Fiji (Republic of the Fiji Islands)

Fiji Republic of the Fiji Islands
Status	Independent State
Social and Moral Index	94th best
Capital	Suva
Land Area	18 270km21
Location	Australasia, Melanesia
Groupings	Small Islands
Population	0.9m2
Life Expectancy	67.11yrs (2017)3
GNI	$9 980 (2017)4
ISO3166-1 Codes	FJ, FJI, 2425
Internet Domain	.fj6
Currency	Dollar (FJD)7
Telephone	+6798

1. Overview
2. Fiji National and Social Development
3. Fiji's Demographics and Migration
4. Fiji's Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance
5. Fiji's Health
6. Fiji's Responsibility Towards The Environment
7. Fiji's Modernity and Learning
8. Religion and Beliefs
9. Links

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1. Overview

“Fiji became independent in 1970 after nearly a century as a British colony. Democratic rule was interrupted by two military coups in 1987 caused by concern over a government perceived as dominated by the Indian community (descendants of contract laborers brought to the islands by the British in the 19th century). The coups and a 1990 constitution that cemented native Melanesian control of Fiji led to heavy Indian emigration; the population loss resulted in economic difficulties, but ensured that Melanesians became the majority. A new constitution enacted in 1997 was more equitable. Free and peaceful elections in 1999 resulted in a government led by an Indo-Fijian, but a civilian-led coup in May 2000 ushered in a prolonged period of political turmoil. Parliamentary elections held in August 2001 provided Fiji with a democratically elected government led by Prime Minister Laisenia QARASE. Re-elected in May 2006, QARASE was ousted in a December 2006 military coup led by Commodore Voreqe BAINIMARAMA, who initially appointed himself acting president but in January 2007 became interim prime minister. Since taking power BAINIMARAMA has neutralized his opponents, crippled Fiji's democratic institutions, and initially refused to hold elections. In 2012, he promised to hold elections in 2014.”

CIA's The World Factbook (2013)₉

“Fiji is surely every beach bum´s vision of nirvana. Palm-fringed beaches, fish-packed reefs and smiling locals: pack your swimsuit and sunscreen, these sunny isles are so warm they sizzle. With alabaster beaches, cloudless skies and kaleidoscopic reefs, Fiji is the embodiment of the South Pacific dream. Most who head here want little more than to fall into a sun-induced coma under a shady palm, and with over 300 islands to choose from, the decision on where to unfurl your beach towel isn´t easy. While some may find that anything more than two snorkelling excursions a day and half an hour on the volleyball court is not in keeping with Fiji´s famously languid sense of time, there is more to these isles than can ever be seen from a deckchair or swim-up bar.

To get to grips with the national psyche, though, you have to spend some time on the mainland. Two-thirds of the population live in urban centres and it is on Viti Levu that you´ll find the country´s two cities: Suva, the capital, and Lautoka, a working port town reliant on the sugar-cane farms that surround it. Suva´s nightlife and large student population give it a youthful if slightly unexpected vibe.”

"The World" by Lonely Planet (2014)₁₀

2. Fiji 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
	...
96	Mongolia	0.739
97=	Egypt	0.731
97=	Tunisia	0.731
99	Fiji	0.730
100=	Suriname	0.730
101	Uzbekistan	0.727
102=	Dominica	0.720
102=	Jordan	0.720
	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
	...
106	Mongolia	$10 588
107	Ecuador	$10 312
108	Tunisia	$10 258
109	Fiji	$9 980
110	Iraq	$9 977
111	Jordan	$9 924
112	Lebanon	$9 526
113	Bhutan	$9 438
	Australasia Avg	$12 519
	World Avg	$20 136
q=193.

Social & Moral Development Index12
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank12
1	Denmark	27.0
2	Norway	29.9
3	Sweden	31.8
	...
91	Kuwait	86.0
92	Grenada	86.3
93	El Salvador	86.5
94	Fiji	87.4
95	Belarus	87.7
96	Mongolia	87.8
97	Bolivia	88.4
98	Russia	88.7
	Australasia Avg	95.6
	World Avg	88.6
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. Fiji's Demographics and Migration

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

Population:

Fiji's population is predicted to rise to 958 253 by 2030. This country has a fertility rate of 2.46. 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
1	China	1.4b
2	India	1.4b
3	USA	327.1m
	...
156	Cyprus	1.2m
157	Swaziland	1.1m
158	Djibouti	1.0m
159	Fiji	0.9m
160	Comoros	0.8m
161	Guyana	0.8m
162	Bhutan	0.8m
163	Solomon Islands	0.7m
	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
	...
135	Indonesia	67.6
136	Kiribati	67.4
137	India	67.2
138	Fiji	67.1
139	Senegal	67.1
140	Eritrea	66.5
141	Tanzania	66.2
142	Pakistan	66.1
	World Avg	71.28
q=195.

