South Africa (Republic of South Africa)

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

By Vexen Crabtree 2013

South Africa Republic of South Africa
Status	Independent State
Social and Moral Index	64th best
Capital	Pretoria (administrative), Cape Town (legislative), and Bloemfontein (judicial)
Land Area	1 213 090km²₁
Location	Africa
Population	57.8m₂
Life Expectancy	62.34yrs (2017)₃
GNI	$12 948 (2017)₄
ISO3166-1 Codes	ZA, ZAF, 710₅
Internet Domain	.za₆
Currency	Rand (ZAR)₇
Telephone	+27₈

1. Overview

#netherlands #UK

“Dutch traders landed at the southern tip of modern day South Africa in 1652 and established a stopover point on the spice route between the Netherlands and the Far East, founding the city of Cape Town. After the British seized the Cape of Good Hope area in 1806, many of the Dutch settlers (the Boers) trekked north to found their own republics. The discovery of diamonds (1867) and gold (1886) spurred wealth and immigration and intensified the subjugation of the native inhabitants. The Boers resisted British encroachments but were defeated in the Boer War (1899-1902); however, the British and the Afrikaners, as the Boers became known, ruled together beginning in 1910 under the Union of South Africa, which became a republic in 1961 after a whites-only referendum. In 1948, the National Party was voted into power and instituted a policy of apartheid - the separate development of the races - which favored the white minority at the expense of the black majority. The African National Congress (ANC) led the opposition to apartheid and many top ANC leaders, such as Nelson MANDELA, spent decades in South Africa's prisons. Internal protests and insurgency, as well as boycotts by some Western nations and institutions, led to the regime's eventual willingness to negotiate a peaceful transition to majority rule. The first multi-racial elections in 1994 brought an end to apartheid and ushered in majority rule under an ANC-led government. South Africa since then has struggled to address apartheid-era imbalances in decent housing, education, and health care. ANC infighting, which has grown in recent years, came to a head in September 2008 when President Thabo MBEKI resigned, and Kgalema MOTLANTHE, the party's General-Secretary, succeeded him as interim president. Jacob ZUMA became president after the ANC won general elections in April 2009.”
CIA's The World Factbook (2013)₉

“An astonishingly diverse region fused by its prolific wildlife, breathtaking landscapes and remnants of ancient culture, South Africa will etch itself onto your heart. When Archbishop Desmond Tutu called South Africa the `Rainbow Nation´, his words described the very essence of what makes this country extraordinary. Certainly, the blend of peoples and cultures that his oft-used moniker referred to is instantly evident, but the country´s diversity stretches far beyond its people.
Without straying beyond South Africa´s borders you can sleep under the stars in a desert or hike to snow-capped peaks. The hills of Zululand and the Wild Coast provide a bucolic antidote to the bustle of large cities like Johannesburg and Durban. Wildlife watching ranges from remote safari walks to up-close encounters with waddling penguins.
Variety continues in the cuisine, with delicate West Coast seafood, hearty Karoo meat feasts, fragrant Cape Malay stews and spicy Durban curries. And southwest of it all sits Cape Town, where gourmands, art lovers, thrill seekers and beach babes come together to sip, surf and sunbathe in beautiful surrounds.”
"The World" by Lonely Planet (2014)₁₀

2. South Africa 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
	...
106	St Lucia	0.715
107	Palestine	0.715
108	Guyana	0.714
109	S. Africa	0.713
110	Jamaica	0.709
111	Samoa	0.707
	Africa Avg	0.56
	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
	...
90	Armenia	$13 158
91	Turkmenistan	$13 021
92	Iran	$13 001
93	S. Africa	$12 948
94	Suriname	$12 672
95	Sri Lanka	$12 578
	Africa Avg	$5 339
	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
	...
61	Ecuador	75.6
62	Armenia	76.0
63	Georgia	76.0
64	S. Africa	76.8
65	Montenegro	77.2
66	Thailand	77.2
	Africa Avg	108.3
	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. South Africa's Demographics and Migration

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

Population:

