Ireland

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

By Vexen Crabtree 2013

Ireland
Status	Independent State
Social and Moral Index	20th best
Capital	Dublin
Land Area	68 890km²₁
Location	Europe
Population	4.8m₂
Life Expectancy	82.00yrs (2017)₃
GNI	$76 169 (2017)₄
ISO3166-1 Codes	IE, IRL, 372₅
Internet Domain	.ie₆
Currency	Euro (EUR)₇
Telephone	+353₈

1. Overview

#eu #human_rights #ireland #UK

“Celtic tribes arrived on the island between 600 and 150 B.C. Invasions by Norsemen that began in the late 8th century were finally ended when King Brian BORU defeated the Danes in 1014. English invasions began in the 12th century and set off more than seven centuries of Anglo-Irish struggle marked by fierce rebellions and harsh repressions. A failed 1916 Easter Monday Rebellion touched off several years of guerrilla warfare that in 1921 resulted in independence from the UK for 26 southern counties; six northern (Ulster) counties remained part of the UK. In 1949, Ireland withdrew from the British Commonwealth; it joined the European Community in 1973. Irish governments have sought the peaceful unification of Ireland and have cooperated with Britain against terrorist groups. A peace settlement for Northern Ireland is gradually being implemented despite some difficulties. In 2006, the Irish and British governments developed and began to implement the St. Andrews Agreement, building on the Good Friday Agreement approved in 1998.”
CIA's The World Factbook (2013)₉

“A small island with a big reputation, helped along by a timeless, age-caressed landscape and a fascinating, friendly people, whose lyrical nature is expressed in the warmth of their welcome. You don´t have to look far to find the postcard-perfect Ireland: it exists along the peninsulas of the southwest, the brooding loneliness of Connemara and the dramatic wildness of County Donegal. You´ll find it in the lakelands of Counties Leitrim and Roscommon and the undulating hills of the southeast. Ireland has modernised dramatically, but some things never change. Brave the raging Atlantic on a crossing to Skellig Michael or spend a summer´s evening in the yard of a thatched-cottage pub and you´ll experience an Ireland that has changed little in generations, and is likely the Ireland you most came to see.
Ireland´s history and culture present themselves everywhere: from the breathtaking monuments of prehistoric Ireland at Brú na Bóinne to a traditional music session in a west-Ireland pub.Céad míle fáilte - a hundred thousand welcomes. It seems excessive, but in Ireland, excess is encouraged.”
"The World" by Lonely Planet (2014)₁₀

The EU has acted on behalf of its member states on many occasions to support, foster, fund and encourage human rights protections in every region of the world, with agreement of its member states through the European Parliament. The protections of workers' rights and their harmonisations (which stops companies moving staff to countries with the weakest laws) has had great effect in stopping workforce abuse₁₁. According to Human Rights Watch's comprehensive review for the year 2017, in addition to vocal and public pronouncements on poor human rights records of many countries, the EU has also acted through economic sanctions, political pressure and used other means to incentivize the adoption of human rights protections, even if these measures harm EU trading₁₂. It is to Ireland's credit that it supports the EU in these actions.

Despite all the good it does, now that the UK has left the EU, Ireland has become the EU's first port of call for tax evaders, helping the rich, tech corporations, and criminals, hide vast sums of money from authorities-->₁₃.

2. Ireland National and Social Development

#economics #human_development #wealth

UN HDI (2021)₁₄
Pos.		Higher is better Value₁₄
1	Switzerland	0.962
2	Norway	0.961
3	Iceland	0.959
4	Hong Kong	0.952
5	Australia	0.951
6	Denmark	0.948
7	Sweden	0.947
8	Ireland	0.945
9	Germany	0.942
10	Netherlands	0.941
11	Finland	0.940
12	Singapore	0.939
	Europe Avg	0.87
	World Avg	0.72
q=191.

Gross National Income Per-Capita (2021)₁₄
Pos.		Higher is better PPP $₁₄
1	Liechtenstein	$146 830
2	Singapore	$90 919
3	Qatar	$87 134
4	Luxembourg	$84 649
5	Ireland	$76 169
6	Switzerland	$66 933
7	USA	$64 765
8	Norway	$64 660
9	Brunei	$64 490
10	Hong Kong	$62 607
11	UAE	$62 574
12	Denmark	$60 365
	Europe Avg	$40 512
	World Avg	$20 136
q=193.

Social & Moral Development Index₁₅_,₁₆
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₁₅_,₁₆
1	Taiwan	28.6
2	Norway	29.4
3	Denmark	31.2
4	Sweden	32.2
5	Finland	32.6
	...
17	Belgium	42.2
18	Spain	42.9
19	France	43.0
20	Ireland	43.2
21	S. Korea	44.0
22	Italy	45.5
	Europe Avg	57.3
	World Avg	86.1
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.

3. Ireland's Demographics and Migration

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

Population:

Ireland's population is predicted to rise to 5.356 million by 2030. This country has a fertility rate of 2.10. 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
4	Indonesia	267.7m
5	Pakistan	212.2m
	...
120	Palestine	4.9m
121	Oman	4.8m
122	Liberia	4.8m
123	Ireland	4.8m
124	New Zealand	4.7m
125	Central African Rep.	4.7m
	World Avg	39.0m
q=195.

Life Expectancy (2021)₁₄
Pos.		Higher is better Years₁₄
1	Monaco	85.9
2	Hong Kong	85.5
3	Japan	84.8
4	Australia	84.5
5	Switzerland	84.0
	...
18	New Zealand	82.5
19	Israel	82.3
20	Finland	82.0
21	Ireland	82.0
22	Belgium	81.9
23	Netherlands	81.7
	World Avg	71.28
q=195.

Fertility Rate (2013)₁₇
Pos.		2.0 is best₁₇
1	N. Korea	2.00
2	Brunei	1.99
3	St Vincent & Grenadines	2.01
4	France	1.99
5	Turkey	2.04
	...
12	Tunisia	1.93
13	St Lucia	1.93
14	USA	2.08
15	Ireland	2.10
16	Iceland	2.10
17	Denmark	1.88
	World Avg	2.81
q=180.

Old-Age Dependency Ratio (2016)₁₈
Pos.		Lower is better Per 100₁₈
1	Uganda	04.3
2	Mali	04.5
3	Chad	04.7
4	Burkina Faso	04.7
5	Sierra Leone	04.8
	...
136	Luxembourg	28.3
137	Armenia	28.7
138	Thailand	29.2
139	Ireland	29.2
140	Russia	29.5
141	Georgia	29.7
	World Avg	18.3
q=185.

Migration:

Immigrants (2017)₁₉
Pos.		%₁₉
1	UAE	88.4%
2	Kuwait	75.5%
3	Qatar	65.2%
4	Liechtenstein	65.1%
5	Monaco	54.9%
	...
25	Austria	19.0%
26	Sweden	17.6%
27	Equatorial Guinea	17.5%
28	Ireland	16.9%
29	Cyprus	16.0%
30	Belize	16.0%
	World Avg	9.4%
q=195.

Emigrants (2010)₂₀
Pos.		%₂₀
1	Dominica	104.8%
2	Palestine	68.4%
3	Samoa	67.3%
4	Grenada	65.5%
5	St Kitts & Nevis	61.1%
	...
35	Liechtenstein	17.1%
36	Cyprus	17.0%
37	Marshall Islands	16.6%
38	Ireland	16.1%
39	Belize	16.1%
40	Azerbaijan	16.0%
	World Avg	11.5%
q=192.

4. Ireland's Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance

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

Compared to Europe (2020)₂₁_,₂₂
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₂₁_,₂₂
1	Sweden	9.2
2	Norway	14.7
3	Denmark	14.7
4	Netherlands	15.8
5	Iceland	20.1
	...
14	Slovenia	33.3
15	Italy	37.3
16	Czechia	37.9
17	Ireland	38.5
18	Slovakia	42.7
19	Estonia	42.9
20	Portugal	43.0
	Europe Avg	50.3
q=49.

Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance (2020)₂₁_,₂₂
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₂₁_,₂₂
1	Sweden	9.2
2	Norway	14.7
3	Denmark	14.7
4	Netherlands	15.8
5	New Zealand	17.5
	...
21	Costa Rica	36.7
22	Italy	37.3
23	Czechia	37.9
24	Ireland	38.5
25	Chile	40.1
26	Japan	42.1
27	Slovakia	42.7
	World Avg	87.7
q=199.

The best countries in the world at ensuring human rights, fostering equality and promoting tolerance, are Sweden, Norway and Denmark₂₁. These countries are displaying the best traits that humanity has to offer. The worst countries are The Solomon Islands, Somalia and Tuvalu₂₁.

The data sets used to calculate points for each country are statistics on commentary in Human Rights Watch reports, its nominal commitment to Human Rights, speed of uptake of HR treaties, supporting personal, civil & economic freedoms, supporting press freedom, eliminating modern slavery, 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 Europe₂₁, whereas the worst are Melanesia, Micronesia and Australasia₂₁.

For more, see:

"Which are the Best Countries for Human Rights, Equality and Tolerance?" by Vexen Crabtree (2020).

Human Rights & Tolerance:

Human Rights Watch Comments (2017)₂₃
Pos.		Higher is better Score₂₃
1	UK	9
2	France	9
3	Germany	9
4	Canada	8
5	Netherlands	8
6	Sweden	7
7	Ireland	7
8	Finland	6
9	Luxembourg	6
10	Belgium	6
11	Greece	5
12	Cyprus	5
	Europe Avg	3.5
	World Avg	-1.9
q=123.

Nominal Commitment to HR (2009)₂₄
Pos.		Higher is better Treaties₂₄
1	Argentina	24
2	Chile	23
3	Costa Rica	23
4	Ecuador	23
5	Germany	23
	...
62	Kazakhstan	19
63	Luxembourg	19
64	Greece	19
65	Ireland	19
66	Lithuania	18
67	Moldova	18
	Europe Avg	19.5
	World Avg	15.1
q=194.