Fertility Rate 2.0 is best14
Pos.		202214
1	US Virgin Islands	2.00
2	Ecuador	2.00
3	Nepal	2.01
	...
78=	Denmark	1.55
78=	Slovenia	1.55
80	Chile	1.54
81	Fiji	2.46
82=	Croatia	1.53
82=	Belgium	1.53
84	Costa Rica	1.52
85=	Sweden	1.52
	World Avg	2.47
q=208.

Old-Age Dependency Ratio Lower is better15
Pos.		2016 Per 10015
1	Uganda	04.3
2	Mali	04.5
3=	Chad	04.7
	...
94	Algeria	14.0
95	Malaysia	14.5
96	Guyana	15.0
97	Fiji	15.3
98	Mexico	15.4
99	Peru	15.5
100=	Dominican Rep.	15.6
100=	Venezuela	15.6
	World Avg	18.3
q=185.

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

Migration:

Immigrants16
Pos.		2017 %16
1	UAE	88.4%
2	Kuwait	75.5%
3	Qatar	65.2%
	...
138	Poland	1.7%
139	Senegal	1.7%
140	Comoros	1.5%
141	Fiji	1.5%
142	Ghana	1.4%
143	Niger	1.4%
144	Yemen	1.4%
145	Bolivia	1.3%
	World Avg	9.4%
q=195.

Emigrants17
Pos.		2010 %17
1	Dominica	104.8%
2	Palestine	68.4%
3	Samoa	67.3%
	...
24	Macedonia	21.9%
25	Sao Tome & Principe	21.9%
26	Moldova	21.5%
27	Fiji	21.3%
28	Portugal	20.8%
29	Lesotho	20.5%
30	El Salvador	20.5%
31	Micronesia	19.7%
	World Avg	11.5%
q=192.

4. Fiji's Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance

#equality #fiji #freedom #freethought #gender #gender_equality #homosexuality #human_rights #international_law #mass_media #misogyny #morals #politics #prejudice #religious_tolerance #tolerance #women

Compared to Australasia (2025)18
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank18
1	New Zealand	13.3
2	Australia	16.0
3	Kiribati	70.1
4	Marshall Islands	75.0
5	Tuvalu	76.7
6	Micronesia	78.2
7	Palau	80.7
8	Nauru	82.3
9	Fiji	87.1
10	Vanuatu	98.7
11	Samoa	100.4
12	Tonga	105.5
13	Solomon Islands	108.9
	Australasia Avg	79.23
q=14.

Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance (2025)18
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank18
1	Sweden	6.1
2	Denmark	8.6
3	Norway	9.0
	...
97	Grenada	86.1
98	Botswana	86.8
99	Antigua & Barbuda	87.1
100	Fiji	87.1
101	Turkey	87.4
102	Venezuela	88.1
103	Sri Lanka	89.6
104	Thailand	90.0
	World Avg	86.55
q=199.

The best countries in the world at ensuring human rights, fostering equality and promoting tolerance, are Sweden, Denmark and Norway₁₉. These countries are displaying the best traits that humanity has to offer. The worst countries are Somalia, N. Korea and Afghanistan₁₉.

21 datasets are used to calculate points for each country, including multiple decades of data on supporting press freedom, eliminating modern slavery, supporting personal, civil & economic freedoms, its average Freedom in the World rating, commentary in Human Rights Watch reports, its nominal commitment to Human Rights, speed of uptake of HR treaties, 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 Europe₁₉, whereas the worst are Africa, The Middle East and Asia₁₉.

For more, see:

• " Which are the Best Countries for Human Rights, Equality and Tolerance?" by Vexen Crabtree (2025).

