Paraguay (Republic of Paraguay)

Paraguay Republic of Paraguay
Status	Independent State
Social and Moral Index	100th best
Capital	Asuncion
Land Area	397 300km21
Location	South America, The Americas
Population	7.0m2
Life Expectancy	70.26yrs (2017)3
GNI	$12 349 (2017)4
ISO3166-1 Codes	PY, PRY, 6005
Internet Domain	.py6
Currency	Guarani (PYG)7
Telephone	+5958

1. Overview
2. Paraguay National and Social Development
3. Paraguay's Demographics and Migration
4. Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance
5. Paraguay's Health
6. Paraguay's Modernity and Learning
7. National Culture
8. Peace Versus Instability
9. The Natural Environment
10. Economic Inequality and Poverty
11. Religion and Beliefs
12. Links

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1. Overview

#venezuela

“Paraguay achieved its independence from Spain in 1811. In the disastrous War of the Triple Alliance (1865-70) - between Paraguay and Argentina, Brazil, and Uruguay - Paraguay lost two-thirds of all its adult males and much of its territory. The country stagnated economically for the next half century. Following the Chaco War of 1932-35 with Bolivia, Paraguay gained a large part of the Chaco lowland region. The 35-year military dictatorship of Alfredo STROESSNER ended in 1989, and, despite a marked increase in political infighting in recent years, Paraguay has held relatively free and regular presidential elections since the country's return to democracy.”

CIA's The World Factbook (2013)₉

“Little-visited and little-known, landlocked Paraguay is a country surrounded by South America´s `big boys´, but there´s a warm welcome and much to experience here. Paraguay is a country much misunderstood. Despite its location at the heart of the continent, it is all too often passed over by travelers who wrongly assume that a lack of `mega-attractions´ means there´s nothing to see. Instead, it´s ideal for those keen to get off the gringo trail for a truly authentic South American experience.

Paraguay is a country of remarkable contrasts: it is rustic and sophisticated, extremely poor and obscenely wealthy; it boasts exotic natural reserves and massive human-made dams; it is a place where horses and carts pull up beside luxury automobiles, artisans´ workshops abut glitzy shopping centers, and Jesuit ruins in rural villages lie just kilometers from sophisticated colonial towns. The steamy subtropical Atlantic Forest of the east is a stark contrast to the dry, spiny wilderness of the Chaco, location of the isolated Mennonite colonies.

While Paraguayans are more used to visits from their bordering neighbors, they are relaxed, kind and welcoming to anyone.”

"The World" by Lonely Planet (2014)₁₀

2. Paraguay 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
	...
102	Jordan	0.720
103	Dominica	0.720
104	Libya	0.718
105	Paraguay	0.717
106	St Lucia	0.715
107	Palestine	0.715
108	Guyana	0.714
109	S. Africa	0.713
	The Americas Avg	0.75
	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
	...
93	S. Africa	$12 948
94	Suriname	$12 672
95	Sri Lanka	$12 578
96	Paraguay	$12 349
97	Barbados	$12 306
98	Peru	$12 246
99	Equatorial Guinea	$12 074
100	St Lucia	$12 048
	The Americas Avg	$16 628
	World Avg	$20 136
q=193.

Social & Moral Development Index12
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank12
1	Norway	25.2
2	Denmark	26.1
3	Taiwan	26.6
	...
97	Guatemala	72.7
98	India	72.8
99	Nepal	73.0
100	Paraguay	73.5
101	Azerbaijan	73.6
102	Bahamas	73.8
103	Tajikistan	74.1
104	San Marino	74.3
	The Americas Avg	67.4
	World Avg	70.6
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. Paraguay's Demographics and Migration

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

Population:

Paraguay's population is predicted to rise to 8.67 million by 2030. This country has a fertility rate of 2.87. 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.

Population2
Pos.		2018 Population2
1	China	1.4b
2	India	1.4b
3	USA	327.1m
	...
103	Hong Kong	7.4m
104	Laos	7.1m
105	Bulgaria	7.1m
106	Paraguay	7.0m
107	Lebanon	6.9m
108	Libya	6.7m
109	Nicaragua	6.5m
110	El Salvador	6.4m
	World Avg	39.0m
q=195.

