The Human Truth Foundation

Haiti (Republic of Haiti)

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

By Vexen Crabtree 2013

#africa #benin #ghana #haiti #monotheism #nigeria #togo

Haiti
Republic of Haiti
StatusIndependent State
Social and Moral Index157th best
CapitalPort-au-Prince
Land Area 27 560km21
LocationNorth America, The Americas, The Caribbean
GroupingsSmall Islands
Population11.1m2
Life Expectancy63.19yrs (2017)3
GNI$2 848 (2017)4
ISO3166-1 CodesHT, HTI, 3325
Internet Domain.ht6
CurrencyGourde (HTG)7
Telephone+5098

1. Overview

#france #spain

The native Taino - who inhabited the island of Hispaniola when it was discovered by Christopher COLUMBUS in 1492 - were virtually annihilated by Spanish settlers within 25 years. In the early 17th century, the French established a presence on Hispaniola. In 1697, Spain ceded to the French the western third of the island, which later became Haiti. The French colony, based on forestry and sugar-related industries, became one of the wealthiest in the Caribbean but only through the heavy importation of African slaves and considerable environmental degradation. In the late 18th century, Haiti's nearly half million slaves revolted under Toussaint L'OUVERTURE. After a prolonged struggle, Haiti became the first post-colonial black-led nation in the world, declaring its independence in 1804. Currently the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere, Haiti has experienced political instability for most of its history. After an armed rebellion led to the forced resignation and exile of President Jean-Bertrand ARISTIDE in February 2004, an interim government took office to organize new elections under the auspices of the United Nations. Continued instability and technical delays prompted repeated postponements, but Haiti inaugurated a democratically elected president and parliament in May of 2006. This was followed by contested elections in 2010 that resulted in the election of Haiti's current President, Michel MARTELLY. A massive magnitude 7.0 earthquake struck Haiti in January 2010 with an epicenter about 25 km (15 mi) west of the capital, Port-au-Prince. Estimates are that over 300,000 people were killed and some 1.5 million left homeless. The earthquake was assessed as the worst in this region over the last 200 years.

CIA's The World Factbook (2013)9

Book CoverHaiti is still struggling with the aftermath of the devastating 2010 earthquake. But this is a proud country, born of revolution, and its people are determined to rebuild for a better future. Forget for a moment the rubble that still clogs parts of the capital. In actual fact, Haiti was once at the forefront of Caribbean tourism. In the 1950s, Port-au-Prince was rivaled only by Havana as a destination for the rich and famous; its jazz clubs and casinos a favored getaway for the Hollywood elite.

With a modicum of stability, Haiti could yet become the Caribbean´s alternative travel destination par excellence: it has palm-fringed beaches to rival any of its neighbors. But lazing on the sand isn´t really the point of Haiti (although you can do that, too). The richness of the country lies in its history and culture, closer to its African roots than any other Caribbean nation and ever present in its vibrant art and music scenes.

Haiti isn´t the easiest country to travel in. You frequently need to keep an ear out for the news, and it can be more expensive than you´d expect. However, once you´re there, travel is not only possible, but also incredibly rewarding. It´s an addictive country to visit.

"The World" by Lonely Planet (2014)10

2. The Aftermath of Hurricane Matthew11

Here is the summary from Human Rights Watch's report on the year 2017:

Political instability in 2017 hindered the Haitian government´s ability to meet the basic needs of its people, resolve long-standing human rights problems, or address continuing humanitarian crises. The United Nations peacekeeping mission operating in Haiti for the past 13 years ended in October. A smaller mission replaced it.

More than 175,000 individuals remained displaced in the aftermath of October 2016´s Hurricane Matthew, and many more faced food insecurity due to widespread damage to crops and livestock. As of September 2017, authorities had failed to assist many of the nearly 38,000 individuals still living in displacement camps since the 2010 earthquake in resettling or returning to their places of origin. The country´s most vulnerable communities continue to face environmental risks, such as widespread deforestation, pollution from industry, and limited access to safe water and sanitation. Almost one-third of people live with food insecurity due to the ongoing drought affecting much of the country.