Human Rights & Tolerance:

Press Freedom Higher is better20
Pos.		202520
1	Norway	92.31
2	Estonia	89.46
3	Netherlands	88.64
	...
37	Montenegro	72.83
38	Slovakia	71.93
39	Timor-Leste (E. Timor)	71.79
40	Fiji	71.20
41	Gabon	70.65
42	Macedonia	70.44
43	Dominican Rep.	69.87
44	Samoa	69.28
	Australasia Avg	70.62
	World Avg	54.65
q=179.

Fiji is one of only 19 countries who in 2025 had better press freedom than in the 2010s.

Personal, Civil & Economic Freedom Lower is better21
Pos.		2014 Rank21
1	Hong Kong	1
2	Switzerland	2
3	New Zealand	3
	...
59	Ghana	59
60	Jamaica	60
61=	Haiti	61
61=	Fiji	61
63	Dominican Rep.	63
64	Cambodia	64
65	Madagascar	65
66	Brunei	66
	Australasia Avg	36.0
	World Avg	79.7
q=159.

Freedom in the World Lower is better
Pos.		2024 Score
1=	Norway	1.0
1=	Canada	1.0
1=	Cape Verde	1.0
	...
91	Montenegro	3.0
92=	Macedonia	3.0
92=	India	3.0
92=	Fiji	3.0
92=	Ecuador	3.0
92=	Dominican Rep.	3.0
92=	Albania	3.0
92=	Bolivia	3.0
	Australasia Avg	1.8
	World Avg	3.7
q=205.

Nominal Commitment to HR Higher is better22
Pos.		2009 Treaties22
1	Argentina	24
2=	Chile	23
2=	Costa Rica	23
	...
158	Qatar	10
159=	Vatican City	10
159=	India	10
159=	Fiji	10
159=	Vietnam	10
159=	Vanuatu	10
164	Iraq	9
165=	Samoa	9
	Australasia Avg	8.7
	World Avg	15.1
q=194.

HR Treaties Lag Lower is better23
Pos.		2019 Avg Yrs/Treaty23
1	Ecuador	2.15
2	Uruguay	2.25
3	Tunisia	3.65
	...
175	N. Korea	14.52
176	UAE	14.81
177	Comoros	14.82
178	Fiji	14.85
179	Samoa	14.85
180	Myanmar (Burma)	14.93
181	St Kitts & Nevis	15.00
182	Singapore	15.02
	Australasia Avg	14.35
	World Avg	10.02
q=195.

Amnesty International's 2023-23 summary on human rights in Fiji stated:

“Repressive laws and defamation suits were used to silence government critics. A new electoral law discriminated against married women. Members of the security forces were held accountable for past incidents of ill-treatment, but police use of unnecessary or excessive force against suspects continued to be reported.”

"The State of the World's Human Rights 2022/23" by Amnesty International (2023)₂₄

Gender Equality:

Fiji has made some steps towards ending gender inequality but much more needs to be done.

See:

• "Religion Versus Womankind" by Vexen Crabtree (2007)

Gender Inequality Lower is better25
Pos.		202225
1	Denmark	0.01
2	Norway	0.01
3	Switzerland	0.02
	...
74	Thailand	0.31
75	Bhutan	0.33
76	Azerbaijan	0.33
77	Fiji	0.33
78=	Bahamas	0.33
78=	Maldives	0.33
80	Cape Verde	0.33
81	St Lucia	0.35
	Australasia Avg	0.37
	World Avg	0.34
q=166.

Year Women Can Vote Lower is better
Pos.		Total Year
1	New Zealand	1893
2	Australia	1902
3	Finland	1906
	...
139=	Morocco	1963
139=	Iran	1963
139=	Kenya	1963
139=	Fiji	1963
139=	Afghanistan	1963
139=	Equatorial Guinea	1963
139=	Bahamas	1963
146	Sudan	1964
	Australasia Avg	1962
	World Avg	1930
q=189.

Prejudice:

LGBT Equality Higher is better26
Pos.		2017 Score26
1	Netherlands	103
2	Belgium	90
3	Sweden	86
	...
56=	Kosovo	35
57	Thailand	34
58	Bulgaria	33
59	Fiji	32
60=	S. Korea	30
60=	Timor-Leste (E. Timor)	30
60=	Costa Rica	30
60=	Suriname	30
	Australasia Avg	07.1
	World Avg	12.6
q=196.

