The Human Truth Foundation

Canada

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

By Vexen Crabtree 2013

#canada

CanadaFlag
StatusIndependent State
Social and Moral Index16th best
CapitalOttawa
Land Area9 093 510km21
LocationNorth America, The Americas
Population37.1m2
Life Expectancy82.66yrs (2017)3
GNI$46 808 (2017)4
ISO3166-1 CodesCA, CAN, 1245
Internet Domain.ca6
CurrencyDollar (CAD)7
Telephone+18

1. Overview

#UK #USA

A land of vast distances and rich natural resources, Canada became a self-governing dominion in 1867 while retaining ties to the British crown. Economically and technologically, the nation has developed in parallel with the US, its neighbor to the south across the world's longest unfortified border. Canada faces the political challenges of meeting public demands for quality improvements in health care, education, social services, and economic competitiveness, as well as responding to the particular concerns of predominantly francophone Quebec. Canada also aims to develop its diverse energy resources while maintaining its commitment to the environment.

CIA's The World Factbook (2013)9

Book CoverCanada is more than its hulking mountain, craggy-coast good looks: it also cooks extraordinary meals, rocks cool culture and unfurls wild, moosespotting road trips. The globe´s second-biggest country has an endless variety of landscapes. Sky-high mountains, glinting glaciers, spectral rainforests and remote beaches are all here, spread across six times zones. It´s the backdrop for plenty of ah-inspiring moments - and for a big provincial menagerie. That´s big as in polar bears, grizzly bears, whales and, everyone´s favorite, moose.

The arts are an integral part of Canada´s cultural landscape, from the International Fringe Theater Festival in Edmonton to mega museums such as Ottawa´s National Gallery. Montreal´s Jazz Festival and Toronto´s starstudded Film Festival draw global crowds.

Sip a café au lait and tear into a flaky croissant at a sidewalk bistro in Montréal; head to an Asian night market and slurp noodles in Vancouver; join a wild-fiddling Celtic party on Cape Breton Island; kayak between rainforest-cloaked aboriginal villages on Haida Gwaii: Canada is incredibly diverse across its breadth and within its cities. You´ll hear it in the music, see it in the arts and taste it in the cuisine.

"The World" by Lonely Planet (2014)10

2. Canada National and Social Development

#economics #human_development #wealth

UN HDI (2021)11
Pos.Higher is better
Value11
1Switzerland0.962
2Norway0.961
3Iceland0.959
...
12Singapore0.939
13=Belgium0.937
13=New Zealand0.937
15Canada0.936
16Liechtenstein0.935
17Luxembourg0.930
18UK0.929
19=S. Korea0.925
The Americas Avg0.75
World Avg0.72
q=191.
Gross National Income Per-Capita (2021)11
Pos.Higher is better
PPP $11
1Liechtenstein$146 830
2Singapore$90 919
3Qatar$87 134
...
21Andorra$51 167
22Finland$49 452
23Australia$49 238
24Canada$46 808
25Saudi Arabia$46 112
26France$45 937
27UK$45 225
28S. Korea$44 501
The Americas Avg$16 628
World Avg$20 136
q=193.
Social & Moral
Development Index
12
Pos.Lower is better
Avg Rank12
1Denmark27.0
2Norway29.9
3Sweden31.8
...
13UK41.4
14Luxembourg41.4
15Iceland41.4
16Canada41.8
17Japan42.5
18France42.9
19Spain44.5
20Slovenia45.6
The Americas Avg81.5
World Avg88.6
q=199.