Since its introduction by UN peacekeepers in 2010, cholera has claimed more than 9,500 lives and infected more than 800,000 people. Cholera cases surged in October 2016 in communities most impacted by Hurricane Matthew. There were more than 41,000 suspected cases and 440 deaths in 2016. The number of cases has since declined significantly due to intensified cholera control efforts, including an ambitious campaign in which more than 800,000 people were vaccinated. Only 11,916 suspected cases of cholera and 118 deaths had been reported from January to October 2017.

"World Report 2018" by Human Rights Watch (2018)12

3. Haiti National and Social Development

#economics #human_development #wealth

UN HDI (2021)13
Pos.Higher is better
Value13
1Switzerland0.962
2Norway0.961
3Iceland0.959
4Hong Kong0.952
5Australia0.951
...
161Pakistan0.544
162Togo0.539
163Nigeria0.535
164Haiti0.535
165Rwanda0.534
166Benin0.525
The Americas Avg0.75
World Avg0.72
q=191.
Gross National Income Per-Capita (2021)13
Pos.Higher is better
PPP $13
1Liechtenstein$146 830
2Singapore$90 919
3Qatar$87 134
4Luxembourg$84 649
5Ireland$76 169
...
163Comoros$3 142
164Vanuatu$3 085
165Congo, (Brazzaville)$2 889
166Haiti$2 848
167Lesotho$2 700
168Tanzania$2 664
The Americas Avg$16 628
World Avg$20 136
q=193.
Social & Moral
Development Index
14,15
Pos.Lower is better
Avg Rank14,15
1Taiwan28.6
2Norway29.4
3Denmark31.2
4Sweden32.2
5Finland32.6
...
154Mali110.0
155Madagascar110.7
156Gabon110.8
157Haiti110.9
158Mozambique111.3
159Guinea111.3
The Americas Avg81.6
World Avg86.1
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.

4. Haiti's Demographics and Migration

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

Population:

Haiti's population is predicted to rise to 12.53 million by 2030. This country has a fertility rate of 3.19. 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
1China1.4b
2India1.4b
3USA327.1m
4Indonesia267.7m
5Pakistan212.2m
...
79Bolivia11.4m
80Cuba11.3m
81Burundi11.2m
82Haiti11.1m
83S. Sudan11.0m
84Czechia10.7m
World Avg39.0m
q=195.
Life Expectancy (2021)13
Pos.Higher is better
Years13
1Monaco85.9
2Hong Kong85.5
3Japan84.8
4Australia84.5
5Switzerland84.0
...
158Nauru63.6
159Congo, (Brazzaville)63.5
160Comoros63.4
161Haiti63.2
162Malawi62.9
163Uganda62.7
World Avg71.28
q=195.
Fertility Rate (2013)16
Pos.2.0 is best16
1N. Korea2.00
2Brunei1.99
3St Vincent & Grenadines2.01
4France1.99
5Turkey2.04
...
124Namibia3.08
125Zimbabwe3.15
126Tajikistan3.19
127Haiti3.19
128Gabon3.20
129Swaziland3.21
World Avg2.81
q=180.
Old-Age Dependency Ratio (2016)17
Pos.Lower is better
Per 10017
1Uganda04.3
2Mali04.5
3Chad04.7
4Burkina Faso04.7
5Sierra Leone04.8
...
64Kiribati09.5
65Guatemala09.5
66Saudi Arabia09.5
67Haiti09.6
68Vanuatu09.9
69Cape Verde10.0
World Avg18.3
q=185.