Freedom of Thought Lower is better27
Pos.		202127
1=	Belgium	1.0
1=	Taiwan	1.0
1=	Netherlands	1.0
	...
43	Seychelles	2.3
44=	San Marino	2.5
44=	Liechtenstein	2.5
44=	Fiji	2.5
44=	Niger	2.5
44=	Senegal	2.5
44=	Kenya	2.5
44=	Romania	2.5
	Australasia Avg	2.6
	World Avg	3.0
q=196.

5. Fiji's Health

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

Compared to Australasia (2025)28
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank28
1	Australia	49.3
2	New Zealand	51.2
3	New Caledonia	57.9
4=	French Polynesia	70.9
5	Fiji	96.7
6	Guam	99.3
7	Palau	101.7
8	Tonga	110.1
9	Tuvalu	112.1
10	Kiribati	117.2
11	Micronesia	122.8
12	Samoa	124.2
13	Vanuatu	125.3
	Australasia Avg	112.00
q=17.

Health (2025)28
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank28
1	Monaco	14.3
2	Liechtenstein	30.1
3	Isle of Man	32.1
	...
114	Panama	95.6
115	St Lucia	96.0
116	India	96.5
117	Fiji	96.7
118	Oman	97.7
119	Mexico	98.0
120	Libya	98.0
121	Bhutan	98.6
	World Avg	96.74
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 Man₂₉. These countries are worth emulating. And, although often through no fault of the average citizen, the worst countries are S. Sudan, Angola and Nigeria₂₉.

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 Balkans₂₉, whereas the worst are Africa, Micronesia and Melanesia₂₉.

For more, see:

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

Health:

Fiji does relatively well in encouraging good health, compared to many other countries. Fiji does better than average for its immunizations take-up₃₀ (amongst the best in Australasia), its food aid and health contributions and WHO compliance₃₁ (one of the best in Australasia), its alcohol consumption rate₃₂ (but high for Australasia), its fertility rate₁₄ and in its adolescent birth rate₃₃. But, things still need to improve in Fiji. Fiji does worse than average for its smoking rate₃₄ (amongst the highest in Australasia) and in its average life expectancy₁₁. The prevalence of overweight adults has increased by 14% between 1976 and 2016. Life expectancy in Fiji improved by just +2.4yrs in the 30 years from 1990, significantly less than almost everywhere else in the world. Fiji's peak fertility rate was 6.46 in 1960.

Life Expectancy Higher is better11
Pos.		2021 Years11
1	Monaco	85.9
2	Hong Kong	85.5
3	Japan	84.8
	...
135	Indonesia	67.6
136	Kiribati	67.4
137	India	67.2
138	Fiji	67.1
139	Senegal	67.1
140	Eritrea	66.5
141	Tanzania	66.2
142	Pakistan	66.1
	Australasia Avg	70.11
	World Avg	71.28
q=195.

Alcohol Consumption Lower is better32
Pos.		2016 Per Capita32
1	Bangladesh	0.0
2	Kuwait	0.0
3	Libya	0.0
	...
53=	Ghana	2.7
53=	Maldives	2.7
55	Ethiopia	2.9
56=	Fiji	3.0
56=	Benin	3.0
58	Togo	3.1
59=	Central African Rep.	3.3
59=	Tajikistan	3.3
	Australasia Avg	4.3
	World Avg	6.2
q=189.

Fertility Rate 2.0 is best14
Pos.		202214
1	US Virgin Islands	2.00
2	Ecuador	2.00
3	Nepal	2.01
	...
78=	Denmark	1.55
78=	Slovenia	1.55
80	Chile	1.54
81	Fiji	2.46
82=	Croatia	1.53
82=	Belgium	1.53
84	Costa Rica	1.52
85=	Sweden	1.52
	Australasia Avg	2.82
	World Avg	2.47
q=208.

Smoking Rates Lower is better34
Pos.		201434
1	Guinea	15
2	Solomon Islands	26
3	Kiribati	28
	...
95	Seychelles	590
96	Jamaica	593
97	N. Korea	610
98	Fiji	618
99	Cambodia	645
100	Equatorial Guinea	649
101	Singapore	652
102	Bangladesh	665
	Australasia Avg	372
	World Avg	819
q=182.

