	Hong Kong	5.5
89=	Albania	5.4
89=	Tajikistan	5.4
91	Georgia	5.4
	Asia Avg	5.41
	World Avg	5.58
q=147. Also scored for 2010s.

Open Trading, Aid & Development Lower is better₃₂
Pos.		2017 Rank₃₂
1	Ireland	1
2	Denmark	2
3	Sweden	3
	...
45	Bosnia & Herzegovina	45
46	Poland	46
47	Japan	47
48	Armenia	48
49	UAE	49
50	Greece	50
51	Niger	51
52	Sri Lanka	52
	Asia Avg	86.3
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Passport Reach (2020s) Higher is better₆₉
Pos.		Passport Reach (2020s) Q₆₉
1	Singapore	192.2
2	Japan	192.0
3	S. Korea	190.7
	...
128	Cape Verde	66.7
129	Morocco	66.5
130	Philippines	66.3
131	Armenia	65.7
132	Ghana	65.3
133	Zimbabwe	65.2
134	Sierra Leone	64.2
135=	Kyrgyzstan	63.3
	Asia Avg	85.1
	World Avg	108.8
q=195. Also scored for 2000s-2020s.

Personal Financial Stability in the 2020s Higher is better₇₀
Pos.		Personal Financial Stability in the 2020s Score₇₀
1	Denmark	9.06
2	Switzerland	9.00
3	Finland	8.96
	...
49	Seychelles	7.37
50	Albania	7.37
51	Uruguay	7.32
52	Armenia	7.31
53	Montenegro	7.25
54	Thailand	7.24
55	Jordan	7.22
56	Georgia	7.14
	Asia Avg	6.41
	World Avg	6.46
q=165.

World Giving Index Higher is better₇₁
Pos.		2022 %₇₁
1	Indonesia	68.0
2	Kenya	61.0
3	USA	59.0
	...
112=	Pakistan	29.0
112=	Latvia	29.0
112=	Italy	29.0
112=	Armenia	29.0
116	Tunisia	28.0
117	Laos	27.0
118	Portugal	26.0
119	Lebanon	24.0
	Asia Avg	37.9
	World Avg	39.6
q=125. Also scored for 2010s.

8.2. Peace Versus Instability Datasets

#armenia #azerbaijan #extremism #human_development #peace #politics #religious_violence #syria #terrorism

Global Peace Index Lower is better₇₂
Pos.		2023 Score₇₂
1	Iceland	1.12
2	Denmark	1.31
3	Ireland	1.31
	...
63	Zambia	1.90
64	Cyprus	1.90
65	Serbia	1.92
66	Armenia	1.93
67	France	1.94
68	Panama	1.94
69	Paraguay	1.94
70=	Liberia	1.95
	Asia Avg	2.17
	World Avg	2.07
q=163. Also scored for 2010s.

Peacekeeping & Security Lower is better₃₂
Pos.		2017 Rank₃₂
1	Samoa	1
2	S. Africa	2
3	Tunisia	3
	...
133	Portugal	133
134	El Salvador	134
135	Macedonia	135
136	Armenia	136
137	Dominica	137
138	Cape Verde	138
139	St Lucia	139
140	Kuwait	140
	Asia Avg	76.0
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Refugees & UN Treaties Lower is better₃₂
Pos.		2017 Rank₃₂
1	Austria	1
2	Germany	2
3	Netherlands	3
	...
101	Georgia	101
102	Timor-Leste (E. Timor)	102
103	Barbados	103
104	Armenia	104
105	Suriname	105
106	Namibia	106
107	Tunisia	107
108	Cape Verde	108
	Asia Avg	92.2
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Impact of Terrorism Lower is better₇₃
Pos.		2019 Score₇₃
1	Togo	0.00
2	Mongolia	0.00
3	Swaziland	0.00
	...
54=	Montenegro	1.00
55	Taiwan	1.01
56	Laos	1.03
57	Armenia	1.17
58	Senegal	1.19
59	Morocco	1.22
60	Guatemala	1.33
61	Georgia	1.34
	Asia Avg	3.60
	World Avg	2.78
q=150.