Migration:

Immigrants (2017)18
Pos.
%18
1UAE88.4%
2Kuwait75.5%
3Qatar65.2%
4Liechtenstein65.1%
5Monaco54.9%
...
176Papua New Guinea0.4%
177India0.4%
178Afghanistan0.4%
179Haiti0.4%
180Brazil0.4%
181Eritrea0.3%
World Avg9.4%
q=195.
Emigrants (2010)19
Pos.
%19
1Dominica104.8%
2Palestine68.4%
3Samoa67.3%
4Grenada65.5%
5St Kitts & Nevis61.1%
...
67Hong Kong10.2%
68Dominican Rep.10.1%
69Zimbabwe9.9%
70Haiti9.9%
71San Marino9.9%
72Burkina Faso9.7%
World Avg11.5%
q=192.

5. Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance

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

Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance (2020)20,21
Pos.Lower is better
Avg Rank20,21
1Sweden9.2
2Norway14.7
3Denmark14.7
4Netherlands15.8
5New Zealand17.5
...
85Israel83.5
86Andorra84.3
87Barbados85.3
88Haiti86.6
89Suriname86.9
90Azerbaijan87.1
The Americas Avg74.2
World Avg87.7
q=199.

Haiti is generally poor at ensuring human rights and freedom compared to the rest of the world. Haiti does better than average for its success in fighting anti-semitic prejudice22, supporting press freedom23, commentary in Human Rights Watch reports24 (but bad for The Americas), supporting personal, civil & economic freedoms25, freethought26 and in LGBT equality27 (but low for The Americas). Haiti doesn't do so well in other areas. Haiti does worse than average in its nominal commitment to Human Rights28 and in speed of uptake of HR treaties29. And finally, it falls into the worst 20 in the rate of gender bias (from 7 indicators)30 (the worst in The Americas) and in opposing gender inequality31 (the highest in The Americas). There is a widespread problem with violence against women and poor legal protections for the vulnerable. Prisons are inhumanely overcrowded: detainees have less than one metre of space and are confined for 23 hours a day: the main cause is that 71% of them have been imprisoned before trials have been held12.

For tables, charts and commentary, see:

6. Haiti's Health

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

Compared to The Americas (2020)32,33
Pos.Lower is better
Avg Rank32,33
1Antigua & Barbuda75.6
2Brazil82.1
3Cuba82.4
4Canada83.5
5Barbados85.1
...
29Guatemala103.8
30Jamaica106.6
31Belize107.1
32Dominican Rep.109.4
33Haiti111.4
34Argentina114.9
35Venezuela118.5
The Americas Avg96.2
q=35.
Health (2020)32,33
Pos.Lower is better
Avg Rank32,33
1Monaco13.0
2Hong Kong18.3
3Maldives41.0
4Singapore42.6
5Japan51.0
...
155Zambia109.9
156Sierra Leone110.9
157Benin111.3
158Haiti111.4
159Madagascar111.5
160Yemen112.0
161Tuvalu112.5
World Avg93.5
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 Maldives32. 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 Palau32.

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 Mediterranean32, whereas the worst are Micronesia, Australasia and Africa32.

For more, see:

Health:

Haiti has some poor policies and cultural issues which cause some public health problems. Haiti does the best in its suicide rate34. It does better than average in its smoking rate35 and in its alcohol consumption rate36. Haiti doesn't do so well in other areas. Haiti does worse than average for its adolescent birth rate31 (still low for The Americas), its food aid and health contributions and WHO compliance37, its fertility rate16 (amongst the worst in The Americas) and in its average life expectancy13 (the worst in The Americas). And finally, it sits amongst the bottom 20 in its immunizations take-up38 (the worst in The Americas). The prevalence of overweight adults has increased by 14% over the past 40 years.

