Norway

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

By Vexen Crabtree 2013

Norway Kingdom of Norway
Status	Independent State
Social and Moral Index	2nd best
Capital	Oslo
Land Area	304 250km²₁
Location	Europe, Scandinavia
Population	5.3m₂
Life Expectancy	83.23yrs (2017)₃
GNI	$64 660 (2017)₄
ISO3166-1 Codes	NO, NOR, 578₅
Internet Domain	.no₆
Currency	Krone (NOK)₇
Telephone	+47₈

1. Overview

#christianity #denmark #germany #sweden

“Two centuries of Viking raids into Europe tapered off following the adoption of Christianity by King Olav TRYGGVASON in 994. Conversion of the Norwegian kingdom occurred over the next several decades. In 1397, Norway was absorbed into a union with Denmark that lasted more than four centuries. In 1814, Norwegians resisted the cession of their country to Sweden and adopted a new constitution. Sweden then invaded Norway but agreed to let Norway keep its constitution in return for accepting the union under a Swedish king. Rising nationalism throughout the 19th century led to a 1905 referendum granting Norway independence. Although Norway remained neutral in World War I, it suffered heavy losses to its shipping. Norway proclaimed its neutrality at the outset of World War II, but was nonetheless occupied for five years by Nazi Germany (1940-45). In 1949, neutrality was abandoned and Norway became a member of NATO. Discovery of oil and gas in adjacent waters in the late 1960s boosted Norway's economic fortunes. In referenda held in 1972 and 1994, Norway rejected joining the EU. Key domestic issues include immigration and integration of ethnic minorities, maintaining the country's extensive social safety net with an aging population, and preserving economic competitiveness.”
CIA's The World Factbook (2013)₉

“Norway is a once-in-a-lifetime destination and the essence of its appeal is remarkably simple: this is one of the most beautiful countries on earth. The drama of Norway´s natural world is difficult to overstate. Impossibly steep-sided fjords of extraordinary beauty cut gashes from a jagged coastline deep into the interior. The fjords´ fame is wholly merited, but this is also a land of glaciers, grand and glorious, snaking down from icefields that rank among Europe´s largest. Elsewhere, the mountainous terrain of Norway´s interior resembles the ramparts of so many natural fortresses, and yields to rocky coastal islands that rise improbably from the waters like apparitions. And then, of course, there´s the primeval appeal of the Arctic�
The counterpoint to so much natural beauty is found in the country´s vibrant cultural life, which celebrates local traditions and draws in the best from around the world. Norwegian cities are cosmopolitan and brimfull of architecture that showcases the famous Scandinavian flair for design through the ages. At the same time, a busy calendar of festivals, many of international renown, are worth planning your trip around.”
"The World" by Lonely Planet (2014)₁₀

2. Norway National and Social Development

#economics #human_development #wealth

UN HDI (2021)₁₁
Pos.		Higher is better Value₁₁
1	Switzerland	0.962
2	Norway	0.961
3	Iceland	0.959
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)₁₁
Pos.		Higher is better PPP $₁₁
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 Index₁₂_,₁₃
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₁₂_,₁₃
1	Taiwan	28.6
2	Norway	29.4
3	Denmark	31.2
4	Sweden	32.2
5	Finland	32.6
6	Netherlands	33.8
7	Germany	35.4
8	Austria	36.3
9	New Zealand	36.4
10	Canada	37.3
11	Switzerland	37.7
12	Iceland	39.1
	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. Norway's Demographics and Migration

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

Population:

Norway's population is predicted to rise to 5.574 million by 2030. This rise is despite a low fertility rate, meaning, that this country is helping to alleviate problems with growing population in neighbouring countries by accepting immigrants, very likely as a requirement of maintaining an active workforce. This country has a fertility rate of 1.95. 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
	...
114	Denmark	5.8m
115	Finland	5.5m
116	Slovakia	5.5m
117	Norway	5.3m
118	Congo, (Brazzaville)	5.2m
119	Costa Rica	5.0m
	World Avg	39.0m
q=195.

