Singapore (Republic of Singapore)

Singapore Republic of Singapore
Status	Independent State
Social and Moral Index	37th best
Capital	Singapore
Land Area	700km21
Location	Asia
Groupings	Small Islands
Population	5.8m2
Life Expectancy	82.75yrs (2017)3
GNI	$90 919 (2017)4
ISO3166-1 Codes	SG, SGP, 7025
Internet Domain	.sg6
Currency	Dollar (SGD)7
Telephone	+658

1. Overview
2. Singapore National and Social Development
3. Singapore's Demographics and Migration
4. Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance
5. Singapore's Health
   1. Health Datasets
   2. Children's Health Datasets
6. Singapore's Responsibility Towards The Environment
7. Singapore's Modernity and Learning
   1. Modernity Datasets
   2. Education Datasets
   3. Technology and Information Datasets
8. Singapore's Culture, Peace and Inequality
   1. National Culture Datasets
   2. Peace Versus Instability Datasets
   3. Economic Inequality and Poverty Datasets
9. Religion and Beliefs
10. Links

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1. Overview

Singapore is a small city-state, dwarfed by its large neighbours.

“Singapore was founded as a British trading colony in 1819. It joined the Malaysian Federation in 1963 but separated two years later and became independent. Singapore subsequently became one of the world's most prosperous countries with strong international trading links (its port is one of the world's busiest in terms of tonnage handled) and with per capita GDP equal to that of the leading nations of Western Europe.”

CIA's The World Factbook (2013)₉

“This perennial stopover city is constantly reinventing itself as a destination in its own right, jostling for the position of top dog among Asia´s - even the world's - best cities. One of Asia´s success stories, tiny little Singapore's GDP consistently ranks it as one of the wealthiest countries in the world. Along with that wealth comes a rich culture borne of a multiracial population. Get lost in the mad swirl of skyscrapers in the central business district (CBD), be transfixed by the Bolly beats in the streets of ramshackle Little India, hike a dense patch of rainforest in Bukit Timah, or just give yourself up to the air-conditioned retail mayhem of Orchard Rd. There´s something for everyone here.

It's affluent, high tech and occasionally a little snobbish, but Singapore's great leveller is the hawker centre, the ubiquitous and raucous food markets where everyone mucks in together to indulge the local mania for cheap eating and drinking. In short, Singapore makes for a perfect pit stop to recover from the rough-and-tumble of the rest of Southeast Asia.”

"The World" by Lonely Planet (2014)₁₀

2. Singapore 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
	...
9	Germany	0.942
10	Netherlands	0.941
11	Finland	0.940
12	Singapore	0.939
13=	Belgium	0.937
13=	New Zealand	0.937
15	Canada	0.936
16	Liechtenstein	0.935
	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	Denmark	26.9
2	Norway	29.1
3	Sweden	29.9
	...
34	Costa Rica	56.2
35	Malta	56.2
36	Greece	56.7
37	Singapore	56.8
38	San Marino	57.5
39	Latvia	61.3
40	Croatia	61.8
41	Chile	62.0
	Asia Avg	92.0
	World Avg	89.0
q=200.

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. Singapore's Demographics and Migration

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

Population Datasets:

Singapore's population is predicted to rise to 5.978 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 1.04. The fertility rate is, in simple terms, the average amount of children that each woman has. The higher the figure, the quicker the population will grow, although, to calculate the rate you also need to take into account morbidity - 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 (two new children for each set of parents who die), 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, once you take mortality into account₁₃. The highest fertility rate ever detected in a single year was in Yemen in 1985, at 8.86.₁₄

Population2
Pos.		2018 Population2
1	China	1.4b
2	India	1.4b
3	USA	327.1m
	...
110	El Salvador	6.4m
111	Kyrgyzstan	6.3m
112	Turkmenistan	5.9m
113	Singapore	5.8m
114	Denmark	5.8m
115	Finland	5.5m
116	Slovakia	5.5m
117	Norway	5.3m
	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
	...
10	Spain	83.0
11	Sweden	83.0
12	Italy	82.9
13	Singapore	82.8
14	Iceland	82.7
15	Canada	82.7
16	Luxembourg	82.6
17	France	82.5
	World Avg	71.28
q=195. Also scored for 1990s-2010s.