Life Expectancy (2021)13
Pos.Higher is better
Years13
1Monaco85.9
2Hong Kong85.5
3Japan84.8
4Australia84.5
5Switzerland84.0
...
158Nauru63.6
159Congo, (Brazzaville)63.5
160Comoros63.4
161Haiti63.2
162Malawi62.9
163Uganda62.7
The Americas Avg72.58
World Avg71.28
q=195.
Alcohol Consumption (2016)36
Pos.Lower is better
Per Capita36
1Bangladesh0.0
2Kuwait0.0
3Libya0.0
4Mauritania0.0
5Somalia0.0
...
87India5.7
88Cape Verde5.7
89Liberia5.8
90Haiti5.8
91Colombia5.8
92Nauru6.0
The Americas Avg6.9
World Avg6.2
q=189.
Fertility Rate (2013)16
Pos.2.0 is best16
1N. Korea2.00
2Brunei1.99
3St Vincent & Grenadines2.01
4France1.99
5Turkey2.04
...
124Namibia3.08
125Zimbabwe3.15
126Tajikistan3.19
127Haiti3.19
128Gabon3.20
129Swaziland3.21
The Americas Avg2.29
World Avg2.81
q=180.
Smoking Rates (2014)35
Pos.Higher is worse35
182Montenegro4 125
181Belarus3 831
180Lebanon3 023
179Macedonia2 732
178Russia2 690
...
29Ghana 121
28Somalia 117
27Peru 116
26Haiti 114
25Eritrea 114
24India 111
The Americas Avg 457
World Avg 819
q=182.
Suicide Rate (2013)34
Pos.
Per 100k34
1Haiti0
2Grenada0
3Egypt0.1
4Jordan0.2
5Maldives0.7
6Azerbaijan1.3
7S. Africa1.8
8Bahamas2.5
9Peru2.9
10Kuwait3.6
11Armenia3.9
12Dominican Rep.4.6
The Americas Avg13.57
World Avg20.93
q=91.
Food Aid, Health Contributions & WHO Compliance (2017)37
Pos.Lower is better
Rank37
1Sweden1
2Ireland2
3Denmark3
4UK4
5Norway5
...
112Romania112
113Peru113
114Kenya114
115Haiti115
116Malawi116
117Swaziland117
The Americas Avg94.3
World Avg82.0
q=163.
Overweight Adults (2016)39
Pos.Lower is better
%39
1Vietnam18.3
2India19.7
3Bangladesh20.0
4Ethiopia20.9
5Nepal21.0
...
92Austria54.3
93Armenia54.4
94Belize54.8
95Haiti54.9
96St Vincent & Grenadines55.0
97Solomon Islands55.0
The Americas Avg57.4
World Avg49.0
q=191.

Children's Health:

Adolescent Birth Rate (2015)31
Pos.Lower is better
Per 100031
1N. Korea0.5
2S. Korea1.6
3Switzerland2.9
4Hong Kong3.2
5Slovenia3.8
...
90Tajikistan38.1
91Vietnam38.6
92Pakistan38.7
93Haiti39.3
94Syria39.4
95Kyrgyzstan39.6
The Americas Avg56.6
World Avg47.9
q=185.
Infant Immunizations 2011-2015 (2015)38
Pos.Higher is better
Avg %38
1Hungary99.0
2China99.0
3Uzbekistan98.9
4Niue98.8
5Mongolia98.7
...
181Samoa68.1
182Yemen67.4
183Papua New Guinea66.3
184Haiti65.7
185Vanuatu65.5
186Guinea63.3
The Americas Avg91.3
World Avg88.3
q=194.

7. Haiti's Modernity and Learning

#education #intelligence #modernity #technology #the_internet

Compared to The Americas (2020)21
Pos.Lower is better
Avg Rank21
1Canada21.6
2USA29.3
3Argentina43.8
4Chile51.6
5Barbados54.2
...
35El Salvador111.1
36Guatemala111.7
37Suriname114.4
38Nicaragua117.7
39Guyana122.6
40Honduras130.6
41Haiti153.8
The Americas Avg81.7
q=41.
Modernity and Learning (2020)21
Pos.Lower is better
Avg Rank21
1Finland8.4
2Taiwan10.0
3Switzerland15.1
4Estonia15.8
5Denmark16.0
...
197Chad150.6
198Niger151.0
199Solomon Islands152.7
200Haiti153.8
201Guinea157.5
202Comoros160.5
203S. Sudan164.0
World Avg83.2
q=205.