Life Expectancy Higher is better11
Pos.		2021 Years11
1	Monaco	85.9
2	Hong Kong	85.5
3	Japan	84.8
	...
114	Iraq	70.4
115	Solomon Islands	70.3
116	Suriname	70.3
117	Paraguay	70.3
118	Egypt	70.2
119	Mexico	70.2
120	Honduras	70.1
121	Kyrgyzstan	70.0
	World Avg	71.28
q=195.

Fertility Rate 2.0 is best13
Pos.		201313
1	N. Korea	2.00
2	Brunei	1.99
3	St Vincent & Grenadines	2.01
	...
114	Malta	1.28
115	Syria	2.81
116	Bosnia & Herzegovina	1.13
117	Paraguay	2.87
118	Hong Kong	1.12
119	Israel	2.91
120	Jordan	2.93
121	Honduras	3.02
	World Avg	2.81
q=180.

Old-Age Dependency Ratio Lower is better14
Pos.		2016 Per 10014
1	Uganda	04.3
2	Mali	04.5
3	Chad	04.7
	...
88	India	12.5
89	Bolivia	12.7
90	Nicaragua	13.1
91	Paraguay	13.2
92	Iran	13.4
93	Samoa	13.7
94	Algeria	14.0
95	Malaysia	14.5
	World Avg	18.3
q=185.

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

Migration:

Immigrants15
Pos.		2017 %15
1	UAE	88.4%
2	Kuwait	75.5%
3	Qatar	65.2%
	...
115	Zimbabwe	2.4%
116	Swaziland	2.4%
117	Ecuador	2.4%
118	Paraguay	2.4%
119	Uruguay	2.3%
120	Mauritius	2.3%
121	Benin	2.3%
122	S. Korea	2.3%
	World Avg	9.4%
q=195.

Emigrants16
Pos.		2010 %16
1	Dominica	104.8%
2	Palestine	68.4%
3	Samoa	67.3%
	...
78	Ecuador	8.3%
79	Poland	8.3%
80	Afghanistan	8.1%
81	Paraguay	7.9%
82	Russia	7.9%
83	Mali	7.6%
84	UK	7.5%
85	Honduras	7.5%
	World Avg	11.5%
q=192.

4. Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance

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

Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance (2020)17
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank17
1	Sweden	9.2
2	Norway	14.7
3	Denmark	14.7
	...
61	El Salvador	66.9
62	Seychelles	67.0
63	Namibia	69.7
64	Paraguay	70.5
65	Armenia	71.6
66	Montenegro	71.8
	The Americas Avg	74.2
	World Avg	87.7
q=199.

Paraguay does relatively well in ensuring human rights and freedom, compared to many other countries. Paraguay does the second-best in its nominal commitment to Human Rights₁₈. It does better than average in terms of commentary in Human Rights Watch reports₁₉, speed of uptake of HR treaties₂₀, supporting personal, civil & economic freedoms₂₁ (but high for The Americas) and in LGBT equality₂₂ (but low for The Americas). Along with 11 others, Paraguay signed the Lima Declaration in 2017, condemning "the assault on democratic order and the systematic violation of human rights in Venezuela"₂₃.

Paraguay still has work to do. Paraguay does worse than average for its success in fighting anti-semitic prejudice₂₄, supporting press freedom₂₅, opposing gender inequality₂₆ and in freethought₂₇. Human Rights in Paraguay are under sustained attack from Catholic lobby groups and traditionalist Christians supported by US Conservative Christians. In particular, they are succeeding in preventing women's rights, and have reversed some movements towards LGBT tolerance₂₈.

For tables, charts and commentary, see:

• Human Rights and Freedom in Paraguay

5. Paraguay's Health

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

Compared to The Americas (2020)29
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank29
1	Antigua & Barbuda	75.6
2	Brazil	82.1
3	Cuba	82.4
	...
18	St Vincent & Grenadines	96.8
19	Dominica	98.0
20	Panama	98.1
21	Paraguay	98.4
22	Chile	99.1
23	Suriname	100.0
24	Colombia	100.3
25	Honduras	101.4
26	Mexico	102.6
	The Americas Avg	96.2
q=35.