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. Canada's Demographics and Migration

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

Population:

Canada's population is predicted to rise to 39.85 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 1.33. 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. The highest fertility rate ever detected in a single year was in Yemen in 1985, at 8.86.13

Population2
Pos.2018
Population2
1China1.4b
2India1.4b
3USA327.1m
...
36Iraq38.4m
37Poland37.9m
38Afghanistan37.2m
39Canada37.1m
40Morocco36.0m
41Saudi Arabia33.7m
42Uzbekistan32.5m
43Peru32.0m
World Avg39.0m
q=195.
Life Expectancy
Higher is better
11
Pos.2021
Years11
1Monaco85.9
2Hong Kong85.5
3Japan84.8
...
12Italy82.9
13Singapore82.8
14Iceland82.7
15Canada82.7
16Luxembourg82.6
17France82.5
18New Zealand82.5
19Israel82.3
World Avg71.28
q=195.
Fertility Rate
2.0 is best
14
Pos.202214
1US Virgin Islands2.00
2Ecuador2.00
3Nepal2.01
...
113Bosnia & Herzegovina1.35
114Jamaica1.34
115Micronesia2.67
116Canada1.33
117Marshall Islands2.67
118=Mauritius1.32
118=Finland1.32
120Thailand1.32
World Avg2.47
q=208.
Old-Age Dependency Ratio
Lower is better
15
Pos.2016
Per 10015
1Uganda04.3
2Mali04.5
3=Chad04.7
...
168Estonia37.9
169Belgium38.1
170Switzerland38.3
171Canada38.5
172Croatia39.7
173Malta39.9
174=France40.5
174=Austria40.5
World Avg18.3
q=185.

Migration:

Immigrants16
Pos.2017
%16
1UAE88.4%
2Kuwait75.5%
3Qatar65.2%
...
20Israel23.6%
21Palau23.0%
22New Zealand22.7%
23Canada21.5%
24Kazakhstan20.0%
25Austria19.0%
26Sweden17.6%
27Equatorial Guinea17.5%
World Avg9.4%
q=195.
Emigrants17
Pos.2010
%17
1Dominica104.8%
2Palestine68.4%
3Samoa67.3%
...
131Peru3.7%
132Czechia3.6%
133Mauritania3.5%
134Canada3.5%
135Algeria3.4%
136Sweden3.4%
137Ghana3.4%
138Nepal3.3%
World Avg11.5%
q=192.

4. Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance

#canada #canada_freedom #equality #freedom #gender_equality #human_rights #morals #politics #prejudice #tolerance

Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance (2025)18
Pos.Lower is better
Avg Rank18
1Sweden6.1
2Denmark8.6
3Norway9.0
4Netherlands9.8
5Iceland12.9
6New Zealand13.3
7Canada14.7
8Austria14.9
9Australia16.0
10Luxembourg16.2
The Americas Avg71.80
World Avg86.55
q=199.
When it comes to ensuring human rights and freedom, Canada leads the world, setting excellent examples. Canada does the best in terms of its average Freedom in the World rating. It does the second-best in eliminating modern slavery19. It comes in the best 20 in commentary in Human Rights Watch reports20 (one of the best in The Americas), the rate of gender bias (from 7 indicators)21 (the lowest in The Americas), supporting personal, civil & economic freedoms22 (amongst the best in The Americas), its success in fighting anti-semitic prejudice23 (one of the best in The Americas) and in opposing gender inequality24 (one of the lowest in The Americas). And finally, it does better than average in LGBT equality25, supporting press freedom26 (one of the highest in The Americas), its nominal commitment to Human Rights27 and in freethought28. Canada actively seeks to protect human rights at home and internationally, and has developed a culture that is tolerant, where it is frowned upon to behave in a prejudiced manner. Although Human Rights Watch does have some criticism when it comes to protecting the rights of Indigenous peoples and the placement of children in immigration detention29.

For tables, charts and commentary, see:

5. Canada's Health

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

Compared to The Americas (2025)30
Pos.Lower is better
Avg Rank30
1Greenland34.3
2Curaço49.7
3Aruba49.9
4US Virgin Islands51.9
5Bermuda55.9
6Canada58.3
7USA58.5
8=Antigua & Barbuda63.2
9St Martin66.7
10=Puerto Rico70.9
11Barbados71.0
12Turks & Caicos Islands74.3
13Cuba75.7
The Americas Avg92.66
q=44.
Health (2025)30
Pos.Lower is better
Avg Rank30
1Monaco14.3
2Liechtenstein30.1
3Isle of Man32.1
...
31Andorra55.9
32Italy56.2
33New Caledonia57.9
34Canada58.3
35Faroe Islands58.3
36Channel Islands58.4
37USA58.5
38Malaysia58.6
World Avg96.74
q=212.

