Qatar (State of Qatar)

Qatar State of Qatar
Status	Independent State
Social and Moral Index	91st best
Capital	Doha
Land Area	11 610km21
Location	Asia, The Middle East
Population	2.8m2
Life Expectancy	79.27yrs (2017)3
GNI	$87 134 (2017)4
ISO3166-1 Codes	QA, QAT, 6345
Internet Domain	.qa6
Currency	Rial (QAR)7
Telephone	+9748

1. Overview
2. Qatar National and Social Development
3. Qatar's Demographics and Migration
4. Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance
5. Qatar's Health
6. Qatar'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. Al-Jazeera News Station
13. Links

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1. Overview

#bahrain #libya #saudi_arabia

“Ruled by the Al Thani family since the mid-1800s, Qatar transformed itself from a poor British protectorate noted mainly for pearling into an independent state with significant oil and natural gas revenues. During the late 1980s and early 1990s, the Qatari economy was crippled by a continuous siphoning off of petroleum revenues by the Amir, who had ruled the country since 1972. His son, the current Amir HAMAD bin Khalifa Al Thani, overthrew him in a bloodless coup in 1995. In 2001, Qatar resolved its longstanding border disputes with both Bahrain and Saudi Arabia. As of 2007, oil and natural gas revenues had enabled Qatar to attain the highest per capita income in the world. Qatar has not experienced the level of unrest or violence seen in other Near Eastern and North African countries in 2010-11, due in part to its immense wealth. Qatar's international image is bolstered in part by the Doha-based Al Jazeera news network, which has provided comprehensive coverage of the Near East and North African Arab revolutions. Additionally, Qatar played a significant role in the Libyan revolution by pressing the Gulf Cooperation Council and the Arab League to assist the Libyan rebel movement.”

CIA's The World Factbook (2013)₉

“Combining Bedouin heritage with modern elegance and luxury, Qatar offers an excellent introduction to the Arab world. Ask the Qataris, Bedouin roots notwithstanding, what they are most proud of and they will undoubtedly say Doha. And indeed you can see why: the modern capital with its spectacular tapering towers, elegant corniche and extravagant malls, makes Doha arguably the finest stop over in the Gulf.But there´s more to Qatar than a shopping spree. The whole country, with its heritage souqs, world-class Museum of Islamic Art, and lyrical sand dunes, provides travellers the perfect first step into the Middle East but without the tensions often associated with the region.

The success of this booming nation is more than just skin deep. Rapid economic expansion, barely slowed by the global recession, international sports tournaments, and Education City: these are some of the many hallmarks of Qatar´s sophistication. Chances are, if you spend a night in the vibrant city of Doha, you´ll be lobbying the relatives to stay a whole lot longer in Qatar.”

"The World" by Lonely Planet (2014)₁₀

2. Qatar 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
	...
39	Latvia	0.863
40	Croatia	0.858
41	Andorra	0.858
42	Qatar	0.855
43	Chile	0.855
44	San Marino	0.853
45	Slovakia	0.848
46	Hungary	0.846
	Asia 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
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
	Asia Avg	$22 215
	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
	...
88	Kyrgyzstan	69.4
89	Jordan	69.4
90	Morocco	70.0
91	Qatar	70.5
92	Dominican Rep.	71.7
93	Fiji	72.1
94	Kazakhstan	72.1
95	Kuwait	72.1
	Asia Avg	72.4
	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. Qatar's Demographics and Migration

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

Population:

Qatar's population is predicted to fall to 2 371 000 by 2030. Developed countries with falling populations face a pension's crises, whereby an increasingly ageing population must be cared for by fewer and fewer workers. Economic stability can be maintained by increasing foreign workers from younger countries. This country has a fertility rate of 2.20. 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
	...
137	Jamaica	2.9m
138	Albania	2.9m
139	Lithuania	2.8m
140	Qatar	2.8m
141	Namibia	2.4m
142	Gambia	2.3m
143	Botswana	2.3m
144	Gabon	2.1m
	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
	...
32	Andorra	80.4
33	Greece	80.1
34	Maldives	79.9
35	Qatar	79.3
36	Chile	78.9
37	Bahrain	78.8
38	Thailand	78.7
39	UAE	78.7
	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
	...
29	El Salvador	2.18
30	Grenada	2.18
31	Costa Rica	1.81
32	Qatar	2.20
33	Morocco	2.20
34	Brazil	1.80
35	Guyana	2.21
36	Netherlands	1.79
	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
	...
10	Afghanistan	05.0
11	Zimbabwe	05.0
12	Nigeria	05.1
13	Qatar	05.1
14	Somalia	05.4
15	Togo	05.4
16	Ivory Coast	05.6
17	Malawi	05.6
	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%
4	Liechtenstein	65.1%
5	Monaco	54.9%
6	Andorra	53.3%
7	Bahrain	48.4%
8	Singapore	46.0%
9	Luxembourg	45.3%
10	Oman	44.7%
11	Hong Kong	39.1%
12	Saudi Arabia	37.0%
	World Avg	9.4%
q=195.