Health (2020)29
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank29
1	Monaco	13.0
2	Hong Kong	18.3
3	Maldives	41.0
	...
113	Dominica	98.0
114	Panama	98.1
115	Kazakhstan	98.1
116	Paraguay	98.4
117	Niue	98.7
118	Serbia	98.9
119	Chile	99.1
120	Suriname	100.0
	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 Maldives₃₀. 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 Palau₃₀.

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 Mediterranean₃₀, whereas the worst are Micronesia, Australasia and Africa₃₀.

For more, see:

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

Health:

Paraguay does relatively well in encouraging good health, compared to many other countries. Paraguay comes in the best 20 in terms of its suicide rate₃₁. It does better than average for its smoking rate₃₂ and in its food aid and health contributions and WHO compliance₃₃. Paraguay still has work to do. Paraguay does worse than average when it comes to its alcohol consumption rate₃₄, its average life expectancy₁₁, its fertility rate₁₃, its adolescent birth rate₂₆ and in its immunizations take-up₃₅. The prevalence of overweight adults has increased by 14% during the last 40 years. Life expectancy in Paraguay improved by +5.7yrs in the 30 years from 1990, less than the global average of +7.9yrs.

Life Expectancy Higher is better11
Pos.		2021 Years11
1	Monaco	85.9
2	Hong Kong	85.5
3	Japan	84.8
	...
114	Iraq	70.4
115	Solomon Islands	70.3
116	Suriname	70.3
117	Paraguay	70.3
118	Egypt	70.2
119	Mexico	70.2
120	Honduras	70.1
121	Kyrgyzstan	70.0
	The Americas Avg	72.58
	World Avg	71.28
q=195.

Alcohol Consumption Lower is better34
Pos.		2016 Per Capita34
1	Bangladesh	0.0
2	Kuwait	0.0
3	Libya	0.0
	...
105	Antigua & Barbuda	7.0
106	Niue	7.0
107	China	7.2
108	Paraguay	7.2
109	Mongolia	7.4
110	Albania	7.5
111	Burundi	7.5
112	Italy	7.5
	The Americas Avg	6.9
	World Avg	6.2
q=189.

Fertility Rate 2.0 is best13
Pos.		201313
1	N. Korea	2.00
2	Brunei	1.99
3	St Vincent & Grenadines	2.01
	...
114	Malta	1.28
115	Syria	2.81
116	Bosnia & Herzegovina	1.13
117	Paraguay	2.87
118	Hong Kong	1.12
119	Israel	2.91
120	Jordan	2.93
121	Honduras	3.02
	The Americas Avg	2.29
	World Avg	2.81
q=180.

Smoking Rates Lower is better32
Pos.		201432
1	Guinea	15
2	Solomon Islands	26
3	Kiribati	28
	...
34	Chad	156
35	Zambia	165
36	Gambia	166
37	Paraguay	166
38	Nigeria	173
39	Guinea-Bissau	175
40	Central African Rep.	178
41	Cameroon	184
	The Americas Avg	457
	World Avg	819
q=182.

Suicide Rate31
Pos.		2013 Per 100k31
1	Haiti	0
2	Grenada	0
3	Egypt	0.1
	...
15	Venezuela	6.5
16	Malta	6.9
17	Greece	7
18	Paraguay	7.1
19	St Vincent & Grenadines	7.3
20	Guatemala	7.3
21	Barbados	7.3
22	Belize	7.3
	The Americas Avg	13.57
	World Avg	20.93
q=91.