Modernity and Education:

Secondary Education (2018)40
Pos.Higher is better40
1Luxembourg100.0%
2Estonia100.0%
3Austria100.0%
4Canada100.0%
5Finland100.0%
...
134Nepal35.9%
135Kenya35.2%
136Honduras33.5%
137Haiti33.2%
138S. Sudan33.2%
139Swaziland32.6%
The Americas Avg63.0%
World Avg63.0%
q=169.
Length of Schooling (2021)41
Pos.Higher is better
Years41
1Australia21.1
2New Zealand20.3
3Greece20.0
4Belgium19.6
5Sweden19.4
...
171Congo, DR9.8
172Guinea9.8
173Equatorial Guinea9.7
174Haiti9.7
175Ethiopia9.7
176Sierra Leone9.6
The Americas Avg14.2
World Avg13.5
q=193.
Intellectual Endeavours (2017)37
Pos.Lower is better
Rank37
1Ukraine1
2Czechia2
3Hungary3
4Denmark4
5UK5
...
129Azerbaijan129
130Bangladesh130
131Mongolia131
132Haiti132
133Botswana133
134Suriname134
The Americas Avg99.8
World Avg82.0
q=163.
IQ (2006)42
Pos.Higher is better42
1Hong Kong108
2Singapore108
3S. Korea106
4Japan105
5Taiwan105
...
126Angola68
127Guinea67
128Liberia67
129Haiti67
130Gambia66
131Zimbabwe66
The Americas Avg85.3
World Avg85.6
q=138.

Technology and Information:

Internet Users (2016)43
Pos.Higher is better43
1Iceland100%
2Faroe Islands99%
3Norway98%
4Bermuda97%
5Andorra97%
...
169Kiribati13%
170Rwanda12%
171Mali12%
172Haiti12%
173Papua New Guinea12%
174Djibouti12%
The Americas Avg56.4%
World Avg48.1%
q=201.

8. National Culture

#charity #corruption #happiness #morals #politics

Haiti has a consistently awful long-term record on corruption, one of the worst in the world.

World Giving Index (2013-2021)44
Pos.Lower is better44
1Myanmar (Burma)2.7
2New Zealand4.0
3USA4.7
4Australia4.9
5Indonesia9.0
...
45Finland39.3
46Hong Kong40.4
47Turkmenistan41.2
48Haiti41.7
49Somaliland42.0
50S. Africa42.6
The Americas Avg58.4
World Avg67.9
q=160.
Corruption (2022)45
Pos.Higher is better
Points45
1Denmark90.0
2Finland87.0
3New Zealand87.0
4Norway84.0
5Singapore83.0
...
171Equatorial Guinea17.0
172N. Korea17.0
173Libya17.0
174Haiti17.0
175Burundi17.0
176Yemen16.0
The Americas Avg42.97
World Avg42.98
q=180.
Happiness (2018)46
Pos.Higher is better46
1Finland7.6
2Norway7.6
3Denmark7.6
4Iceland7.5
5Switzerland7.5
...
145Afghanistan3.6
146Botswana3.6
147Malawi3.6
148Haiti3.6
149Liberia3.5
150Syria3.5
The Americas Avg6.05
World Avg5.38
q=156.
Creativity and Culture (2017)37
Pos.Lower is better
Rank37
1Belgium1
2Netherlands2
3Estonia3
4Switzerland4
5Sweden5
...
89Cambodia89
90Peru90
91Jordan91
92Haiti92
93Tunisia93
94Papua New Guinea94
The Americas Avg80.2
World Avg82.0
q=163.
Open Trading, Aid and Development (2017)37
Pos.Lower is better
Rank37
1Ireland1
2Denmark2
3Sweden3
4Netherlands4
5Switzerland5
...
50Greece50
51Niger51
52Sri Lanka52
53Haiti53
54Rwanda54
55Swaziland55
The Americas Avg100.5
World Avg82.0
q=163.