Emigrants16
Pos.		2010 %16
1	Dominica	104.8%
2	Palestine	68.4%
3	Samoa	67.3%
	...
182	Tanzania	0.7%
183	Brazil	0.7%
184	Saudi Arabia	0.7%
185	Qatar	0.7%
186	Nigeria	0.6%
187	Maldives	0.6%
188	China	0.6%
189	Japan	0.6%
	World Avg	11.5%
q=192.

4. Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance

#equality #freedom #gender_equality #human_rights #Islam #morals #politics #prejudice #qatar #tolerance #Wahabi

Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance (2020)17
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank17
1	Sweden	9.2
2	Norway	14.7
3	Denmark	14.7
	...
152	Gambia	117.4
153	Saudi Arabia	117.6
154	Liberia	118.0
155	Qatar	119.3
156	UAE	119.8
157	Central African Rep.	121.2
	Asia Avg	99.8
	World Avg	87.7
q=199.

Strict Wahabi Islam serves as an impenetrable barrier against progress. Qatar 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. Qatar does better than average when it comes to commentary in Human Rights Watch reports₁₈. But that's it. Qatar has problems. It does worse than average for supporting press freedom₁₉ (still low for Asia), supporting personal, civil & economic freedoms₂₀, speed of uptake of HR treaties₂₁, opposing gender inequality₂₂, its nominal commitment to Human Rights₂₃ and in freethought₂₄. It falls into the worst-performing 20 in terms of its success in fighting anti-semitic prejudice₂₅ and in LGBT equality₂₆ (amongst the lowest in Asia). And finally, it is second-from-the-bottom in the rate of gender bias (from 7 indicators)₂₇. There is widespread and serious "legal, cultural, and institutional discrimination against, women and girls, LGBTI+ people, non-Qatari nationals, certain local tribes, and other minorities"₂₈. Hundreds of preventable deaths annually may be attributable to poor labour protection law₂₉. Progress is not helped by the fact that the richest 1% hold 29% of the country's entire income₃₀.

For tables, charts and commentary, see:

• Human Rights and Freedom in Qatar

5. Qatar's Health

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

Compared to Asia (2020)31
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank31
1	Hong Kong	18.3
2	Maldives	41.0
3	Singapore	42.6
	...
15	Kuwait	67.1
16	Uzbekistan	68.4
17	Saudi Arabia	69.3
18	Qatar	70.6
19	Iran	75.5
20	UAE	75.8
21	Bahrain	77.3
22	Armenia	78.4
23	Cyprus	78.6
	Asia Avg	80.1
q=50.

Health (2020)31
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank31
1	Monaco	13.0
2	Hong Kong	18.3
3	Maldives	41.0
	...
22	Uzbekistan	68.4
23	Saudi Arabia	69.3
24	Spain	69.6
25	Qatar	70.6
26	Portugal	72.3
27	Luxembourg	72.9
28	Morocco	73.1
29	Denmark	74.3
	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:

Public health in Qatar is very good. Qatar does better than average in its food aid and health contributions and WHO compliance₃₃, its average life expectancy₁₁, its adolescent birth rate₂₂, its alcohol consumption rate₃₄, its immunizations take-up₃₅ and in its fertility rate₁₃. Qatar does not succeed in everything, however. Qatar does worse than average for its smoking rate₃₆. The number of overweight adults has increased by 14% over the last 40 years. Life expectancy in Qatar improved by +7yrs in the 30 years from 1990, on par with the global average improvement of +7.9yrs.