Food Aid, Health Contributions & WHO Compliance Lower is better33
Pos.		2017 Rank33
1	Sweden	1
2	Ireland	2
3	Denmark	3
	...
66	Georgia	66
67	Belarus	67
68	Brunei	68
69	Paraguay	69
70	Latvia	70
71	Liberia	71
72	Kazakhstan	72
73	Egypt	73
	The Americas Avg	94.3
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Overweight Adults Lower is better36
Pos.		2016 %36
1	Vietnam	18.3
2	India	19.7
3	Bangladesh	20.0
	...
83	Barbados	52.4
84	Papua New Guinea	52.9
85	Bosnia & Herzegovina	53.3
86	Paraguay	53.5
87	Kazakhstan	53.6
88	Azerbaijan	53.6
89	S. Africa	53.8
90	Georgia	54.2
	The Americas Avg	57.4
	World Avg	49.0
q=191.

Children's Health:

Adolescent Birth Rate Lower is better26
Pos.		2015 Per 100026
1	N. Korea	0.5
2	S. Korea	1.6
3	Switzerland	2.9
	...
117	Uruguay	56.1
118	Costa Rica	56.5
119	Seychelles	57.4
120	Paraguay	57.4
121	Ethiopia	58.4
122	Palestine	58.6
123	Jamaica	59.7
124	Azerbaijan	59.8
	The Americas Avg	56.6
	World Avg	47.9
q=185.

Infant Immunizations 2011-2015 Higher is better35
Pos.		2015 Avg %35
1	Hungary	99.0
2	China	99.0
3	Uzbekistan	98.9
	...
129	Colombia	88.4
130	Kiribati	88.4
131	Netherlands	88.1
132	Paraguay	88.1
133	Bosnia & Herzegovina	88.0
134	Sierra Leone	87.7
135	Suriname	87.2
136	Ecuador	86.8
	The Americas Avg	91.3
	World Avg	88.3
q=194.

6. Paraguay's Modernity and Learning

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

Compared to The Americas (2020)37
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank37
1	Canada	21.6
2	USA	29.3
3	Argentina	43.8
	...
31	St Vincent & Grenadines	90.3
32	Jamaica	97.8
33	St Lucia	97.8
34	Paraguay	104.4
35	El Salvador	111.1
36	Guatemala	111.7
37	Suriname	114.4
38	Nicaragua	117.7
39	Guyana	122.6
	The Americas Avg	81.7
q=41.

Modernity & Learning (2020)37
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank37
1	Finland	8.4
2	Taiwan	10.0
3	Switzerland	15.1
	...
138	Marshall Islands	102.8
139	Algeria	103.4
140	Samoa	103.4
141	Paraguay	104.4
142	Turkmenistan	105.3
143	Guinea-Bissau	106.0
144	Zambia	107.9
145	Ethiopia	108.4
	World Avg	83.2
q=205.

Modernity and Education:

Research & Development Higher is better
Pos.		2016 % RDP PPP
1	S. Korea	4.2938
2	Israel	4.1138
3	Japan	3.5838
	...
108	Philippines	0.1139
109	Myanmar (Burma)	0.1140
110	Peru	0.1041
111	Paraguay	0.0942
112	Congo, DR	0.0843
113	Indonesia	0.0844
114	Saudi Arabia	0.0745
115	Algeria	0.0741
	The Americas Avg	0.47
	World Avg	0.84
q=126.

Secondary Education Higher is better46
Pos.		201846
1	Luxembourg	100.0%
2	Estonia	100.0%
3	Austria	100.0%
	...
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%
120	St Lucia	46.0%
	The Americas Avg	63.0%
	World Avg	63.0%
q=169.

Length of Schooling Higher is better47
Pos.		2021 Years47
1	Australia	21.1
2	New Zealand	20.3
3	Greece	20.0
	...
108	Panama	13.1
109	Suriname	13.0
110	Belize	13.0
111	Paraguay	13.0
112	Gabon	13.0
113	Vietnam	13.0
114	Togo	13.0
115	Bahamas	12.9
	The Americas Avg	14.2
	World Avg	13.5
q=193.

Intellectual Endeavours Lower is better33
Pos.		2017 Rank33
1	Ukraine	1
2	Czechia	2
3	Hungary	3
	...
152	Sierra Leone	152
153	Cambodia	153
154	Zambia	154
155	Paraguay	155
156	Tanzania	156
157	Equatorial Guinea	157
158	Guyana	158
159	Afghanistan	159
	The Americas Avg	99.8
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Religiosity Lower is better48
Pos.		2018 %48
1	China	3
2	Estonia	6
3	Czechia	7
	...
51	USA	53
52	Bosnia & Herzegovina	54
53	Greece	56
54	Paraguay	56
55	Lebanon	57
56	Panama	61
57	Venezuela	67
58	Turkey	68
	The Americas Avg	65.4
	World Avg	54.3
q=106.

IQ Higher is better49
Pos.		200649
1	Hong Kong	108
2	Singapore	108
3	S. Korea	106
	...
81	Iran	84
82	Pakistan	84
83	Panama	84
84	Paraguay	84
85	Morocco	84
86	Saudi Arabia	84
87	Algeria	83
88	Libya	83
	The Americas Avg	85.3
	World Avg	85.6
q=138.

Technology and Information:

Internet Users Higher is better50
Pos.		201650
1	Iceland	100%
2	Faroe Islands	99%
3	Norway	98%
	...
100	Iran	49%
101	Tunisia	48%
102	Moldova	48%
103	Paraguay	47%
104	Fiji	47%
105	Tonga	47%
106	Nigeria	46%
107	Jordan	46%
	The Americas Avg	56.4%
	World Avg	48.1%
q=201.

IPv6 Uptake Higher is better51
Pos.		2017 Ratio51
1	Belgium	55.4
2	Germany	41.8
3	Switzerland	35.1
	...
82	Philippines	0.0
83	Macedonia	0.0
84	Pakistan	0.0
85	Paraguay	0.0
86	Chile	0.0
87	US Virgin Islands	0.0
88	Mauritius	0.0
89	Botswana	0.0
	The Americas Avg	3.36
	World Avg	3.82
q=176.

7. National Culture

#charity #corruption #happiness #morals #politics

Paraguay has a consistently awful long-term record on corruption.

World Giving Index Higher is better52
Pos.		2022 %52
1	Indonesia	68.0
2	Kenya	61.0
3	USA	59.0
	...
38	Sri Lanka	44.0
39	Ethiopia	44.0
40	Bosnia & Herzegovina	44.0
41	Paraguay	44.0
42	Dominican Rep.	44.0
43	Kyrgyzstan	44.0
44	Mexico	44.0
45	Costa Rica	44.0
	The Americas Avg	43.7
	World Avg	39.6
q=125.

Corruption Higher is better53
Pos.		2022 Points53
1	Denmark	90.0
2	Finland	87.0
3	New Zealand	87.0
	...
134	Djibouti	30.0
135	Papua New Guinea	30.0
136	Gabon	29.0
137	Paraguay	28.0
138	Russia	28.0
139	Mali	28.0
140	Pakistan	27.0
141	Kyrgyzstan	27.0
	The Americas Avg	42.97
	World Avg	42.98
q=180.

Happiness Higher is better54
Pos.		2018 Score54
1	Finland	7.6
2	Norway	7.6
3	Denmark	7.6
	...
61	Cyprus	5.8
62	Bolivia	5.8
63	Estonia	5.7
64	Paraguay	5.7
65	Peru	5.7
66	Kosovo	5.7
67	Moldova	5.6
68	Turkmenistan	5.6
	The Americas Avg	6.05
	World Avg	5.38
q=156.

Creativity & Culture Lower is better33
Pos.		2017 Rank33
1	Belgium	1
2	Netherlands	2
3	Estonia	3
	...
137	Congo, (Brazzaville)	137
138	Algeria	138
139	Azerbaijan	139
140	Paraguay	140
141	Sri Lanka	141
142	Malawi	142
143	Benin	143
144	Cameroon	144
	The Americas Avg	80.2
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Open Trading, Aid & Development Lower is better33
Pos.		2017 Rank33
1	Ireland	1
2	Denmark	2
3	Sweden	3
	...
151	Suriname	151
152	Gabon	152
153	Iraq	153
154	Paraguay	154
155	Grenada	155
156	Venezuela	156
157	Bahrain	157
158	Mauritania	158
	The Americas Avg	100.5
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

8. Peace Versus Instability

#2010s #extremism #human_development #peace #politics #religious_violence #terrorism

Global Peace Index Lower is better55
Pos.		2023 Score55
1	Iceland	1.12
2	Denmark	1.31
3	Ireland	1.31
	...
66	Armenia	1.93
67	France	1.94
68	Panama	1.94
69	Paraguay	1.94
70	Liberia	1.95
71	Trinidad & Tobago	1.95
72	Kosovo	1.95
73	Cambodia	1.95
	The Americas Avg	2.13
	World Avg	2.07
q=163.

Peacekeeping & Security Lower is better33
Pos.		2017 Rank33
1	Samoa	1
2	S. Africa	2
3	Tunisia	3
	...
27	Netherlands	27
28	Mongolia	28
29	Rwanda	29
30	Paraguay	30
31	Jordan	31
32	India	32
33	New Zealand	33
34	Malaysia	34
	The Americas Avg	82.3
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Refugees & UN Treaties Lower is better33
Pos.		2017 Rank33
1	Austria	1
2	Germany	2
3	Netherlands	3
	...
79	Algeria	79
80	Ecuador	80
81	Kuwait	81
82	Paraguay	82
83	Sierra Leone	83
84	Israel	84
85	Tanzania	85
86	Jamaica	86
	The Americas Avg	91.5
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Impact of Terrorism Lower is better56
Pos.		2019 Score56
1	Togo	0.00
2	Mongolia	0.00
3	Swaziland	0.00
	...
86	Nicaragua	2.95
87	Jordan	3.09
88	Italy	3.11
89	Paraguay	3.12
90	Bahrain	3.20
91	Tanzania	3.27
92	Spain	3.35
93	Bolivia	3.39
	The Americas Avg	2.16
	World Avg	2.78
q=150.

9. The Natural Environment

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

Forest Area Change 1990-2015 Higher is better57
Pos.		2015 %57
1	Iceland	+205.6
2	Bahrain	+144.4
3	Uruguay	+131.3
	...
167	Myanmar (Burma)	-25.9
168	Cambodia	-26.9
169	Chad	-27.3
170	Paraguay	-27.6
171	Timor-Leste (E. Timor)	-29.0
172	Mali	-29.5
173	El Salvador	-29.7
174	Nicaragua	-31.0
	The Americas Avg	-00.2
	World Avg	+02.8
q=184.

Environmental Performance Higher is better58
Pos.		201858
1	Switzerland	87.4
2	France	84.0
3	Denmark	81.6
	...
102	Samoa	54.5
103	Suriname	54.2
104	Sao Tome & Principe	54.0
105	Paraguay	53.9
106	El Salvador	53.9
107	Fiji	53.1
108	Turkey	53.0
109	Ukraine	52.9
	The Americas Avg	58.8
	World Avg	56.4
q=180.

Energy to GDP Efficiency Higher is better59
Pos.		201459
1	Hong Kong	26.32
2	Sri Lanka	20.00
3	Panama	17.86
	...
39	Azerbaijan	10.87
40	Netherlands	10.75
41	Mexico	10.64
42	Paraguay	10.53
43	Chile	10.42
44	Lithuania	10.42
45	Norway	10.42
46	Japan	10.20
	The Americas Avg	10.78
	World Avg	09.29
q=119.

Convention on Biological Diversity Earlier is better
Pos.		0 Signed
1	China	1993 Dec 29
2	Guinea	1993 Dec 29
3	Cook Islands	1993 Dec 29
	...
45	Malawi	1994 May 03
46	Samoa	1994 May 10
47	India	1994 May 19
48	Paraguay	1994 May 25
49	Hungary	1994 May 25
50	Brazil	1994 May 29
51	Cuba	1994 Jun 06
52	Namibia	1997 Aug 14
	The Americas Avg	1899 Dec 30
	World Avg	1899 Dec 30
q=197.

Rational Beliefs on the Environment Higher is better60
Pos.		2011 %60
1	Argentina	78.3%
2	Greece	77.6%
3	Brazil	77.1%
	...
9	S. Korea	70.7%
10	Colombia	70.3%
11	Bolivia	69.3%
12	Paraguay	68.9%
13	Mexico	67.0%
14	Nicaragua	67.0%
15	El Salvador	66.8%
16	Indonesia	66.5%
	The Americas Avg	58.6%
	World Avg	39.9%
q=145.