South Africa's population is predicted to fall to 54 711 000 by 2030. This country has a fertility rate of 2.39. 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
	...
21	UK	67.1m
22	France	65.0m
23	Italy	60.6m
24	S. Africa	57.8m
25	Tanzania	56.3m
26	Myanmar (Burma)	53.7m
	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
	...
161	Haiti	63.2
162	Malawi	62.9
163	Uganda	62.7
164	S. Africa	62.3
165	Djibouti	62.3
166	Gambia	62.1
	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
	...
54	Turkmenistan	2.33
55	Trinidad & Tobago	1.63
56	Montenegro	1.63
57	S. Africa	2.39
58	Iran	1.60
59	Venezuela	2.41
	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
	...
71	Cambodia	10.4
72	Egypt	10.5
73	Libya	10.5
74	S. Africa	10.5
75	Bangladesh	10.6
76	Nepal	10.8
	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%
	...
69	Congo, (Brazzaville)	7.6%
70	Botswana	7.3%
71	St Lucia	7.2%
72	S. Africa	7.1%
73	S. Sudan	6.7%
74	Grenada	6.6%
	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%
	...
155	Australia	2.1%
156	Serbia	2.0%
157	Venezuela	1.8%
158	S. Africa	1.7%
159	Iran	1.7%
160	Libya	1.7%
	World Avg	11.5%
q=192.

4. Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance

#equality #freedom #gender_equality #human_rights #morals #politics #prejudice #south_africa #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
	...
43	Bolivia	53.8
44	Peru	54.0
45	Kosovo	54.2
46	S. Africa	56.3
47	Mexico	56.6
48	Ecuador	58.1
	Africa Avg	108.4
	World Avg	87.7
q=199.

South Africa does relatively well in ensuring human rights and freedom, compared to many other countries. S. Africa comes in the best 20 in LGBT equality₂₀ (amongst the highest in Africa) and in freethought₂₁ (one of the best in Africa). It does better than average when it comes to its nominal commitment to Human Rights₂₂, commentary in Human Rights Watch reports₂₃, supporting press freedom₂₄ and in supporting personal, civil & economic freedoms₂₅. But, things could still be better. S. Africa does worse than average for the rate of gender bias (from 7 indicators)₂₆ (still good for Africa), its success in fighting anti-semitic prejudice₂₇, opposing gender inequality₂₈ (still good for Africa) and in speed of uptake of HR treaties₂₉. Violence against women is far too prevalent and frequently goes unreported, and the government has yet to introduce a strategy to combat it₃₀. Progress is always going to be difficult in a country where the richest 10% hold 51% of the country's entire income₃₁.

For tables, charts and commentary, see:

Human Rights and Freedom in South Africa

5. South Africa's Health

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

Compared to Africa (2020)₃₂_,₃₃
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₃₂_,₃₃
1	Mauritius	64.5
2	Morocco	73.1
3	Eritrea	77.0
4	Tunisia	80.1
5	Algeria	87.3
	...
33	Congo, DR	113.1
34	Somalia	113.1
35	Uganda	113.3
36	S. Africa	113.4
37	Togo	113.6
38	Liberia	113.8
39	Mozambique	113.9
	Africa Avg	108.2
q=54.

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
	...
164	Congo, DR	113.1
165	Somalia	113.1
166	Uganda	113.3
167	S. Africa	113.4
168	Togo	113.6
169	Liberia	113.8
170	Mozambique	113.9
	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:

South Africa has some poor policies and cultural issues which cause some public health problems. S. Africa comes in the best 20 in terms of its suicide rate₃₄ (one of the best in Africa). It does better than average when it comes to its food aid and health contributions and WHO compliance₃₅ (the best in Africa) and in its smoking rate₃₆ (but high for Africa). S. Africa still has work to do. S. Africa does worse than average in terms of its fertility rate₁₄ (still good for Africa), its adolescent birth rate₂₈ (still low for Africa), its alcohol consumption rate₃₇ and in its average life expectancy₁₁. And finally, it falls into the worst-performing 20 in terms of its immunizations take-up₃₈. The number of overweight adults has increased by 14% between 1976 and 2016.

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
	...
161	Haiti	63.2
162	Malawi	62.9
163	Uganda	62.7
164	S. Africa	62.3
165	Djibouti	62.3
166	Gambia	62.1
	Africa Avg	62.79
	World Avg	71.28
q=195.

Alcohol Consumption (2016)₃₇
Pos.		Lower is better Per Capita₃₇
1	Bangladesh	0.0
2	Kuwait	0.0
3	Libya	0.0
4	Mauritania	0.0
5	Somalia	0.0
	...
137	Sweden	9.2
138	Chile	9.3
139	Grenada	9.3
140	S. Africa	9.3
141	St Kitts & Nevis	9.4
142	Tanzania	9.4
	Africa Avg	4.8
	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
	...
54	Turkmenistan	2.33
55	Trinidad & Tobago	1.63
56	Montenegro	1.63
57	S. Africa	2.39
58	Iran	1.60
59	Venezuela	2.41
	Africa Avg	4.31
	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
	...
90	Gabon	559
89	Norway	556
88	Iceland	551
87	S. Africa	537
86	Tajikistan	533
85	Cape Verde	515
	Africa Avg	340
	World Avg	819
q=182.