The countries with the best overall approach to public health, in terms of both public policy and individual lifestyle choices, are Monaco, Liechtenstein and The Isle of Man31. These countries are worth emulating. And, although often through no fault of the average citizen, the worst countries are S. Sudan, Angola and Nigeria31.

21 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, its adolescent birth rate and its immunizations take-up. The regions with the best average results per country are Scandinavia, Europe and The Balkans31, whereas the worst are Africa, Micronesia and Melanesia31.

For more, see:

Health:

Canada does relatively well in encouraging good health, compared to many other countries. Canada comes in the best 20 when it comes to its food aid and health contributions and WHO compliance32 (the lowest in The Americas) and in its average life expectancy11 (the highest in The Americas). It does better than average in terms of its adolescent birth rate33 (the lowest in The Americas). Canada does not succeed in everything, however. Canada does worse than average for its suicide rate34, its fertility rate14, its smoking rate35 (amongst the highest in The Americas), its alcohol consumption rate36 and in its immunizations take-up37 (one of the worst in The Americas). The number of overweight adults has increased by 14% during the last 40 years. Life expectancy in Canada in 1990 was the seventh highest in the world, at 77.4yrs. It improved this by another +4.9yrs in the 30 years from 1990, although less than the global average of +7.9yrs. Canada's peak fertility rate was 3.81 in 1960.

Life Expectancy
Higher is better
11
Pos.2021
Years11
1Monaco85.9
2Hong Kong85.5
3Japan84.8
...
12Italy82.9
13Singapore82.8
14Iceland82.7
15Canada82.7
16Luxembourg82.6
17France82.5
18New Zealand82.5
19Israel82.3
The Americas Avg72.58
World Avg71.28
q=195.
Alcohol Consumption
Lower is better
36
Pos.2016
Per Capita36
1Bangladesh0.0
2Kuwait0.0
3Libya0.0
...
131Netherlands8.7
132=Croatia8.9
132=Cameroon8.9
132=Canada8.9
135Rwanda9.0
136Iceland9.1
137Sweden9.2
138=Chile9.3
The Americas Avg6.9
World Avg6.2
q=189.
Fertility Rate
2.0 is best
14
Pos.202214
1US Virgin Islands2.00
2Ecuador2.00
3Nepal2.01
...
113Bosnia & Herzegovina1.35
114Jamaica1.34
115Micronesia2.67
116Canada1.33
117Marshall Islands2.67
118=Mauritius1.32
118=Finland1.32
120Thailand1.32
The Americas Avg1.80
World Avg2.47
q=208.
Smoking Rates
Lower is better
35
Pos.201435
1Guinea 15
2Solomon Islands 26
3Kiribati 28
...
128Moldova1 114
129Lithuania1 124
130Uruguay1 135
131Canada1 154
132Albania1 177
133Egypt1 188
134Vietnam1 215
135Iraq1 227
The Americas Avg 457
World Avg 819
q=182.
Suicide Rate34
Pos.2013
Per 100k34
1Haiti0
2Grenada0
3Egypt0.1
...
52Trinidad & Tobago21.7
53USA22.2
54Chile22.4
55Canada22.7
56Iceland23.5
57New Zealand23.6
58Ireland23.7
59Norway23.8
The Americas Avg13.57
World Avg20.93
q=91.
Food Aid, Health Contributions & WHO Compliance
Lower is better
32
Pos.2017
Rank32
1Sweden1
2Ireland2
3Denmark3
4UK4
5Norway5
6Switzerland6
7Germany7
8Canada8
9Netherlands9
10USA10
11Luxembourg11
12Finland12
The Americas Avg94.3
World Avg82.0
q=163.
Overweight Adults
Lower is better
38
Pos.2016
%38
1Vietnam18.3
2India19.7
3Bangladesh20.0
...
161=Andorra63.7
161=UK63.7
163Fiji63.8
164Canada64.1
165Israel64.3
166Bahamas64.4
167Australia64.5
168Iraq64.6
The Americas Avg57.4
World Avg49.0
q=191.