HR Treaties Lag (2019)₂₅
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Yrs/Treaty₂₅
1	Ecuador	2.15
2	Uruguay	2.25
3	Tunisia	3.65
4	Colombia	3.68
5	Costa Rica	4.05
	...
156	Vanuatu	13.21
157	Guinea-Bissau	13.23
158	Liechtenstein	13.28
159	Ireland	13.38
160	Oman	13.46
161	Uzbekistan	13.53
	Europe Avg	9.09
	World Avg	10.02
q=195.

Personal, Civil & Economic Freedom (2014)₂₆
Pos.		Lower is better Rank₂₆
1	Hong Kong	1
2	Switzerland	2
3	New Zealand	3
4	Ireland	4
5	Denmark	5
6	UK	6
7	Canada	6
8	Australia	6
9	Finland	9
10	Netherlands	10
11	Luxembourg	11
12	Austria	11
	Europe Avg	33.9
	World Avg	79.7
q=159.

Press Freedom (2013)₂₇
Pos.		Lower is better₂₇
1	Finland	638
2	Netherlands	648
3	Norway	652
4	Luxembourg	668
5	Andorra	682
	...
12	Austria	940
13	Jamaica	988
14	Switzerland	994
15	Ireland	1006
16	Czechia	1017
17	Germany	1024
	Europe Avg	2044
	World Avg	3249
q=178.

Slavery (2018)₂₈
Pos.		Lower is better % Victims₂₈
1	Japan	0.03
2	Canada	0.05
3	Taiwan	0.05
4	Australia	0.06
5	New Zealand	0.06
	...
16	Denmark	0.16
17	Paraguay	0.16
18	Sweden	0.16
19	Ireland	0.17
20	Lebanon	0.17
21	UAE	0.17
	Europe Avg	0.38
	World Avg	0.65
q=167.

Gender Equality:

Ireland is on the way towards ending gender inequality.

See:

"Religion Versus Womankind" by Vexen Crabtree (2007)

Gender Inequality (2015)₂₉
Pos.		Lower is better₂₉
1	Switzerland	0.04
2	Denmark	0.04
3	Netherlands	0.04
4	Sweden	0.05
5	Iceland	0.05
	...
23	Greece	0.12
24	Australia	0.12
25	Lithuania	0.12
26	Ireland	0.13
27	Czechia	0.13
28	UK	0.13
	Europe Avg	0.15
	World Avg	0.36
q=159.

Year Women Can Vote
Pos.		Lower is better Year
1	New Zealand	1893
2	Australia	1902
3	Finland	1906
4	Norway	1913
5	Denmark	1915
	...
25	Azerbaijan	1921
26	Armenia	1921
27	Georgia	1921
28	Ireland	1922
29	Tajikistan	1924
30	Mongolia	1924
	Europe Avg	1895
	World Avg	1930
q=189.

Prejudice:

Anti-Semite Opinions (2014)₃₀
Pos.		Lower is better %₃₀
1	Laos	0
2	Philippines	3
3	Sweden	4
4	Netherlands	5
5	Vietnam	6
	...
22	Uganda	16
23	Jamaica	18
24	India	20
25	Ireland	20
26	Italy	20
27	China	20
	Europe Avg	29.9
	World Avg	36.8
q=101.

LGBT Equality (2017)₃₁
Pos.		Higher is better Score₃₁
1	Netherlands	103
2	Belgium	90
3	Sweden	86
4	Brazil	81
5	Spain	79
	...
21	Colombia	58
22	Finland	57
23	Austria	56
24	Ireland	53
25	Ecuador	50
26	Australia	50
	Europe Avg	46.9
	World Avg	12.6
q=196.

Freedom of Thought (2021)₃₂
Pos.		Lower is better₃₂
1	Belgium	1.0
2	Netherlands	1.0
3	Taiwan	1.0
4	Sao Tome & Principe	1.3
5	Ecuador	1.3
	...
72	Georgia	2.8
73	Malta	2.8
74	Jamaica	2.8
75	Ireland	2.8
76	Nepal	2.8
77	Gambia	2.8
	Europe Avg	2.6
	World Avg	3.0
q=196.

5. Ireland's Health

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

Compared to Europe (2020)₃₃_,₃₄
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₃₃_,₃₄
1	Monaco	13.0
2	Norway	61.0
3	Finland	65.3
4	Switzerland	65.6
5	Italy	67.5
	...
30	Albania	84.0
31	Turkey	84.5
32	Estonia	85.3
33	Ireland	87.4
34	Lithuania	92.4
35	Latvia	93.1
36	San Marino	94.5
	Europe Avg	82.5
q=46.

Health (2020)₃₃_,₃₄
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₃₃_,₃₄
1	Monaco	13.0
2	Hong Kong	18.3
3	Maldives	41.0
4	Singapore	42.6
5	Japan	51.0
	...
74	Grenada	86.6
75	Kiribati	87.0
76	Algeria	87.3
77	Ireland	87.4
78	Burundi	87.4
79	Nicaragua	87.5
80	Guyana	87.5
	World Avg	93.5
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 Maldives₃₃. 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 Palau₃₃.

