Australia (Commonwealth of Australia)

Australia Commonwealth of Australia
Status	Independent State
Social and Moral Index	16th best
Capital	Canberra
Land Area	7 682 300km21
Location	Australasia
Population	24.9m2
Life Expectancy	84.53yrs (2017)3
GNI	$49 238 (2017)4
ISO3166-1 Codes	AU, AUS, 365
Internet Domain	.au6
Currency	Dollar (AUD)7
Telephone	+618

1. Overview
2. Australia National and Social Development
3. Australia's Demographics and Migration
4. Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance
5. Australia's Health
6. Australia's Modernity and Learning
7. National Culture
8. Peace Versus Instability
9. The Natural Environment
10. Economic Inequality and Poverty
11. Religion and Beliefs
12. Christian Child Abuse in Australia
13. Links

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1. Overview

“Prehistoric settlers arrived on the continent from Southeast Asia at least 40,000 years before the first Europeans began exploration in the 17th century. No formal territorial claims were made until 1770, when Capt. James COOK took possession of the east coast in the name of Great Britain (all of Australia was claimed as British territory in 1829 with the creation of the colony of Western Australia). Six colonies were created in the late 18th and 19th centuries; they federated and became the Commonwealth of Australia in 1901. The new country took advantage of its natural resources to rapidly develop agricultural and manufacturing industries and to make a major contribution to the Allied effort in World Wars I and II. In recent decades, Australia has become an internationally competitive, advanced market economy due in large part to economic reforms adopted in the 1980s and its location in one of the fastest growing regions of the world economy. Long-term concerns include ageing of the population, pressure on infrastructure, and environmental issues such as floods, droughts, and bushfires. Australia is the driest inhabited continent on earth, making it particularly vulnerable to the challenges of climate change. Australia is home to 10 per cent of the world's biodiversity, and a great number of its flora and fauna exist nowhere else in the world. In January 2013, Australia assumed a nonpermanent seat on the UN Security Council for the 2013-14 term.”

CIA's The World Factbook (2013)₉

“Australia - the sixth-largest country on this lonely planet - is dazzlingly diverse: a sing-along medley of mountains, deserts, reefs, forests, beaches and multicultural melting-pot cities. Most Australians live along the coast, and most of these folks live in cities. In fact, Australia is the 18th-most urbanised country in the world. Sydney is a glamorous collusion of beaches, boutiques and bars. Melbourne is all arts, alleyways and Australian Rules football. Brisbane is a subtropical town on the way up; Adelaide has festive grace and pubby poise. Boomtown Perth breathes west-coast optimism; Canberra transcends political agendas. And the tropical northern frontier town of Darwin and chilly southern sandstone city of Hobart couldn´t be more different. [...] Australia's national parks and secluded corners are custommade for camping trips down the dirt road.”

"The World" by Lonely Planet (2014)₁₀

2. Australia 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
6	Denmark	0.948
7	Sweden	0.947
8	Ireland	0.945
9	Germany	0.942
10	Netherlands	0.941
11	Finland	0.940
12	Singapore	0.939
	Australasia Avg	0.70
	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
	...
20	Belgium	$52 293
21	Andorra	$51 167
22	Finland	$49 452
23	Australia	$49 238
24	Canada	$46 808
25	Saudi Arabia	$46 112
	Australasia Avg	$12 519
	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
	...
13	Japan	39.9
14	Luxembourg	40.0
15	UK	40.2
16	Australia	40.6
17	Belgium	42.2
18	Spain	42.9
	Australasia Avg	102.8
	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. Australia's Demographics and Migration

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

Population:

Australia's population is predicted to rise to 27.77 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 1.96. 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
	...
52	N. Korea	25.5m
53	Cameroon	25.2m
54	Ivory Coast	25.1m
55	Australia	24.9m
56	Niger	22.4m
57	Sri Lanka	21.2m
	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
6	Malta	83.8
7	S. Korea	83.7
8	Liechtenstein	83.3
9	Norway	83.2
10	Spain	83.0
11	Sweden	83.0
12	Italy	82.9
	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
6	Australia	1.96
7	Uruguay	2.05
8	Norway	1.95
9	Myanmar (Burma)	1.95
10	Indonesia	2.07
11	Sweden	1.93
12	Tunisia	1.93
	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
	...
142	Montenegro	30.0
143	Belarus	30.3
144	Ukraine	30.8
145	Australia	31.3
146	Slovakia	31.6
147	Albania	31.8
	World Avg	18.3
q=185.

• The Population of the Earth
• Abortion, Birth Control and Contraception

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%
	...
14	Nauru	32.7%
15	Lebanon	31.9%
16	Switzerland	29.6%
17	Australia	28.8%
18	Antigua & Barbuda	28.1%
19	Brunei	25.3%
	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%
	...
152	Uganda	2.2%
153	Sudan	2.2%
154	Chad	2.1%
155	Australia	2.1%
156	Serbia	2.0%
157	Venezuela	1.8%
	World Avg	11.5%
q=192.

4. Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance

#Australia #equality #freedom #gender_equality #human_rights #morals #politics #prejudice #tolerance

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
6	Iceland	20.1
7	Canada	21.2
8	Austria	22.5
9	Luxembourg	23.9
10	Finland	23.9
11	Australia	24.1
12	Hong Kong	24.3
	Australasia Avg	120.0
	World Avg	87.7
q=199.

Australia performs very well in ensuring human rights and freedom compared to most other countries. Australia comes in the best 20 in terms of the rate of gender bias (from 7 indicators)₂₀ (amongst the best in Australasia), supporting personal, civil & economic freedoms₂₁ (amongst the best in Australasia), its success in fighting anti-semitic prejudice₂₂ (amongst the lowest in Australasia) and in its nominal commitment to Human Rights₂₃ (one of the best in Australasia). And finally, it does better than average in opposing gender inequality₂₄ (the lowest in Australasia), LGBT equality₂₅ (amongst the best in Australasia), supporting press freedom₂₆ (amongst the best in Australasia), commentary in Human Rights Watch reports₂₇ (amongst the highest in Australasia), speed of uptake of HR treaties₂₈ (the best in Australasia) and in freethought₂₉ (but bad for Australasia). In 2017 Australia granted equality under marriage law to LGBT folk₃₀.

For tables, charts and commentary, see:

• Human Rights, Equality and Freedom in Australia

5. Australia's Health

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

Compared to Australasia (2020)31,32
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank31,32
1	Solomon Islands	82.0
2	Australia	84.6
3	Kiribati	87.0
4	New Zealand	88.8
5	Fiji	90.6
6	Vanuatu	97.1
7	Niue	98.7
8	Tonga	104.1
9	Samoa	107.8
10	Tuvalu	112.5
11	Micronesia	114.2
12	Papua New Guinea	120.8
13	Cook Islands	123.7
	Australasia Avg	109.4
q=16.

Health (2020)31,32
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank31,32
1	Monaco	13.0
2	Hong Kong	18.3
3	Maldives	41.0
4	Singapore	42.6
5	Japan	51.0
	...
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
71	Estonia	85.3
	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 Maldives₃₁. 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 Palau₃₁.

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 Mediterranean₃₁, whereas the worst are Micronesia, Australasia and Africa₃₁.

For more, see:

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

Health:

Australia does relatively well in encouraging good health, compared to many other countries. Australia comes in the best 20 in its average life expectancy₁₁ (the highest in Australasia) and in its food aid and health contributions and WHO compliance₃₃ (the lowest in Australasia). It does better than average when it comes to its suicide rate₃₄ (the best in Australasia), its adolescent birth rate₂₄ (the best in Australasia) and in its fertility rate₁₄ (the lowest in Australasia). But, things could still be better. Australia does worse than average when it comes to its immunizations take-up₃₅, its smoking rate₃₆ (the highest in Australasia) and in its alcohol consumption rate₃₇ (amongst the highest in Australasia). The number of overweight adults has increased by 14% during the past 40 years.

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
6	Malta	83.8
7	S. Korea	83.7
8	Liechtenstein	83.3
9	Norway	83.2
10	Spain	83.0
11	Sweden	83.0
12	Italy	82.9
	Australasia Avg	70.11
	World Avg	71.28
q=195.

Alcohol Consumption (2016)37
Pos.		Lower is better Per Capita37
1	Bangladesh	0.0
2	Kuwait	0.0
3	Libya	0.0
4	Mauritania	0.0
5	Somalia	0.0
	...
154	Greece	10.4
155	Denmark	10.4
156	Cook Islands	10.6
157	Australia	10.6
158	New Zealand	10.7
159	Finland	10.7
	Australasia Avg	4.3
	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
6	Australia	1.96
7	Uruguay	2.05
8	Norway	1.95
9	Myanmar (Burma)	1.95
10	Indonesia	2.07
11	Sweden	1.93
12	Tunisia	1.93
	Australasia Avg	3.26
	World Avg	2.81
q=180.

Smoking Rates (2014)36
Pos.		Higher is worse36
182	Montenegro	4 125
181	Belarus	3 831
180	Lebanon	3 023
179	Macedonia	2 732
178	Russia	2 690
	...
121	France	993
120	Bahrain	969
119	Mongolia	957
118	Australia	956
117	Ireland	954
116	Chile	930
	Australasia Avg	372
	World Avg	819
q=182.

Suicide Rate (2013)34
Pos.		Per 100k34
1	Haiti	0
2	Grenada	0
3	Egypt	0.1
4	Jordan	0.2
5	Maldives	0.7
	...
41	Spain	15.3
42	Argentina	15.6
43	Thailand	15.8
44	Australia	16.4
45	El Salvador	16.5
46	Kyrgyzstan	17.7
	Australasia Avg	20.00
	World Avg	20.93
q=91.

Food Aid, Health Contributions & WHO Compliance (2017)33
Pos.		Lower is better Rank33
1	Sweden	1
2	Ireland	2
3	Denmark	3
4	UK	4
5	Norway	5
	...
10	USA	10
11	Luxembourg	11
12	Finland	12
13	Australia	13
14	UAE	14
15	Saudi Arabia	15
	Australasia Avg	94.6
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Overweight Adults (2016)38
Pos.		Lower is better %38
1	Vietnam	18.3
2	India	19.7
3	Bangladesh	20.0
4	Ethiopia	20.9
5	Nepal	21.0
	...
164	Canada	64.1
165	Israel	64.3
166	Bahamas	64.4
167	Australia	64.5
168	Iraq	64.6
169	Mexico	64.9
	Australasia Avg	73.3
	World Avg	49.0
q=191.

Children's Health:

Adolescent Birth Rate (2015)24
Pos.		Lower is better Per 100024
1	N. Korea	0.5
2	S. Korea	1.6
3	Switzerland	2.9
4	Hong Kong	3.2
5	Slovenia	3.8
	...
44	Bahrain	13.5
45	Malaysia	13.6
46	Latvia	13.6
47	Australia	14.1
48	UK	14.6
49	Sri Lanka	14.8
	Australasia Avg	30.1
	World Avg	47.9
q=185.

Infant Immunizations 2011-2015 (2015)35
Pos.		Higher is better Avg %35
1	Hungary	99.0
2	China	99.0
3	Uzbekistan	98.9
4	Niue	98.8
5	Mongolia	98.7
	...
105	Vietnam	92.3
106	Denmark	92.3
107	Azerbaijan	92.2
108	Australia	92.1
109	Barbados	92.1
110	Ghana	91.7
	Australasia Avg	86.4
	World Avg	88.3
q=194.

6. Australia's Modernity and Learning

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

Compared to Australasia (2020)19
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank19
1	New Zealand	17.6
2	Australia	19.2
3	Palau	59.3
4	Tonga	75.2
5	New Caledonia	75.5
6	Fiji	80.8
7	French Polynesia	95.0
8	Nauru	99.0
9	Marshall Islands	102.8
10	Samoa	103.4
11	Vanuatu	117.0
12	Micronesia	131.3
13	Kiribati	143.0
	Australasia Avg	98.1
q=16.

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
6	Belgium	16.1
7	Czechia	16.7
8	New Zealand	17.6
9	Sweden	18.6
10	Germany	18.6
11	Australia	19.2
12	Iceland	19.6
13	Austria	19.6
	World Avg	83.2
q=205.

Modernity and Education:

Research and Development (2016)
Pos.		Higher is better % RDP PPP
1	S. Korea	4.2939
2	Israel	4.1139
3	Japan	3.5839
4	Finland	3.1739
5	Sweden	3.1639
	...
12	Belgium	2.4639
13	Slovenia	2.3939
14	France	2.2639
15	Australia	2.2540
16	Singapore	2.0041
17	Czechia	2.0039
	Australasia Avg	1.71
	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%
	...
36	Belarus	92.2%
37	Marshall Islands	92.1%
38	Montenegro	91.6%
39	Australia	90.4%
40	Romania	90.0%
41	Botswana	90.0%
	Australasia Avg	79.3%
	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
6	Iceland	19.2
7	Finland	19.1
8	Ireland	18.9
9	Denmark	18.7
10	Netherlands	18.7
11	Grenada	18.7
12	Turkey	18.3
	Australasia Avg	13.4
	World Avg	13.5
q=193.

Intellectual Endeavours (2017)33
Pos.		Lower is better Rank33
1	Ukraine	1
2	Czechia	2
3	Hungary	3
4	Denmark	4
5	UK	5
	...
17	Sweden	17
18	Lithuania	18
19	Macedonia	19
20	Australia	20
21	Germany	21
22	Grenada	22
	Australasia Avg	58.7
	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
	...
19	Poland	1511
20	Belgium	1508
21	Vietnam	1507
22	Australia	1507
23	UK	1499
24	Portugal	1491
	Australasia Avg	1512
	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
	...
17	Lithuania	16
18	S. Korea	16
19	Russia	16
20	Australia	18
21	Vietnam	18
22	Bulgaria	19
	Australasia Avg	18.0
	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
	...
24	Czechia	98
25	Spain	98
26	France	98
27	Australia	98
28	Denmark	98
29	USA	98
	Australasia Avg	98.5
	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%
	...
26	Switzerland	87%
27	France	86%
28	S. Korea	86%
29	Australia	85%
30	Bahamas	85%
31	Puerto Rico	83%
	Australasia Avg	44.3%
	World Avg	48.1%
q=201.

Freedom On The Internet (2012)48
Pos.		Lower is better48
1	Estonia	10
2	USA	12
3	Germany	15
4	Australia	18
5	Hungary	19
6	Philippines	23
7	Italy	23
8	UK	25
9	S. Africa	26
10	Argentina	26
11	Ukraine	27
12	Brazil	27
	Australasia Avg	18.0
	World Avg	46.7
q=47.

IT Security (2013)49
Pos.		Lower is better49
1	Ireland	0.11
2	Luxembourg	0.11
3	Belize	0.11
4	Hong Kong	0.12
5	Mexico	0.16
	...
21	Poland	0.55
22	Switzerland	0.55
23	S. Korea	0.56
24	Australia	0.63
25	Libya	0.63
26	Qatar	0.65
	Australasia Avg	0.63
	World Avg	0.98
q=81.

IPv6 Uptake (2017)50
Pos.		Higher is better Ratio50
1	Belgium	55.4
2	Germany	41.8
3	Switzerland	35.1
4	USA	35.0
5	Greece	33.5
	...
16	Estonia	17.6
17	Malaysia	16.5
18	Norway	14.7
19	Australia	14.6
20	Trinidad & Tobago	14.5
21	Finland	14.1
	Australasia Avg	1.55
	World Avg	3.82
q=176.

7. National Culture

#charity #corruption #happiness #morals #politics

Australia has a good long-term record on keeping corruption low, but there are some worsening perceptions in recent years.

World Giving Index (2013-2021)51
Pos.		Lower is better51
1	Myanmar (Burma)	2.7
2	New Zealand	4.0
3	USA	4.7
4	Australia	4.9
5	Indonesia	9.0
6	Qatar	9.0
7	UK	9.3
8	Ireland	9.6
9	Canada	10.1
10	UAE	11.6
11	Bahrain	11.7
12	Kenya	12.0
	Australasia Avg	4.4
	World Avg	67.9
q=160.

Corruption (2022)52
Pos.		Higher is better Points52
1	Denmark	90.0
2	Finland	87.0
3	New Zealand	87.0
4	Norway	84.0
5	Singapore	83.0
	...
10	Ireland	77.0
11	Luxembourg	77.0
12	Hong Kong	76.0
13	Australia	75.0
14	Estonia	74.0
15	Uruguay	74.0
	Australasia Avg	55.83
	World Avg	42.98
q=180.

Happiness (2018)53
Pos.		Higher is better53
1	Finland	7.6
2	Norway	7.6
3	Denmark	7.6
4	Iceland	7.5
5	Switzerland	7.5
6	Netherlands	7.4
7	Canada	7.3
8	New Zealand	7.3
9	Sweden	7.3
10	Australia	7.3
11	Israel	7.2
12	Austria	7.1
	Australasia Avg	7.30
	World Avg	5.38
q=156.

Creativity and Culture (2017)33
Pos.		Lower is better Rank33
1	Belgium	1
2	Netherlands	2
3	Estonia	3
4	Switzerland	4
5	Sweden	5
	...
45	Japan	45
46	Moldova	46
47	Greece	47
48	Australia	48
49	Seychelles	49
50	Grenada	50
	Australasia Avg	61.1
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Open Trading, Aid and Development (2017)33
Pos.		Lower is better Rank33
1	Ireland	1
2	Denmark	2
3	Sweden	3
4	Netherlands	4
5	Switzerland	5
	...
99	Israel	99
100	Argentina	100
101	Seychelles	101
102	Australia	102
103	Madagascar	103
104	Dominica	104
	Australasia Avg	91.6
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

8. Peace Versus Instability

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

Global Peace Index (2021)54
Pos.		Lower is better54
1	Iceland	1.10
2	New Zealand	1.25
3	Denmark	1.26
4	Portugal	1.27
5	Slovenia	1.32
	...
13	Finland	1.40
14	Norway	1.44
15	Sweden	1.46
16	Australia	1.47
17	Germany	1.48
18	Croatia	1.48
	Australasia Avg	1.62
	World Avg	2.08
q=163.

Peacekeeping and Security (2017)33
Pos.		Lower is better Rank33
1	Samoa	1
2	S. Africa	2
3	Tunisia	3
4	Egypt	4
5	Nigeria	5
	...
51	Norway	51
52	Finland	52
53	France	53
54	Australia	54
55	Italy	55
56	Mauritius	56
	Australasia Avg	88.1
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Refugees and UN Treaties (2017)33
Pos.		Lower is better Rank33
1	Austria	1
2	Germany	2
3	Netherlands	3
4	Sweden	4
5	Malta	5
6	Australia	6
7	Norway	7
8	Finland	8
9	Denmark	9
10	Switzerland	10
11	Canada	11
12	UK	12
	Australasia Avg	103.6
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Impact of Terrorism (2019)55
Pos.		Lower is better Score55
1	Togo	0.00
2	Mongolia	0.00
3	Swaziland	0.00
4	Equatorial Guinea	0.00
5	Cambodia	0.00
	...
77	Malaysia	2.50
78	Brazil	2.53
79	Ivory Coast	2.60
80	Australia	2.65
81	Congo, (Brazzaville)	2.69
82	Ireland	2.69
	Australasia Avg	1.38
	World Avg	2.78
q=150.

9. The Natural Environment

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

Australia's Prime Minister Tony Abbott was, almost, a denialist, witnessed by his government's Direct Action Plan, described accurately as simply "impotent"₅₆ (his 'Liberal Party of Australia' is a misleadingly-named conservative party). The wider population are often just as bad; 31.8% of Australians have rational worries about the environment, but this is fewer than the global average of 39.9%₆₀. News outlets are to blame. Although a few broadcasters have readers who are well educated on the climate, the most popular news producers tend to push their consumers towards climate change denial: Whilst 94% of Huffington Post readers say climate change is somewhat or very serious, "nearly 30% of skynews.com.au readers don't believe climate change is a serious issue (compared to 35% of those who watch Sky News TV), and we see News Corp websites dominate the news sites whose readers most deny climate change"₆₁.

Forest Area Change 1990-2015 (2015)57
Pos.		Higher is better %57
1	Iceland	+205.6
2	Bahrain	+144.4
3	Uruguay	+131.3
4	Kuwait	+81.2
5	Dominican Rep.	+79.5
	...
112	Sierra Leone	-02.4
113	Trinidad & Tobago	-02.6
114	Jamaica	-02.7
115	Australia	-02.9
116	Kazakhstan	-03.3
117	S. Korea	-03.9
	Australasia Avg	+03.4
	World Avg	+02.8
q=184.

Environmental Performance (2018)58
Pos.		Higher is better58
1	Switzerland	87.4
2	France	84.0
3	Denmark	81.6
4	Malta	80.9
5	Sweden	80.5
	...
18	Netherlands	75.5
19	Israel	75.0
20	Japan	74.7
21	Australia	74.1
22	Greece	73.6
23	Taiwan	72.8
	Australasia Avg	55.2
	World Avg	56.4
q=180.

Energy to GDP Efficiency (2014)59
Pos.		Higher is better59
1	Hong Kong	26.32
2	Sri Lanka	20.00
3	Panama	17.86
4	Colombia	17.54
5	Ireland	17.54
	...
64	Guatemala	08.47
65	India	08.40
66	Cameroon	08.33
67	Australia	08.20
68	UAE	08.13
69	Jamaica	08.06
	Australasia Avg	07.92
	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
	...
26	Tunisia	1993 Dec 29
27	Norway	1993 Dec 29
28	Zambia	1993 Dec 29
29	Australia	1993 Dec 29
30	Peru	1993 Dec 29
31	Philippines	1994 Jan 06
	Australasia Avg	1899 Dec 30
	World Avg	1899 Dec 30
q=197.

Rational Beliefs on the Environment (2011)60
Pos.		Higher is better %60
1	Argentina	78.3%
2	Greece	77.6%
3	Brazil	77.1%
4	Trinidad & Tobago	74.5%
5	Costa Rica	74.2%
	...
86	Bulgaria	32.5%
87	Kyrgyzstan	32.0%
88	Georgia	31.9%
89	Australia	31.8%
90	Austria	31.8%
91	Azerbaijan	31.7%
	Australasia Avg	28.0%
	World Avg	39.9%
q=145.

10. Economic Inequality and Poverty

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

Inequality in Life Expectancy (2019)62
Pos.		Higher is worse62
184	Chad	40.90
183	Central African Rep.	40.10
182	Sierra Leone	39.00
181	Somalia	38.90
180	Nigeria	37.10
	...
28	Germany	3.80
27	France	3.80
26	Austria	3.70
25	Australia	3.70
24	Denmark	3.60
23	Cyprus	3.60
	Australasia Avg	13.47
	World Avg	14.59
q=184.

Income Inequality (Gini Coefficient) (2017)63
Pos.		Lower is better %63
1	Ukraine	25.0
2	Belarus	25.4
3	Slovenia	25.4
4	Czechia	25.9
5	Moldova	25.9
	...
62	Portugal	35.5
63	Macedonia	35.6
64	India	35.7
65	Australia	35.8
66	Mauritius	35.8
67	Romania	35.9
	Australasia Avg	38.3
	World Avg	38.1
q=152.

11. Religion and Beliefs

#afterlife #belief #buddhism #christianity #god #heaven #hell #hinduism #islam #judaism #religion #religiosity #secularisation #universalism

Religiosity (2018)45
Pos.		Lower is better %45
1	China	3
2	Estonia	6
3	Czechia	7
4	Switzerland	9
5	Denmark	9
	...
17	Lithuania	16
18	S. Korea	16
19	Russia	16
20	Australia	18
21	Vietnam	18
22	Bulgaria	19
	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
4	Czechia	61
5	Estonia	49
	...
17	S. Korea	30
18	Finland	28
19	Russia	27
20	Australia	25
21	Taiwan	24
22	New Zealand	22
	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	67.3%
Muslim	2.4%
Hindu	1.4%
Buddhist	2.7%
Folk Religion	0.7%
Jew	0.5%
Unaffiliated	24.2%

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 75% of the populace say they belong to a religion, only 18% 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: Protestant 27.4% (Anglican 18.7%, Uniting Church 5.7%, Presbyterian and Reformed 3%), Catholic 25.8%, Eastern Orthodox 2.7%, other Christian 7.9%, Buddhist 2.1%, Muslim 1.7%, other 2.4%, unspecified 11.3%, none 18.7% (2006 Census)₆₆.

The Afterlife: Ipsos-NA in 2011 gathered some statistics on Australia₆₇. Despite the large numbers of Christians, not many have traditional beliefs in the afterlife - just 13%. More people don't know what to believe (30%). Some believe that upon death, you simply cease to exist (24%). Also, 2% specifically believe in heaven but not in hell (which is nice - making them possible "universalists"). 9% believe in reincarnation.

Links:

• A List of All Religions and Belief Systems
• Secularisation Theory: Will Modern Society Reject Religion? What is Secularism?

12. Christian Child Abuse in Australia₆₈

#australia

There has been a lot of historical abuse of children by individual Christian clergy over previous decades, but also, systematic abuse of children by Christian institutions in Australia. Well after the revelations of the Catholic Church's horrendous activities in Australia in the 1930s to 1960s, continued cases have come to light. So many that in 2008 July, Pope Benedict XVI has himself gone to Australia to apologize for the behaviour of his priesthood there. The Christian Brothers institute saw multiple complaints between 1919 and the 1960s, and a report finds that one of the boys who reported the abuse was physically beaten for it - "the physical abuse at the institutions contributed to a culture where boys were reluctant to report abuse for fear of consequences" and the institution moved 'Brothers' from one place to another when accusations surfaced, but did not attempt to deal with the abuse and then when it all went to concern, they were mostly concerned with avoiding financial costs₆₉.

More cases have emerged amongst Priests from various denominations. Australian Catholic Priest Brian Joseph Spillane finds himself accused of seemingly endless abuses of teens and pre-teens in various circumstances (i.e., in the confessional box and at a Catholic boarding school), between 1971 and 1990. The Salvation Army in Australia is another Christian organisation that has fostered sexual abusers - "boys who attempted to report abuse were punished or accused of lying" according to the Royal Commission₇₀. In another case, a Pastor from a (non-Catholic) Protestant church was caught out in the 1990s. The RCC in Australia, in order to limit further damage, has drawn up guidelines to prevent further abuse. "Roman Catholic bishops have sought to ban their priests from having any private contact with children. Guidelines drawn up with the approval of the Vatican mean that confessionals have to be fitted with glass viewing panels. Priests are also banned from seeing any child alone with the door closed"₇₁.

[ + More on Cases in Australia + ]

[ - COLLAPSE THE ABOVE SECTION - ]

After further evidence of abuse and cover-ups in Australia was revealed in 2018, criticism of the Pope for failing to provide meaningful leadership in his organisation on this issue resurfaced, so he finally summoned over 100 of the most senior Bishops to the Vatican to discuss it₇₂.

For more, see:

• "Organized Coverups of Sexual Child Abuse by Priests, Clergy and Christian Institutions" by Vexen Crabtree (2009).