Children's Health:

Adolescent Birth Rate
Lower is better
33
Pos.2022
Per 100033
1Hong Kong1.6
2Denmark1.8
3S. Korea2.1
...
22Ireland5.9
23Andorra5.9
24Spain6.3
25Canada6.6
26Tunisia6.6
27Maldives6.8
28Cyprus6.8
29Qatar6.9
The Americas Avg48.1
World Avg43.8
q=195.
Infant Immunizations 2011-2015
Higher is better
37
Pos.2015
Avg %37
1=Hungary99.0
1=China99.0
3Uzbekistan98.9
...
139Dominican Rep.86.3
140Panama86.1
141Belarus85.3
142=Canada85.2
142=Guatemala85.2
144Togo84.3
145Zambia84.2
146Congo, (Brazzaville)83.6
The Americas Avg91.3
World Avg88.3
q=194.

6. Responsibility Towards The Environment

#canada #canada_environment #canada_environmentalism #climate_change #environmentalism #internationalism #the_environment

Responsibility Towards The Environment (2025)39
Pos.Lower is better
Avg Rank39
1Sri Lanka34.9
2Uruguay43.2
3Switzerland45.0
...
110Venezuela86.1
111Taiwan86.1
112Macedonia86.9
113Canada87.2
114Guyana87.4
115Gabon87.9
The Americas Avg92.66
World Avg84.93
q=199.
Canada comes 113th in the world with regard to its responsibility towards the environment. This rank is calculated from 7 data sets. Canada does the second-best in its sign-up rate to major international accords on protecting the environment. It comes in the best 20 when it comes to its score on the Green Future Index40 (one of the best in The Americas). It does better than average when it comes to its environmental performance41 (the highest in The Americas) and in the rate of rational beliefs on the environment in the population42 (but amongst the lowest in The Americas). Canada got off to an early start in its efforts, when the environmentalist lobby group Greenpeace was founded in Vancouver in 197143. But, there's bad news too. Canada does worse than average in its forested percent change 2000-202044 and in reducing annual meat consumption per person45. And finally, it falls into the worst 20 when it comes to energy to GDP efficiency46 (one of the highest in The Americas). In 2015 it was noted that the Conservative Party of Canada only pays "lip service" to preventing climate change, but at least, it does this in the face of its large tar sands oil industry47. In 2021, things got worse, not better, when party members voted not to recognize the climate crisis as real48.

For tables, charts and commentary, see:

7. Canada's Modernity and Learning

#australia #canada #capitalism #charity #corruption #economics #education #english #extremism #happiness #health #human_development #inequality #intelligence #it_security #life_expectancy #maths #modernity #morals #peace #politics #religion #religiosity #religious_violence #research #science #secularisation #social_development #technology #terrorism #the_internet

Compared to The Americas (2020)49
Pos.Lower is better
Avg Rank49
1=Canada21.8
2USA26.4
3Argentina38.2
4Grenada43.4
5Barbados47.4
6St Kitts & Nevis48.8
7Chile48.8
8Brazil52.8
9Uruguay57.6
10Mexico64.5
11Peru68.2
12Costa Rica69.8
13Cuba72.8
The Americas Avg81.34
q=35.
Modernity & Learning (2020)49
Pos.Lower is better
Avg Rank49
1Finland7.1
2Belgium12.9
3Denmark13.6
...
14Ireland19.8
15Austria19.9
16=Czechia21.8
16=Canada21.8
18S. Korea22.2
19Slovenia22.5
20Japan24.7
21USA26.4
World Avg86.31
q=190.