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 Mediterranean₃₃, whereas the worst are Micronesia, Australasia and Africa₃₃.

For more, see:

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

Health:

Ireland does relatively well in encouraging good health, compared to many other countries. Ireland does the second-best for its food aid and health contributions and WHO compliance₃₅. It does better than average in its average life expectancy₁₄, its adolescent birth rate₂₉ and in its fertility rate₁₇ (but one of the worst in Europe). Ireland doesn't do so well in other areas. Ireland does worse than average when it comes to its suicide rate₃₆, its smoking rate₃₇ (still low for Europe) and in its immunizations take-up₃₈. And finally, it sits amongst the bottom 20 for its alcohol consumption rate₃₉. The prevalence of overweight adults has increased by 14% during the last 40 years.

Life Expectancy (2021)₁₄
Pos.		Higher is better Years₁₄
1	Monaco	85.9
2	Hong Kong	85.5
3	Japan	84.8
4	Australia	84.5
5	Switzerland	84.0
	...
18	New Zealand	82.5
19	Israel	82.3
20	Finland	82.0
21	Ireland	82.0
22	Belgium	81.9
23	Netherlands	81.7
	Europe Avg	78.36
	World Avg	71.28
q=195.

Alcohol Consumption (2016)₃₉
Pos.		Lower is better Per Capita₃₉
1	Bangladesh	0.0
2	Kuwait	0.0
3	Libya	0.0
4	Mauritania	0.0
5	Somalia	0.0
	...
181	Bulgaria	12.7
182	Latvia	12.9
183	Luxembourg	13.0
184	Ireland	13.0
185	Nigeria	13.4
186	Germany	13.4
	Europe Avg	10.3
	World Avg	6.2
q=189.

Fertility Rate (2013)₁₇
Pos.		2.0 is best₁₇
1	N. Korea	2.00
2	Brunei	1.99
3	St Vincent & Grenadines	2.01
4	France	1.99
5	Turkey	2.04
	...
12	Tunisia	1.93
13	St Lucia	1.93
14	USA	2.08
15	Ireland	2.10
16	Iceland	2.10
17	Denmark	1.88
	Europe Avg	1.61
	World Avg	2.81
q=180.

Smoking Rates (2014)₃₇
Pos.		Higher is worse₃₇
182	Montenegro	4 125
181	Belarus	3 831
180	Lebanon	3 023
179	Macedonia	2 732
178	Russia	2 690
	...
120	Bahrain	969
119	Mongolia	957
118	Australia	956
117	Ireland	954
116	Chile	930
115	Turkmenistan	925₄₀
	Europe Avg	1 648
	World Avg	819
q=182.

Suicide Rate (2013)₃₆
Pos.		Per 100k₃₆
1	Haiti	0
2	Grenada	0
3	Egypt	0.1
4	Jordan	0.2
5	Maldives	0.7
	...
55	Canada	22.7
56	Iceland	23.5
57	New Zealand	23.6
58	Ireland	23.7
59	Norway	23.8
60	Denmark	23.9
	Europe Avg	26.99
	World Avg	20.93
q=91.

Food Aid, Health Contributions & WHO Compliance (2017)₃₅
Pos.		Lower is better Rank₃₅
1	Sweden	1
2	Ireland	2
3	Denmark	3
4	UK	4
5	Norway	5
6	Switzerland	6
7	Germany	7
8	Canada	8
9	Netherlands	9
10	USA	10
11	Luxembourg	11
12	Finland	12
	Europe Avg	47.4
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Overweight Adults (2016)₄₁
Pos.		Lower is better %₄₁
1	Vietnam	18.3
2	India	19.7
3	Bangladesh	20.0
4	Ethiopia	20.9
5	Nepal	21.0
	...
140	El Salvador	59.9
141	Dominica	60.3
142	Morocco	60.4
143	Ireland	60.6
144	Dominican Rep.	61.2
145	Syria	61.4
	Europe Avg	58.5
	World Avg	49.0
q=191.

Children's Health:

Adolescent Birth Rate (2015)₂₉
Pos.		Lower is better Per 1000₂₉
1	N. Korea	0.5
2	S. Korea	1.6
3	Switzerland	2.9
4	Hong Kong	3.2
5	Slovenia	3.8
	...
33	Kuwait	9.8
34	Portugal	9.9
35	Czechia	9.9
36	Ireland	10.4
37	Algeria	10.6
38	Qatar	10.7
	Europe Avg	14.6
	World Avg	47.9
q=185.

Infant Immunizations 2011-2015 (2015)₃₈
Pos.		Higher is better Avg %₃₈
1	Hungary	99.0
2	China	99.0
3	Uzbekistan	98.9
4	Niue	98.8
5	Mongolia	98.7
	...
121	Zimbabwe	89.7
122	Senegal	89.5
123	Peru	89.3
124	Ireland	89.2
125	Sudan	89.2
126	Honduras	88.8
	Europe Avg	92.7
	World Avg	88.3
q=194.

6. Ireland's Modernity and Learning

#education #english #intelligence #it_security #maths #modernity #religion #religiosity #research #science #secularisation #technology #the_internet

Compared to Europe (2020)₂₂
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₂₂
1	Finland	8.4
2	Switzerland	15.1
3	Estonia	15.8
4	Denmark	16.0
5	Belgium	16.1
	...
11	Norway	21.0
12	Slovenia	21.3
13	UK	21.5
14	Ireland	21.7
15	Faroe Islands	24.0
16	Hungary	24.2
17	Luxembourg	24.4
	Europe Avg	41.2
q=49.

Modernity and Learning (2020)₂₂
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₂₂
1	Finland	8.4
2	Taiwan	10.0
3	Switzerland	15.1
4	Estonia	15.8
5	Denmark	16.0
	...
15	Slovenia	21.3
16	UK	21.5
17	Canada	21.6
18	Ireland	21.7
19	Japan	21.9
20	S. Korea	24.0
21	Faroe Islands	24.0
	World Avg	83.2
q=205.

Modernity and Education:

Research and Development (2016)
Pos.		Higher is better % RDP PPP
1	S. Korea	4.29₄₂
2	Israel	4.11₄₂
3	Japan	3.58₄₂
4	Finland	3.17₄₂
5	Sweden	3.16₄₂
	...
20	Norway	1.70₄₂
21	UK	1.70₄₂
22	Canada	1.61₄₂
23	Ireland	1.52₄₂
24	Estonia	1.43₄₂
25	Hungary	1.37₄₂
	Europe Avg	1.32
	World Avg	0.84
q=126.

Secondary Education (2018)₄₃
Pos.		Higher is better₄₃
1	Luxembourg	100.0%
2	Estonia	100.0%
3	Austria	100.0%
4	Canada	100.0%
5	Finland	100.0%
	...
45	Sweden	88.9%
46	Mongolia	88.8%
47	Bahamas	88.4%
48	Ireland	88.3%
49	Netherlands	88.3%
50	Cuba	87.4%
	Europe Avg	88.3%
	World Avg	63.0%
q=169.

Length of Schooling (2021)₄₄
Pos.		Higher is better Years₄₄
1	Australia	21.1
2	New Zealand	20.3
3	Greece	20.0
4	Belgium	19.6
5	Sweden	19.4
6	Iceland	19.2
7	Finland	19.1
8	Ireland	18.9
9	Denmark	18.7
10	Netherlands	18.7
11	Grenada	18.7
12	Turkey	18.3
	Europe Avg	16.1
	World Avg	13.5
q=193.

Intellectual Endeavours (2017)₃₅
Pos.		Lower is better Rank₃₅
1	Ukraine	1
2	Czechia	2
3	Hungary	3
4	Denmark	4
5	UK	5
	...
29	Canada	29
30	Romania	30
31	Cyprus	31
32	Ireland	32
33	Croatia	33
34	Israel	34
	Europe Avg	31.3
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Maths, Science & Reading (2015)₄₅
Pos.		Higher is better Score₄₅
1	Singapore	1655
2	Hong Kong	1598
3	Japan	1586
4	Macau	1582
5	Estonia	1573
6	Taiwan	1571
7	Canada	1571
8	Finland	1568
9	S. Korea	1557
10	China	1543₄₆
11	Ireland	1528
12	Slovenia	1528
	Europe Avg	1417
	World Avg	1389
q=70.

Religiosity (2018)₄₇
Pos.		Lower is better %₄₇
1	China	3
2	Estonia	6
3	Czechia	7
4	Switzerland	9
5	Denmark	9
	...
24	Netherlands	20
25	Italy	21
26	Belarus	21
27	Ireland	22
28	Kazakhstan	22
29	Spain	22
	Europe Avg	25.8
	World Avg	54.3
q=106.

IQ (2006)₄₈
Pos.		Higher is better₄₈
1	Hong Kong	108
2	Singapore	108
3	S. Korea	106
4	Japan	105
5	Taiwan	105
	...
45	Georgia	94
46	Argentina	93
47	Bulgaria	93
48	Ireland	92
49	Malaysia	92
50	Greece	92
	Europe Avg	96.6
	World Avg	85.6
q=138.

Technology and Information:

Internet Users (2016)₄₉
Pos.		Higher is better₄₉
1	Iceland	100%
2	Faroe Islands	99%
3	Norway	98%
4	Bermuda	97%
5	Andorra	97%
	...
33	Slovakia	83%
34	Spain	82%
35	Austria	81%
36	Ireland	81%
37	Barbados	80%
38	Hungary	80%
	Europe Avg	76.7%
	World Avg	48.1%
q=201.

IT Security (2013)₅₀
Pos.		Lower is better₅₀
1	Ireland	0.11
2	Luxembourg	0.11
3	Belize	0.11
4	Hong Kong	0.12
5	Mexico	0.16
6	Israel	0.20
7	Colombia	0.22
8	S. Africa	0.22
9	Japan	0.22
10	Philippines	0.24
11	Czechia	0.24
12	Argentina	0.27
	Europe Avg	0.80
	World Avg	0.98
q=81.

IPv6 Uptake (2017)₅₁
Pos.		Higher is better Ratio₅₁
1	Belgium	55.4
2	Germany	41.8
3	Switzerland	35.1
4	USA	35.0
5	Greece	33.5
6	Luxembourg	32.4
7	India	26.8
8	Portugal	26.6
9	Ireland	26.1
10	UK	24.7
11	Japan	22.1
12	France	18.8
	Europe Avg	8.11
	World Avg	3.82
q=176.

7. National Culture

#charity #corruption #happiness #morals #politics

Ireland has one of the best records on keeping corruption low, and has spent the last ten years making things even better.

World Giving Index (2013-2021)₅₂
Pos.		Lower is better₅₂
1	Myanmar (Burma)	2.7
2	New Zealand	4.0
3	USA	4.7
4	Australia	4.9
5	Indonesia	9.0
6	Qatar	9.0
7	UK	9.3
8	Ireland	9.6
9	Canada	10.1
10	UAE	11.6
11	Bahrain	11.7
12	Kenya	12.0
	Europe Avg	75.2
	World Avg	67.9
q=160.

Corruption (2022)₅₃
Pos.		Higher is better Points₅₃
1	Denmark	90.0
2	Finland	87.0
3	New Zealand	87.0
4	Norway	84.0
5	Singapore	83.0
6	Sweden	83.0
7	Switzerland	82.0
8	Netherlands	80.0
9	Germany	79.0
10	Ireland	77.0
11	Luxembourg	77.0
12	Hong Kong	76.0
	Europe Avg	57.61
	World Avg	42.98
q=180.

Happiness (2018)₅₄
Pos.		Higher is better₅₄
1	Finland	7.6
2	Norway	7.6
3	Denmark	7.6
4	Iceland	7.5
5	Switzerland	7.5
	...
11	Israel	7.2
12	Austria	7.1
13	Costa Rica	7.1
14	Ireland	7.0
15	Germany	7.0
16	Belgium	6.9
	Europe Avg	6.06
	World Avg	5.38
q=156.

Creativity and Culture (2017)₃₅
Pos.		Lower is better Rank₃₅
1	Belgium	1
2	Netherlands	2
3	Estonia	3
4	Switzerland	4
5	Sweden	5
6	Denmark	6
7	Austria	7
8	Ireland	8
9	Czechia	9
10	Luxembourg	10
11	UK	11
12	Portugal	12
	Europe Avg	35.0
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Open Trading, Aid and Development (2017)₃₅
Pos.		Lower is better Rank₃₅
1	Ireland	1
2	Denmark	2
3	Sweden	3
4	Netherlands	4
5	Switzerland	5
6	Serbia	6
7	Belgium	7
8	Norway	8
9	Finland	9
10	Croatia	10
11	Georgia	11
12	Philippines	12
	Europe Avg	42.6
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

8. Peace Versus Instability

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

Global Peace Index (2021)₅₅
Pos.		Lower is better₅₅
1	Iceland	1.10
2	New Zealand	1.25
3	Denmark	1.26
4	Portugal	1.27
5	Slovenia	1.32
6	Austria	1.32
7	Switzerland	1.32
8	Ireland	1.33
9	Czechia	1.33
10	Canada	1.33
11	Singapore	1.35
12	Japan	1.37
	Europe Avg	1.69
	World Avg	2.08
q=163.

Peacekeeping and Security (2017)₃₅
Pos.		Lower is better Rank₃₅
1	Samoa	1
2	S. Africa	2
3	Tunisia	3
4	Egypt	4
5	Nigeria	5
	...
47	Philippines	47
48	UK	48
49	Timor-Leste (E. Timor)	49
50	Ireland	50
51	Norway	51
52	Finland	52
	Europe Avg	84.6
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Refugees and UN Treaties (2017)₃₅
Pos.		Lower is better Rank₃₅
1	Austria	1
2	Germany	2
3	Netherlands	3
4	Sweden	4
5	Malta	5
	...
18	Slovenia	18
19	New Zealand	19
20	Luxembourg	20
21	Ireland	21
22	Costa Rica	22
23	Thailand	23
	Europe Avg	37.8
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Impact of Terrorism (2019)₁₂
Pos.		Lower is better Score₁₂
1	Togo	0.00
2	Mongolia	0.00
3	Swaziland	0.00
4	Equatorial Guinea	0.00
5	Cambodia	0.00
	...
79	Ivory Coast	2.60
80	Australia	2.65
81	Congo, (Brazzaville)	2.69
82	Ireland	2.69
83	Zimbabwe	2.83
84	Peru	2.84
	Europe Avg	1.62
	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
4	Kuwait	+81.2
5	Dominican Rep.	+79.5
6	Egypt	+65.9
7	Vietnam	+65.6
8	Ireland	+62.2
9	Tunisia	+61.9
10	Cuba	+56.9
11	Cape Verde	+55.7
12	Rwanda	+50.9
	Europe Avg	+15.0
	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
4	Malta	80.9
5	Sweden	80.5
6	UK	79.9
7	Luxembourg	79.1
8	Austria	79.0
9	Ireland	78.8
10	Finland	78.6
11	Iceland	78.6
12	Spain	78.4
	Europe Avg	69.6
	World Avg	56.4
q=180.

Energy to GDP Efficiency (2014)₅₈
Pos.		Higher is better₅₈
1	Hong Kong	26.32
2	Sri Lanka	20.00
3	Panama	17.86
4	Colombia	17.54
5	Ireland	17.54
6	Switzerland	17.54
7	Dominican Rep.	16.95
8	Mauritius	15.63
9	Malta	15.15
10	Singapore	15.15
11	Denmark	14.93
12	Peru	14.49
	Europe Avg	09.80
	World Avg	09.29
q=119.

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
4	Vanuatu	1993 Dec 29
5	Papua New Guinea	1993 Dec 29
	...
144	Madagascar	1996 Jun 02
145	Tanzania	1996 Jun 06
146	Eritrea	1996 Jun 19
147	Ireland	1996 Jun 20
148	Bulgaria	1996 Jul 16
149	Rwanda	1996 Aug 27
	Europe Avg	1899 Dec 30
	World Avg	1899 Dec 30
q=197.

Rational Beliefs on the Environment (2011)₅₉
Pos.		Higher is better %₅₉
1	Argentina	78.3%
2	Greece	77.6%
3	Brazil	77.1%
4	Trinidad & Tobago	74.5%
5	Costa Rica	74.2%
	...
96	Macedonia	30.1%
97	Senegal	29.6%
98	Comoros	28.3%
99	Ireland	27.9%
100	Israel	27.6%
101	Palestine	27.5%
	Europe Avg	33.6%
	World Avg	39.9%
q=145.

10. Economic Inequality and Poverty

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

Inequality in Life Expectancy (2019)₆₀
Pos.		Higher is worse₆₀
184	Chad	40.90
183	Central African Rep.	40.10
182	Sierra Leone	39.00
181	Somalia	38.90
180	Nigeria	37.10
	...
19	Switzerland	3.50
18	Greece	3.50
17	Portugal	3.50
16	Ireland	3.40
15	Luxembourg	3.40
14	Israel	3.30
	Europe Avg	4.86
	World Avg	14.59
q=184.

Income Inequality (Gini Coefficient) (2017)₆₁
Pos.		Lower is better %₆₁
1	Ukraine	25.0
2	Belarus	25.4
3	Slovenia	25.4
4	Czechia	25.9
5	Moldova	25.9
	...
27	S. Korea	31.6
28	Germany	31.7
29	Egypt	31.8
30	Ireland	31.8
31	Lebanon	31.8
32	Montenegro	31.9
	Europe Avg	31.5
	World Avg	38.1
q=152.

11. Religion and Beliefs

#belief #buddhism #christianity #god #hinduism #islam #judaism #religion #religiosity #secularisation

Religiosity (2018)₄₇
Pos.		Lower is better %₄₇
1	China	3
2	Estonia	6
3	Czechia	7
4	Switzerland	9
5	Denmark	9
	...
24	Netherlands	20
25	Italy	21
26	Belarus	21
27	Ireland	22
28	Kazakhstan	22
29	Spain	22
	World Avg	54.3
q=106.

Disbelief In God (2007)₆₂
Pos.		Higher is better %₆₂
1	Vietnam	81
2	Japan	65
3	Sweden	64
4	Czechia	61
5	Estonia	49
	...
48	Moldova	6
49	Italy	6
50	Laos	5
51	Ireland	5
52	Mozambique	5
53	Zimbabwe	4
	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	92%
Muslim	1.1%
Hindu	0.2%
Buddhist	0.2%
Folk Religion	0.2%
Jew	0.1%
Unaffiliated	6.2%

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 93.8% of the populace say they belong to a religion, only 22% 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: Roman Catholic 87.4%, Church of Ireland 2.9%, other Christian 1.9%, other 2.1%, unspecified 1.5%, none 4.2% (2006 census)₆₄.

The International Humanist and Ethical Union produced a report in 2012 entitled "Freedom of Thought" (2012)₆₅, in which they document bias and prejudice at the national level that is based on religion, belief and/or lack of belief. Their entry for Ireland states:

“The constitution and other laws and policies protect freedom of religion or belief. However, antiblasphemy laws and state sponsorship of religion exist. Section 36 of Ireland's Defamation Act of 2009 criminalizes the publishing or utterance of "blasphemous matter" and imposes a maximum fine of €25,000. That is "matter that is grossly abusive or insulting in relation to matters held sacred by any religion, thereby causing outrage among a substantial number of the adherents of that religion..." Protection exists if "a reasonable person would find genuine literary, artistic, political, scientific, or academic value in the matter to which the offence relates." There is still a requirement for holders of public office - including judges and the state president--to take a religious oath.
Cases of Discrimination
In 2000, a new religious education course was introduced that was supposed to be suitable for all religions and those without religion. However, parents who do not wish to have their children attend religious classes in school are routinely asked to supervise them personally during school hours because schools will not do so. Furthermore, some schools are reportedly forcing the children of non-religious parents to take a religious education course introduced a decade ago.
In 2003 the Equality Authority declared that publicly-funded church-linked schools are legally permitted to refuse to admit a student who is not of that religious group if the school can prove that the refusal is essential to the maintenance of the "ethos" of the school.
”
"Freedom of Thought" by IHEU (2012)₆₆

Links:

12. Christian Child Abuse in Ireland and the Catholic Church's Cover-ups

#catholicism #christianity #ireland

Ireland has seen a long line of child abuse scandals from within the Catholic Church, but, the particular twist taken in this country is the leaking of government documents by Edward Snowden, revealing the political battle that Catholic Church has been involved in with its attempts to stall and prevent investigations from taking place, including a long history of its staff hiding paedophiles, moving them around, and no matter what, not reporting them to the police. The Murphy Commission and the Cloyne Report finally revealed most of these antics to the public in the early 2010s. This has occurred at the local level, and, worse of all, centrally from within the Vatican. Any "moral" ground the church once had has evaporated, and it is clear to all that its sole concern is its own power and influence. Between 1991 and 2011, the number of non-religious, atheist and agnostic folk quadrupled, and the percent of Catholics in the population dropped to its lowest figure ever, although this is still a pretty high number at 84% of the population₆₇.

The Economist (2009)₆₈
"In Ireland, an inquiry found that, over six decades, child abuse had been endemic at many Catholic institutions for boys. The head of the Irish Catholic church said he was profoundly sorry".
Pope denounces 'evil' sex priests (BBC News 2002)
"In January, the Catholic Church in Ireland agreed to a $110m payment to children abused by the clergy over decades. More than 20 priests, brothers and nuns have been convicted of molesting children".
Paedophile cases haunt the church (BBC News 2000)
52 schools, run by Catholic religious orders, that took in children that were either very troublesome, or the offspring of parents who were too poor to look after them, have all been closed in Ireland. The Irish government launched an inquiry into abuse at these 'industrial' schools. The Christian Brothers, who ran some of these schools, "have also been implicated in sex scandals in Canada. More than 300 former pupils at Mount Cashel orphanage, Newfoundland, have alleged the lay brothers abused them".
The Economist (2010 Mar 20) article 'The Catholic church and paedophilia' (p15)
"In Ireland Cardinal Sean Brady, the primate, has admitted that he was present in 1975 when two [boys aged 10 and 14] were persuaded to sign oaths of silence about their abuse by Father Brendan Smyth. The church defrocked Smyth, but nobody, including Cardinal Brady, told the police about his crimes and he remained free to abuse boys for two decades".
The Guardian (2010)₆₉
The Murphy Commission reported on 320 cases of child sexual abuse by Catholic clergy between 1975 and 2004 in the Dublin archdiocese alone. Once all of this was revealed, the Vatican used its historical political ties with the Irish government to attempt to stop the investigations and delay them. The "Vatican refused to co-operate and only let officials visit Ireland once they'd been given immunity from having to testify". A leaked cable "reveals the behind-the-scenes diplomacy in which politicians in the Irish government attempted to persuade an imperious Vatican to engage with the investigation. [...] Requests for information from the 2009 Murphy commission into sexual and physical abuse by clergy "offended many in the Vatican" who felt that the Irish government had "failed to respect and protect Vatican sovereignty during the investigations", a cable says". In other words: "disrespect" meant "not helping us cover it up" and "trying to force us to give evidence on something on something we're trying to hide". The Vatican said that requests for co-operation were straining relations itself and between Irish government. Yet, they had both moral and political reason to co-operate to help end child abuse. What override both moral and political concerns was the Catholic drive to protect their religion: That was the true problem that was straining relations!
The Cloyne Report (on Catholic child abuse in Ireland, and its cover-up by the Catholic Church) had its final chapter published in 2011.
“Once more a catalogue of cover-ups and lies is revealed at the very highest echelons of the Church. Its publication has prompted Irish Justice Minister Alan Shatter to reassert that stricter laws are needed to protect children. [... The publication] yet again details the failure of the Church to comply with its own child abuse guidelines and its failure to ensure that allegations of abuse when first received were brought to the notice of [the police]," said Mr Shatter. "The litany of allegations made and the failure to appropriately report cases of abuse reinforces the need to enact a statutory measure for the protection of children in the future". The newly-published chapter tells how former Bishop John Magee did not adequately deal with complaints in his Co Cork diocese against a cleric with the pseudonym of Fr Ronat. The earlier report had shown that Bishop Magee deliberately misled authorities and was failing to report abuse until as recently as three years ago.”
Newsline (2011)

After further evidence of abuse and cover-ups in Ireland was revealed in 2018 there was a new wave of criticism of the Pope for failing to provide meaningful leadership in his organisation on this issue, so he finally summoned over 100 of the most senior Bishops to the Vatican to discuss it₇₀.

For more, see:

"Organized Coverups of Sexual Child Abuse by Priests, Clergy and Christian Institutions" by Vexen Crabtree (2009).