9. Peace Versus Instability

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

Global Peace Index (2021)47
Pos.Lower is better47
1Iceland1.10
2New Zealand1.25
3Denmark1.26
4Portugal1.27
5Slovenia1.32
...
105Bolivia2.14
106Djibouti2.15
107Papua New Guinea2.15
108Haiti2.15
109Turkmenistan2.15
110El Salvador2.18
The Americas Avg2.13
World Avg2.08
q=163.
Peacekeeping and Security (2017)37
Pos.Lower is better
Rank37
1Samoa1
2S. Africa2
3Tunisia3
4Egypt4
5Nigeria5
...
141Saudi Arabia141
142St Vincent & Grenadines142
143Belize143
144Haiti144
145Libya145
146Croatia146
The Americas Avg82.3
World Avg82.0
q=163.
Refugees and UN Treaties (2017)37
Pos.Lower is better
Rank37
1Austria1
2Germany2
3Netherlands3
4Sweden4
5Malta5
...
137Nigeria137
138Cambodia138
139Mali139
140Haiti140
141Mongolia141
142Syria142
The Americas Avg91.5
World Avg82.0
q=163.
Impact of Terrorism (2019)48
Pos.Lower is better
Score48
1Togo0.00
2Mongolia0.00
3Swaziland0.00
4Equatorial Guinea0.00
5Cambodia0.00
...
68Argentina1.68
69Madagascar1.96
70Finland2.03
71Haiti2.18
72Kosovo2.26
73Japan2.29
The Americas Avg2.16
World Avg2.78
q=150.

10. The Natural Environment

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

Forest Area Change 1990-2015 (2015)49
Pos.Higher is better
%49
1Iceland+205.6
2Bahrain+144.4
3Uruguay+131.3
4Kuwait+81.2
5Dominican Rep.+79.5
...
148Liberia-15.2
149Belize-15.5
150Equatorial Guinea-15.7
151Haiti-16.4
152Tanzania-17.6
153Ethiopia-17.8
The Americas Avg-00.2
World Avg+02.8
q=184.
Environmental Performance (2018)50
Pos.Higher is better50
1Switzerland87.4
2France84.0
3Denmark81.6
4Malta80.9
5Sweden80.5
...
171Central African Rep.36.4
172Niger35.7
173Lesotho33.8
174Haiti33.7
175Madagascar33.7
176Nepal31.4
The Americas Avg58.8
World Avg56.4
q=180.
Convention on Biological Diversity
Pos.Earlier is better
Signed
1China1993 Dec 29
2Guinea1993 Dec 29
3Cook Islands1993 Dec 29
4Vanuatu1993 Dec 29
5Papua New Guinea1993 Dec 29
...
160Bahrain1996 Nov 28
161Turkmenistan1996 Dec 17
162Laos1996 Dec 19
163Haiti1996 Dec 24
164Croatia1997 Jan 05
165Belgium1997 Feb 20
The Americas Avg1899 Dec 30
World Avg1899 Dec 30
q=197.
Rational Beliefs on the Environment (2011)51
Pos.Higher is better
%51
1Argentina78.3%
2Greece77.6%
3Brazil77.1%
4Trinidad & Tobago74.5%
5Costa Rica74.2%
...
140Iceland13.1%
141Uzbekistan11.3%
142Tajikistan11.1%
143Haiti10.0%
144Albania9.4%
145Turkmenistan8.6%
The Americas Avg58.6%
World Avg39.9%
q=145.