Food Aid, Health Contributions & WHO Compliance Lower is better31
Pos.		2017 Rank31
1	Sweden	1
2	Ireland	2
3	Denmark	3
	...
33	Hungary	33
34	Macedonia	34
35	India	35
36	Fiji	36
37	Thailand	37
38	Pakistan	38
39	Portugal	39
40	Brazil	40
	Australasia Avg	94.6
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Overweight Adults Lower is better35
Pos.		2016 %35
1	Vietnam	18.3
2	India	19.7
3	Bangladesh	20.0
	...
160	Egypt	63.5
161=	Andorra	63.7
161=	UK	63.7
163	Fiji	63.8
164	Canada	64.1
165	Israel	64.3
166	Bahamas	64.4
167	Australia	64.5
	Australasia Avg	73.3
	World Avg	49.0
q=191.

Children's Health:

Adolescent Birth Rate Lower is better33
Pos.		2022 Per 100033
1	Hong Kong	1.6
2	Denmark	1.8
3	S. Korea	2.1
	...
78	Mongolia	25.0
79	Bahamas	25.1
80	Morocco	25.5
81	Fiji	26.1
82	Slovakia	26.6
83	Moldova	27.2
84	Iran	29.7
85	Georgia	29.7
	Australasia Avg	40.2
	World Avg	43.8
q=195.

Infant Immunizations 2011-2015 Higher is better30
Pos.		2015 Avg %30
1=	Hungary	99.0
1=	China	99.0
3	Uzbekistan	98.9
	...
19	Belgium	97.8
20	Thailand	97.8
21=	Mauritius	97.6
21=	Fiji	97.6
23	Kuwait	97.5
24	Morocco	97.5
25=	Monaco	97.3
25=	Cook Islands	97.3
	Australasia Avg	86.4
	World Avg	88.3
q=194.

6. Fiji's Responsibility Towards The Environment

#biodiversity #climate_change #deforestation #environmentalism #fiji #food #haiti #internationalism #meat #over-exploitation #south_sudan #the_environment #timor-leste_(east_timor) #USA #vatican_city #veganism #vegetarianism

Compared to Australasia (2025)36
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank36
1	New Zealand	75.8
2	Australia	76.6
3	Fiji	89.1
4	Vanuatu	93.0
5	Tonga	96.1
6	Papua New Guinea	104.5
7	Samoa	107.0
8	Kiribati	111.4
9	Micronesia	114.6
10	Cook Islands	119.6
11	Solomon Islands	121.6
12	Marshall Islands	123.1
13	Palau	124.5
	Australasia Avg	93.28
q=16.

Responsibility Towards The Environment (2025)36
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank36
1	Sri Lanka	34.9
2	Uruguay	43.2
3	Switzerland	45.0
	...
115	Gabon	87.9
116	Croatia	88.5
117	Jamaica	88.6
118	Fiji	89.1
119	Czechia	89.3
120	Malaysia	89.5
121	Lithuania	89.5
122	Paraguay	91.0
	World Avg	84.93
q=199.

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).

Yet still one of the lowest in Australasia regarding its responsibility towards the environment, Fiji comes 118th in the world. This rank is calculated from 4 data sets. Fiji does better than average in its forested percent change 2000-2020₃₇ and in reducing annual meat consumption per person₃₈ (amongst the lowest in Australasia). And finally, it does worse than average in its environmental performance₃₉ and in its sign-up rate to major international accords on protecting the environment.

Environmental Performance Higher is better39
Pos.		201839
1	Switzerland	87.4
2	France	84.0
3	Denmark	81.6
	...
104	Sao Tome & Principe	54.0
105	Paraguay	53.9
106	El Salvador	53.9
107	Fiji	53.1
108	Turkey	53.0
109	Ukraine	52.9
110	Guatemala	52.3
111	Maldives	52.1
	Australasia Avg	55.2
	World Avg	56.4
q=180.

International Accords on the Environment Higher is better
Pos.		Total Avg Rate
1	Sweden	83%
2	Canada	82%
3	Norway	81%
	...
143	Croatia	51%
144	Djibouti	51%
145	Gabon	51%
146	Fiji	51%
147	Qatar	51%
148	Vanuatu	50%
149	Equatorial Guinea	50%
150	Moldova	50%
	Australasia Avg	48.2%
	World Avg	57.5%
q=197.