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, Belgium and Denmark50. The worst countries are Eritrea, S. Sudan and Sierra Leone50. 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

15 datasets are used to calculate points for each country, including multiple decades of data on Research and Development, Secondary Education, Length of Schooling, Intellectual Endeavours, Maths, Science & Reading, Religiosity, IQ, 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:

Modernity and Education:

In 1990-1993, education in Canada was the 2nd-longest in the world, peaking at 17.2 years, beaten only by Australia. Throughout the 1990s, it did reduce this by almost a year, and likewise in the 2000s it was also one of only twelve countries to see a reduction.53

Research & Development
Higher is better
Pos.2016
% RDP PPP
1S. Korea4.2954
2Israel4.1154
3Japan3.5854
...
19Iceland1.8954
20=Norway1.7054
20=UK1.7054
22Canada1.6154
23Ireland1.5254
24Estonia1.4354
25Hungary1.3754
26Italy1.2954
The Americas Avg0.47
World Avg0.84
q=126.
Secondary Education
Higher is better
55
Pos.201855
1=Luxembourg100.0%
1=Estonia100.0%
1=Austria100.0%
1=Canada100.0%
1=Finland100.0%
1=Iceland100.0%
7Uzbekistan99.9%
8Czechia99.8%
9Slovakia99.3%
10Latvia99.2%
11Kazakhstan98.6%
12Kyrgyzstan98.4%
The Americas Avg63.0%
World Avg63.0%
q=169.
Length of Schooling
Higher is better
56
Pos.2021
Years56
1Australia21.1
2New Zealand20.3
3Greece20.0
...
25Singapore16.5
26S. Korea16.5
27Switzerland16.5
28Canada16.4
29Bahrain16.3
30Lithuania16.3
31USA16.3
32Italy16.2
The Americas Avg14.2
World Avg13.5
q=193.
Intellectual Endeavours
Lower is better
32
Pos.2017
Rank32
1Ukraine1
2Czechia2
3Hungary3
...
26Singapore26
27Greece27
28Serbia28
29Canada29
30Romania30
31Cyprus31
32Ireland32
33Croatia33
The Americas Avg99.8
World Avg82.0
q=163.
Maths, Science & Reading
Higher is better
57
Pos.2015
Score57
1Singapore1655
2Hong Kong1598
3Japan1586
4Macau1582
5Estonia1573
6=Taiwan1571
6=Canada1571
8Finland1568
9S. Korea1557
10China154358
11=Ireland1528
11=Slovenia1528
The Americas Avg1287
World Avg1389
q=70.
Religiosity
Lower is better
59
Pos.2018
%59
1China3
2Estonia6
3Czechia7
...
29=Spain22
30Slovakia23
31=Ukraine23
32Canada27
33=Uzbekistan29
33=Uruguay29
35Poland30
36Serbia34
The Americas Avg65.4
World Avg54.3
q=106.
IQ
Higher is better60
Pos.200660
1=Hong Kong108
1=Singapore108
3S. Korea106
...
19=Estonia99
19=Sweden99
19=Belgium99
19=Canada99
23Andorra98
24=Czechia98
24=Spain98
24=France98
The Americas Avg85.3
World Avg85.6
q=138.

Technology and Information:

Internet Users
Higher is better
61
Pos.201661
1Iceland100%
2Faroe Islands99%
3Norway98%
...
18Japan91%
19New Zealand89%
20=USA89%
20=Canada89%
20=Belgium89%
23Czechia88%
24Germany88%
25Aruba88%
The Americas Avg56.4%
World Avg48.1%
q=201.
IT Security
Lower is better
62
Pos.201362
1=Ireland0.11
1=Luxembourg0.11
1=Belize0.11
...
40Kuwait0.93
41Saudi Arabia0.93
42Malaysia0.96
43Canada0.96
44Tajikistan1.01
45Brazil1.02
46Indonesia1.05
47British Virgin Islands1.08
The Americas Avg0.84
World Avg0.98
IPv6 Uptake
Higher is better
63
Pos.2017
Ratio63
1Belgium55.4
2Germany41.8
3Switzerland35.1
...
10UK24.7
11Japan22.1
12France18.8
13Canada18.3
14Peru18.3
15Ecuador18.2
16Estonia17.6
17Malaysia16.5
The Americas Avg3.36
World Avg3.82
q=176.
Digital Quality of Life
Higher is better
64
Pos.202464
1Germany77.9%
2Finland76.9%
3France73.9%
...
22Ireland65.9%
23Israel65.4%
24Norway64.5%
25Canada63.4%
26Italy63.3%
27Czechia63.2%
28Latvia63.2%
29Portugal62.8%
The Americas Avg44.7%
World Avg48.4%
q=121.