11. Economic Inequality and Poverty

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

Inequality in Life Expectancy (2019)52
Pos.Higher is worse52
184Chad40.90
183Central African Rep.40.10
182Sierra Leone39.00
181Somalia38.90
180Nigeria37.10
...
173Ivory Coast33.30
172Lesotho33.10
171Guinea-Bissau32.30
170Haiti32.20
169Burkina Faso32.00
168Angola32.00
The Americas Avg12.03
World Avg14.59
q=184.
Income Inequality (Gini Coefficient) (2017)53
Pos.Lower is better
%53
1Ukraine25.0
2Belarus25.4
3Slovenia25.4
4Czechia25.9
5Moldova25.9
...
102Argentina40.6
103Kenya40.8
104Malaysia41.0
105Haiti41.1
106USA41.5
107Ivory Coast41.5
The Americas Avg45.2
World Avg38.1
q=152.
Multidimensional Poverty (2018)54
Pos.Lower is better
Severity54
1Armenia.001
2Ukraine.001
3Serbia.001
4Turkmenistan.001
5Jordan.002
...
65Comoros.181
66Bangladesh.198
67Pakistan.198
68Haiti.200
69Timor-Leste (E. Timor).210
70Ivory Coast.236
The Americas Avg.045
World Avg.154
q=101.

12. Religion and Beliefs

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

Disbelief In God (2007)55
Pos.Higher is better
%55
1Vietnam81
2Japan65
3Sweden64
4Czechia61
5Estonia49
...
105Zambia0
106Tanzania0
107Malaysia0
108Haiti0
109Iraq0
110Guinea0
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 below56:

Christian86.9%
Muslim0.1%
Hindu0.1%
Buddhist0.1%
Folk Religion2.2%
Jew0.1%
Unaffiliated10.6%

The CIA World Factbook has slightly different data, and states: Roman Catholic 80%, Protestant 16% (Baptist 10%, Pentecostal 4%, Adventist 1%, other 1%), none 1%, other 3%. Note: Despite what they put on official forms, roughly half of the population practices Voodoo.57.

An introduction to Vodun, or Voodoo:

A traditional religion from Western Africa with an ethical focus on combating greed and promoting honour. It is based on the worship of spirits that are loyal to a monotheistic58 deistic (non-interventionist) creator god. It is more correctly known as Vodun, although other titles include Vodoun, Voudou, and Sevi Lwa. "The name is traceable to an African word for 'spirit'. Vodun's roots go back to the West African Yoruba people who lived in 18th and 19th century Dahomey. That country occupied parts of today's Togo, Benin and Nigeria"59. When West Africans were forcibly taken to Haiti and other islands in the West Indies as slaves, their beliefs spread with them58,59, and also to South America and the Caribbean region in general60. Voodoo was suppressed and its followers persecuted58 by Christian powermongers, and it was forced underground, with many believers merely pretending to be Christian, and practicing Voodoo in secret58,61,62. As a result of this, Voodoo priests were well-placed to orchestrate and inspire slave revolts. It is now acknowledged that Voodoo merged African beliefs with re-interpreted Christian saints and symbols60,58, but also that Christianity abused and mis-represented Voodoo, causing long term damage to its reputation. There are up to 60 million Voodoo practitioners worldwide, with about 16 million in Ghana, Togo, Benin and Nigeria58.

"An introduction to Vodun, or Voodoo" by Vexen Crabtree (2016)

Vodun is still practiced by the majority of Haiti even though the majority also call themselves Christian. "It was given official status as a national religion in 2003 by Jean-Bertrand Aristide, then Haitian president"58. Haitian Voodoo is has some features that distinguishing it from African Voodoo. The success of the hope-inspiring slave revolts was directly related to the secretive and suppressed nature of the Vodun religion within the slave culture. The underground religion naturally expanded to include underground abolitionist activism and played an inspirational and functional role, directly facilitating underground societies and powerful leaders, something which no other anti-slave movement did. This series of revolts led to Toussaint L'Ouverture and his successes in the region, which inspired and fuelled abolitionist movements worldwide.

Some historians say that voodoo's bad image in the world is because Haitian slaves used it as a form of protest; it gave them a secret place where they could foment revolt against their masters.

The Economist (2006)63

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