Fertility Rate 2.0 is best15
Pos.		202215
1	US Virgin Islands	2.00
2	Ecuador	2.00
3	Nepal	2.01
	...
143	Malta	1.15
144	Egypt	2.88
145	Israel	2.89
146	Singapore	1.04
147	Lesotho	2.98
148	British Virgin Islands	1.02
149	Timor-Leste (E. Timor)	3.05
150	Kazakhstan	3.05
	World Avg	2.47
q=208. Also scored for 1960s-2010s.

Old-Age Dependency Ratio Lower is better16
Pos.		2016 Per 10016
1	Uganda	04.3
2	Mali	04.5
3=	Chad	04.7
	...
158	Czechia	36.1
159	Cuba	36.2
160	Poland	36.3
161	Singapore	36.5
162	Latvia	36.7
163=	Sweden	37.0
163=	Bulgaria	37.0
165	Denmark	37.1
	World Avg	18.3
q=185.

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

Migration Datasets:

Immigrants17
Pos.		2017 %17
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.

Emigrants18
Pos.		2010 %18
1	Dominica	104.8%
2	Palestine	68.4%
3	Samoa	67.3%
	...
92	Bhutan	6.3%
93	Tunisia	6.3%
94	Finland	6.2%
95	Singapore	6.1%
96	Guatemala	6.1%
97	Brunei	6.0%
98	Netherlands	6.0%
99	Italy	5.8%
	World Avg	11.5%
q=192.

4. Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance

#equality #freedom #gender #gender_equality #human_rights #misogyny #morals #politics #prejudice #singapore #singapore_gender #tolerance #women

Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance (2025)19
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank19
1	Sweden	7.8
2	Netherlands	8.7
3	Denmark	8.8
	...
100	Nicaragua	93.3
101	Burkina Faso	93.3
102	Senegal	95.2
103	Singapore	95.8
104	Kosovo	96.1
105	Venezuela	96.2
	Asia Avg	103.00
	World Avg	89.80
q=199.

Singapore does relatively well in ensuring human rights and freedom, compared to many other countries. Singapore comes in the best 20 in opposing gender inequality₂₀ (one of the best in Asia) and in its success in fighting anti-semitic prejudice₂₁. It does better than average for combatting modern slavery₂₂, the rate of gender bias (from 7 indicators)₂₃ (one of the lowest in Asia), supporting personal, civil & economic freedoms₂₄ and in commentary in Human Rights Watch reports₂₅. Singapore doesn't do so well in other areas. Singapore does worse than average for freethought₂₆ (still low for Asia), its average Freedom in the World rating (still low for Asia), supporting press freedom₂₇ (still good for Asia) and in LGBT equality in the 2020s₂₈. And finally, it sits amongst the bottom 20 when it comes to its nominal commitment to Human Rights₂₉ (amongst the worst in Asia). Foreign domestic workers are excluded key labor protections such working hours limits₃₀. Singapore has draconian restrictions on what constitutes an 'assembly' and the law is so widely defined that the government can decide on a whim to ban gatherings or protests (including those involving just an individual person), and permits are often denied for political purposes₃₀.

For tables, charts and commentary, see:

• Human Rights and Freedom in Singapore

5. Singapore's Health

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

Compared to Asia (2025)31
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank31
1	Japan	37.3
2	Singapore	41.1
3	S. Korea	50.5
4	Sri Lanka	53.3
5	Brunei	56.0
6	Malaysia	60.1
7	Hong Kong	61.0
8	China	63.7
9	Israel	65.0
10	Cyprus	65.8
11	N. Korea	68.8
12	Thailand	69.1
13	Bahrain	70.0
	Asia Avg	80.90
q=50.

Health (2025)31
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank31
1	Monaco	10.3
2	Liechtenstein	30.1
3	Japan	37.3
4	Singapore	41.1
5	Sweden	42.3
6	San Marino	42.3
7	Norway	43.1
8	Iceland	44.4
9	France	45.9
10=	Denmark	47.3
10=	Luxembourg	47.3
12	Netherlands	48.3
	World Avg	97.57
q=207.

The countries with the best overall approach to public health, in terms of both public policy and individual lifestyle choices, are Monaco, Liechtenstein and Japan₃₂. These countries are worth emulating. And, although often through no fault of the average citizen, the worst countries are Angola, Somalia and S. Sudan₃₂.

42 datasets are used to calculate points for each country, including multiple decades of data on 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, obesity rate, its adolescent birth rate, delivery rate of infant DTP immunizations, delivery rate of 7x Infant Immunizations 2011-2015 and childhood mortality. The regions with the best average results per country are Scandinavia, Europe and The Mediterranean₃₂, whereas the worst are Africa, Micronesia and Melanesia₃₂.