“Tensions between Armenia and Azerbaijan spilled over into conflict in 2020, centred on the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh area. This region is part of Azerbaijan, but home to a large Armenian population. Fighting began in late September 2020. The number of people killed in the conflict is disputed, but most estimates suggest that at least 4,000 Armenian troops were killed, with almost 3,000 Azerbaijani casualties, including over 500 Syrians fighting on the Azerbaijani side. A ceasefire agreement was reached in November 2020, and Russian peacekeepers are now operating in some parts of the region.”
₇₄

It is a very worrying sign for Azerbaijan that it's position means the horrendously careless troops of Syria are the only forces it can draw upon for support; this choice of ally is an indicator that Azerbaijan is up to no good.

8.3. Economic Inequality and Poverty Datasets

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

Poverty (2020s) Lower is better₇₅
Pos.		Poverty (2020s) %₇₅
1	Malaysia	0.01%
2	Bhutan	0.01%
3	Cyprus	0.02%
	...
52	Argentina	1.40%
53	Vietnam	1.45%
54	Romania	1.65%
55	Armenia	1.86%
56	Serbia	1.92%
57	Costa Rica	1.99%
58	Palestine	2.07%
59	Suriname	2.18%
	Asia Avg	3.54%
	World Avg	11.40%
q=106. Also scored for 1980s-2020s.

Inequality in Life Expectancy Lower is better₇₆
Pos.		2019₇₆
1	Iceland	2.40
2=	Singapore	2.50
2=	Hong Kong	2.50
	...
68=	China	7.90
69	Argentina	8.60
70=	Barbados	8.70
70=	Armenia	8.70
72=	Tunisia	9.00
72=	Turkey	9.00
74	Libya	9.10
75	Iran	9.20
	Asia Avg	11.80
	World Avg	14.59
q=184.

Income Inequality (Gini Coefficient) Lower is better₇₇
Pos.		2023 %₇₇
1	Slovakia	24.1%₇₈
2	Slovenia	24.3%₇₈
3	Belarus	24.4%₇₉
	...
16=	Finland	27.7%₇₈
16=	Norway	27.7%₈₀
18	Kiribati	27.8%₈₀
19	Armenia	27.9%₈₁
20	Denmark	28.3%₇₈
21=	Poland	28.5%₇₈
21=	Bhutan	28.5%₈₁
23	Timor-Leste (E. Timor)	28.7%₈₂
	Asia Avg	33.0%
	World Avg	36.5%
q=167. Also scored for 1980s-2010s.

Multidimensional Poverty Lower is better₈₃
Pos.		2018 Severity₈₃
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
	Asia Avg	.084
	World Avg	.154
q=101.

9. Religion and Beliefs

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

Religiosity (2018)₅₉
Pos.		Lower is better %₅₉
1	China	3
2	Estonia	6
3	Czechia	7
	...
47=	Tajikistan	50
47=	Romania	50
49	Georgia	51
50=	Armenia	53
50=	USA	53
52	Bosnia & Herzegovina	54
53=	Greece	56
53=	Paraguay	56
55	Lebanon	57
56	Panama	61
57	Venezuela	67
58	Turkey	68
59=	Bolivia	71
59=	Botswana	71
61=	Brazil	72
61=	Egypt	72
	World Avg	54.3
q=106.

Disbelief In God (2007)₈₄
Pos.		Higher is better %₈₄
1	Vietnam	81
2	Japan	65
3	Sweden	64
	...
32=	Iceland	16
33=	Spain	15
33=	Israel	15
35	Armenia	14
36=	Lithuania	13
36=	Singapore	13
38=	Kazakhstan	12
38=	China	12
38=	Uruguay	12
41	USA	10
42	Trinidad & Tobago	9
43	Albania	8
44=	Dominican Rep.	7
44=	Croatia	7
44=	Kyrgyzstan	7
44=	Cambodia	7
	World Avg	9.9
q=137.

Pew Forum polling over the decades has found the following adherency rates:₈₅:

	2010	2020
Christian	97.5%	97.3%
Other	1.22%	1.22%
Unaffiliated	1.21%	1.18%
Muslim	<0.1%	0.267%
Buddhist	<0.1%	<0.1%
Hindu	<0.1%	<0.1%
Jewish	<0.1%	<0.1%

By adding up the Pew Forum data for the major monotheistic religions we can see that these make up 97.6% of the population. Yet there are simply too many who disbelieve in God for this to be true (14%). 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 98.8% of the populace say they belong to a religion, only 53% 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: Armenian Apostolic 94.7%, other Christian 4%, Yezidi (monotheist with elements of nature worship) 1.3%₈₆.

Links: