Benin (Republic of Benin)

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

By Vexen Crabtree 2013

Benin Republic of Benin
Status	Independent State
Social and Moral Index	150th best
Capital	Porto-Novo
Land Area	112 760km²₁
Location	Africa
Population	11.5m₂
Life Expectancy	59.82yrs (2017)₃
GNI	$3 409 (2017)₄
ISO3166-1 Codes	BJ, BEN, 204₅
Internet Domain	.bj₆
Currency	Franc (XOF)₇
Telephone	+229₈

1. Overview

#brazil #france

“Present day Benin was the site of Dahomey, a West African kingdom that rose to prominence in about 1600 and over the next two and half centuries became a regional power, largely based on its slave trade. Coastal areas of Dahomey began to be controlled by the French in the second half of the 19th century; the entire kingdom was conquered by 1894. French Dahomey achieved independence in 1960; it changed its name to the Republic of Benin in 1975. A succession of military governments ended in 1972 with the rise to power of Mathieu KEREKOU and the establishment of a government based on Marxist-Leninist principles. A move to representative government began in 1989. Two years later, free elections ushered in former Prime Minister Nicephore SOGLO as president, marking the first successful transfer of power in Africa from a dictatorship to a democracy. KEREKOU was returned to power by elections held in 1996 and 2001, though some irregularities were alleged. KEREKOU stepped down at the end of his second term in 2006 and was succeeded by Thomas YAYI Boni, a political outsider and independent. YAYI, who won a second five-year term in March 2011, has attempted to stem corruption and has strongly promoted accelerating Benin's economic growth.”
CIA's The World Factbook (2013)₉

“For all its tumultuous past, Benin is an African success story, a beacon of stability in a tough neighbourhood and its people amongst Africa´s friendliest. The birthplace of voodoo and a pivotal platform of the slave trade for nearly three centuries, Benin is steeped in a rich and complex history still very much in evidence across the country. A visit to this small, club-shaped nation could therefore not be complete without exploring the Afro-Brazilian heritage of Ouidah, Abomey and Porto Novo, learning about spirits and fetishes. But Benin will also wow visitors with its natural beauty, from the palm-fringed beach idyll of the Atlantic coast to the rugged scenery of the north. The Parc National de la Pendjari is one of the best wildlife parks in West Africa. Lions, cheetahs, leopards, elephants and hundreds of other species thrive here.
... Benin is wonderfully tourist- friendly. There are good roads, a wide range of accommodation options and ecotourism initiatives that offer travellers the chance to delve deeper into Beninese life. Now is an ideal time to go because the country sits on the cusp of discovery.”
"The World" by Lonely Planet (2014)₁₀

2. Benin 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
	...
163	Nigeria	0.535
164	Haiti	0.535
165	Rwanda	0.534
166	Benin	0.525
167	Uganda	0.525
168	Lesotho	0.514
	Africa Avg	0.56
	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
	...
157	Micronesia	$3 696
158	Cameroon	$3 621
159	Sudan	$3 575
160	Benin	$3 409
161	Senegal	$3 344
162	Zambia	$3 218
	Africa Avg	$5 339
	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
	...
147	Sierra Leone	108.0
148	Cambodia	108.1
149	Malawi	108.3
150	Benin	109.1
151	Ethiopia	109.1
152	Togo	109.4
	Africa Avg	108.3
	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. Benin's Demographics and Migration

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

Population:

Benin's population is predicted to rise to 14.63 million by 2030. These millions of extra people will all need space to live, food to eat, energy to consume, and will increase the burden on the planet's resources. This country has a fertility rate of 5.12. 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
	...
74	Guinea	12.4m
75	Rwanda	12.3m
76	Tunisia	11.6m
77	Benin	11.5m
78	Belgium	11.5m
79	Bolivia	11.4m
	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
	...
176	Equatorial Guinea	60.6
177	Cameroon	60.3
178	Sierra Leone	60.1
179	Benin	59.8
180	Guinea-Bissau	59.7
181	Mozambique	59.3
	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
	...
162	Equatorial Guinea	5.02
163	Guinea	5.08
164	Liberia	5.08
165	Benin	5.12
166	Angola	5.19
167	Rwanda	5.30
	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
	...
20	Cameroon	05.8
21	Niger	05.8
22	Congo, DR	05.8
23	Benin	05.8
24	Burundi	05.9
25	Liberia	05.9
	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%
	...
118	Paraguay	2.4%
119	Uruguay	2.3%
120	Mauritius	2.3%
121	Benin	2.3%
122	S. Korea	2.3%
123	Cameroon	2.2%
	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%
	...
97	Brunei	6.0%
98	Netherlands	6.0%
99	Italy	5.8%
100	Benin	5.8%
101	Laos	5.7%
102	Turkey	5.6%
	World Avg	11.5%
q=192.

4. Benin'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 Africa (2020)₁₈_,₁₉
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₁₈_,₁₉
1	S. Africa	56.3
2	Seychelles	67.0
3	Namibia	69.7
4	Mauritius	72.6
5	Senegal	74.0
	...
16	Botswana	95.0
17	Mozambique	95.1
18	Gabon	95.4
19	Benin	95.9
20	Tanzania	95.9
21	Sierra Leone	100.4
22	Ivory Coast	100.5
	Africa Avg	108.4
q=54.

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
	...
109	Lesotho	95.0
110	Mozambique	95.1
111	Gabon	95.4
112	Benin	95.9
113	Tanzania	95.9
114	India	96.9
115	Cuba	97.7
	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
	...
94	Congo, DR	16
95	Burundi	16
96	Nigeria	16
97	Benin	16
98	Gabon	16
99	San Marino	16
	Africa Avg	14.8
	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
	...
112	Ethiopia	11.13
113	Slovenia	11.13
114	Dominica	11.14
115	Benin	11.15
116	Chad	11.23
117	Slovakia	11.24
	Africa Avg	9.88
	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
	...
78	Mexico	77
79	Trinidad & Tobago	79
80	Bhutan	79
81	Benin	79
82	Brazil	82
83	Tajikistan	83
	Africa Avg	114.2
	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
	...
75	Congo, (Brazzaville)	2820
76	Kuwait	2828
77	Nicaragua	2831
78	Benin	2833
79	Dominican Rep.	2834
80	Lesotho	2836
	Africa Avg	3511
	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
	...
102	Russia	0.55
103	Moldova	0.55
104	Egypt	0.55
105	Benin	0.55
106	Venezuela	0.56
107	Haiti	0.56
	Africa Avg	0.96
	World Avg	0.65
q=167.

Gender Equality:

The 1950s saw a late rush of 43 countries, including Benin and many developing nations, move to cease preventing women from voting. Benin is an unequal country, with male rights dominating those of women.

See:

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
	...
141	Congo, (Brazzaville)	0.59
142	Haiti	0.59
143	Papua New Guinea	0.59
144	Benin	0.61
145	Malawi	0.61
146	Burkina Faso	0.62
	Africa Avg	0.54
	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
	...
106	Honduras	1955
107	Cambodia	1955
108	Mali	1956
109	Benin	1956
110	Mauritius	1956
111	Somalia	1956
	Africa Avg	1961
	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
	...
118	Indonesia	1
119	Ivory Coast	1
120	Russia	1
121	Benin	1
122	Niger	1
123	Bahrain	-2
	Africa Avg	-10.4
	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
	...
30	Gabon	2.0
31	S. Sudan	2.0
32	Barbados	2.0
33	Benin	2.3
34	Greece	2.3
35	Antigua & Barbuda	2.3
	Africa Avg	3.1
	World Avg	3.0
q=196.

5. Benin's Health

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

Compared to Africa (2020)₂₈_,₂₉
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₂₈_,₂₉
1	Mauritius	64.5
2	Morocco	73.1
3	Eritrea	77.0
4	Tunisia	80.1
5	Algeria	87.3
	...
27	Zimbabwe	109.3
28	Zambia	109.9
29	Sierra Leone	110.9
30	Benin	111.3
31	Madagascar	111.5
32	Niger	113.1
33	Congo, DR	113.1
	Africa Avg	108.2
q=54.

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
	...
154	Dominican Rep.	109.4
155	Zambia	109.9
156	Sierra Leone	110.9
157	Benin	111.3
158	Haiti	111.4
159	Madagascar	111.5
160	Yemen	112.0
	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:

Benin is a pretty unhealthy country. Benin does better than average in its smoking rate₃₀ and in its alcohol consumption rate₃₁. But that's it. Benin has problems. It does worse than average for its food aid and health contributions and WHO compliance₃₂, its adolescent birth rate₂₅ and in its immunizations take-up₃₃. And finally, it sits amongst the bottom 20 for its fertility rate₁₄ and in its average life expectancy₁₁. The prevalence of overweight adults has increased by 14% over the last 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
	...
176	Equatorial Guinea	60.6
177	Cameroon	60.3
178	Sierra Leone	60.1
179	Benin	59.8
180	Guinea-Bissau	59.7
181	Mozambique	59.3
	Africa Avg	62.79
	World Avg	71.28
q=195.

Alcohol Consumption (2016)₃₁
Pos.		Lower is better Per Capita₃₁
1	Bangladesh	0.0
2	Kuwait	0.0
3	Libya	0.0
4	Mauritania	0.0
5	Somalia	0.0
	...
54	Maldives	2.7
55	Ethiopia	2.9
56	Fiji	3.0
57	Benin	3.0
58	Togo	3.1
59	Central African Rep.	3.3
	Africa Avg	4.8
	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
	...
162	Equatorial Guinea	5.02
163	Guinea	5.08
164	Liberia	5.08
165	Benin	5.12
166	Angola	5.19
167	Rwanda	5.30
	Africa Avg	4.31
	World Avg	2.81
q=180.

Smoking Rates (2014)₃₀
Pos.		Higher is worse₃₀
182	Montenegro	4 125
181	Belarus	3 831
180	Lebanon	3 023
179	Macedonia	2 732
178	Russia	2 690
	...
33	Bhutan	155
32	Mauritania	135
31	Zimbabwe	134
30	Benin	122
29	Ghana	121
28	Somalia	117
	Africa Avg	340
	World Avg	819
q=182.

Food Aid, Health Contributions & WHO Compliance (2017)₃₂
Pos.		Lower is better Rank₃₂
1	Sweden	1
2	Ireland	2
3	Denmark	3
4	UK	4
5	Norway	5
	...
106	Serbia	106
107	Zimbabwe	107
108	Central African Rep.	108
109	Benin	109
110	Costa Rica	110
111	Dominica	111
	Africa Avg	117.0
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Overweight Adults (2016)₃₄
Pos.		Lower is better %₃₄
1	Vietnam	18.3
2	India	19.7
3	Bangladesh	20.0
4	Ethiopia	20.9
5	Nepal	21.0
	...
40	Pakistan	28.4
41	Sudan	28.9
42	Nigeria	28.9
43	Benin	29.5
44	Guinea-Bissau	29.9
45	S. Korea	30.3
	Africa Avg	33.3
	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
	...
148	Venezuela	79.4
149	Guatemala	80.7
150	Bangladesh	83.0
151	Benin	83.2
152	Iraq	84.0
153	Sao Tome & Principe	84.3
	Africa Avg	87.5
	World Avg	47.9
q=185.

Infant Immunizations 2011-2015 (2015)₃₃
Pos.		Higher is better Avg %₃₃
1	Hungary	99.0
2	China	99.0
3	Uzbekistan	98.9
4	Niue	98.8
5	Mongolia	98.7
	...
153	Mozambique	81.4
154	Venezuela	80.6
155	Myanmar (Burma)	80.3
156	Benin	80.1
157	Guinea-Bissau	80.1
158	Tonga	80.0
	Africa Avg	81.7
	World Avg	88.3
q=194.

6. Benin's Modernity and Learning

#education #intelligence #modernity #technology #the_internet

Compared to Africa (2020)₁₉
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₁₉
1	S. Africa	52.8
2	Egypt	70.4
3	Tunisia	73.4
4	Kenya	79.8
5	Seychelles	81.3
	...
40	Congo, (Brazzaville)	137.4
41	Burundi	139.0
42	Madagascar	142.5
43	Benin	143.3
44	Gambia	144.0
45	Central African Rep.	146.3
46	Equatorial Guinea	149.3
	Africa Avg	120.7
q=53.

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
	...
187	Burundi	139.0
188	Madagascar	142.5
189	Kiribati	143.0
190	Benin	143.3
191	Gambia	144.0
192	Cambodia	144.6
193	Central African Rep.	146.3
	World Avg	83.2
q=205.

Modernity and Education:

Secondary Education (2018)₃₅
Pos.		Higher is better₃₅
1	Luxembourg	100.0%
2	Estonia	100.0%
3	Austria	100.0%
4	Canada	100.0%
5	Finland	100.0%
	...
144	Cape Verde	29.9%
145	Liberia	29.0%
146	Yemen	28.0%
147	Benin	26.5%
148	Sierra Leone	26.3%
149	Ivory Coast	26.1%
	Africa Avg	34.4%
	World Avg	63.0%
q=169.

Length of Schooling (2021)₃₆
Pos.		Higher is better Years₃₆
1	Australia	21.1
2	New Zealand	20.3
3	Greece	20.0
4	Belgium	19.6
5	Sweden	19.4
	...
150	Zambia	10.9
151	Myanmar (Burma)	10.9
152	N. Korea	10.8
153	Benin	10.8
154	Burundi	10.7
155	Kenya	10.7
	Africa Avg	11.0
	World Avg	13.5
q=193.

Intellectual Endeavours (2017)₃₂
Pos.		Lower is better Rank₃₂
1	Ukraine	1
2	Czechia	2
3	Hungary	3
4	Denmark	4
5	UK	5
	...
84	UAE	84
85	Tonga	85
86	Georgia	86
87	Benin	87
88	Pakistan	88
89	Seychelles	89
	Africa Avg	106.4
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

IQ (2006)₃₇
Pos.		Higher is better₃₇
1	Hong Kong	108
2	Singapore	108
3	S. Korea	106
4	Japan	105
5	Taiwan	105
	...
113	Togo	70
114	Botswana	70
115	Rwanda	70
116	Benin	70
117	Ivory Coast	69
118	Malawi	69
	Africa Avg	70.6
	World Avg	85.6
q=138.

Technology and Information:

Internet Users (2016)₃₈
Pos.		Higher is better₃₈
1	Iceland	100%
2	Faroe Islands	99%
3	Norway	98%
4	Bermuda	97%
5	Andorra	97%
	...
183	Afghanistan	7%
184	Malawi	7%
185	Mozambique	6%
186	Benin	6%
187	Tanzania	5%
188	Central African Rep.	5%
	Africa Avg	18.4%
	World Avg	48.1%
q=201.

7. National Culture

#charity #corruption #happiness #morals #politics

On the Corruption Index, Benin scored on average 36.8 over the 2012-2016 period. Over the 10 years since then, it improved by 6.2 points.

World Giving Index (2013-2021)₃₉
Pos.		Lower is better₃₉
1	Myanmar (Burma)	2.7
2	New Zealand	4.0
3	USA	4.7
4	Australia	4.9
5	Indonesia	9.0
	...
132	Niger	108.2
133	Chad	109.2
134	Cambodia	109.4
135	Benin	109.4
136	Japan	109.8
137	Montenegro	110.3
	Africa Avg	78.0
	World Avg	67.9
q=160.

Corruption (2022)₄₀
Pos.		Higher is better Points₄₀
1	Denmark	90.0
2	Finland	87.0
3	New Zealand	87.0
4	Norway	84.0
5	Singapore	83.0
	...
72	Senegal	43.0
73	S. Africa	43.0
74	Bulgaria	43.0
75	Benin	43.0
76	Ghana	43.0
77	Timor-Leste (E. Timor)	42.0
	Africa Avg	32.31
	World Avg	42.98
q=180.

Happiness (2018)₄₁
Pos.		Higher is better₄₁
1	Finland	7.6
2	Norway	7.6
3	Denmark	7.6
4	Iceland	7.5
5	Switzerland	7.5
	...
133	India	4.2
134	Niger	4.2
135	Uganda	4.2
136	Benin	4.1
137	Sudan	4.1
138	Ukraine	4.1
	Africa Avg	4.29
	World Avg	5.38
q=156.

Creativity and Culture (2017)₃₂
Pos.		Lower is better Rank₃₂
1	Belgium	1
2	Netherlands	2
3	Estonia	3
4	Switzerland	4
5	Sweden	5
	...
140	Paraguay	140
141	Sri Lanka	141
142	Malawi	142
143	Benin	143
144	Cameroon	144
145	Laos	145
	Africa Avg	117.8
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Open Trading, Aid and Development (2017)₃₂
Pos.		Lower is better Rank₃₂
1	Ireland	1
2	Denmark	2
3	Sweden	3
4	Netherlands	4
5	Switzerland	5
	...
63	Congo, DR	63
64	Honduras	64
65	S. Korea	65
66	Benin	66
67	Lesotho	67
68	Panama	68
	Africa Avg	96.7
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

8. Peace Versus Instability

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

Global Peace Index (2021)₄₂
Pos.		Lower is better₄₂
1	Iceland	1.10
2	New Zealand	1.25
3	Denmark	1.26
4	Portugal	1.27
5	Slovenia	1.32
	...
93	Gabon	2.07
94	Armenia	2.08
95	Sri Lanka	2.08
96	Benin	2.09
97	Tajikistan	2.10
98	Tunisia	2.11
	Africa Avg	2.29
	World Avg	2.08
q=163.

Peacekeeping and Security (2017)₃₂
Pos.		Lower is better Rank₃₂
1	Samoa	1
2	S. Africa	2
3	Tunisia	3
4	Egypt	4
5	Nigeria	5
	...
114	Suriname	114
115	Greece	115
116	Trinidad & Tobago	116
117	Benin	117
118	Venezuela	118
119	Angola	119
	Africa Avg	83.6
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Refugees and UN Treaties (2017)₃₂
Pos.		Lower is better Rank₃₂
1	Austria	1
2	Germany	2
3	Netherlands	3
4	Sweden	4
5	Malta	5
	...
124	Congo, (Brazzaville)	124
125	Swaziland	125
126	Madagascar	126
127	Benin	127
128	Yemen	128
129	Pakistan	129
	Africa Avg	104.5
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Impact of Terrorism (2019)₄₃
Pos.		Lower is better Score₄₃
1	Togo	0.00
2	Mongolia	0.00
3	Swaziland	0.00
4	Equatorial Guinea	0.00
5	Cambodia	0.00
6	Portugal	0.00
7	Croatia	0.00
8	Benin	0.00
9	Mauritania	0.00
10	Slovenia	0.00
11	Costa Rica	0.00
12	Romania	0.00
	Africa Avg	3.41
	World Avg	2.78
q=150.

9. The Natural Environment

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

Forest Area Change 1990-2015 (2015)₄₄
Pos.		Higher is better %₄₄
1	Iceland	+205.6
2	Bahrain	+144.4
3	Uruguay	+131.3
4	Kuwait	+81.2
5	Dominican Rep.	+79.5
	...
162	Kyrgyzstan	-23.8
163	Comoros	-24.5
164	Nepal	-24.7
165	Benin	-25.2
166	Guatemala	-25.4
167	Myanmar (Burma)	-25.9
	Africa Avg	-08.0
	World Avg	+02.8
q=184.

Environmental Performance (2018)₄₅
Pos.		Higher is better₄₅
1	Switzerland	87.4
2	France	84.0
3	Denmark	81.6
4	Malta	80.9
5	Sweden	80.5
	...
164	Papua New Guinea	39.4
165	Eritrea	39.3
166	Mauritania	39.2
167	Benin	38.2
168	Afghanistan	37.7
169	Pakistan	37.5
	Africa Avg	46.4
	World Avg	56.4
q=180.

Energy to GDP Efficiency (2014)₄₆
Pos.		Higher is better₄₆
1	Hong Kong	26.32
2	Sri Lanka	20.00
3	Panama	17.86
4	Colombia	17.54
5	Ireland	17.54
	...
104	Ivory Coast	04.85
105	Tanzania	04.81
106	Kyrgyzstan	04.78
107	Benin	04.69
108	Bosnia & Herzegovina	04.52
109	Russia	04.52
	Africa Avg	07.42
	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
	...
63	Gambia	1994 Sep 08
64	Micronesia	1994 Sep 18
65	Malaysia	1994 Sep 22
66	Benin	1994 Sep 28
67	France	1994 Sep 29
68	Netherlands	1994 Oct 10
	Africa Avg	1899 Dec 30
	World Avg	1899 Dec 30
q=197.

Rational Beliefs on the Environment (2011)₄₇
Pos.		Higher is better %₄₇
1	Argentina	78.3%
2	Greece	77.6%
3	Brazil	77.1%
4	Trinidad & Tobago	74.5%
5	Costa Rica	74.2%
	...
82	Romania	33.4%
83	Luxembourg	33.3%
84	Togo	33.3%
85	Benin	32.6%
86	Bulgaria	32.5%
87	Kyrgyzstan	32.0%
	Africa Avg	38.3%
	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)₄₈
Pos.		Higher is worse₄₈
184	Chad	40.90
183	Central African Rep.	40.10
182	Sierra Leone	39.00
181	Somalia	38.90
180	Nigeria	37.10
179	Mali	36.70
178	S. Sudan	36.20
177	Congo, DR	36.10
176	Benin	34.90
175	Equatorial Guinea	34.60
174	Cameroon	33.50
173	Ivory Coast	33.30
	Africa Avg	26.10
	World Avg	14.59
q=184.

Income Inequality (Gini Coefficient) (2017)₄₉
Pos.		Lower is better %₄₉
1	Ukraine	25.0
2	Belarus	25.4
3	Slovenia	25.4
4	Czechia	25.9
5	Moldova	25.9
	...
131	Chile	46.6
132	Seychelles	46.8
133	Cape Verde	47.2
134	Benin	47.8
135	Guatemala	48.3
136	Costa Rica	48.3
	Africa Avg	42.6
	World Avg	38.1
q=152.

Multidimensional Poverty (2018)₅₀
Pos.		Lower is better Severity₅₀
1	Armenia	.001
2	Ukraine	.001
3	Serbia	.001
4	Turkmenistan	.001
5	Jordan	.002
	...
86	Sierra Leone	.297
87	Liberia	.320
88	Guinea	.336
89	Benin	.368
90	Guinea-Bissau	.372
91	Congo, DR	.389
	Africa Avg	.264
	World Avg	.154
q=101.

11. Religion and Beliefs

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

Disbelief In God (2007)₅₁
Pos.		Higher is better %₅₁
1	Vietnam	81
2	Japan	65
3	Sweden	64
4	Czechia	61
5	Estonia	49
	...
94	Sierra Leone	0
95	Thailand	0
96	Togo	0
97	Benin	0
98	Tunisia	0
99	Uganda	0
	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 below₅₂:

Christian	53%
Muslim	23.8%
Hindu	0.1%
Buddhist	0.1%
Folk Religion	18.1%
Jew	0.1%
Unaffiliated	5%

The CIA World Factbook has slightly different data, and states: Catholic 27.1%, Muslim 24.4%, Vodoun 17.3%, Protestant 10.4% (Celestial 5%, Methodist 3.2%, other Protestant 2.2%), other Christian 5.3%, other 15.5% (2002 census)₅₃.

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