Life Expectancy (2021)₁₁
Pos.		Higher is better Years₁₁
1	Monaco	85.9
2	Hong Kong	85.5
3	Japan	84.8
4	Australia	84.5
5	Switzerland	84.0
6	Malta	83.8
7	S. Korea	83.7
8	Liechtenstein	83.3
9	Norway	83.2
10	Spain	83.0
11	Sweden	83.0
12	Italy	82.9
	World Avg	71.28
q=195.

Fertility Rate (2013)₁₄
Pos.		2.0 is best₁₄
1	N. Korea	2.00
2	Brunei	1.99
3	St Vincent & Grenadines	2.01
4	France	1.99
5	Turkey	2.04
6	Australia	1.96
7	Uruguay	2.05
8	Norway	1.95
9	Myanmar (Burma)	1.95
10	Indonesia	2.07
11	Sweden	1.93
12	Tunisia	1.93
	World Avg	2.81
q=180.

Old-Age Dependency Ratio (2016)₁₅
Pos.		Lower is better Per 100₁₅
1	Uganda	04.3
2	Mali	04.5
3	Chad	04.7
4	Burkina Faso	04.7
5	Sierra Leone	04.8
	...
145	Australia	31.3
146	Slovakia	31.6
147	Albania	31.8
148	Norway	32.2
149	Iceland	32.5
150	Serbia	32.7
	World Avg	18.3
q=185.

Migration:

Immigrants (2017)₁₆
Pos.		%₁₆
1	UAE	88.4%
2	Kuwait	75.5%
3	Qatar	65.2%
4	Liechtenstein	65.1%
5	Monaco	54.9%
	...
32	Bahamas	15.6%
33	Maldives	15.4%
34	USA	15.3%
35	Norway	15.1%
36	Germany	14.8%
37	Estonia	14.7%
	World Avg	9.4%
q=195.

Emigrants (2010)₁₇
Pos.		%₁₇
1	Dominica	104.8%
2	Palestine	68.4%
3	Samoa	67.3%
4	Grenada	65.5%
5	St Kitts & Nevis	61.1%
	...
124	Syria	4.2%
125	Burundi	4.2%
126	Panama	4.0%
127	Norway	3.8%
128	Bahrain	3.7%
129	Gambia	3.7%
	World Avg	11.5%
q=192.

4. Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance

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

Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance (2020)₁₈_,₁₉
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₁₈_,₁₉
1	Sweden	9.2
2	Norway	14.7
3	Denmark	14.7
4	Netherlands	15.8
5	New Zealand	17.5
6	Iceland	20.1
7	Canada	21.2
8	Austria	22.5
9	Luxembourg	23.9
10	Finland	23.9
11	Australia	24.1
12	Hong Kong	24.3
	Europe Avg	50.3
	World Avg	87.7
q=199.

When it comes to ensuring human rights and freedom, Norway leads the world, setting excellent examples. Norway comes in the best 20 in supporting press freedom₂₀ (amongst the lowest in Europe), the rate of gender bias (from 7 indicators)₂₁ (amongst the lowest in Europe), opposing gender inequality₂₂, freethought₂₃, LGBT equality₂₄, supporting personal, civil & economic freedoms₂₅, its success in fighting anti-semitic prejudice₂₆ and in speed of uptake of HR treaties₂₇. And finally, it does better than average in its nominal commitment to Human Rights₂₈ and in commentary in Human Rights Watch reports₂₉ (but low for Europe). Since 2009, gay couples in Norway have been able to marry and adopt children despite resistance from members of the Christian Democratic Party and the Lutheran-affiliated Church₃₀. Human Rights Watch's 2018 report states that Norway's support of women's rights at home and internationally has been notable₃₁.

For tables, charts and commentary, see:

Human Rights and Freedom in Norway

5. Norway's Health

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

Compared to Europe (2020)₃₂_,₃₃
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₃₂_,₃₃
1	Monaco	13.0
2	Norway	61.0
3	Finland	65.3
4	Switzerland	65.6
5	Italy	67.5
6	Spain	69.6
7	Portugal	72.3
8	Luxembourg	72.9
9	Denmark	74.3
10	Germany	74.4
11	Austria	74.5
12	Sweden	75.6
13	Iceland	76.9
	Europe Avg	82.5
q=46.

Health (2020)₃₂_,₃₃
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₃₂_,₃₃
1	Monaco	13.0
2	Hong Kong	18.3
3	Maldives	41.0
4	Singapore	42.6
5	Japan	51.0
6	S. Korea	51.3
7	Sri Lanka	52.9
8	Bhutan	55.1
9	China	60.4
10	Norway	61.0
11	Brunei	62.6
12	Malaysia	62.8
13	Oman	62.9
	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 Maldives₃₂. These countries are worth emulating. And, although often through no fault of the average citizen, the worst countries are The Marshall Islands, S. Sudan and Palau₃₂.

The data sets used to calculate points for each country are its average life expectancy, its alcohol consumption rate, its fertility rate, its smoking rate, its suicide rate, its food aid and health contributions and WHO compliance, the prevalence of overweight adults, its adolescent birth rate and its immunizations take-up. The regions with the best average results per country are Scandinavia, Asia and The Mediterranean₃₂, whereas the worst are Micronesia, Australasia and Africa₃₂.

For more, see:

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

Health:

Norway does relatively well in encouraging good health, compared to many other countries. Norway comes in the best 20 in terms of its food aid and health contributions and WHO compliance₃₄, its average life expectancy₁₁ and in its adolescent birth rate₂₂. It does better than average for its fertility rate₁₄ (but high for Europe), its immunizations take-up₃₅ and in its smoking rate₃₆ (one of the best in Europe). But, there's bad news too. Norway does worse than average in its suicide rate₃₇ and in its alcohol consumption rate₃₈ (still good for Europe). The number of overweight adults has increased by 14% over the last 40 years.

Life Expectancy (2021)₁₁
Pos.		Higher is better Years₁₁
1	Monaco	85.9
2	Hong Kong	85.5
3	Japan	84.8
4	Australia	84.5
5	Switzerland	84.0
6	Malta	83.8
7	S. Korea	83.7
8	Liechtenstein	83.3
9	Norway	83.2
10	Spain	83.0
11	Sweden	83.0
12	Italy	82.9
	Europe Avg	78.36
	World Avg	71.28
q=195.

Alcohol Consumption (2016)₃₈
Pos.		Lower is better Per Capita₃₈
1	Bangladesh	0.0
2	Kuwait	0.0
3	Libya	0.0
4	Mauritania	0.0
5	Somalia	0.0
	...
110	Albania	7.5
111	Burundi	7.5
112	Italy	7.5
113	Norway	7.5
114	Kazakhstan	7.7
115	Congo, (Brazzaville)	7.8
	Europe Avg	10.3
	World Avg	6.2
q=189.

Fertility Rate (2013)₁₄
Pos.		2.0 is best₁₄
1	N. Korea	2.00
2	Brunei	1.99
3	St Vincent & Grenadines	2.01
4	France	1.99
5	Turkey	2.04
6	Australia	1.96
7	Uruguay	2.05
8	Norway	1.95
9	Myanmar (Burma)	1.95
10	Indonesia	2.07
11	Sweden	1.93
12	Tunisia	1.93
	Europe Avg	1.61
	World Avg	2.81
q=180.

Smoking Rates (2014)₃₆
Pos.		Higher is worse₃₆
182	Montenegro	4 125
181	Belarus	3 831
180	Lebanon	3 023
179	Macedonia	2 732
178	Russia	2 690
	...
92	Uzbekistan	573
91	Venezuela	565
90	Gabon	559
89	Norway	556
88	Iceland	551
87	S. Africa	537
	Europe Avg	1 648
	World Avg	819
q=182.