8. Canada's Culture, Peace and Inequality

#canada #capitalism #charitability #charity #corruption #culture #economics #equality #extremism #happiness #health #human_development #inequality #life_expectancy #morals #peace #politics #religious_violence #social_development #terrorism

Compared to The Americas (2020)65
Pos.Lower is better
Avg Rank65
1Canada23.1
2Barbados46.9
3Costa Rica47.3
4Uruguay52.6
5USA54.1
6Chile57.4
7Trinidad & Tobago62.1
8Jamaica69.5
9Argentina73.6
10Cuba73.8
11Panama78.4
12Belize78.8
13Dominica79.6
The Americas Avg79.19
q=33.
Culture, Peace & Inequality (2020)65
Pos.Lower is better
Avg Rank65
1Denmark11.2
2Norway13.9
3Netherlands14.4
...
9Switzerland21.2
10Iceland22.3
11Ireland22.8
12Canada23.1
13Germany24.4
14Luxembourg25.7
15Australia29.4
16Belgium31.3
World Avg78.12
q=180.

This is the final pillar of the Social and Moral Development Index; it has 22 datasets, including multiple decades of data on World Giving Index, resisting corruption, overall happiness, Creativity and Culture, Open Trading, Aid and Development, its Global Peace Index rating, Peacekeeping and Security, Refugees and UN Treaties, the impact of terrorism, Inequality in Life Expectancy, Income Inequality (Gini Coefficient) and Multidimensional Poverty.

For more, see:

National Culture:

World Giving Index
Higher is better
66
Pos.2022
%66
1Indonesia68.0
2Kenya61.0
3USA59.0
4Australia55.0
5New Zealand54.0
6Myanmar (Burma)52.0
7=Sierra Leone51.0
7=Canada51.0
9Zambia50.0
10=Ukraine49.0
10=Ireland49.0
12Czechia48.0
The Americas Avg43.7
World Avg39.6
q=125.
Corruption
Higher is better
67
Pos.2022
Points67
1Denmark90.0
2=Finland87.0
2=New Zealand87.0
...
14Estonia74.0
15=Uruguay74.0
15=Iceland74.0
15=Canada74.0
18UK73.0
19=Japan73.0
19=Belgium73.0
21France72.0
The Americas Avg42.97
World Avg42.98
q=180.

In 1996-1997, Canada scored the 5th-best for the second iteration of the Corruption Perception Index, out of the 54 countries for which they gathered data, and throughout the 2010s it had the 9th-best position, on average.

Happiness
Higher is better
68
Pos.2024
Score68
1Finland7.7
2Denmark7.5
3Iceland7.5
...
15Ireland6.9
16Lithuania6.8
17Austria6.8
18Canada6.8
19Slovenia6.8
20Czechia6.8
21UAE6.8
22Germany6.8
The Americas Avg6.31
World Avg5.58
q=147.
Creativity & Culture
Lower is better
32
Pos.2017
Rank32
1Belgium1
2Netherlands2
3Estonia3
...
22Norway22
23Lithuania23
24St Lucia24
25Canada25
26Italy26
27Mauritius27
28Malta28
29Singapore29
The Americas Avg80.2
World Avg82.0
q=163.
Open Trading, Aid & Development
Lower is better
32
Pos.2017
Rank32
1Ireland1
2Denmark2
3Sweden3
...
24Jordan24
25Mauritius25
26Zimbabwe26
27Canada27
28Trinidad & Tobago28
29Timor-Leste (E. Timor)29
30Burkina Faso30
31Lebanon31
The Americas Avg100.5
World Avg82.0
q=163.

