Haiti (Republic of Haiti)

Haiti Republic of Haiti
Status	Independent State
Social and Moral Index	176th best
Capital	Port-au-Prince
Land Area	27 560km21
Location	North America, The Americas, The Caribbean
Groupings	Small Islands
Population	11.1m2
Life Expectancy	63.19yrs (2017)3
GNI	$2 848 (2017)4
ISO3166-1 Codes	HT, HTI, 3325
Internet Domain	.ht6
Currency	Gourde (HTG)7
Telephone	+5098

1. Overview
2. The Aftermath of Hurricane Matthew
3. Haiti National and Social Development
4. Haiti's Demographics and Migration
5. Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance
6. Haiti's Health
7. Haiti's Responsibility Towards The Environment
8. Haiti's Modernity and Learning
9. Haiti's Culture, Peace and Inequality
10. Religion and Beliefs
11. Links

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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

“Haiti 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
1	Switzerland	0.962
2	Norway	0.961
3	Iceland	0.959
	...
160	Tanzania	0.549
161	Pakistan	0.544
162	Togo	0.539
163=	Haiti	0.535
163=	Nigeria	0.535
165	Rwanda	0.534
166=	Benin	0.525
166=	Uganda	0.525
	The Americas Avg	0.75
	World Avg	0.72
q=191.

Gross National Income Per-Capita (2021)13
Pos.		Higher is better PPP $13
1	Liechtenstein	$146 830
2	Singapore	$90 919
3	Qatar	$87 134
	...
163	Comoros	$3 142
164	Vanuatu	$3 085
165	Congo, (Brazzaville)	$2 889
166	Haiti	$2 848
167	Lesotho	$2 700
168	Tanzania	$2 664
169	Solomon Islands	$2 482
170	Guinea	$2 481
	The Americas Avg	$16 628
	World Avg	$20 136
q=193.

Social & Moral Development Index14
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank14
1	Denmark	27.0
2	Norway	29.9
3	Sweden	31.8
	...
173	Syria	119.1
174	Niger	119.1
175	Congo, (Brazzaville)	119.7
176	Haiti	119.8
177	Mozambique	120.0
178	Papua New Guinea	120.5
179	Turkmenistan	120.9
180	Guinea-Bissau	121.0
	The Americas Avg	81.5
	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.

4. Haiti's Demographics and Migration

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

Population:

Haiti's population is predicted to rise to 12.53 million by 2030. This country has a fertility rate of 2.77. 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 8.86.₁₅

Population2
Pos.		2018 Population2
1	China	1.4b
2	India	1.4b
3	USA	327.1m
	...
79	Bolivia	11.4m
80	Cuba	11.3m
81	Burundi	11.2m
82	Haiti	11.1m
83	S. Sudan	11.0m
84	Czechia	10.7m
85	Dominican Rep.	10.6m
86	Greece	10.5m
	World Avg	39.0m
q=195.

Life Expectancy Higher is better13
Pos.		2021 Years13
1	Monaco	85.9
2	Hong Kong	85.5
3	Japan	84.8
	...
158	Nauru	63.6
159	Congo, (Brazzaville)	63.5
160	Comoros	63.4
161	Haiti	63.2
162	Malawi	62.9
163	Uganda	62.7
164	S. Africa	62.3
165	Djibouti	62.3
	World Avg	71.28
q=195.

Fertility Rate 2.0 is best16
Pos.		202216
1	US Virgin Islands	2.00
2	Ecuador	2.00
3	Nepal	2.01
	...
131	Botswana	2.75
132	Djibouti	2.76
133	Italy	1.24
134	Haiti	2.77
135	Mongolia	2.77
136	Swaziland	2.79
137	Jordan	2.79
138	Kyrgyzstan	2.80
	World Avg	2.47
q=208.