For more, see:

• "Countries With the Healthiest Cultures and Health Policies" by Vexen Crabtree (2025).

5.1. Health Datasets

#alcohol #birth_control #demographics #health #life_expectancy #longevity #mental_health #obesity #overpopulation #singapore #smoking #suicide

Public health in Singapore is very good. Singapore comes in the best 20 in childhood mortality in the 2020s₃₃, its adolescent birth rate₃₄ and in its average life expectancy₁₁. It does better than average for delivery rate of infant DTP immunizations in the 2020s₃₅, its alcohol consumption rate₃₆, its food aid and health contributions and WHO compliance₃₇, its smoking rate₃₈, the prevalence of overweight adults₃₉ and in delivery rate of 7x Infant Immunizations 2011-2015₄₀. But, there's bad news too. Singapore does worse than average in its suicide rate₄₁ and in its fertility rate₁₅. The number of overweight adults has increased by 14% over the past 40 years. Singapore improved its life expectancy by +8.8yrs in the 30 years from 1990, just over the global average improvement of +7.9yrs. In the 2010s, its life expectancy was amongst the top 10 in the world. Singapore's peak fertility rate was 5.76 in 1960.

Life Expectancy Higher is better11
Pos.		2021 Years11
1	Monaco	85.9
2	Hong Kong	85.5
3	Japan	84.8
	...
10	Spain	83.0
11	Sweden	83.0
12	Italy	82.9
13	Singapore	82.8
14	Iceland	82.7
15	Canada	82.7
16	Luxembourg	82.6
17	France	82.5
	Asia Avg	73.48
	World Avg	71.28
q=195. Also scored for 1990s-2010s.

Alcohol Consumption Lower is better36
Pos.		2016 Per Capita36
1	Bangladesh	0.0
2	Kuwait	0.0
3	Libya	0.0
	...
41=	Bahrain	1.9
42=	Qatar	2.0
42=	Nepal	2.0
42=	Singapore	2.0
42=	Turkey	2.0
46	Timor-Leste (E. Timor)	2.1
47	Mozambique	2.4
48=	Samoa	2.5
	Asia Avg	3.9
	World Avg	6.2
q=189.

Fertility Rate 2.0 is best15
Pos.		202215
1	US Virgin Islands	2.00
2	Ecuador	2.00
3	Nepal	2.01
	...
143	Malta	1.15
144	Egypt	2.88
145	Israel	2.89
146	Singapore	1.04
147	Lesotho	2.98
148	British Virgin Islands	1.02
149	Timor-Leste (E. Timor)	3.05
150	Kazakhstan	3.05
	Asia Avg	2.17
	World Avg	2.47
q=208. Also scored for 1960s-2010s.

Smoking in the 2020s Lower is better38
Pos.		Total %38
1	Nigeria	3.3%
2	Ghana	3.4%
3	Panama	5.2%
	...
64	Bahrain	15.0%
65	Congo, (Brazzaville)	15.5%
66	Denmark	16.2%
67	Singapore	16.3%
68	Brunei	16.4%
69	N. Korea	16.6%
70	Uzbekistan	16.8%
71	Comoros	17.3%
	Asia Avg	22.8%
	World Avg	20.0%
q=165. Also scored for 2000s-2020s.

Suicide Rate41
Pos.		2013 Per 100k41
1	Haiti	0
2	Grenada	0
3	Egypt	0.1
	...
47	Netherlands	18.6
48	Luxembourg	19.3
49	Portugal	19.6
50	Singapore	20.6
51	India	20.8
52	Trinidad & Tobago	21.7
53	USA	22.2
54	Chile	22.4
	Asia Avg	19.50
	World Avg	20.93
q=91.

Food Aid, Health Contributions & WHO Compliance Lower is better37
Pos.		2017 Rank37
1	Sweden	1
2	Ireland	2
3	Denmark	3
	...
46	Malaysia	46
47	Czechia	47
48	China	48
49	Singapore	49
50	Ecuador	50
51	Israel	51
52	Slovakia	52
53	Bulgaria	53
	Asia Avg	64.4
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Overweight Adults Lower is better39
Pos.		1976 %39
1	Bangladesh	4.7
2	Vietnam	5.1
3	Nepal	5.4
	...
70=	Yemen	20.2
71	Djibouti	20.5
72	Trinidad & Tobago	20.6
73	Singapore	22.8
74	St Lucia	24.0
75	Guyana	24.3
76	Paraguay	25.1
77	Honduras	25.5
	Asia Avg	23.1
	World Avg	27.1
q=191.