Life Expectancy Higher is better11
Pos.		2021 Years11
1	Monaco	85.9
2	Hong Kong	85.5
3	Japan	84.8
	...
32	Andorra	80.4
33	Greece	80.1
34	Maldives	79.9
35	Qatar	79.3
36	Chile	78.9
37	Bahrain	78.8
38	Thailand	78.7
39	UAE	78.7
	Asia Avg	73.48
	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
	...
39	Madagascar	1.9
40	Tunisia	1.9
41	Bahrain	1.9
42	Qatar	2.0
43	Nepal	2.0
44	Singapore	2.0
45	Turkey	2.0
46	Timor-Leste (E. Timor)	2.1
	Asia Avg	3.9
	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
	...
29	El Salvador	2.18
30	Grenada	2.18
31	Costa Rica	1.81
32	Qatar	2.20
33	Morocco	2.20
34	Brazil	1.80
35	Guyana	2.21
36	Netherlands	1.79
	Asia Avg	2.46
	World Avg	2.81
q=180.

Smoking Rates Lower is better36
Pos.		201436
1	Guinea	15
2	Solomon Islands	26
3	Kiribati	28
	...
103	Morocco	671
104	New Zealand	680
105	Kyrgyzstan	68337
106	Qatar	698
107	UAE	715
108	Namibia	740
109	Papua New Guinea	826
110	UK	827
	Asia Avg	1 035
	World Avg	819
q=182.

Food Aid, Health Contributions & WHO Compliance Lower is better33
Pos.		2017 Rank33
1	Sweden	1
2	Ireland	2
3	Denmark	3
	...
22	Spain	22
23	France	23
24	Italy	24
25	Qatar	25
26	Oman	26
27	Estonia	27
28	Austria	28
29	Greece	29
	Asia Avg	64.4
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Overweight Adults Lower is better38
Pos.		2016 %38
1	Vietnam	18.3
2	India	19.7
3	Bangladesh	20.0
	...
177	USA	67.9
178	Jordan	69.6
179	Saudi Arabia	69.7
180	Qatar	71.7
181	Kuwait	73.4
182	Micronesia	75.9
183	Samoa	77.6
184	Tonga	78.5
	Asia Avg	44.3
	World Avg	49.0
q=191.

Children's Health:

Adolescent Birth Rate Lower is better22
Pos.		2015 Per 100022
1	N. Korea	0.5
2	S. Korea	1.6
3	Switzerland	2.9
	...
35	Czechia	9.9
36	Ireland	10.4
37	Algeria	10.6
38	Qatar	10.7
39	Lithuania	11.0
40	Montenegro	12.2
41	Lebanon	12.4
42	Estonia	13.1
	Asia Avg	29.9
	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
	...
53	Tunisia	95.7
54	Japan	95.7
55	Portugal	95.7
56	Qatar	95.6
57	Armenia	95.6
58	Uruguay	95.6
59	Bhutan	95.6
60	Turkey	95.5
	Asia Avg	90.5
	World Avg	88.3
q=194.

6. Qatar's Modernity and Learning

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

Compared to Asia (2020)39
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank39
1	Taiwan	10.0
2	Japan	21.9
3	S. Korea	24.0
	...
22	Kyrgyzstan	71.8
23	Thailand	72.9
24	India	73.8
25	Qatar	75.5
26	Bahrain	75.6
27	Kuwait	77.6
28	Sri Lanka	79.6
29	Jordan	81.1
30	Philippines	81.8
	Asia Avg	79.0
q=51.

Modernity & Learning (2020)39
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank39
1	Finland	8.4
2	Taiwan	10.0
3	Switzerland	15.1
	...
89	Andorra	74.5
90	Tonga	75.2
91	New Caledonia	75.5
92	Qatar	75.5
93	Bahrain	75.6
94	Colombia	77.1
95	Kuwait	77.6
96	Sri Lanka	79.6
	World Avg	83.2
q=205.