Old-Age Dependency Ratio Lower is better17
Pos.		2016 Per 10017
1	Uganda	04.3
2	Mali	04.5
3=	Chad	04.7
	...
64	Kiribati	09.5
65=	Guatemala	09.5
65=	Saudi Arabia	09.5
67	Haiti	09.6
68	Vanuatu	09.9
69	Cape Verde	10.0
70	Philippines	10.3
71	Cambodia	10.4
	World Avg	18.3
q=185.

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

Migration:

Immigrants18
Pos.		2017 %18
1	UAE	88.4%
2	Kuwait	75.5%
3	Qatar	65.2%
	...
176	Papua New Guinea	0.4%
177	India	0.4%
178	Afghanistan	0.4%
179	Haiti	0.4%
180	Brazil	0.4%
181	Eritrea	0.3%
182	Somalia	0.3%
183	Lesotho	0.3%
	World Avg	9.4%
q=195.

Emigrants19
Pos.		2010 %19
1	Dominica	104.8%
2	Palestine	68.4%
3	Samoa	67.3%
	...
67	Hong Kong	10.2%
68	Dominican Rep.	10.1%
69	Zimbabwe	9.9%
70	Haiti	9.9%
71	San Marino	9.9%
72	Burkina Faso	9.7%
73	Slovakia	9.6%
74	Morocco	9.3%
	World Avg	11.5%
q=192.

5. Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance

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

Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance (2025)20
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank20
1	Sweden	6.1
2	Denmark	8.6
3	Norway	9.0
	...
142	Zambia	111.0
143	Jordan	111.1
144	Vietnam	111.6
145	Haiti	111.9
146	Uganda	112.1
147	Ivory Coast	112.2
	The Americas Avg	71.80
	World Avg	86.55
q=199.

Haiti is generally poor at ensuring human rights and freedom compared to the rest of the world. Haiti does better than average when it comes to its success in fighting anti-semitic prejudice₂₁, commentary in Human Rights Watch reports₂₂ (but low for The Americas), supporting personal, civil & economic freedoms₂₃, freethought₂₄ and in LGBT equality₂₅ (but bad for The Americas). Haiti still has work to do. Haiti does worse than average for eliminating modern slavery₂₆ (amongst the highest in The Americas), supporting press freedom₂₇, its average Freedom in the World rating (one of the highest in The Americas) and in its nominal commitment to Human Rights₂₈. And finally, it sits amongst the bottom 20 for the rate of gender bias (from 7 indicators)₂₉ (the worst in The Americas) and in opposing gender inequality₃₀ (the worst 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:

• Human Rights and Freedom in Haiti

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 (2025)31
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank31
1	Greenland	34.3
2	Curaço	49.7
3	Aruba	49.9
	...
36	Venezuela	108.1
37	Belize	111.0
38	Paraguay	111.5
39	Dominican Rep.	112.7
40	Nicaragua	113.8
41	Bolivia	121.9
42	Guatemala	123.6
43	Honduras	125.3
44	Haiti	130.5
	The Americas Avg	92.66
q=44.

Health (2025)31
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank31
1	Monaco	14.3
2	Liechtenstein	30.1
3	Isle of Man	32.1
	...
160	Pakistan	127.9
161	Botswana	129.6
162	Eritrea	130.2
163	Haiti	130.5
164	Lesotho	131.8
165	Nauru	133.3
166	Papua New Guinea	133.4
167	Rwanda	134.4
	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 Man₃₂. These countries are worth emulating. And, although often through no fault of the average citizen, the worst countries are S. Sudan, Angola and Nigeria₃₂.

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 Balkans₃₂, whereas the worst are Africa, Micronesia and Melanesia₃₂.

For more, see:

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

Health:

Haiti has some poor policies and cultural issues which cause some public health problems. Haiti performs the best in its suicide rate₃₃. It does better than average for its smoking rate₃₄ and in its alcohol consumption rate₃₅. Haiti still has work to do. Haiti does worse than average in its food aid and health contributions and WHO compliance₃₆, its adolescent birth rate₃₇, its fertility rate₁₆ (one of the highest in The Americas) and in its average life expectancy₁₃ (the lowest in The Americas). And finally, it sits amongst the bottom 20 for its immunizations take-up₃₈ (the worst in The Americas). The number of overweight adults has increased by 14% during the past 40 years. Life expectancy in Haiti in 1990 was 53yrs, lower than the global average of 64.6, and, in 2010 it had the second-worst in the world. But on average it improved by +11.3yrs in the 30 years from 1990, much better than the global average of +7.9yrs, and its regain over the 2010s was a radical +18.2yrs. Haiti's peak fertility rate was 6.21 in 1960.

Life Expectancy Higher is better13
Pos.		2021 Years13
1	Monaco	85.9
2	Hong Kong	85.5
3	Japan	84.8
	...
158	Nauru	63.6
159	Congo, (Brazzaville)	63.5
160	Comoros	63.4
161	Haiti	63.2
162	Malawi	62.9
163	Uganda	62.7
164	S. Africa	62.3
165	Djibouti	62.3
	The Americas Avg	72.58
	World Avg	71.28
q=195.

Alcohol Consumption Lower is better35
Pos.		2016 Per Capita35
1	Bangladesh	0.0
2	Kuwait	0.0
3	Libya	0.0
	...
87=	India	5.7
87=	Cape Verde	5.7
89	Liberia	5.8
90=	Haiti	5.8
90=	Colombia	5.8
92	Nauru	6.0
93	Cuba	6.1
94	Kyrgyzstan	6.2
	The Americas Avg	6.9
	World Avg	6.2
q=189.

Fertility Rate 2.0 is best16
Pos.		202216
1	US Virgin Islands	2.00
2	Ecuador	2.00
3	Nepal	2.01
	...
131	Botswana	2.75
132	Djibouti	2.76
133	Italy	1.24
134	Haiti	2.77
135	Mongolia	2.77
136	Swaziland	2.79
137	Jordan	2.79
138	Kyrgyzstan	2.80
	The Americas Avg	1.80
	World Avg	2.47
q=208.

Smoking Rates Lower is better34
Pos.		201434
1	Guinea	15
2	Solomon Islands	26
3	Kiribati	28
	...
23	Sao Tome & Principe	111
24	India	111
25	Eritrea	114
26	Haiti	114
27	Peru	116
28	Somalia	117
29	Ghana	121
30	Benin	122
	The Americas Avg	457
	World Avg	819
q=182.

Suicide Rate33
Pos.		2013 Per 100k33
1	Haiti	0
2	Grenada	0
3	Egypt	0.1
4	Jordan	0.2
5	Maldives	0.7
6	Azerbaijan	1.3
7	S. Africa	1.8
8	Bahamas	2.5
9	Peru	2.9
10	Kuwait	3.6
11	Armenia	3.9
12	Dominican Rep.	4.6
	The Americas Avg	13.57
	World Avg	20.93
q=91.

Food Aid, Health Contributions & WHO Compliance Lower is better36
Pos.		2017 Rank36
1	Sweden	1
2	Ireland	2
3	Denmark	3
	...
112	Romania	112
113	Peru	113
114	Kenya	114
115	Haiti	115
116	Malawi	116
117	Swaziland	117
118	Iran	118
119	Yemen	119
	The Americas Avg	94.3
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Overweight Adults Lower is better39
Pos.		2016 %39
1	Vietnam	18.3
2	India	19.7
3	Bangladesh	20.0
	...
92=	Austria	54.3
93	Armenia	54.4
94	Belize	54.8
95	Haiti	54.9
96=	St Vincent & Grenadines	55.0
96=	Solomon Islands	55.0
98	Denmark	55.4
99	Jamaica	55.5
	The Americas Avg	57.4
	World Avg	49.0
q=191.

Children's Health:

Adolescent Birth Rate Lower is better37
Pos.		2022 Per 100037
1	Hong Kong	1.6
2	Denmark	1.8
3	S. Korea	2.1
	...
120	Philippines	48.1
121	Botswana	48.3
122	Cuba	48.9
123	Haiti	51.8
124	Seychelles	52.1
125	Yemen	52.5
126	Burundi	52.6
127	Mexico	53.7
	The Americas Avg	48.1
	World Avg	43.8
q=195.