10. Economic Inequality and Poverty

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

Inequality in Life Expectancy Lower is better61
Pos.		201961
1	Iceland	2.40
2	Singapore	2.50
3	Hong Kong	2.50
	...
104	Nicaragua	13.10
105	Mongolia	13.10
106	Honduras	13.30
107	Paraguay	13.80
108	Uzbekistan	13.90
109	Indonesia	13.90
110	Azerbaijan	13.90
111	Algeria	14.10
	The Americas Avg	12.03
	World Avg	14.59
q=184.

Income Inequality (Gini Coefficient) Lower is better62
Pos.		2017 %62
1	Ukraine	25.0
2	Belarus	25.4
3	Slovenia	25.4
	...
134	Benin	47.8
135	Guatemala	48.3
136	Costa Rica	48.3
137	Paraguay	48.8
138	Congo, (Brazzaville)	48.9
139	Colombia	49.7
140	Panama	49.9
141	Honduras	50.5
	The Americas Avg	45.2
	World Avg	38.1
q=152.

Multidimensional Poverty Lower is better63
Pos.		2018 Severity63
1	Armenia	.001
2	Ukraine	.001
3	Serbia	.001
	...
26	Belize	.017
27	Ecuador	.018
28	Jamaica	.018
29	Paraguay	.019
30	Vietnam	.019
31	Egypt	.019
32	Colombia	.020
33	Philippines	.024
	The Americas Avg	.045
	World Avg	.154
q=101.

11. Religion and Beliefs

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

Religiosity (2018)48
Pos.		Lower is better %48
1	China	3
2	Estonia	6
3	Czechia	7
	...
51	USA	53
52	Bosnia & Herzegovina	54
53	Greece	56
54	Paraguay	56
55	Lebanon	57
56	Panama	61
57	Venezuela	67
58	Turkey	68
59	Bolivia	71
60	Botswana	71
61	Brazil	72
62	Egypt	72
63	Algeria	73
64	Peru	73
65	S. Africa	75
66	Ecuador	76
	World Avg	54.3
q=106.

Disbelief In God (2007)64
Pos.		Higher is better %64
1	Vietnam	81
2	Japan	65
3	Sweden	64
	...
70	Tajikistan	2
71	Turkmenistan	2
72	Indonesia	2
73	Paraguay	1
74	Nicaragua	1
75	Bolivia	1
76	Colombia	1
77	Costa Rica	1
78	Honduras	1
79	Brazil	1
80	Ecuador	1
81	S. Africa	1
82	Venezuela	1
83	Peru	1
84	Guatemala	1
85	El Salvador	1
	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 below₆₅:

Christian	96.9%
Muslim	0.1%
Hindu	0.1%
Buddhist	0.1%
Folk Religion	1.7%
Jewish	0.1%
Unaffiliated	1.1%

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 99% of the populace say they belong to a religion, only 56% 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 89.6%, Protestant 6.2%, other Christian 1.1%, other or unspecified 1.9%, none 1.1% (2002 census)₆₆.

Freedom of Religion and Belief: Although Paraguay's constitution states that "the State is independent of religion"₆₇, the Catholic Church is also named as a cooperative partner in Articles 24 and 89₂₈. Conservative Catholics have great influence over politics to the extent that they damage democracy and human rights, especially women's rights and LGBT tolerance. With support of US Christian organisations, they managed ban the teaching of tolerance in schools, with the Minister for Education swearing that he would "burn any books that contained so-called gender ideology"₂₈.

Links:

• A List of All Religions and Belief Systems
• Secularisation Theory: Will Modern Society Reject Religion? What is Secularism?
• Human Rights and Freedom in Paraguay: 4.3. Freedom of Thought

There isn't much information in the database for Paraguay, most likely because it is either a part of another country (i.e., a territory or possession) and therefore most international statistics are counted for the country as a whole, or, this is such an exotic place that little data exists about it.