Suicide Rate (2013)₃₇
Pos.		Per 100k₃₇
1	Haiti	0
2	Grenada	0
3	Egypt	0.1
4	Jordan	0.2
5	Maldives	0.7
	...
56	Iceland	23.5
57	New Zealand	23.6
58	Ireland	23.7
59	Norway	23.8
60	Denmark	23.9
61	Germany	23.9
	Europe Avg	26.99
	World Avg	20.93
q=91.

Food Aid, Health Contributions & WHO Compliance (2017)₃₄
Pos.		Lower is better Rank₃₄
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)₃₉
Pos.		Lower is better %₃₉
1	Vietnam	18.3
2	India	19.7
3	Bangladesh	20.0
4	Ethiopia	20.9
5	Nepal	21.0
	...
120	Finland	57.9
121	Macedonia	58.1
122	Nicaragua	58.2
123	Norway	58.3
124	Poland	58.3
125	Ukraine	58.4
	Europe Avg	58.5
	World Avg	49.0
q=191.

Children's Health:

Adolescent Birth Rate (2015)₂₂
Pos.		Lower is better Per 1000₂₂
1	N. Korea	0.5
2	S. Korea	1.6
3	Switzerland	2.9
4	Hong Kong	3.2
5	Slovenia	3.8
	...
9	Japan	4.1
10	Cyprus	5.0
11	Sweden	5.7
12	Norway	5.9
13	Luxembourg	5.9
14	Italy	6.0
	Europe Avg	14.6
	World Avg	47.9
q=185.

Infant Immunizations 2011-2015 (2015)₃₅
Pos.		Higher is better Avg %₃₅
1	Hungary	99.0
2	China	99.0
3	Uzbekistan	98.9
4	Niue	98.8
5	Mongolia	98.7
	...
74	Singapore	94.6
75	UK	94.6
76	Solomon Islands	94.5
77	Norway	94.3
78	Bolivia	94.2
79	UAE	94.0
	Europe Avg	92.7
	World Avg	88.3
q=194.

6. Norway's Modernity and Learning

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

Compared to Europe (2020)₁₉
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₁₉
1	Finland	8.4
2	Switzerland	15.1
3	Estonia	15.8
4	Denmark	16.0
5	Belgium	16.1
6	Czechia	16.7
7	Sweden	18.6
8	Germany	18.6
9	Iceland	19.6
10	Austria	19.6
11	Norway	21.0
12	Slovenia	21.3
13	UK	21.5
	Europe Avg	41.2
q=49.

Modernity and Learning (2020)₁₉
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₁₉
1	Finland	8.4
2	Taiwan	10.0
3	Switzerland	15.1
4	Estonia	15.8
5	Denmark	16.0
	...
11	Australia	19.2
12	Iceland	19.6
13	Austria	19.6
14	Norway	21.0
15	Slovenia	21.3
16	UK	21.5
17	Canada	21.6
	World Avg	83.2
q=205.

Modernity and Education:

Research and Development (2016)
Pos.		Higher is better % RDP PPP
1	S. Korea	4.29₄₀
2	Israel	4.11₄₀
3	Japan	3.58₄₀
4	Finland	3.17₄₀
5	Sweden	3.16₄₀
	...
17	Czechia	2.00₄₀
18	Netherlands	1.97₄₀
19	Iceland	1.89₄₀
20	Norway	1.70₄₀
21	UK	1.70₄₀
22	Canada	1.61₄₀
	Europe Avg	1.32
	World Avg	0.84
q=126.

Secondary Education (2018)₄₁
Pos.		Higher is better₄₁
1	Luxembourg	100.0%
2	Estonia	100.0%
3	Austria	100.0%
4	Canada	100.0%
5	Finland	100.0%
	...
23	Croatia	95.7%
24	Azerbaijan	95.6%
25	USA	95.6%
26	Norway	95.4%
27	S. Korea	95.2%
28	Bulgaria	95.1%
	Europe Avg	88.3%
	World Avg	63.0%
q=169.