Suicide Rate (2013)₃₄
Pos.		Per 100k₃₄
1	Haiti	0
2	Grenada	0
3	Egypt	0.1
4	Jordan	0.2
5	Maldives	0.7
6	Azerbaijan	1.3
7	S. Africa	1.8
8	Bahamas	2.5
9	Peru	2.9
10	Kuwait	3.6
11	Armenia	3.9
12	Dominican Rep.	4.6
	Africa Avg	6.13
	World Avg	20.93
q=91.

Food Aid, Health Contributions & WHO Compliance (2017)₃₅
Pos.		Lower is better Rank₃₅
1	Sweden	1
2	Ireland	2
3	Denmark	3
4	UK	4
5	Norway	5
	...
53	Bulgaria	53
54	Panama	54
55	Ukraine	55
56	S. Africa	56
57	Slovenia	57
58	Morocco	58
	Africa Avg	117.0
	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
	...
86	Paraguay	53.5
87	Kazakhstan	53.6
88	Azerbaijan	53.6
89	S. Africa	53.8
90	Georgia	54.2
91	Switzerland	54.3
	Africa Avg	33.3
	World Avg	49.0
q=191.

Children's Health:

Adolescent Birth Rate (2015)₂₈
Pos.		Lower is better Per 1000₂₈
1	N. Korea	0.5
2	S. Korea	1.6
3	Switzerland	2.9
4	Hong Kong	3.2
5	Slovenia	3.8
	...
99	Thailand	44.6
100	Antigua & Barbuda	44.8
101	Fiji	44.8
102	S. Africa	45.5
103	Cuba	45.6
104	Suriname	46.1
	Africa Avg	87.5
	World Avg	47.9
q=185.

Infant Immunizations 2011-2015 (2015)₃₈
Pos.		Higher is better Avg %₃₈
1	Hungary	99.0
2	China	99.0
3	Uzbekistan	98.9
4	Niue	98.8
5	Mongolia	98.7
	...
172	Ethiopia	73.9
173	Pakistan	73.0
174	Liberia	72.6
175	S. Africa	72.5
176	Angola	71.9
177	Madagascar	71.9
	Africa Avg	81.7
	World Avg	88.3
q=194.

6. South Africa's Modernity and Learning

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

Compared to Africa (2020)₁₉
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₁₉
1	S. Africa	52.8
2	Egypt	70.4
3	Tunisia	73.4
4	Kenya	79.8
5	Seychelles	81.3
6	Mauritius	85.8
7	Morocco	87.4
8	Nigeria	94.1
9	Uganda	95.3
10	Ghana	96.7
11	Libya	97.0
12	Botswana	97.7
13	Cameroon	101.6
	Africa Avg	120.7
q=53.

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
	...
47	Macau	50.8
48	Chile	51.6
49	Malta	51.6
50	S. Africa	52.8
51	Belarus	53.2
52	Cyprus	54.0
53	Barbados	54.2
	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
	...
42	Kenya	0.79₄₁
43	Ukraine	0.76₄₂
44	Morocco	0.73₄₁
45	S. Africa	0.73₄₃
46	Serbia	0.73₄₂
47	Hong Kong	0.73₄₃
	Africa Avg	0.36
	World Avg	0.84
q=126.

Secondary Education (2018)₄₄
Pos.		Higher is better₄₄
1	Luxembourg	100.0%
2	Estonia	100.0%
3	Austria	100.0%
4	Canada	100.0%
5	Finland	100.0%
	...
65	Belize	78.6%
66	Malta	78.2%
67	Fiji	76.9%
68	S. Africa	76.5%
69	Spain	75.8%
70	Samoa	74.5%
	Africa Avg	34.4%
	World Avg	63.0%
q=169.

Length of Schooling (2021)₄₅
Pos.		Higher is better Years₄₅
1	Australia	21.1
2	New Zealand	20.3
3	Greece	20.0
4	Belgium	19.6
5	Sweden	19.4
	...
90	Egypt	13.8
91	Indonesia	13.7
92	Swaziland	13.7
93	S. Africa	13.6
94	Macedonia	13.6
95	Azerbaijan	13.5
	Africa Avg	11.0
	World Avg	13.5
q=193.

Intellectual Endeavours (2017)₃₅
Pos.		Lower is better Rank₃₅
1	Ukraine	1
2	Czechia	2
3	Hungary	3
4	Denmark	4
5	UK	5
	...
22	Grenada	22
23	Poland	23
24	France	24
25	S. Africa	25
26	Singapore	26
27	Greece	27
	Africa Avg	106.4
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Religiosity (2018)₄₆
Pos.		Lower is better %₄₆
1	China	3
2	Estonia	6
3	Czechia	7
4	Switzerland	9
5	Denmark	9
	...
62	Egypt	72
63	Algeria	73
64	Peru	73
65	S. Africa	75
66	Ecuador	76
67	Costa Rica	76
	Africa Avg	87.0
	World Avg	54.3
q=106.

IQ (2006)₄₇
Pos.		Higher is better₄₇
1	Hong Kong	108
2	Singapore	108
3	S. Korea	106
4	Japan	105
5	Taiwan	105
	...
105	Uganda	73
106	Tanzania	72
107	Kenya	72
108	S. Africa	72
109	Zambia	71
110	Jamaica	71
	Africa Avg	70.6
	World Avg	85.6
q=138.

Technology and Information:

Internet Users (2016)₄₈
Pos.		Higher is better₄₈
1	Iceland	100%
2	Faroe Islands	99%
3	Norway	98%
4	Bermuda	97%
5	Andorra	97%
	...
93	Georgia	53%
94	China	52%
95	Vietnam	52%
96	S. Africa	52%
97	Dominican Rep.	52%
98	Uzbekistan	51%
	Africa Avg	18.4%
	World Avg	48.1%
q=201.

Freedom On The Internet (2012)₄₉
Pos.		Lower is better₄₉
1	Estonia	10
2	USA	12
3	Germany	15
4	Australia	18
5	Hungary	19
6	Philippines	23
7	Italy	23
8	UK	25
9	S. Africa	26
10	Argentina	26
11	Ukraine	27
12	Brazil	27
	Africa Avg	45.0
	World Avg	46.7
q=47.

IT Security (2013)₅₀
Pos.		Lower is better₅₀
1	Ireland	0.11
2	Luxembourg	0.11
3	Belize	0.11
4	Hong Kong	0.12
5	Mexico	0.16
6	Israel	0.20
7	Colombia	0.22
8	S. Africa	0.22
9	Japan	0.22
10	Philippines	0.24
11	Czechia	0.24
12	Argentina	0.27
	Africa Avg	1.07
	World Avg	0.98
q=81.

IPv6 Uptake (2017)₅₁
Pos.		Higher is better Ratio₅₁
1	Belgium	55.4
2	Germany	41.8
3	Switzerland	35.1
4	USA	35.0
5	Greece	33.5
	...
65	Seychelles	0.2
66	Puerto Rico	0.2
67	Indonesia	0.2
68	S. Africa	0.1
69	Jersey	0.1
70	Sudan	0.1
	Africa Avg	0.04
	World Avg	3.82
q=176.

7. National Culture

#charity #corruption #happiness #morals #politics

World Giving Index (2013-2021)₅₂
Pos.		Lower is better₅₂
1	Myanmar (Burma)	2.7
2	New Zealand	4.0
3	USA	4.7
4	Australia	4.9
5	Indonesia	9.0
	...
47	Turkmenistan	41.2
48	Haiti	41.7
49	Somaliland	42.0
50	S. Africa	42.6
51	Luxembourg	43.3
52	Syria	43.7
	Africa Avg	78.0
	World Avg	67.9
q=160.

Corruption (2022)₅₃
Pos.		Higher is better Points₅₃
1	Denmark	90.0
2	Finland	87.0
3	New Zealand	87.0
4	Norway	84.0
5	Singapore	83.0
	...
70	Oman	44.0
71	Bahrain	44.0
72	Senegal	43.0
73	S. Africa	43.0
74	Bulgaria	43.0
75	Benin	43.0
	Africa Avg	32.31
	World Avg	42.98
q=180.