Infant Immunizations 2011-2015 Higher is better38
Pos.		2015 Avg %38
1=	Hungary	99.0
1=	China	99.0
3	Uzbekistan	98.9
	...
181	Samoa	68.1
182	Yemen	67.4
183	Papua New Guinea	66.3
184	Haiti	65.7
185	Vanuatu	65.5
186	Guinea	63.3
187	Syria	62.4
188	Ukraine	55.2
	The Americas Avg	91.3
	World Avg	88.3
q=194.

7. Haiti'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 The Americas (2025)40
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank40
1	Uruguay	43.2
2	Puerto Rico	47.1
3	Costa Rica	49.7
	...
28=	St Kitts & Nevis	96.9
29	Bahamas	100.9
30	Antigua & Barbuda	103.2
31	St Lucia	103.6
32	USA	103.8
33	Haiti	105.8
34	Suriname	108.5
35	Barbados	110.1
36	Grenada	125.0
	The Americas Avg	92.66
q=36.

Responsibility Towards The Environment (2025)40
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank40
1	Sri Lanka	34.9
2	Uruguay	43.2
3	Switzerland	45.0
	...
162	Lebanon	103.9
163	Papua New Guinea	104.5
164	Serbia	104.8
165	Haiti	105.8
166	Samoa	107.0
167	Bahrain	107.9
168	Mongolia	108.1
169	Armenia	108.2
	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).

One of the highest in The Americas Haiti comes 165th in the world when it comes to its responsibility towards the environment. This rank is derived from 6 data sets. Haiti does better than average in energy to GDP efficiency₄₁ (amongst the lowest in The Americas) and in reducing annual meat consumption per person₄₂ (the best in The Americas). However Haiti performs less well in most areas. It does worse than average in its forested percent change 2000-2020₄₃. And finally, it falls into the worst 20 in the rate of rational beliefs on the environment in the population₄₄ (the lowest in The Americas), its environmental performance₄₅ (the lowest in The Americas) and in its sign-up rate to major international accords on protecting the environment.

Environmental Performance Higher is better45
Pos.		201845
1	Switzerland	87.4
2	France	84.0
3	Denmark	81.6
	...
171	Central African Rep.	36.4
172	Niger	35.7
173	Lesotho	33.8
174	Haiti	33.7
175	Madagascar	33.7
176	Nepal	31.4
177	India	30.6
178	Congo, DR	30.4
	The Americas Avg	58.8
	World Avg	56.4
q=180.

Energy to GDP Efficiency Lower is better41
Pos.		2022 Avg41
1	Rwanda	0.25
2	Chad	0.26
3	Tanzania	0.31
	...
29	Bangladesh	0.61
30	Ireland	0.62
31	Dominican Rep.	0.63
32	Haiti	0.63
33	Denmark	0.65
34	Botswana	0.67
35	Hong Kong	0.67
36	Puerto Rico	0.68
	The Americas Avg	1.42
	World Avg	1.23
q=165.

International Accords on the Environment Higher is better
Pos.		Total Avg Rate
1	Sweden	83%
2	Canada	82%
3	Norway	81%
	...
190	Palau	34%
191	Angola	33%
192	Iraq	28%
193	San Marino	26%
194	Haiti	25%
195	Andorra	22%
196	Palestine	19%
197	Vatican City	10%
	The Americas Avg	60.7%
	World Avg	57.5%
q=197.

Even though it would benefit from its protections, Haiti sits alongside the USA, Fiji, 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.

Rational Beliefs on the Environment Higher is better44
Pos.		2011 %44
1	Argentina	78.3%
2	Greece	77.6%
3	Brazil	77.1%
	...
138	Denmark	14.9%
139	Libya	14.6%
140	Iceland	13.1%
141	Uzbekistan	11.3%
142	Tajikistan	11.1%
143	Haiti	10.0%
144	Albania	9.4%
145	Turkmenistan	8.6%
	The Americas Avg	58.6%
	World Avg	39.9%
q=145.

Meat Consumption Lower is better42
Pos.		2021 kg42
1	Congo, DR	03.0
2	Burundi	03.5
3	Bangladesh	04.3
	...
43	S. Sudan	20.2
44	Liberia	20.3
45	Ghana	20.9
46	Haiti	21.6
47	Lesotho	21.7
48	Thailand	26.0
49	Swaziland	27.1
50	Malawi	27.4
	The Americas Avg	70.3
	World Avg	52.5
q=185.

8. Haiti's Modernity and Learning

#capitalism #corruption #economics #education #extremism #haiti #health #human_development #inequality #intelligence #life_expectancy #modernity #peace #politics #poverty #religious_violence #social_development #technology #terrorism #the_internet

Compared to The Americas (2020)46
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank46
1=	Canada	21.8
2	USA	26.4
3	Argentina	38.2
	...
27	Jamaica	94.6
28	Paraguay	103.1
29	Suriname	106.6
30	El Salvador	109.2
31	Nicaragua	121.4
32	Guatemala	121.5
33	Guyana	122.5
34	Honduras	132.2
35=	Haiti	155.6
	The Americas Avg	81.34
q=35.

Modernity & Learning (2020)46
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank46
1	Finland	7.1
2	Belgium	12.9
3	Denmark	13.6
	...
177	Djibouti	148.0
178	Burundi	148.5
179	Solomon Islands	154.5
180=	Haiti	155.6
180=	Gambia	155.6
182	Equatorial Guinea	156.7
183	Papua New Guinea	158.4
184	Central African Rep.	160.3
	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 Denmark₄₇. The worst countries are Eritrea, S. Sudan and Sierra Leone₄₇. Despite improves in global education, access to tertiary (adult) education is becoming increasingly unequal between the rich haves and the poor have-nots₄₈.

“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)₄₉

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 Europe₄₇, whereas the worst are Melanesia, Africa and Micronesia₄₇.

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 better50
Pos.		201850
1=	Luxembourg	100.0%
1=	Estonia	100.0%
1=	Austria	100.0%
	...
134	Nepal	35.9%
135	Kenya	35.2%
136	Honduras	33.5%
137	Haiti	33.2%
138	S. Sudan	33.2%
139	Swaziland	32.6%
140	Morocco	32.2%
141	Uganda	32.1%
	The Americas Avg	63.0%
	World Avg	63.0%
q=169.

Length of Schooling Higher is better51
Pos.		2021 Years51
1	Australia	21.1
2	New Zealand	20.3
3	Greece	20.0
	...
171	Congo, DR	9.8
172	Guinea	9.8
173	Equatorial Guinea	9.7
174	Haiti	9.7
175	Ethiopia	9.7
176	Sierra Leone	9.6
177	Gambia	9.4
178	Tuvalu	9.4
	The Americas Avg	14.2
	World Avg	13.5
q=193.

Intellectual Endeavours Lower is better36
Pos.		2017 Rank36
1	Ukraine	1
2	Czechia	2
3	Hungary	3
	...
129	Azerbaijan	129
130	Bangladesh	130
131	Mongolia	131
132	Haiti	132
133	Botswana	133
134	Suriname	134
135	Uruguay	135
136	Honduras	136
	The Americas Avg	99.8
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

IQ Higher is better52
Pos.		200652
1=	Hong Kong	108
1=	Singapore	108
3	S. Korea	106
	...
126=	Angola	68
127	Guinea	67
128=	Liberia	67
128=	Haiti	67
130	Gambia	66
131=	Zimbabwe	66
131=	Senegal	66
133	Sierra Leone	64
	The Americas Avg	85.3
	World Avg	85.6
q=138.