Length of Schooling (2021)₄₂
Pos.		Higher is better Years₄₂
1	Australia	21.1
2	New Zealand	20.3
3	Greece	20.0
4	Belgium	19.6
5	Sweden	19.4
	...
10	Netherlands	18.7
11	Grenada	18.7
12	Turkey	18.3
13	Norway	18.2
14	Spain	17.9
15	Argentina	17.9
	Europe Avg	16.1
	World Avg	13.5
q=193.

Intellectual Endeavours (2017)₃₄
Pos.		Lower is better Rank₃₄
1	Ukraine	1
2	Czechia	2
3	Hungary	3
4	Denmark	4
5	UK	5
	...
46	Belarus	46
47	Moldova	47
48	Montenegro	48
49	Norway	49
50	Fiji	50
51	Dominica	51
	Europe Avg	31.3
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Maths, Science & Reading (2015)₄₃
Pos.		Higher is better Score₄₃
1	Singapore	1655
2	Hong Kong	1598
3	Japan	1586
4	Macau	1582
5	Estonia	1573
	...
14	Netherlands	1524
15	Switzerland	1519
16	New Zealand	1517
17	Norway	1513
18	Denmark	1513
19	Poland	1511
	Europe Avg	1417
	World Avg	1389
q=70.

Religiosity (2018)₄₄
Pos.		Lower is better %₄₄
1	China	3
2	Estonia	6
3	Czechia	7
4	Switzerland	9
5	Denmark	9
	...
20	Australia	18
21	Vietnam	18
22	Bulgaria	19
23	Norway	19
24	Netherlands	20
25	Italy	21
	Europe Avg	25.8
	World Avg	54.3
q=106.

IQ (2006)₄₅
Pos.		Higher is better₄₅
1	Hong Kong	108
2	Singapore	108
3	S. Korea	106
4	Japan	105
5	Taiwan	105
	...
9	Switzerland	101
10	Mongolia	101
11	Netherlands	100
12	Norway	100
13	Austria	100
14	UK	100
	Europe Avg	96.6
	World Avg	85.6
q=138.

Technology and Information:

Internet Users (2016)₄₆
Pos.		Higher is better₄₆
1	Iceland	100%
2	Faroe Islands	99%
3	Norway	98%
4	Bermuda	97%
5	Andorra	97%
6	Denmark	96%
7	Liechtenstein	96%
8	Luxembourg	95%
9	Netherlands	94%
10	Sweden	93%
11	Monaco	93%
12	UK	93%
	Europe Avg	76.7%
	World Avg	48.1%
q=201.

IPv6 Uptake (2017)₄₇
Pos.		Higher is better Ratio₄₇
1	Belgium	55.4
2	Germany	41.8
3	Switzerland	35.1
4	USA	35.0
5	Greece	33.5
	...
15	Ecuador	18.2
16	Estonia	17.6
17	Malaysia	16.5
18	Norway	14.7
19	Australia	14.6
20	Trinidad & Tobago	14.5
	Europe Avg	8.11
	World Avg	3.82
q=176.

7. National Culture

#charity #corruption #happiness #morals #politics

Norway has one of the best records on keeping corruption low.

World Giving Index (2013-2021)₄₈
Pos.		Lower is better₄₈
1	Myanmar (Burma)	2.7
2	New Zealand	4.0
3	USA	4.7
4	Australia	4.9
5	Indonesia	9.0
	...
13	Netherlands	14.3
14	Trinidad & Tobago	16.5
15	Bhutan	17.5
16	Norway	20.0
17	Sri Lanka	20.3
18	Iceland	21.0
	Europe Avg	75.2
	World Avg	67.9
q=160.