Modernity and Education:

Research & Development Higher is better
Pos.		2016 % RDP PPP
1	S. Korea	4.2940
2	Israel	4.1140
3	Japan	3.5840
	...
60	Uganda	0.4841
61	Cyprus	0.4842
62	Costa Rica	0.4743
63	Qatar	0.4744
64	Cuba	0.4742
65	Macedonia	0.4442
66	Puerto Rico	0.4442
67	Jordan	0.4345
	Asia Avg	0.75
	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%
	...
78	Iran	69.8%
79	Vietnam	69.4%
80	Venezuela	69.2%
81	Qatar	67.5%
82	Mauritius	66.9%
83	Oman	66.4%
84	Jamaica	66.3%
85	Egypt	65.3%
	Asia Avg	66.0%
	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
	...
120	Malawi	12.7
121	El Salvador	12.7
122	Nicaragua	12.6
123	Qatar	12.6
124	Maldives	12.6
125	Timor-Leste (E. Timor)	12.6
126	Cape Verde	12.6
127	Guyana	12.5
	Asia Avg	13.5
	World Avg	13.5
q=193.

Intellectual Endeavours Lower is better33
Pos.		2017 Rank33
1	Ukraine	1
2	Czechia	2
3	Hungary	3
	...
142	Nigeria	142
143	Mali	143
144	Congo, (Brazzaville)	144
145	Qatar	145
146	Philippines	146
147	Mozambique	147
148	Lesotho	148
149	Venezuela	149
	Asia Avg	97.1
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Maths, Science & Reading Higher is better48
Pos.		2015 Score48
1	Singapore	1655
2	Hong Kong	1598
3	Japan	1586
	...
56	Albania	1245
57	Thailand	1245
58	Colombia	1231
59	Qatar	1222
60	Georgia	1216
61	Jordan	1197
62	Indonesia	1186
63	Brazil	1185
	Asia Avg	1398
	World Avg	1389
q=70.

Technology and Information:

Internet Users Higher is better49
Pos.		201649
1	Iceland	100%
2	Faroe Islands	99%
3	Norway	98%
	...
11	Monaco	93%
12	UK	93%
13	Finland	93%
14	Qatar	92%
15	UAE	92%
16	Bahrain	92%
17	Estonia	91%
18	Japan	91%
	Asia Avg	48.7%
	World Avg	48.1%
q=201.

IT Security Lower is better50
Pos.		201350
1	Ireland	0.11
2	Luxembourg	0.11
3	Belize	0.11
	...
23	S. Korea	0.56
24	Australia	0.63
25	Libya	0.63
26	Qatar	0.65
27	Chile	0.66
28	Guinea-Bissau	0.67
29	Uzbekistan	0.69
30	Moldova	0.71
	Asia Avg	1.08
	World Avg	0.98

IPv6 Uptake Higher is better51
Pos.		2017 Ratio51
1	Belgium	55.4
2	Germany	41.8
3	Switzerland	35.1
	...
106	Malta	0.0
107	Turkmenistan	0.0
108	Bangladesh	0.0
109	Qatar	0.0
110	Kuwait	0.0
111	Guernsey	0.0
112	Bahamas	0.0
113	Antigua & Barbuda	0.0
	Asia Avg	2.11
	World Avg	3.82
q=176.

7. National Culture

#charity #corruption #happiness #morals #politics

Qatar had an adequate long-term record on corruption, but in the ten years from 2012 perceptions have gotten much worse.

Corruption Higher is better52
Pos.		2022 Points52
1	Denmark	90.0
2	Finland	87.0
3	New Zealand	87.0
	...
37	St Vincent & Grenadines	60.0
38	Botswana	60.0
39	Latvia	59.0
40	Qatar	58.0
41	Czechia	56.0
42	Georgia	56.0
43	Italy	56.0
44	Slovenia	56.0
	Asia Avg	39.98
	World Avg	42.98
q=180.

Happiness Higher is better53
Pos.		2018 Score53
1	Finland	7.6
2	Norway	7.6
3	Denmark	7.6
	...
29	Argentina	6.4
30	Guatemala	6.4
31	Uruguay	6.4
32	Qatar	6.4
33	Saudi Arabia	6.4
34	Singapore	6.3
35	Malaysia	6.3
36	Spain	6.3
	Asia Avg	5.29
	World Avg	5.38
q=156.

Creativity & Culture Lower is better33
Pos.		2017 Rank33
1	Belgium	1
2	Netherlands	2
3	Estonia	3
	...
111	China	111
112	Swaziland	112
113	Argentina	113
114	Qatar	114
115	Afghanistan	115
116	Ivory Coast	116
117	Panama	117
118	Colombia	118
	Asia Avg	99.0
	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
	...
58	El Salvador	58
59	Senegal	59
60	Kyrgyzstan	60
61	Qatar	61
62	USA	62
63	Congo, DR	63
64	Honduras	64
65	S. Korea	65
	Asia Avg	86.3
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

8. Peace Versus Instability

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

Global Peace Index Lower is better54
Pos.		2023 Score54
1	Iceland	1.12
2	Denmark	1.31
3	Ireland	1.31
	...
18	Hungary	1.51
19	Malaysia	1.51
20	Belgium	1.52
21	Qatar	1.52
22	Australia	1.53
23	Mauritius	1.55
24	Norway	1.55
25	Estonia	1.56
	Asia Avg	2.17
	World Avg	2.07
q=163.

Peacekeeping & Security Lower is better33
Pos.		2017 Rank33
1	Samoa	1
2	S. Africa	2
3	Tunisia	3
	...
33	New Zealand	33
34	Malaysia	34
35	S. Korea	35
36	Qatar	36
37	Germany	37
38	Togo	38
39	Argentina	39
40	China	40
	Asia Avg	76.0
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Refugees & UN Treaties Lower is better33
Pos.		2017 Rank33
1	Austria	1
2	Germany	2
3	Netherlands	3
	...
91	Venezuela	91
92	Belarus	92
93	Ghana	93
94	Qatar	94
95	Peru	95
96	Gabon	96
97	Russia	97
98	Papua New Guinea	98
	Asia Avg	92.2
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Impact of Terrorism Lower is better55
Pos.		2019 Score55
1	Togo	0.00
2	Mongolia	0.00
3	Swaziland	0.00
	...
14	Bhutan	0.01
15	Trinidad & Tobago	0.02
16	Uzbekistan	0.02
17	Qatar	0.03
18	Iceland	0.03
19	Panama	0.04
20	Guyana	0.04
21	UAE	0.05
	Asia Avg	3.60
	World Avg	2.78
q=150.

9. The Natural Environment

#biodiversity #climate_change #the_environment

Environmental Performance Higher is better56
Pos.		201856
1	Switzerland	87.4
2	France	84.0
3	Denmark	81.6
	...
29	Lithuania	69.3
30	Bulgaria	67.9
31	Costa Rica	67.9
32	Qatar	67.8
33	Czechia	67.7
34	Slovenia	67.6
35	Trinidad & Tobago	67.4
36	St Vincent & Grenadines	66.5
	Asia Avg	54.5
	World Avg	56.4
q=180.

Energy to GDP Efficiency Higher is better57
Pos.		201457
1	Hong Kong	26.32
2	Sri Lanka	20.00
3	Panama	17.86
	...
85	Saudi Arabia	07.04
86	Honduras	06.80
87	Bulgaria	06.54
88	Qatar	06.49
89	Finland	06.33
90	Oman	06.29
91	S. Korea	06.29
92	Estonia	06.13
	Asia Avg	09.14
	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
	...
156	Iran	1996 Nov 04
157	S. Sudan	2014 May 18
158	Mauritania	1996 Nov 14
159	Qatar	1996 Nov 19
160	Bahrain	1996 Nov 28
161	Turkmenistan	1996 Dec 17
162	Laos	1996 Dec 19
163	Haiti	1996 Dec 24
	Asia Avg	1899 Dec 30
	World Avg	1899 Dec 30
q=197.

Rational Beliefs on the Environment Higher is better58
Pos.		2011 %58
1	Argentina	78.3%
2	Greece	77.6%
3	Brazil	77.1%
	...
102	Saudi Arabia	27.2%
103	Belgium	26.9%
104	Syria	26.6%
105	Qatar	26.5%
106	Bahrain	26.3%
107	S. Africa	26.2%
108	Lithuania	25.6%
109	Nigeria	25.3%
	Asia Avg	37.9%
	World Avg	39.9%
q=145.

10. Economic Inequality and Poverty

#health #inequality #life_expectancy

Inequality in Life Expectancy Lower is better59
Pos.		201959
1	Iceland	2.40
2	Singapore	2.50
3	Hong Kong	2.50
	...
42	Latvia	5.40
43	Lithuania	5.50
44	Bahrain	5.50
45	Qatar	5.70
46	Kuwait	5.90
47	Maldives	6.00
48	Malaysia	6.10
49	Bulgaria	6.10
	Asia Avg	11.80
	World Avg	14.59
q=184.

11. Religion and Beliefs

#buddhism #christianity #hinduism #islam #judaism #qatar #religion #religiosity #saudi_arabia #secularisation

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	13.8%
Muslim	67.7%
Hindu	13.8%
Buddhist	3.1%
Folk Religion	0.1%
Jewish	0.1%
Unaffiliated	0.9%

The CIA World Factbook has slightly different data, and states: Muslim 77.5%, Christian 8.5%, other 14% (2004 census)₆₁.

Freedom of Religion and Belief: Qatar belongs to the same puritanical Wahhabi branch of Islam as Saudi Arabia, its neighbour₆₂, which is often at the absolute bottom of freedom of thought indices. In Qatar, there is not much religious activity outside of Wahhabi. Islamic schools are the only permitted kind₂₈ and promoting any other religion other than Islam is illegal₂₈. It does only apply its most restrictive religious laws to locals - so consistently, that in the evening, they shelve their traditional attire and sneak out en masse as the only way of having a free life away from their own oppressive laws. Some Islamist Qataris are unhappy that Islam is not universally applied₆₂ and if they get their way in the future, the upholding of human rights in Qatar could worsen.

Links:

• A List of All Religions and Belief Systems
• Human Rights and Freedom in Qatar: 4.3. Freedom of Thought

There isn't much information in the database for Qatar, 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.

12. Al-Jazeera News Station₆₃

#mass_media #middle_east #news #palestine #qatar

Qatar is host to the Arab region's unique news station, Al-Jazeera, counted by Julian McDougall₆₄ as one of the five leading providers of global news, with 100 million viewers across the world₆₅. It is surprisingly progressive for the region, but still outputs a lof of material that is prejudiced and problematic_66,67.

“[The media landscape of the Arab world] changed utterly after 1996 when the emir of Qatar, Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa, established the al-Jazeera television station in his capital, Doha. In return for choosing not to dwell overmuch on the blemishes of Qatar itself, the new station was allowed to broadcast proper, hard-hitting news from everywhere else in the Arab world. [...] It went on to do so with gusto and quickly spawned many imitators and competitors. [...] They are making their leaders explain and justify themselves as never before. And although it is no substitute for a proper electorate democracy, this is building the underpinnings of a new kind of pluralist politics rooted in a vocal, critical public sphere. [...]

From 2003 onwards al-Jazeera's reporters and talk-show hosts put themselves at the heart of the American-initiated debate about political reform in the Arab world. The station looked closely at the G8's American-inspired Greater Middle East Initiative, giving airtime to American as well as Arab talking heads. [...] Many Arabs, reformers included, remain deeply shocked by al-Jazeera's now well-established practice of letting Israelis appear on its shows.”

The Economist (2009)₆₆

Western commentators have always had mixed reviews of the station, but it is undoubted that it has single-handed pushed forwards the quality of civic life. Some of the restrictions on the station come from enduring social pressures; Al-Jazeera reporters would surely suffer social exclusion from their friends and family if they encroached upon certain topics₆₆, and this informal and indirect censorship will surely continue indefinitely - until stations like Al-Jazeera become more common, making reporters more anonymous.

“Al-Jazeera, the first independent satellite television station in the region, which has enormous pan-Arab influence, is populist and modern. Many of its anchors are women. It broadcasts news that the official media routinely censor. And yet it fills its airwaves with crude appeals to Arab nationalism, anti-Americanism, anti-Semitism, and religious fundamentalism.”

"The Future of Freedom" by Fareed Zakaria (2003)₆₇

It is prejudiced and untrustworthy when it comes to reporting on issues like Palestine, and, it aired Osama Bin Laden's videos which enticed many towards violence₆₆. Its reporting on science is woeful and inaccurate; it proudly announced that the discovery of the 4.4million-year-old Ardipithecus ramidus fossil meant that "Ardi Refutes Darwin's Theory", and of the many dozens of celebratory responses only a few were from readers complaining that it was wrong₆₈.