Peace Versus Instability:

Global Peace Index
Lower is better
69
Pos.2023
Score69
1Iceland1.12
2Denmark1.31
3Ireland1.31
...
8Slovenia1.33
9Japan1.34
10Switzerland1.34
11Canada1.35
12Czechia1.38
13Finland1.40
14Croatia1.45
15Germany1.46
The Americas Avg2.13
World Avg2.07
q=163.
Peacekeeping & Security
Lower is better
32
Pos.2017
Rank32
1Samoa1
2S. Africa2
3Tunisia3
...
38Togo38
39Argentina39
40China40
41Canada41
42Azerbaijan42
43Senegal43
44Switzerland44
45Bolivia45
The Americas Avg82.3
World Avg82.0
q=163.
Refugees & UN Treaties
Lower is better
32
Pos.2017
Rank32
1Austria1
2Germany2
3Netherlands3
...
8Finland8
9Denmark9
10Switzerland10
11Canada11
12UK12
13Belgium13
14Italy14
15Spain15
The Americas Avg91.5
World Avg82.0
q=163.
Impact of Terrorism
Lower is better
70
Pos.2019
Score70
1Togo0.00
2Mongolia0.00
3Swaziland0.00
...
94Algeria3.41
95Sweden3.45
96Sri Lanka3.57
97Canada3.59
98Belgium3.64
99Angola3.78
100Tunisia3.94
101Tajikistan3.95
The Americas Avg2.16
World Avg2.78
q=150.

Economic Inequality and Poverty:

Inequality in Life Expectancy
Lower is better71
Pos.201971
1Iceland2.40
2=Singapore2.50
2=Hong Kong2.50
...
32Poland4.30
33=New Zealand4.30
34Belarus4.40
35=Canada4.60
35=Malta4.60
37Serbia4.90
38Slovakia5.00
39Cuba5.10
The Americas Avg12.03
World Avg14.59
q=184.
Income Inequality (Gini Coefficient)
Lower is better
72
Pos.2023
%72
1Slovakia24.1%73
2Slovenia24.3%73
3Belarus24.4%74
...
42=Malta31.4%74
43France31.5%73
44Taiwan31.6%73
45Canada31.7%75
46=Lebanon31.8%76
46=Estonia31.8%73
48Egypt31.9%75
49Mauritania32.0%75
The Americas Avg44.0%
World Avg36.5%
q=167.

9. Religion and Beliefs

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

Religiosity (2018)59
Pos.Lower is better
%59
1China3
2Estonia6
3Czechia7
...
29=Spain22
30Slovakia23
31=Ukraine23
32Canada27
33=Uzbekistan29
33=Uruguay29
35Poland30
36Serbia34
37=Israel36
37=Portugal36
39Azerbaijan38
40Chile41
41=Croatia42
41=Moldova42
43Argentina43
44Mexico45
World Avg54.3
q=106.
Disbelief In God (2007)77
Pos.Higher is better
%77
1Vietnam81
2Japan65
3Sweden64
...
20Australia25
21Taiwan24
22=New Zealand22
22=Canada22
24Latvia20
25=Ukraine20
25=Mongolia20
27Austria18
28=Slovakia17
28=Switzerland17
28=Belarus17
31Greece16
32=Iceland16
33Spain15
34=Israel15
35Armenia14
World Avg9.9
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 below78:

Christian69%
Muslim2.1%
Hindu1.4%
Buddhist0.8%
Folk Religion1.2%
Jewish1%
Unaffiliated23.7%

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 75.5% of the populace say they belong to a religion, only 27% 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:

The CIA World Factbook has slightly different data, and states: Roman Catholic 42.6%, Protestant 23.3% (United Church 9.5%, Anglican 6.8%, Baptist 2.4%, Lutheran 2%), other Christian 4.4%, Muslim 1.9%, other and unspecified 11.8%, none 16% (2001 census)79.

The Afterlife: Ipsos-NA in 2011 gathered some statistics on Canada80. Despite the large numbers of Christians, not many have traditional beliefs in the afterlife - just 18%. More people don't know what to believe (25%). Some believe that upon death, you simply cease to exist (18%). Also, 3% specifically believe in heaven but not in hell (which is nice - making them possible "universalists"). 8% believe in reincarnation.