Corruption (2022)₄₉
Pos.		Higher is better Points₄₉
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)₅₀
Pos.		Higher is better₅₀
1	Finland	7.6
2	Norway	7.6
3	Denmark	7.6
4	Iceland	7.5
5	Switzerland	7.5
6	Netherlands	7.4
7	Canada	7.3
8	New Zealand	7.3
9	Sweden	7.3
10	Australia	7.3
11	Israel	7.2
12	Austria	7.1
	Europe Avg	6.06
	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
4	Switzerland	4
5	Sweden	5
	...
19	Hungary	19
20	Slovakia	20
21	Poland	21
22	Norway	22
23	Lithuania	23
24	St Lucia	24
	Europe Avg	35.0
	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
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)₅₁
Pos.		Lower is better₅₁
1	Iceland	1.10
2	New Zealand	1.25
3	Denmark	1.26
4	Portugal	1.27
5	Slovenia	1.32
	...
11	Singapore	1.35
12	Japan	1.37
13	Finland	1.40
14	Norway	1.44
15	Sweden	1.46
16	Australia	1.47
	Europe Avg	1.69
	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
4	Egypt	4
5	Nigeria	5
	...
48	UK	48
49	Timor-Leste (E. Timor)	49
50	Ireland	50
51	Norway	51
52	Finland	52
53	France	53
	Europe Avg	84.6
	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
4	Sweden	4
5	Malta	5
6	Australia	6
7	Norway	7
8	Finland	8
9	Denmark	9
10	Switzerland	10
11	Canada	11
12	UK	12
	Europe Avg	37.8
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Impact of Terrorism (2019)₅₂
Pos.		Lower is better Score₅₂
1	Togo	0.00
2	Mongolia	0.00
3	Swaziland	0.00
4	Equatorial Guinea	0.00
5	Cambodia	0.00
	...
20	Guyana	0.04
21	UAE	0.05
22	Slovakia	0.06
23	Norway	0.08
24	Lesotho	0.10
25	Liberia	0.11
	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)₅₃
Pos.		Higher is better %₅₃
1	Iceland	+205.6
2	Bahrain	+144.4
3	Uruguay	+131.3
4	Kuwait	+81.2
5	Dominican Rep.	+79.5
	...
97	Bahamas	00.0
98	Barbados	00.0
99	St Kitts & Nevis	00.0
100	Norway	-00.2
101	Papua New Guinea	-00.2
102	Canada	-00.3
	Europe Avg	+15.0
	World Avg	+02.8
q=184.

Environmental Performance (2018)₅₄
Pos.		Higher is better₅₄
1	Switzerland	87.4
2	France	84.0
3	Denmark	81.6
4	Malta	80.9
5	Sweden	80.5
	...
11	Iceland	78.6
12	Spain	78.4
13	Germany	78.4
14	Norway	77.5
15	Belgium	77.4
16	Italy	77.0
	Europe Avg	69.6
	World Avg	56.4
q=180.

Energy to GDP Efficiency (2014)₅₅
Pos.		Higher is better₅₅
1	Hong Kong	26.32
2	Sri Lanka	20.00
3	Panama	17.86
4	Colombia	17.54
5	Ireland	17.54
	...
42	Paraguay	10.53
43	Chile	10.42
44	Lithuania	10.42
45	Norway	10.42
46	Japan	10.20
47	Brazil	10.10
	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
	...
24	Bahamas	1993 Dec 29
25	St Lucia	1993 Dec 29
26	Tunisia	1993 Dec 29
27	Norway	1993 Dec 29
28	Zambia	1993 Dec 29
29	Australia	1993 Dec 29
	Europe Avg	1899 Dec 30
	World Avg	1899 Dec 30
q=197.

Rational Beliefs on the Environment (2011)₅₆
Pos.		Higher is better %₅₆
1	Argentina	78.3%
2	Greece	77.6%
3	Brazil	77.1%
4	Trinidad & Tobago	74.5%
5	Costa Rica	74.2%
	...
125	UK	22.6%
126	Malawi	22.0%
127	UAE	20.8%
128	Norway	20.5%
129	Botswana	20.4%
130	USA	19.7%
	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)₅₇
Pos.		Higher is worse₅₇
184	Chad	40.90
183	Central African Rep.	40.10
182	Sierra Leone	39.00
181	Somalia	38.90
180	Nigeria	37.10
	...
12	Netherlands	3.10
11	Spain	3.00
10	S. Korea	3.00
9	Norway	3.00
8	Czechia	3.00
7	Finland	3.00
	Europe Avg	4.86
	World Avg	14.59
q=184.

Income Inequality (Gini Coefficient) (2017)₅₈
Pos.		Lower is better %₅₈
1	Ukraine	25.0
2	Belarus	25.4
3	Slovenia	25.4
4	Czechia	25.9
5	Moldova	25.9
6	Slovakia	26.5
7	Finland	27.1
8	Kyrgyzstan	27.3
9	Kazakhstan	27.5
10	Norway	27.5
11	Algeria	27.6
12	Belgium	27.7
	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)₄₄
Pos.		Lower is better %₄₄
1	China	3
2	Estonia	6
3	Czechia	7
4	Switzerland	9
5	Denmark	9
	...
20	Australia	18
21	Vietnam	18
22	Bulgaria	19
23	Norway	19
24	Netherlands	20
25	Italy	21
	World Avg	54.3
q=106.

Disbelief In God (2007)₅₉
Pos.		Higher is better %₅₉
1	Vietnam	81
2	Japan	65
3	Sweden	64
4	Czechia	61
5	Estonia	49
	...
13	Slovenia	35
14	Bulgaria	34
15	Hungary	32
16	Norway	31
17	S. Korea	30
18	Finland	28
	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 below₆₀:

Christian	84.7%
Muslim	3.7%
Hindu	0.5%
Buddhist	0.6%
Folk Religion	0.1%
Jew	0.1%
Unaffiliated	10.1%

By adding up the Pew Forum data for the major monotheistic religions we can see that these make up 88.5% of the population. Yet there are simply too many who disbelieve in God for this to be true (31%). This is due to the so-called 'Census Effect', whereby many put down a religion for cultural reasons rather than because it reflects their beliefs. In highly Christian countries, as many as half of those who say they're a Christian lack any connection to a Church, and do not hold Christian beliefs (such as believing in God!).

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 89.7% of the populace say they belong to a religion, only 19% 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: Church of Norway (Evangelical Lutheran - official) 85.7%, Pentecostal 1%, Roman Catholic 1%, other Christian 2.4%, Muslim 1.8%, other 8.1% (2004)₆₁.

The International Humanist and Ethical Union produced a report in 2012 entitled "Freedom of Thought" (2012)₆₂, 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 Norway states:

“The constitution and other laws and policies protect freedom of religion or belief. However, the Evangelical Lutheran Church (ELC), the state church, enjoys some benefits not available to other religious and humanist groups, even though 2012 saw a move towards greater separation between state and church. The state supports the church financially. Other religion or belief communities may register with the government to receive state financial support, which is provided to all registered life-stance groups in proportion to their formally registered membership. The largest such group after the state church is the Norwegian Humanist Association, a non-religious life-stance organization with around 80,000 members.
The Christian Knowledge and Religious and Ethical Information (CKREE) course for grades 1 through 10 (generally ages 6 to 16) reviews world religions and philosophy while promoting tolerance and respect for all religious beliefs. Citing the country's Christian history (and the stated importance of Christianity to society), the CKREE course devotes an extensive amount of time to studying Christianity, but the course includes discussion of other religions. This course is mandatory; there are no exceptions for children of other religious groups, or Humanists or other non-religious students. Students may be exempted from participating in or performing specific religious acts, such as church services or prayer.”
"Freedom of Thought" by IHEU (2012)₆₃

In government, Norweigan law requires "that a certain number of Cabinet members must be Lutherans [but] people have performed these roles and conformed when it has been known that they were not in fact believers"₆₄ (the same happens in Ireland. It's clearly time to remove all religion-specific legislation, and move Norway fully forward into the modern era, where all citizens are treated the same, regardless of their beliefs.₆₄)

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