Technology and Information:

Internet Users Higher is better53
Pos.		201653
1	Iceland	100%
2	Faroe Islands	99%
3	Norway	98%
	...
169	Kiribati	13%
170	Rwanda	12%
171	Mali	12%
172	Haiti	12%
173=	Papua New Guinea	12%
173=	Djibouti	12%
175	Cambodia	11%
176	Gabon	10%
	The Americas Avg	56.4%
	World Avg	48.1%
q=201.

9. Haiti's Culture, Peace and Inequality

#capitalism #charitability #corruption #culture #economics #equality #extremism #haiti #health #human_development #inequality #life_expectancy #peace #politics #poverty #religious_violence #social_development #terrorism

Compared to The Americas (2020)54
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank54
1	Canada	23.1
2	Barbados	46.9
3	Costa Rica	47.3
	...
25	Bolivia	88.8
26	St Vincent & Grenadines	89.2
27	Nicaragua	92.1
28	Colombia	92.6
29	Grenada	93.0
30	Paraguay	95.5
31	Honduras	96.1
32	Venezuela	113.1
33	Haiti	120.8
	The Americas Avg	79.19
q=33.

Culture, Peace & Inequality (2020)54
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank54
1	Denmark	11.2
2	Norway	13.9
3	Netherlands	14.4
	...
164	Libya	115.8
165	Iraq	116.6
166	Guinea-Bissau	119.3
167	Haiti	120.8
168	Angola	122.2
169	Sudan	122.7
170	Equatorial Guinea	123.0
171	Burundi	123.1
	World Avg	78.12
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:

• "Which are the Countries for International Contributions, Creativity, Peace and Inequality?" by Vexen Crabtree (2025).

National Culture:

Corruption Higher is better55
Pos.		2022 Points55
1	Denmark	90.0
2=	Finland	87.0
2=	New Zealand	87.0
	...
171	Equatorial Guinea	17.0
172=	N. Korea	17.0
172=	Libya	17.0
172=	Haiti	17.0
172=	Burundi	17.0
176	Yemen	16.0
177	Venezuela	14.0
178=	S. Sudan	13.0
	The Americas Avg	42.97
	World Avg	42.98
q=180.

In 2006, Haiti became the country where corruption was perceived to be the worst in the world, of the 163 countries included in the CPI; things have only improved slowly since then.

Creativity & Culture Lower is better36
Pos.		2017 Rank36
1	Belgium	1
2	Netherlands	2
3	Estonia	3
	...
89	Cambodia	89
90	Peru	90
91	Jordan	91
92	Haiti	92
93	Tunisia	93
94	Papua New Guinea	94
95	Belarus	95
96	Mongolia	96
	The Americas Avg	80.2
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Open Trading, Aid & Development Lower is better36
Pos.		2017 Rank36
1	Ireland	1
2	Denmark	2
3	Sweden	3
	...
50	Greece	50
51	Niger	51
52	Sri Lanka	52
53	Haiti	53
54	Rwanda	54
55	Swaziland	55
56	Luxembourg	56
57	Mali	57
	The Americas Avg	100.5
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Peace Versus Instability:

Global Peace Index Lower is better56
Pos.		2023 Score56
1	Iceland	1.12
2	Denmark	1.31
3	Ireland	1.31
	...
126	India	2.31
127	Guinea	2.36
128	Burundi	2.39
129	Haiti	2.40
130	S. Africa	2.41
131	USA	2.45
132	Brazil	2.46
133	Eritrea	2.51
	The Americas Avg	2.13
	World Avg	2.07
q=163.

Peacekeeping & Security Lower is better36
Pos.		2017 Rank36
1	Samoa	1
2	S. Africa	2
3	Tunisia	3
	...
141	Saudi Arabia	141
142	St Vincent & Grenadines	142
143	Belize	143
144	Haiti	144
145	Libya	145
146	Croatia	146
147	UAE	147
148	Central African Rep.	148
	The Americas Avg	82.3
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Refugees & UN Treaties Lower is better36
Pos.		2017 Rank36
1	Austria	1
2	Germany	2
3	Netherlands	3
	...
137	Nigeria	137
138	Cambodia	138
139	Mali	139
140	Haiti	140
141	Mongolia	141
142	Syria	142
143	Mauritania	143
144	Rwanda	144
	The Americas Avg	91.5
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Impact of Terrorism Lower is better57
Pos.		2019 Score57
1	Togo	0.00
2	Mongolia	0.00
3	Swaziland	0.00
	...
68	Argentina	1.68
69	Madagascar	1.96
70	Finland	2.03
71	Haiti	2.18
72	Kosovo	2.26
73	Japan	2.29
74	Netherlands	2.35
75	Ecuador	2.46
	The Americas Avg	2.16
	World Avg	2.78
q=150.

Economic Inequality and Poverty:

Inequality in Life Expectancy Lower is better58
Pos.		201958
1	Iceland	2.40
2=	Singapore	2.50
2=	Hong Kong	2.50
	...
167	Guinea	31.30
168=	Burkina Faso	32.00
168=	Angola	32.00
170	Haiti	32.20
171	Guinea-Bissau	32.30
172	Lesotho	33.10
173	Ivory Coast	33.30
174	Cameroon	33.50
	The Americas Avg	12.03
	World Avg	14.59
q=184.

Income Inequality (Gini Coefficient) Lower is better59
Pos.		2023 %59
1	Slovakia	24.1%60
2	Slovenia	24.3%60
3	Belarus	24.4%61
	...
125=	Philippines	40.7%60
125=	Malaysia	40.7%60
127	Bolivia	40.9%60
128	Haiti	41.1%62
129	USA	41.3%63
130	Djibouti	41.6%64
131	Papua New Guinea	41.9%65
132	Cameroon	42.2%60
	The Americas Avg	44.0%
	World Avg	36.5%
q=167.

Income inequality data is rarely available for Haiti - only for 2 years between 1980 and 2019, in 2001 and 2012. Its 2001 data placed it as the 4th-most-unequal country, compared to the averages in that decade of 151 countries, and in the 2010s its sole data point indicated it was the 2nd-most-economically unequal country in that decade.

Multidimensional Poverty Lower is better66
Pos.		2018 Severity66
1	Armenia	.001
2	Ukraine	.001
3	Serbia	.001
	...
65	Comoros	.181
66	Bangladesh	.198
67	Pakistan	.198
68	Haiti	.200
69	Timor-Leste (E. Timor)	.210
70	Ivory Coast	.236
71	Yemen	.241
72	Cameroon	.243
	The Americas Avg	.045
	World Avg	.154
q=101.

10. Religion and Beliefs

#africa #belief #benin #buddhism #christianity #ghana #god #haiti #hinduism #islam #judaism #monotheism #nigeria #religion #togo #vodun #voodoo #west_africa

Disbelief In God (2007)67
Pos.		Higher is better %67
1	Vietnam	81
2	Japan	65
3	Sweden	64
	...
105=	Zambia	0
105=	Tanzania	0
105=	Malaysia	0
105=	Haiti	0
105=	Iraq	0
105=	Guinea	0
105=	Ghana	0
105=	Jordan	0
105=	Gambia	0
105=	Kenya	0
105=	Ethiopia	0
105=	Afghanistan	0
105=	Egypt	0
105=	Liberia	0
105=	Libya	0
105=	Ivory Coast	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 below₆₈:

Christian	86.9%
Muslim	0.1%
Hindu	0.1%
Buddhist	0.1%
Folk Religion	2.2%
Jewish	0.1%
Unaffiliated	10.6%

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.₆₉.

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 monotheistic₇₀ 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"₇₁. When West Africans were forcibly taken to Haiti and other islands in the West Indies as slaves, their beliefs spread with them_70,71, and also to South America and the Caribbean region in general₇₂. Voodoo was suppressed and its followers persecuted₇₀ by Christian powermongers, and it was forced underground, with many believers merely pretending to be Christian, and practicing Voodoo in secret_70,73,74. 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 symbols_72,70, 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 Nigeria₇₀.”

"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"₇₀. 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)₇₅

Links:

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