Freedom of Thought: The International Humanist and Ethical Union produced a report in 2012 entitled "Freedom of Thought" (2012)81, in which they document bias and prejudice at the national level that is based on religion, belief and/or lack of belief. Their entry for Canada states:

The constitution and other laws and policies protect freedom of religion or belief. However six of the ten provinces provide partial or full funding to religious schools. Most of these publicly funded religious schools are Roman Catholic. Although five provinces allow other denominations to run publicly funded schools. Publicly funded religious schools can discriminate on religious grounds in hiring and in accepting students. Around 16 percent of the Canadian population claims no religious affiliation, yet in the vast low-population expanses of Canada, the religious school may well be the only public school within a reasonable distance for many non-religious students.

Ontario is the only province that funds Catholic religious education while providing no funding for other religious schools. One third of Ontario's public schools (around 1,400) are Catholic schools, and they receive 100% of their funding from the government. Catholic schools discriminate against non-Catholics in hiring staff. Catholic schools can also exclude non-Catholic children.

"Freedom of Thought" by IHEU (2012)82

Links:

10. Canada's Biggest Political Problem: First Past the Post Voting System 83

#canada #democracy #democratic_challenges #elections #india #poland #politics #UK #USA #voting

First-Past-the-Post (FPTP) was a historical voting system84 devised in the Middle Ages. It is very simple - the local candidate with the highest number of votes wins, and, government is formed from all the winners84. But FPTP didn't survive the era of Political Parties, where its simplicity results in skewed elected bodies that don't represent the overall wishes of the country85,86,87,88 as in the 2015 General Election, where the Liberal Party formed a majority government with just 39.5% of the vote89, and the opposite in 2011, when the Conservative Party done the same with just 39.6% popular support89.

FPTP causes:

(1) A great deal of votes to be 'lost' because there's no mechanism to count party votes overall and assign a correct number of seats at the national level.

(2) 'Gerrymandering' by which constituency sizes and shapes are manipulated in order to get local victories, because total votes-by-party are disregarded.

(3) Votes in populous constituencies to be worth less; it was this that meant that "in 1996, when the BC Liberals received more votes than the BC NDP, but the BC NDP won a majority government. It's hard to say this outcome is what voters wanted"89 - PR would fix this by assigning a correct number of seats according to the overall total vote within all constituencies, without discarding votes en masse.

(4) The need for tactical voting rather than true voting.

(5) Undue support for popular (but small) local parties, unfairly boosting their influence at the national levelas seen in the 2019 elections: the Green Party received 1.8 million votes but only got 3 of 338 seats in government because their voters were spread all over the country and didn't outright win many individual ridings; whereas the Bloc Quebecois party received 2.1 million votes (not much more) and yet got an astounding 32 seats - because their supported was geographically concentrated.

(6) Almost permanently squeezes-out most parties from government except the largest ones and therefore leads to two-party systems that have been so deleterious for political quality-control.

Provincially, in 1987, 60% of New Brunswick voters voted Liberal [and they] won [...] all 58/58 seats. There was no other party in the New Brunswick legislature [and] nobody to even ask questions of the governing party on behalf of the 40% of voters who hadn´t voted for them.

Fair Vote Canada (n.d.)89

The overall effect is a democratic loss; a loss of representation, and a failure for democratic representation to extend to government, giving those-in-power FPTP is responsible for the diminishing of democracy, "can enflame underlying tensions, competitions, domination, clan politics, exclusion, hence conflicts"90.

These problems are mitigated by Proportional Representation (PR) voting systems, where total votes for each party are used to assign an appropriate number of national seats, eliminating the 'lost votes' and most of the skew problems. PR has been adopted by all developed democracies except the UK and the USA85, who both suffer from two-party political divisions that diminish their democratic legitimacy and effectiveness. About a fifth of Africa still uses FPTP, and some other developed countries such as Canada, India and Poland still use it for some elements of government. It is maintained mostly by archaic top-tier parties who have a vested interest in keeping FPTP84 in order to continue long-term informal power-swapping practices with minimum competition.

For more, see: