Iraq (Republic of Iraq)

By Vexen Crabtree 2013

Iraq Republic of Iraq
Status	Independent State
Social and Moral Index	184th best
Capital	Baghdad
Land Area	434 320km²₁
Location	Asia, The Middle East
Population	38.4m₂
Life Expectancy	69.63yrs (2017)₃
GNI	$11 608 (2017)₄
ISO3166-1 Codes	IQ, IRQ, 368₅
Internet Domain	.iq₆
Currency	Dinar (IQD)₇
Telephone	+964₈

1. Overview

#iran #iraq #kuwait #UK

“Formerly part of the Ottoman Empire, Iraq was occupied by Britain during the course of World War I; in 1920, it was declared a League of Nations mandate under UK administration. In stages over the next dozen years, Iraq attained its independence as a kingdom in 1932. A "republic" was proclaimed in 1958, but in actuality a series of strongmen ruled the country until 2003. The last was SADDAM Husayn. Territorial disputes with Iran led to an inconclusive and costly eight-year war (1980-88). In August 1990, Iraq seized Kuwait but was expelled by US-led, UN coalition forces during the Gulf War of January-February 1991. Following Kuwait's liberation, the UN Security Council (UNSC) required Iraq to scrap all weapons of mass destruction and long-range missiles and to allow UN verification inspections. Continued Iraqi noncompliance with UNSC resolutions over a period of 12 years led to the US-led invasion of Iraq in March 2003 and the ouster of the SADDAM Husayn regime. US forces remained in Iraq under a UNSC mandate through 2009 and under a bilateral security agreement thereafter, helping to provide security and to train and mentor Iraqi security forces. In October 2005, Iraqis approved a constitution in a national referendum and, pursuant to this document, elected a 275-member Council of Representatives (COR) in December 2005. The COR approved most cabinet ministers in May 2006, marking the transition to Iraq's first constitutional government in nearly a half century. In January 2009, Iraq held elections for provincial councils in all governorates except for the three governorates comprising the Kurdistan Regional Government and Kirkuk Governorate. Iraq held a national legislative election in March 2010 - choosing 325 legislators in an expanded COR - and, after nine months of deadlock the COR approved the new government in December 2010. Nearly nine years after the start of the Second Gulf War in Iraq, US military operations there ended in mid-December 2011.”
CIA's The World Factbook (2013)₉

“One of the cradles of civilisation, Iraq has, despite its recent troubles and persistent bad press, a wealth of human and cultural riches to reveal. Torn between its glorious past as the cradle of civilisation and the turmoil of its recent bloody history, Iraq is a country of contradictions. It is the birthplace of writing and the legendary home of the Garden of Eden, Hanging Gardens of Babylon and the Epic of Gilgamesh. But it is also a place of unimaginable horrors.
Since the 2003 US-led invasion, Iraq has been caught in a cycle of violence. The country has since intermittently hovered on the cusp of a new beginning. Even so, with the exception of Iraqi Kurdistan, much of Iraq remains too dangerous for independent travellers. The future is far from certain, but with its rich history and warm hospitality, Iraq could become one of the great travel destinations of the Middle East, insha´ Allah.
Iraqi Kurdistan´s slogan, `The Other Iraq´, could not be more fitting. This is the Iraq you don´t see in the news. It´s a safe and tranquil oasis with happening cities, soaring mountains and welcoming people.”
"The World" by Lonely Planet (2014)₁₀

2. Iraq National and Social Development

#economics #human_development

UN HDI (2016)₁₁
Pos.		Lower is better Rank₁₁
1	Norway	1
2	Australia	2
3	Switzerland	2
	...
118	Bolivia	118
119	S. Africa	119
120	Kyrgyzstan	120
121	Iraq	121
122	Cape Verde	122
123	Morocco	123
124	Nicaragua	124
125	Guatemala	125
	World Avg	94.3
q=188.

Gross National Income Per-Capita (2011)₁₂
Pos.		Higher is better PPP $₁₂
1	Qatar	$129 916
2	Singapore	$78 162
3	Kuwait	$76 075
	...
88	Serbia	$12 202
89	S. Africa	$12 087
90	Nauru	$12 058
91	Iraq	$11 608
92	Grenada	$11 502
93	Peru	$11 295
94	Sri Lanka	$10 789
95	Ecuador	$10 536
	World Avg	$17 240
q=193.

Social & Moral Development Index₁₃_,₁₄
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₁₃_,₁₄
1	Norway	30.8
2	Denmark	31.8
3	Sweden	33.9
	...
181	Mauritania	124.8
182	Burundi	125.1
183	Comoros	125.6
184	Iraq	126.5
185	Central African Rep.	127.0
186	Eritrea	127.3
187	Equatorial Guinea	127.3
188	Yemen	128.8
	World Avg	88.0
q=195.

The United Nations produces an annual Human Development Report which includes the Human Development Index. The factors taken into account include life expectancy, education and schooling and Gross National Income (GNI) amongst many others..

The Social and Moral Development Index concentrates on moral issues and human rights, violence, public health, equality, tolerance, freedom and effectiveness in climate change mitigation and environmentalism, and on some technological issues. A country scores higher for achieving well in those areas, and for sustaining that achievement in the long term. Those countries towards the top of this index can truly said to be setting good examples and leading humankind onwards into a bright, humane, and free future. See: Which are the Best Countries in the World? The Social and Moral Development Index.

3. Iraq's Demographics

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

Population:

Iraq's population is predicted to rise to 55.26 million by 2030. These millions of extra people will all need space to live, food to eat, energy to consume, and will increase the burden on the planet's resources. This country has a fertility rate of 4.57. The fertility rate is, in simple terms, the average amount of children that each woman has. The higher the figure, the quicker the population is growing, although, to calculate the rate you also need to take into account morbidity, i.e., the rate at which people die. If people live healthy and long lives and morbidity is low, then, 2.0 approximates to the replacement rate, which would keep the population stable. If all countries had such a fertility rate, population growth would end. The actual replacement rate in most developed countries is around 2.1.

Population (2018)₂
Pos.		Population₂
1	China	1.4b
2	India	1.4b
3	USA	327.1m
	...
33	Uganda	42.7m
34	Algeria	42.2m
35	Sudan	41.8m
36	Iraq	38.4m
37	Poland	37.9m
38	Afghanistan	37.2m
39	Canada	37.1m
40	Morocco	36.0m
	World Avg	39.0m
q=195.

Life Expectancy (2015)₁₂
Pos.		Higher is better Years₁₂
1	Hong Kong	84.16
2	Japan	83.68
3	Italy	83.34
	...
120	Bhutan	69.85
121	Mongolia	69.81
122	Syria	69.65
123	Iraq	69.63
124	Kazakhstan	69.59
125	Tajikistan	69.58
126	Uzbekistan	69.40
127	Micronesia	69.27
	World Avg	71.27
q=190.

Fertility Rate (2013)₁₅
Pos.		2.0 is best₁₅
1	N. Korea	2.00
2	Brunei	1.99
3	St Vincent & Grenadines	2.01
	...
150	Congo, (Brazzaville)	4.46
151	Central African Rep.	4.46
152	Madagascar	4.52
153	Iraq	4.57
154	Kenya	4.64
155	Senegal	4.65
156	Gambia	4.73
157	Mozambique	4.75
	World Avg	2.81
q=180.

Old-Age Dependency Ratio (2016)₁₆
Pos.		Lower is better Per 100₁₆
1	Uganda	04.3
2	Mali	04.5
3	Chad	04.7
	...
23	Benin	05.8
24	Burundi	05.9
25	Liberia	05.9
26	Iraq	06.0
27	Guinea	06.1
28	Guinea-Bissau	06.1
29	Lesotho	06.1
30	Kenya	06.1
	World Avg	18.3
q=185.

Migration:

Immigrants (2017)₁₇
Pos.		%₁₇
1	UAE	88.4%
2	Kuwait	75.5%
3	Qatar	65.2%
	...
153	Congo, DR	1.1%
154	Bosnia & Herzegovina	1.1%
155	Guinea	1.0%
156	Iraq	1.0%
157	Mexico	0.9%
158	Timor-Leste (E. Timor)	0.9%
159	Zambia	0.9%
160	Bangladesh	0.9%
	World Avg	9.4%
q=195.

Emigrants (2010)₁₈
Pos.		%₁₈
1	Dominica	104.8%
2	Palestine	68.4%
3	Samoa	67.3%
	...
110	Turkmenistan	5.0%
111	Mozambique	5.0%
112	Senegal	5.0%
113	Iraq	4.9%
114	Denmark	4.7%
115	Yemen	4.7%
116	Hungary	4.6%
117	Colombia	4.6%
	World Avg	11.5%
q=192.

4. Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance

#equality #freedom #human_rights #iraq #morals #politics #prejudice #tolerance

Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance (2020)₁₉_,₂₀
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₁₉_,₂₀
1	Sweden	9.9
2	Denmark	14.7
3	Norway	15.5
	...
168	Grenada	128.6
169	Equatorial Guinea	128.6
170	Micronesia	128.8
171	Iraq	129.8
172	Chad	130.6
173	Palau	131.0
174	Malaysia	131.5
175	Tonga	132.9
q=199.

Iraq is amongst the worst places in the world at ensuring human rights and freedom, and it has severe cultural issues when it comes to tolerance and equality. Iraq does better than average in speed of uptake of HR treaties₂₁. When it comes to most other metrics, Iraq does not do well. It does worse than average in commentary in Human Rights Watch reports₂₂, opposing gender inequality₂₃, supporting press freedom₂₄, its nominal commitment to Human Rights₂₅, freethought₂₆ and in LGBT equality₂₇. And finally, it is the worst in its success in fighting anti-semitic prejudice₂₈. The rich dominate the poor - just 1% of the population control 22% of the country's entire income₂₉. Violence against women is rife, and women have few legal protections to shield them from domestic abuse₃₀. Homosexual relations are illegal₃₀. As a result of the death penalty, "Iraq has long had one of the highest rates of executions in the world"₃₀.

Human Rights Watch finds that ISIS have "carried out the most serious human rights abuses, war crimes and crimes against humanity"₃₀ and the UN finds the ISIS responsible for genocide₃₀. Iraq forces have conducted widespread 'collective punishments' against families and communities₃₀.

For tables, charts and commentary, see:

Human Rights and Freedom in Iraq

5. Iraq's Health

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

Health (2020)₃₁_,₃₂
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₃₁_,₃₂
1	Hong Kong	18.0
2	Singapore	41.5
3	Maldives	43.3
	...
179	Papua New Guinea	122.0
180	Congo, (Brazzaville)	123.1
181	Gabon	131.4
182	Iraq	132.0
183	Ivory Coast	132.4
184	Angola	135.0
185	Equatorial Guinea	136.4
186	Nigeria	140.8
187	S. Sudan	143.3
	World Avg	92.3
q=187.

The countries with the best overall approach to public health, in terms of both public policy and individual lifestyle choices, are Hong Kong, Singapore and The Maldives₃₁. These countries are worth emulating. And, although often through no fault of the average citizen, the worst countries are S. Sudan, Nigeria and Equatorial Guinea₃₁.

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 Europe₃₁, whereas the worst are Africa, Micronesia and Polynesia₃₁.

For more, see:

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

Health:

Iraq is a pretty unhealthy country. Iraq comes in the best 20 in its alcohol consumption rate₃₃. When it comes to most other metrics, Iraq does not do well. It does worse than average in terms of its average life expectancy₁₂, its food aid and health contributions and WHO compliance₃₄ (the highest in Asia), its smoking rate₃₅, its adolescent birth rate₂₃ (the highest in Asia) and in its fertility rate₁₅ (amongst the highest in Asia). And finally, it falls into the worst 20 in terms of its immunizations take-up₃₆ (amongst the lowest in Asia). The prevalence of overweight adults has increased by 14% over the past 40 years.

Life Expectancy (2015)₁₂
Pos.		Higher is better Years₁₂
1	Hong Kong	84.16
2	Japan	83.68
3	Italy	83.34
	...
120	Bhutan	69.85
121	Mongolia	69.81
122	Syria	69.65
123	Iraq	69.63
124	Kazakhstan	69.59
125	Tajikistan	69.58
126	Uzbekistan	69.40
127	Micronesia	69.27
	World Avg	71.27
q=190.

Alcohol Consumption (2016)₃₃
Pos.		Lower is better Per Capita₃₃
1	Bangladesh	0.0
2	Kuwait	0.0
3	Libya	0.0
	...
9	Syria	0.3
10	Pakistan	0.3
11	Kiribati	0.4
12	Iraq	0.4
13	Brunei	0.4
14	Egypt	0.4
15	Djibouti	0.5
16	Niger	0.5
	World Avg	6.2
q=189.

Fertility Rate (2013)₁₅
Pos.		2.0 is best₁₅
1	N. Korea	2.00
2	Brunei	1.99
3	St Vincent & Grenadines	2.01
	...
150	Congo, (Brazzaville)	4.46
151	Central African Rep.	4.46
152	Madagascar	4.52
153	Iraq	4.57
154	Kenya	4.64
155	Senegal	4.65
156	Gambia	4.73
157	Mozambique	4.75
	World Avg	2.81
q=180.

Smoking Rates (2014)₃₅
Pos.		Higher is worse₃₅
182	Montenegro	4 125
181	Belarus	3 831
180	Lebanon	3 023
	...
138	Philippines	1 291
137	Malta	1 266
136	Spain	1 265
135	Iraq	1 227
134	Vietnam	1 215
133	Egypt	1 188
132	Albania	1 177
131	Canada	1 154
	World Avg	819
q=182.

Food Aid, Health Contributions & WHO Compliance (2017)₃₄
Pos.		Lower is better Rank₃₄
1	Sweden	1
2	Ireland	2
3	Denmark	3
	...
132	Suriname	132
133	Grenada	133
134	Montenegro	134
135	Iraq	135
136	Madagascar	136
137	Congo, (Brazzaville)	137
138	Albania	138
139	Ghana	139
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Overweight Adults (2016)₃₇
Pos.		Lower is better %₃₇
1	Vietnam	18.3
2	India	19.7
3	Bangladesh	20.0
	...
165	Israel	64.3
166	Bahamas	64.4
167	Australia	64.5
168	Iraq	64.6
169	Mexico	64.9
170	New Zealand	65.6
171	Bahrain	65.8
172	Malta	66.4
	World Avg	49.0
q=191.

Children's Health:

Adolescent Birth Rate (2015)₂₃
Pos.		Lower is better Per 1000₂₃
1	N. Korea	0.5
2	S. Korea	1.6
3	Switzerland	2.9
	...
149	Guatemala	80.7
150	Bangladesh	83.0
151	Benin	83.2
152	Iraq	84.0
153	Sao Tome & Principe	84.3
154	Guyana	88.0
155	Nicaragua	88.8
156	Guinea-Bissau	89.5
	World Avg	47.9
q=185.

Infant Immunizations 2011-2015 (2015)₃₆
Pos.		Higher is better Avg %₃₆
1	Hungary	99.0
2	China	99.0
3	Uzbekistan	98.9
	...
175	S. Africa	72.5
176	Angola	71.9
177	Madagascar	71.9
178	Iraq	70.7
179	Afghanistan	70.6
180	Niger	69.7
181	Samoa	68.1
182	Yemen	67.4
	World Avg	88.3
q=194.

6. Iraq's Modernity and Learning

#education #intelligence #it_security #modernity #religion #research #science #technology #the_internet

Modernity and Learning (2020)₃₈
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₃₈
1	Finland	8.0
2	Belgium	9.1
3	Denmark	10.0
	...
155	Tanzania	105.3
156	Honduras	105.3
157	Yemen	105.7
158	Iraq	106.6
159	Guyana	107.6
160	Liberia	107.8
161	Central African Rep.	108.5
162	Mauritania	108.7
163	Guinea-Bissau	109.3
	World Avg	69.0
q=180.

Modernity and Education:

Research and Development (2016)
Pos.		Higher is better % RDP PPP
1	S. Korea	4.29₃₉
2	Israel	4.11₃₉
3	Japan	3.58₃₉
	...
119	Honduras	0.04₄₀
120	Guatemala	0.04₄₁
121	Bahrain	0.04₄₂
122	Colombia	0.04₄₂
123	Iraq	0.03₄₃
124	El Salvador	0.03₄₁
125	China	0.03₄₂
126	Lesotho	0.01₄₃
	World Avg	0.84
q=126.

Secondary Education (2018)₄₄
Pos.		Higher is better₄₄
1	Luxembourg	100.0%
2	Estonia	100.0%
3	Austria	100.0%
	...
112	Macedonia	49.8%
113	Indonesia	48.8%
114	Congo, (Brazzaville)	48.8%
115	Iraq	48.0%
116	Paraguay	47.8%
117	Nicaragua	47.5%
118	Maldives	47.1%
119	Bangladesh	46.7%
	World Avg	63.0%
q=169.

Length of Schooling (2018)₄₅
Pos.		Higher is better Years₄₅
1	Australia	22.1
2	Belgium	19.7
3	Finland	19.3
	...
149	Comoros	11.2
150	Bangladesh	11.2
151	Rwanda	11.2
152	Iraq	11.1
153	Kenya	11.1
154	Laos	11.1
155	Malawi	11.0
156	Turkmenistan	10.9
	World Avg	13.2
q=193.

Intellectual Endeavours (2017)₃₄
Pos.		Lower is better Rank₃₄
1	Ukraine	1
2	Czechia	2
3	Hungary	3
	...
156	Tanzania	156
157	Equatorial Guinea	157
158	Guyana	158
159	Afghanistan	159
160	Indonesia	160
161	Bolivia	161
162	Iraq	162
163	Angola	163
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Religiosity (2009)₄₆
Pos.		Lower is better %₄₆
1	Estonia	16
2	Sweden	17
3	Denmark	19
	...
54	Romania	84
55	Honduras	84
56	Peru	84
57	Iraq	84
58	Nicaragua	84
59	S. Africa	85
60	Tajikistan	85
61	Malta	86
	World Avg	75.1
q=114.

IQ (2006)₄₇
Pos.		Higher is better₄₇
1	Hong Kong	108
2	Singapore	108
3	S. Korea	106
	...
62	Mexico	88
63	Brazil	87
64	Bolivia	87
65	Iraq	87
66	Azerbaijan	87
67	Indonesia	87
68	Turkmenistan	87
69	Uzbekistan	87
	World Avg	85.6
q=138.

Technology and Information:

Internet Users (2016)₄₈
Pos.		Higher is better₄₈
1	Iceland	100%
2	Faroe Islands	99%
3	Norway	98%
	...
165	Namibia	16%
166	Turkmenistan	15%
167	Bangladesh	13%
168	Iraq	13%
169	Kiribati	13%
170	Rwanda	12%
171	Mali	12%
172	Haiti	12%
	World Avg	48.1%
q=201.

IT Security (2013)₄₉
Pos.		Lower is better₄₉
1	Ireland	0.11
2	Luxembourg	0.11
3	Belize	0.11
	...
73	Angola	1.61
74	Sri Lanka	1.67
75	Oman	1.72
76	Iraq	1.84
77	Bangladesh	1.87
78	Sudan	1.98
79	India	2.10
80	Russia	2.42
	World Avg	0.98
q=81.

IPv6 Uptake (2017)₅₀
Pos.		Higher is better Ratio₅₀
1	Belgium	55.4
2	Germany	41.8
3	Switzerland	35.1
	...
141	Kiribati	0.0
142	Ivory Coast	0.0
143	Mauritania	0.0
144	Iraq	0.0
145	Oman	0.0
146	Papua New Guinea	0.0
147	French Polynesia	0.0
148	Palestine	0.0
	World Avg	3.82
q=176.

7. National Culture

#charity #corruption #happiness #morals #politics

World Giving Index (2013-2021)₅₁
Pos.		Lower is better₅₁
1	Myanmar (Burma)	2.7
2	New Zealand	4.0
3	USA	4.7
	...
50	S. Africa	42.6
51	Luxembourg	43.3
52	Syria	43.7
53	Iraq	44.0
54	Malawi	45.7
55	Ghana	45.9
56	Chile	47.1
57	Saudi Arabia	48.6
	World Avg	67.9
q=160.

Corruption (2012-2016)₅₂
Pos.		Higher is better Avg Score₅₂
1	Denmark	90.8
2	New Zealand	90.6
3	Finland	89.4
	...
168	Uzbekistan	18.4
169	Turkmenistan	18.2
170	Libya	16.8
171	Iraq	16.6
172	S. Sudan	13.8
173	Sudan	12.2
174	Afghanistan	10.8
175	N. Korea	08.8
	World Avg	43.05
q=176.

Happiness (2018)₅₃
Pos.		Higher is better₅₃
1	Finland	7.6
2	Norway	7.6
3	Denmark	7.6
	...
114	Congo, (Brazzaville)	4.6
115	Bangladesh	4.5
116	Sri Lanka	4.5
117	Iraq	4.5
118	Mali	4.4
119	Namibia	4.4
120	Cambodia	4.4
121	Burkina Faso	4.4
	World Avg	5.38
q=156.

Creativity and Culture (2017)₃₄
Pos.		Lower is better Rank₃₄
1	Belgium	1
2	Netherlands	2
3	Estonia	3
	...
153	Liberia	153
154	Venezuela	154
155	Yemen	155
156	Iraq	156
157	Iran	157
158	Gabon	158
159	Central African Rep.	159
160	Burundi	160
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Open Trading, Aid and Development (2017)₃₄
Pos.		Lower is better Rank₃₄
1	Ireland	1
2	Denmark	2
3	Sweden	3
	...
150	Cameroon	150
151	Suriname	151
152	Gabon	152
153	Iraq	153
154	Paraguay	154
155	Grenada	155
156	Venezuela	156
157	Bahrain	157
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

8. Peace Versus Instability

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

Global Peace Index (2021)₅₄
Pos.		Lower is better₅₄
1	Iceland	1.10
2	New Zealand	1.25
3	Denmark	1.26
	...
156	Libya	3.17
157	Congo, DR	3.20
158	Somalia	3.21
159	Iraq	3.26
160	S. Sudan	3.36
161	Syria	3.37
162	Yemen	3.41
163	Afghanistan	3.63
	World Avg	2.08
q=163.

Peacekeeping and Security (2017)₃₄
Pos.		Lower is better Rank₃₄
1	Samoa	1
2	S. Africa	2
3	Tunisia	3
	...
155	Mali	155
156	Swaziland	156
157	Yemen	157
158	Iraq	158
159	Bahrain	159
160	Slovenia	160
161	Tonga	161
162	Marshall Islands	162
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Refugees and UN Treaties (2017)₃₄
Pos.		Lower is better Rank₃₄
1	Austria	1
2	Germany	2
3	Netherlands	3
	...
112	Libya	112
113	Belize	113
114	Morocco	114
115	Iraq	115
116	Dominica	116
117	Saudi Arabia	117
118	Lesotho	118
119	Oman	119
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Impact of Terrorism (2019)₅₅
Pos.		Lower is better Score₅₅
1	Togo	0.00
2	Mongolia	0.00
3	Swaziland	0.00
	...
143	Yemen	7.26
144	India	7.52
145	Somalia	7.80
146	Pakistan	7.89
147	Syria	8.01
148	Nigeria	8.60
149	Iraq	9.24
150	Afghanistan	9.60
	World Avg	2.78
q=150.

9. The Natural Environment

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

Forest Area Change 1990-2015 (2015)₅₆
Pos.		Higher is better %₅₆
1	Iceland	+205.6
2	Bahrain	+144.4
3	Uruguay	+131.3
	...
61	Gabon	+04.5
62	Ukraine	+04.1
63	Croatia	+03.8
64	Iraq	+03.3
65	USA	+02.7
66	Georgia	+02.6
67	Austria	+02.5
68	Finland	+01.8
	World Avg	+02.8
q=184.

Environmental Performance (2018)₅₇
Pos.		Higher is better₅₇
1	Switzerland	87.4
2	France	84.0
3	Denmark	81.6
	...
149	Zimbabwe	43.4
150	Cambodia	43.2
151	Solomon Islands	43.2
152	Iraq	43.2
153	Laos	42.9
154	Burkina Faso	42.8
155	Sierra Leone	42.5
156	Gambia	42.4
	World Avg	56.4
q=180.

Convention on Biological Diversity
Pos.		Earlier is better Signed
1	China	1993 Dec 29
2	Guinea	1993 Dec 29
3	Cook Islands	1993 Dec 29
	...
189	Montenegro	2006 Jun 03
190	Timor-Leste (E. Timor)	2007 Jan 08
191	Brunei	2008 Jul 27
192	Iraq	2009 Oct 26
193	Somalia	2009 Dec 10
194	Palestine	2015 Apr 02
195	Andorra	2015 May 05
196	USA
	World Avg	1899 Dec 30
q=197.

Rational Beliefs on the Environment (2011)₅₈
Pos.		Higher is better %₅₈
1	Argentina	78.3%
2	Greece	77.6%
3	Brazil	77.1%
	...
109	Nigeria	25.3%
110	Armenia	25.3%
111	Kazakhstan	25.0%
112	Iraq	24.9%
113	Sweden	24.3%
114	New Zealand	24.2%
115	Poland	23.8%
116	Belarus	23.7%
	World Avg	39.9%
q=145.

10. Economic Inequality and Poverty

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

Inequality in Life Expectancy (2019)₅₉
Pos.		Higher is worse₅₉
184	Chad	40.90
183	Central African Rep.	40.10
182	Sierra Leone	39.00
	...
120	Sao Tome & Principe	17.00
119	Tajikistan	16.70
118	Micronesia	16.10
117	Iraq	15.90
116	Philippines	15.30
115	Trinidad & Tobago	14.90
114	Fiji	14.90
113	Guatemala	14.60
	World Avg	14.59
q=184.

Income Inequality (Gini Coefficient) (2017)₆₀
Pos.		Lower is better %₆₀
1	Ukraine	25.0
2	Belarus	25.4
3	Slovenia	25.4
	...
18	Albania	29.0
19	Sweden	29.2
20	Malta	29.4
21	Iraq	29.5
22	Hungary	30.4
23	Austria	30.5
24	Sao Tome & Principe	30.8
25	Poland	30.8
	World Avg	38.1
q=152.

Multidimensional Poverty (2018)₆₁
Pos.		Lower is better Severity₆₁
1	Armenia	.001
2	Ukraine	.001
3	Serbia	.001
	...
37	Syria	.029
38	Tajikistan	.029
39	El Salvador	.032
40	Iraq	.033
41	Suriname	.041
42	Mongolia	.042
43	Peru	.053
44	Gabon	.066
	World Avg	.154
q=101.

11. Religion and Beliefs

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

Religiosity (2009)₄₆
Pos.		Lower is better %₄₆
1	Estonia	16
2	Sweden	17
3	Denmark	19
	...
54	Romania	84
55	Honduras	84
56	Peru	84
57	Iraq	84
58	Nicaragua	84
59	S. Africa	85
60	Tajikistan	85
61	Malta	86
	World Avg	75.1
q=114.

Disbelief In God (2007)₆₂
Pos.		Higher is better %₆₂
1	Vietnam	81
2	Japan	65
3	Sweden	64
	...
106	Tanzania	0
107	Malaysia	0
108	Haiti	0
109	Iraq	0
110	Guinea	0
111	Ghana	0
112	Jordan	0
113	Gambia	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 below₆₃:

Christian	0.8%
Muslim	99%
Hindu	0.1%
Buddhist	0.1%
Folk Religion	0.1%
Jew	0.1%
Unaffiliated	0.1%

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 100% of the populace say they belong to a religion, only 84% 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:

"Institutionalized Religions Have Their Numbers Inflated by National Polls" by Vexen Crabtree (2009)

The CIA World Factbook has slightly different data, and states: Muslim (official) 97% (Shia 60%-65%, Sunni 32%-37%), Christian or other 3%. note: while there has been voluntary relocation of many Christian families to northern Iraq, recent reporting indicates that the overall Christian population may have dropped by as much as 50 percent since the fall of the Saddam HUSSEIN regime in 2003, with many fleeing to Syria, Jordan, and Lebanon₆₄.

Freedom of Religion and Belief: When it comes to religious freedom and persecution, sociologists Grim & Finke place Iraq into the worst category, along with just 13 other countries. In this category, severe restrictions on religious freedom and freedom of belief stem simultaneously from top-down pressure from government and institutionalized religion, and from bottom-up grassroots movements that often go even further than the government in harassing those who do not believe the right things (2011)₆₅.

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