Adult Obesity Lower is better42
Pos.		2022 %42
1	Vietnam	2.1%
2	Timor-Leste (E. Timor)	2.2%
3	Ethiopia	2.4%
	...
51	Somalia	12.7%
52	Gambia	13.2%
53	Cameroon	13.4%
54	Singapore	13.5%
55	Switzerland	13.7%
56	Denmark	14.3%
57	Thailand	14.5%
58	Sao Tome & Principe	15.0%
	Asia Avg	21.1%
	World Avg	24.7%
q=199. Also scored for 1990s-2010s.

5.2. Children's Health Datasets

#children's_health #health #parenting #population #vaccines

Adolescent Birth Rate Lower is better34
Pos.		2022 Per 100034
1	Hong Kong	1.6
2	Denmark	1.8
3	S. Korea	2.1
4	Norway	2.2
5	Switzerland	2.2
6	N. Korea	2.4
7	Singapore	2.5
8	Netherlands	2.7
9	Japan	2.8
10	UAE	2.8
11	Liechtenstein	3.0
12	Sweden	3.3
	Asia Avg	25.9
	World Avg	43.8
q=195. Also scored for 1990s-2010s.

Infant DTP Immunizations (2020s) Higher is better35
Pos.		Total Avg %35
1=	Luxembourg	99.0
1=	Oman	99.0
1=	Niue	99.0
	...
19=	Turkmenistan	98.4
19=	Andorra	98.4
21	Japan	98.2
22=	Singapore	98.1
22=	China	98.1
22=	Morocco	98.1
25	Tokelau	98.0
26=	Greece	98.0
	Asia Avg	90.6
	World Avg	88.5
q=211. Also scored for 1980s-2020s.

7x Infant Immunizations (2011-2015) Higher is better40
Pos.		2015 Avg %40
1=	Hungary	99.0
1=	China	99.0
3	Uzbekistan	98.9
	...
71	Algeria	95.0
72	Tuvalu	94.9
73	Eritrea	94.7
74	Singapore	94.6
75	UK	94.6
76	Solomon Islands	94.5
77	Norway	94.3
78	Bolivia	94.2
	Asia Avg	90.5
	World Avg	88.3
q=194.

Infant Mortality (2020s) Lower is better33
Pos.		Total Per 100033
1	San Marino	2.11
2	Finland	2.59
3	Luxembourg	2.60
4	Iceland	2.64
5	Singapore	2.68
6	Slovenia	2.72
7	Norway	2.78
8=	Sweden	2.87
8=	Japan	2.87
10	Cyprus	3.03
11	Czechia	3.18
12	Estonia	3.39
	Asia Avg	23.58
	World Avg	32.19
q=195. Also scored for 1960s-2020s.

In the 1990s, Singapore was amongst the 10 countries with the lowest adolescent birth rate. The same during the 2010s.

6. Singapore's Responsibility Towards The Environment

#biodiversity #climate_change #deforestation #energy #environmentalism #germany #iceland #internationalism #luxembourg #over-exploitation #singapore #south_korea #sustainability #taiwan #the_environment

Compared to Asia (2025)43
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank43
1	Sri Lanka	34.9
2	Nepal	47.9
3	India	49.5
	...
19	Syria	77.4
20	Iran	79.0
21	UAE	81.8
22	Singapore	83.3
23	Georgia	83.6
24	S. Korea	84.0
25	Cambodia	84.0
26	Taiwan	86.1
27	Malaysia	89.5
	Asia Avg	86.44
q=51.

Responsibility Towards The Environment (2025)43
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank43
1	Sri Lanka	34.9
2	Uruguay	43.2
3	Switzerland	45.0
	...
96	Bolivia	81.8
97	Slovenia	82.1
98	Panama	82.5
99	Singapore	83.3
100	Georgia	83.6
101	Sierra Leone	83.6
102	Guinea-Bissau	83.7
103	Namibia	83.9
	World Avg	84.93
q=199.

We have known for a long term that we must protect the environment from habitation destruction, over-exploitation, pollution, and the emissions that cause climate change. In 1998, Greenpeace wrote that "Environment can no longer be meaningfully separated from health, quality of life, democracy, education, economy or trade"₄₄. What countries have been doing the right thing, via legislation and national culture? All countries' current and historical approach towards the environment is gauged via 21 datasets, including multiple decades of data on its forested percent change 2000-2020, its environmental performance, energy to GDP efficiency, its sign-up rate to major international accords on protecting the environment, the rate of rational beliefs on the environment in the population, reducing annual meat consumption per person and its score on the Green Future Index.

The countries that do the best (Sri Lanka, Uruguay and Switzerland) tend to have avoided the excesses of early industrial countries, and have not yet repeated the same mistakes of environmental destruction - at least, not on the same scale. The regions with the best average results per country are Central America, South America and Scandinavia. The worst are Eritrea, The Vatican City and Timor-Leste (E. Timor), and the worst regions Micronesia, Australasia and Melanesia.

For more, see:

• "Countries With the Best Environmental Records" by Vexen Crabtree (2025).

Singapore is positioned 99th in the world in terms of its responsibility towards the environment. This rank is computed using 21 data sets. Singapore does better than average for its score on the Green Future Index₄₅, its environmental performance₄₆, the rate of rational beliefs on the environment in the population₄₇ and in its sign-up rate to major international accords on protecting the environment. But, things could still be better. Singapore does worse than average when it comes to its forested percent change 2000-2020₄₈. And finally, it falls into the worst 20 when it comes to energy to GDP efficiency₄₉.

Environmental Performance Higher is better46
Pos.		201846
1	Switzerland	87.4
2	France	84.0
3	Denmark	81.6
	...
46	Dominican Rep.	64.7
47	Uruguay	64.7
48	Estonia	64.3
49	Singapore	64.2
50	Poland	64.1
51	Venezuela	63.9
52	Russia	63.8
53	Brunei	63.6
	Asia Avg	54.5
	World Avg	56.4
q=180.

Energy to GDP Efficiency Lower is better49
Pos.		2022 Avg49
1	Rwanda	0.25
2	Chad	0.26
3	Tanzania	0.31
	...
145	Kuwait	2.02
146	Barbados	2.04
147	Libya	2.05
148	Singapore	2.06
149	Lebanon	2.06
150	Ukraine	2.11
151	Syria	2.12
152	Kyrgyzstan	2.20
	Asia Avg	1.50
	World Avg	1.23
q=165. Also scored for 1960s-2010s.

In the 1960s, Singapore had the highest rate of primary energy consumption per GDP per capita; it was grossly inefficient. But into the 1970s, it improved this energy-to-GDP efficiency rate more than any other country (by quite a wide margin). It continued to do well into the 1980s (only Luxembourg managed to make greater improvements).

International Accords on the Environment Higher is better
Pos.		Total Avg Rate
1	Sweden	83%
2	Canada	82%
3	Norway	81%
	...
72	Egypt	63%
73	Guyana	63%
74	Uganda	62%
75	Singapore	62%
76	Bolivia	62%
77	Guinea	62%
78	Greece	62%
79	Cameroon	62%
	Asia Avg	55.4%
	World Avg	57.5%
q=197. Also scored for 1970s-2020s.

Rational Beliefs on the Environment Higher is better47
Pos.		2011 %47
1	Argentina	78.3%
2	Greece	77.6%
3	Brazil	77.1%
	...
58	Djibouti	42.8%
59	Burundi	42.0%
60	Zambia	41.9%
61	Singapore	41.6%
62	Ukraine	41.5%
63	Jordan	41.4%
64	India	41.2%
65	Canada	41.2%
	Asia Avg	37.9%
	World Avg	39.9%
q=145.

Green Future Index Higher is better45
Pos.		2023 Score45
1	Iceland	6.7
2	Finland	6.7
3	Norway	6.4
	...
29	Hungary	5.1
30	Chile	5.1
31	Czechia	5.0
32	Singapore	5.0
33	Hong Kong	4.9
34	Colombia	4.8
35	Slovakia	4.8
36	UAE	4.8
	Asia Avg	4.3
	World Avg	4.8
q=76.

The 2023 edition of the Green Futures Index lists Singapore among five countries who are doing the best at recycling, alongside Germany, Iceland, South Korea and Taiwan).₅₀

7. Singapore's Modernity and Learning

#education #english #intelligence #maths #metric #modernity #qatar #research #science #singapore #technology #the_internet

Compared to Asia (2025)51
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank51
1	Taiwan	25.4
2	S. Korea	25.5
3	Japan	26.8
4	Israel	30.4
5	Hong Kong	31.2
6	Singapore	36.1
7	Russia	38.3
8	Turkey	46.0
9	Cyprus	46.4
10	Kazakhstan	48.2
11	Georgia	51.9
12	Uzbekistan	55.9
13	Malaysia	57.8
	Asia Avg	83.04
q=51.

Modernity & Learning (2025)51
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank51
1	Vatican City	1.0
2	Finland	4.8
3	Belgium	8.5
	...
36	Kosovo	33.2
37	Romania	33.5
38	Argentina	34.3
39	Singapore	36.1
40	Russia	38.3
41	San Marino	38.4
42	Bulgaria	39.9
43	Croatia	39.9
	World Avg	80.33
q=194.

The most modern countries, with the best results from education, the highest levels of research, and with the easiest access to information on the Internet, are The Vatican City, Finland and Belgium₅₂. The worst countries are S. Sudan, Eritrea and Somalia₅₂. Despite improves in global education, access to tertiary (adult) education is becoming increasingly unequal between the rich haves and the poor have-nots₅₃.

“Education, at all levels and ages, is the single most vital support for equality as well as being a country's most vital economic and social resource. [...] Every successful aspirant to modernisation and economic development, from Japan to South Korea, China to Chile, has got there with a big emphasis on education.”

Bill Emmott (2017)₅₄

23 datasets are used to calculate points for each country, including multiple decades of data on Research and Development, Intellectual Endeavours, metric system adoption rate, Religiosity, IQ, Secondary Education, Length of Schooling, Maths, Science & Reading, the percent of citizens with access to the internet, Freedom On The Internet, IT Security, IPv6 Uptake and digital quality of life. The regions with the best average results per country are Scandinavia, Baltic States and Europe₅₂, whereas the worst are Melanesia, Africa and Micronesia₅₂.

For more, see:

• " Which Countries are Most Modern, With the Best Education and Internet Access?" by Vexen Crabtree (2025).

7.1. Modernity Datasets

#intelligence #metric #research #science

Research & Development Higher is better
Pos.		2016 % RDP PPP
1	S. Korea	4.2955
2	Israel	4.1155
3	Japan	3.5855
	...
13	Slovenia	2.3955
14	France	2.2655
15	Australia	2.2556
16=	Singapore	2.0057
16=	Czechia	2.0055
18	Netherlands	1.9755
19	Iceland	1.8955
20=	Norway	1.7055
	Asia Avg	0.75
	World Avg	0.84
q=126.

Intellectual Endeavours Lower is better37
Pos.		2017 Rank37
1	Ukraine	1
2	Czechia	2
3	Hungary	3
	...
23	Poland	23
24	France	24
25	S. Africa	25
26	Singapore	26
27	Greece	27
28	Serbia	28
29	Canada	29
30	Romania	30
	Asia Avg	97.1
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Metric System Adoption Rate Higher is better58
Pos.		2025 %58
1=	Slovakia	100
1=	Poland	100
1=	Portugal	100
	...
63=	Gabon	95
63=	Cape Verde	95
63=	Paraguay	95
63=	Singapore	95
63=	Seychelles	95
63=	Serbia	95
63=	India	95
63=	S. Korea	95
	Asia Avg	90
	World Avg	92
q=187. Also scored for 1960s-2020s.

Officially adopted metric in 1968. Progression:

• 1960 (50%): Traditional units dominant; metric in administration.
• 1970 (70%): Metrication accelerates; commerce/education shift.
• 1980 (95%): Metric dominant across sectors.
• 2000 (95%).
• 2025 (95%).

IQ Higher is better59
Pos.		200659
1=	Hong Kong	108
1=	Singapore	108
3	S. Korea	106
4=	Japan	105
4=	Taiwan	105
4=	China	105
7	Italy	102
8=	Iceland	101
8=	Switzerland	101
8=	Mongolia	101
11=	Netherlands	100
11=	Norway	100
	Asia Avg	90.4
	World Avg	85.6
q=138.

7.2. Education Datasets

#education #english #maths #science

Secondary Education Higher is better60
Pos.		201860
1=	Luxembourg	100.0%
1=	Estonia	100.0%
1=	Austria	100.0%
	...
57	Bosnia & Herzegovina	81.2%
58	Malaysia	80.8%
59	Cyprus	80.3%
60	Singapore	79.6%
61	Italy	79.6%
62	Hong Kong	79.4%
63	Chile	79.3%
64	China	78.6%
	Asia Avg	66.0%
	World Avg	63.0%
q=169.

Length of Schooling Higher is better61
Pos.		2021 Years61
1	Australia	21.1
2	New Zealand	20.3
3	Greece	20.0
	...
22	Uruguay	16.8
23	Chile	16.7
24	Costa Rica	16.5
25	Singapore	16.5
26	S. Korea	16.5
27	Switzerland	16.5
28	Canada	16.4
29	Bahrain	16.3
	Asia Avg	13.5
	World Avg	13.5
q=193. Also scored for 1990s-2010s.

Maths, Science & Reading Higher is better62
Pos.		2015 Score62
1	Singapore	1655
2	Hong Kong	1598
3	Japan	1586
4	Macau	1582
5	Estonia	1573
6=	Taiwan	1571
6=	Canada	1571
8	Finland	1568
9	S. Korea	1557
10	China	154363
11=	Ireland	1528
11=	Slovenia	1528
	Asia Avg	1398
	World Avg	1389
q=70.

7.3. Technology and Information Datasets

#modernity #qatar #singapore #technology #the_internet

Internet Users Higher is better64
Pos.		201664
1	Iceland	100%
2	Faroe Islands	99%
3	Norway	98%
	...
29	Australia	85%
30	Bahamas	85%
31	Puerto Rico	83%
32=	Singapore	83%
32=	Slovakia	83%
34	Spain	82%
35	Austria	81%
36	Ireland	81%
	Asia Avg	48.7%
	World Avg	48.1%
q=201.

IPv6 Uptake Higher is better65
Pos.		2017 Ratio65
1	Belgium	55.4
2	Germany	41.8
3	Switzerland	35.1
	...
32	Slovenia	5.4
33	Bolivia	5.0
34	Macau	4.2
35	Singapore	4.0
36	Sweden	3.8
37	Poland	3.6
38	Thailand	3.3
39	Denmark	3.1
	Asia Avg	2.11
	World Avg	3.82
q=176.

8. Singapore's Culture, Peace and Inequality

#charity #corruption #happiness #health #human_development #inequality #internationalism #life_expectancy #morals #peace #politics #singapore

8.1. National Culture Datasets

#charity #corruption #happiness #internationalism #morals #politics #singapore

World Giving Index Higher is better68
Pos.		2022 %68
1	Indonesia	68.0
2	Kenya	61.0
3	USA	59.0
	...
30=	Uganda	46.0
31=	Bahrain	45.0
31=	Malta	45.0
31=	Singapore	45.0
31=	Macedonia	45.0
31=	Venezuela	45.0
31=	Norway	45.0
31=	Austria	45.0
	Asia Avg	37.9
	World Avg	39.6
q=125. Also scored for 2010s.

Corruption Higher is better69
Pos.		2022 Points69
1	Denmark	90.0
2=	Finland	87.0
2=	New Zealand	87.0
4	Norway	84.0
5=	Singapore	83.0
5=	Sweden	83.0
7	Switzerland	82.0
8	Netherlands	80.0
9	Germany	79.0
10=	Ireland	77.0
10=	Luxembourg	77.0
12	Hong Kong	76.0
	Asia Avg	39.98
	World Avg	42.98
q=180. Also scored for 1990s-2010s.

In the 1990s, Singapore had the 7th-best average result per year on the Corruption Perception Index, and again in the 2010s it was the 7th-best on average.

Happiness Higher is better70
Pos.		2024 Score70
1	Finland	7.7
2	Denmark	7.5
3	Iceland	7.5
	...
31	Serbia	6.6
32	Saudi Arabia	6.6
33	France	6.6
34	Singapore	6.6
35	Romania	6.6
36	Brazil	6.5
37	El Salvador	6.5
38	Spain	6.5
	Asia Avg	5.41
	World Avg	5.58
q=147. Also scored for 2010s.

Creativity & Culture Lower is better37
Pos.		2017 Rank37
1	Belgium	1
2	Netherlands	2
3	Estonia	3
	...
26	Italy	26
27	Mauritius	27
28	Malta	28
29	Singapore	29
30	Spain	30
31	Romania	31
32	Costa Rica	32
33	Serbia	33
	Asia Avg	99.0
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Passport Reach (2020s) Higher is better71
Pos.		Total Q71
1	Singapore	192.2
2	Japan	192.0
3	S. Korea	190.7
4	Germany	190.3
5	Spain	189.8
6	Italy	189.7
7	Finland	189.5
8	Luxembourg	189.3
9=	Denmark	188.7
9=	Austria	188.7
11	France	188.5
12=	Netherlands	188.3
	Asia Avg	85.1
	World Avg	108.8
q=195. Also scored for 2000s-2020s.

Open Trading, Aid & Development Lower is better37
Pos.		2017 Rank37
1	Ireland	1
2	Denmark	2
3	Sweden	3
	...
15	Albania	15
16	Togo	16
17	France	17
18	Singapore	18
19	Malaysia	19
20	Nicaragua	20
21	Portugal	21
22	Moldova	22
	Asia Avg	86.3
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

8.2. Peace Versus Instability Datasets

#human_development #peace #politics

Global Peace Index Lower is better72
Pos.		2023 Score72
1	Iceland	1.12
2	Denmark	1.31
3	Ireland	1.31
4	New Zealand	1.31
5	Austria	1.32
6	Singapore	1.33
7	Portugal	1.33
8	Slovenia	1.33
9	Japan	1.34
10	Switzerland	1.34
11	Canada	1.35
12	Czechia	1.38
	Asia Avg	2.17
	World Avg	2.07
q=163. Also scored for 2010s.

Peacekeeping & Security Lower is better37
Pos.		2017 Rank37
1	Samoa	1
2	S. Africa	2
3	Tunisia	3
	...
11	Oman	11
12	Tanzania	12
13	Cameroon	13
14	Singapore	14
15	Colombia	15
16	Costa Rica	16
17	Hungary	17
18	Japan	18
	Asia Avg	76.0
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Refugees & UN Treaties Lower is better37
Pos.		2017 Rank37
1	Austria	1
2	Germany	2
3	Netherlands	3
	...
27	Panama	27
28	Portugal	28
29	USA	29
30	Singapore	30
31	Greece	31
32	Bulgaria	32
33	S. Korea	33
34	Mauritius	34
	Asia Avg	92.2
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

8.3. Economic Inequality and Poverty Datasets

#health #inequality #life_expectancy

Inequality in Life Expectancy Lower is better73
Pos.		201973
1	Iceland	2.40
2=	Singapore	2.50
2=	Hong Kong	2.50
4=	Sweden	2.90
4=	Slovenia	2.90
4=	Japan	2.90
7=	Finland	3.00
7=	Czechia	3.00
7=	Norway	3.00
7=	S. Korea	3.00
7=	Spain	3.00
12=	Netherlands	3.10
	Asia Avg	11.80
	World Avg	14.59
q=184.

9. Religion and Beliefs

#belief #buddhism #christianity #Christmas #god #hinduism #islam #judaism #religion #singapore

Disbelief In God (2007)74
Pos.		Higher is better %74
1	Vietnam	81
2	Japan	65
3	Sweden	64
	...
34=	Israel	15
35	Armenia	14
36=	Lithuania	13
36=	Singapore	13
38=	Kazakhstan	12
38=	China	12
38=	Uruguay	12
41	USA	10
42	Trinidad & Tobago	9
43	Albania	8
44=	Dominican Rep.	7
44=	Croatia	7
44=	Kyrgyzstan	7
44=	Cambodia	7
48=	Moldova	6
48=	Italy	6
	World Avg	9.9
q=137.

Pew Forum polling over the decades has found the following adherency rates:₇₅:

	2010	2020
Buddhist	33%	30.8%
Unaffiliated	16.6%	19.9%
Christian	18.3%	18.8%
Muslim	15.6%	16.1%
Other	11.1%	9.1%
Hindu	5.38%	5.29%
Jewish	<0.1%	<0.1%

The CIA World Factbook has slightly different data, and states: Buddhist 42.5%, Muslim 14.9%, Taoist 8.5%, Hindu 4%, Catholic 4.8%, other Christian 9.8%, other 0.7%, none 14.8% (2000 census)₇₆.

Links:

• A List of All Religions and Belief Systems
• Secularisation Theory: Will Modern Society Reject Religion? What is Secularism?

Singapore's 2 million people, in 1972, celebrated Christmas as always. But only a few percent of them were Christians, its (acting) Prime Minister, Goh Keng Swee, reflected on the event, recalling that it is an ancient pagan festival that long predates Christianity, with its basis in the Roman Saturnalia₇₇, and so, Singaporeans needn't be Christian in order to celebrate it.