Fiji also sits alongside the USA, Haiti, the Vatican, Timor-Leste and South Sudan as the few countries who, after 30 years, have still not not signed the Basel Convention on transporting and dumping hazardous waste, yet it would benefit from its protections. It knows it is vulnerable to the antics of rich corporations and countries and the effects of climate change: it was one of the 30 who signed the Convention on Biological Diversity on its first day, one of only 5 countries to accept the Kyoto Protocol in its first few months and one of 19 countries that signed the Paris Agreement within the first few months in Q2 2016.

Meat Consumption Lower is better38
Pos.		2021 kg38
1	Congo, DR	03.0
2	Burundi	03.5
3	Bangladesh	04.3
	...
79	Turkey	43.0
80	Vanuatu	43.4
81	El Salvador	43.9
82	Fiji	44.4
83	Congo, (Brazzaville)	46.0
84	Bosnia & Herzegovina	46.8
85	Chad	47.1
86	Oman	48.0
	Australasia Avg	74.2
	World Avg	52.5
q=185.

7. Fiji's Modernity and Learning

#capitalism #corruption #economics #education #health #inequality #life_expectancy #modernity #politics #social_development #technology #the_internet

Compared to Australasia (2020)40
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank40
1	New Zealand	15.2
2	Australia	16.6
3	Palau	47.4
4=	Tonga	62.0
5	Fiji	71.5
6	Samoa	99.8
7	Marshall Islands	111.1
8	Vanuatu	125.6
9	Kiribati	127.3
10	Micronesia	133.6
11	Tuvalu	138.2
12	Solomon Islands	154.5
13	Papua New Guinea	158.4
	Australasia Avg	97.01
q=13.

Modernity & Learning (2020)40
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank40
1	Finland	7.1
2	Belgium	12.9
3	Denmark	13.6
	...
68	Costa Rica	69.8
69	Tunisia	70.8
70	China	71.4
71	Fiji	71.5
72	Cuba	72.8
73	Trinidad & Tobago	74.5
74	Kuwait	74.7
75	Ecuador	74.8
	World Avg	86.31
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 Denmark₄₁. The worst countries are Eritrea, S. Sudan and Sierra Leone₄₁. Despite improves in global education, access to tertiary (adult) education is becoming increasingly unequal between the rich haves and the poor have-nots₄₂.

“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)₄₃

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 Europe₄₁, whereas the worst are Melanesia, Africa and Micronesia₄₁.

For more, see:

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

Modernity and Education:

Secondary Education Higher is better44
Pos.		201844
1=	Luxembourg	100.0%
1=	Estonia	100.0%
1=	Austria	100.0%
	...
64	China	78.6%
65	Belize	78.6%
66	Malta	78.2%
67	Fiji	76.9%
68	S. Africa	76.5%
69	Spain	75.8%
70	Samoa	74.5%
71	Trinidad & Tobago	73.4%
	Australasia Avg	79.3%
	World Avg	63.0%
q=169.

Length of Schooling Higher is better45
Pos.		2021 Years45
1	Australia	21.1
2	New Zealand	20.3
3	Greece	20.0
	...
63	Ukraine	15.0
64	Bolivia	14.9
65	Mexico	14.9
66	Fiji	14.7
67	St Vincent & Grenadines	14.7
68	Algeria	14.6
69	Ecuador	14.6
70	Iran	14.6
	Australasia Avg	13.4
	World Avg	13.5
q=193.

Intellectual Endeavours Lower is better31
Pos.		2017 Rank31
1	Ukraine	1
2	Czechia	2
3	Hungary	3
	...
47	Moldova	47
48	Montenegro	48
49	Norway	49
50	Fiji	50
51	Dominica	51
52	Malaysia	52
53	Russia	53
54	St Lucia	54
	Australasia Avg	58.7
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Technology and Information:

Internet Users Higher is better46
Pos.		201646
1	Iceland	100%
2	Faroe Islands	99%
3	Norway	98%
	...
101	Tunisia	48%
102	Moldova	48%
103=	Paraguay	47%
103=	Fiji	47%
105	Tonga	47%
106	Nigeria	46%
107	Jordan	46%
108	Panama	45%
	Australasia Avg	44.3%
	World Avg	48.1%
q=201.

IPv6 Uptake Higher is better47
Pos.		2017 Ratio47
1	Belgium	55.4
2	Germany	41.8
3	Switzerland	35.1
	...
169=	Cuba	0.0
169=	St Vincent & Grenadines	0.0
169=	Montenegro	0.0
169=	Libya	0.0
169=	Jamaica	0.0
169=	Fiji	0.0
169=	Jordan	0.0
169=	Barbados	0.0
	Australasia Avg	1.55
	World Avg	3.82
q=176.

National Culture:

Corruption Higher is better48
Pos.		2022 Points48
1	Denmark	90.0
2=	Finland	87.0
2=	New Zealand	87.0
	...
46	Poland	55.0
47=	St Lucia	55.0
48	Costa Rica	54.0
49=	Fiji	53.0
49=	Slovakia	53.0
51	Grenada	52.0
52=	Cyprus	52.0
52=	Greece	52.0
	Australasia Avg	55.83
	World Avg	42.98
q=180.

Creativity & Culture Lower is better31
Pos.		2017 Rank31
1	Belgium	1
2	Netherlands	2
3	Estonia	3
	...
78	Albania	78
79	Brunei	79
80	Suriname	80
81	Fiji	81
82	Kenya	82
83	Guatemala	83
84	Cape Verde	84
85	Morocco	85
	Australasia Avg	61.1
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Open Trading, Aid & Development Lower is better31
Pos.		2017 Rank31
1	Ireland	1
2	Denmark	2
3	Sweden	3
	...
41	Marshall Islands	41
42	Malta	42
43	Morocco	43
44	Fiji	44
45	Bosnia & Herzegovina	45
46	Poland	46
47	Japan	47
48	Armenia	48
	Australasia Avg	91.6
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Peace Versus Instability:

Peacekeeping & Security Lower is better31
Pos.		2017 Rank31
1	Samoa	1
2	S. Africa	2
3	Tunisia	3
	...
73	Cyprus	73
74	Jamaica	74
75	Guyana	75
76	Fiji	76
77	Iceland	77
78	Turkey	78
79	Georgia	79
80	Albania	80
	Australasia Avg	88.1
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Refugees & UN Treaties Lower is better31
Pos.		2017 Rank31
1	Austria	1
2	Germany	2
3	Netherlands	3
	...
156	Ivory Coast	156
157	St Lucia	157
158	Vietnam	158
159	Laos	159
160	Equatorial Guinea	160
161	Fiji	161
162	Tonga	162
163	Brunei	163
	Australasia Avg	103.6
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Economic Inequality and Poverty:

Inequality in Life Expectancy Lower is better49
Pos.		201949
1	Iceland	2.40
2=	Singapore	2.50
2=	Hong Kong	2.50
	...
111	Algeria	14.10
112	Vanuatu	14.40
113	Guatemala	14.60
114=	Fiji	14.90
114=	Trinidad & Tobago	14.90
116	Philippines	15.30
117	Iraq	15.90
118	Micronesia	16.10
	Australasia Avg	13.47
	World Avg	14.59
q=184.

Income Inequality (Gini Coefficient) Lower is better50
Pos.		2023 %50
1	Slovakia	24.1%51
2	Slovenia	24.3%51
3	Belarus	24.4%52
	...
33	Sweden	29.8%51
34	Nepal	30.0%53
35	Ireland	30.1%51
36=	Fiji	30.7%54
36=	Myanmar (Burma)	30.7%55
36=	Austria	30.7%51
39	Uzbekistan	31.2%53
40	Cyprus	31.3%51
	Australasia Avg	34.8%
	World Avg	36.5%
q=167.

Income inequality data is rarely available for Fiji - only for 4 years between 1980 and 2019.

8. Religion and Beliefs

#buddhism #christianity #hinduism #islam #judaism

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 below₅₆:

Christian	64.4%
Muslim	6.3%
Hindu	27.9%
Buddhist	0.1%
Folk Religion	0.1%
Jewish	0.1%
Unaffiliated	0.8%

The CIA World Factbook has slightly different data, and states: Protestant 55.4% (Methodist 34.6%, Assembly of God 5.7%, Seventh-Day Adventist 3.9%, Anglican 0.8%, other 10.4%), Hindu 27.9%, Roman Catholic 9.1%, Muslim 6.3%, Sikh 0.3%, other or unspecified 0.3%, none 0.7% (2007 census)₅₇.

Links:

• A List of All Religions and Belief Systems