Happiness (2018)₅₄
Pos.		Higher is better₅₄
1	Finland	7.6
2	Norway	7.6
3	Denmark	7.6
4	Iceland	7.5
5	Switzerland	7.5
	...
102	Venezuela	4.8
103	Gabon	4.8
104	Palestine	4.7
105	S. Africa	4.7
106	Iran	4.7
107	Ivory Coast	4.7
	Africa Avg	4.29
	World Avg	5.38
q=156.

Creativity and Culture (2017)₃₅
Pos.		Lower is better Rank₃₅
1	Belgium	1
2	Netherlands	2
3	Estonia	3
4	Switzerland	4
5	Sweden	5
	...
62	Ukraine	62
63	Israel	63
64	Mexico	64
65	S. Africa	65
66	Lebanon	66
67	USA	67
	Africa Avg	117.8
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Open Trading, Aid and Development (2017)₃₅
Pos.		Lower is better Rank₃₅
1	Ireland	1
2	Denmark	2
3	Sweden	3
4	Netherlands	4
5	Switzerland	5
	...
111	Malawi	111
112	Laos	112
113	China	113
114	S. Africa	114
115	Cape Verde	115
116	Russia	116
	Africa Avg	96.7
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

8. Peace Versus Instability

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

Global Peace Index (2021)₅₅
Pos.		Lower is better₅₅
1	Iceland	1.10
2	New Zealand	1.25
3	Denmark	1.26
4	Portugal	1.27
5	Slovenia	1.32
	...
120	Algeria	2.31
121	Azerbaijan	2.33
122	USA	2.34
123	S. Africa	2.34
124	Honduras	2.37
125	Saudi Arabia	2.38
	Africa Avg	2.29
	World Avg	2.08
q=163.

Peacekeeping and Security (2017)₃₅
Pos.		Lower is better Rank₃₅
1	Samoa	1
2	S. Africa	2
3	Tunisia	3
4	Egypt	4
5	Nigeria	5
6	Uruguay	6
7	Indonesia	7
8	Brunei	8
9	Moldova	9
10	Morocco	10
11	Oman	11
12	Tanzania	12
	Africa Avg	83.6
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Refugees and UN Treaties (2017)₃₅
Pos.		Lower is better Rank₃₅
1	Austria	1
2	Germany	2
3	Netherlands	3
4	Sweden	4
5	Malta	5
	...
22	Costa Rica	22
23	Thailand	23
24	Poland	24
25	S. Africa	25
26	Chile	26
27	Panama	27
	Africa Avg	104.5
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Impact of Terrorism (2019)₅₆
Pos.		Lower is better Score₅₆
1	Togo	0.00
2	Mongolia	0.00
3	Swaziland	0.00
4	Equatorial Guinea	0.00
5	Cambodia	0.00
	...
107	Germany	4.25
108	Lebanon	4.40
109	China	4.47
110	S. Africa	4.51
111	Israel	4.53
112	Iran	4.72
	Africa Avg	3.41
	World Avg	2.78
q=150.

9. The Natural Environment

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

Forest Area Change 1990-2015 (2015)₅₇
Pos.		Higher is better %₅₇
1	Iceland	+205.6
2	Bahrain	+144.4
3	Uruguay	+131.3
4	Kuwait	+81.2
5	Dominican Rep.	+79.5
	...
87	Vanuatu	00.0
88	Turkmenistan	00.0
89	Djibouti	00.0
90	S. Africa	00.0
91	Kiribati	00.0
92	Andorra	00.0
	Africa Avg	-08.0
	World Avg	+02.8
q=184.

Environmental Performance (2018)₅₈
Pos.		Higher is better₅₈
1	Switzerland	87.4
2	France	84.0
3	Denmark	81.6
4	Malta	80.9
5	Sweden	80.5
	...
139	Ivory Coast	45.3
140	Gabon	45.1
141	Ethiopia	44.8
142	S. Africa	44.7
143	Guinea-Bissau	44.7
144	Vanuatu	44.6
	Africa Avg	46.4
	World Avg	56.4
q=180.

Energy to GDP Efficiency (2014)₅₉
Pos.		Higher is better₅₉
1	Hong Kong	26.32
2	Sri Lanka	20.00
3	Panama	17.86
4	Colombia	17.54
5	Ireland	17.54
	...
107	Benin	04.69
108	Bosnia & Herzegovina	04.52
109	Russia	04.52
110	S. Africa	04.48
111	Bahrain	04.10
112	Ukraine	03.28
	Africa Avg	07.42
	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
	...
131	Moldova	1996 Jan 18
132	Guinea-Bissau	1996 Jan 25
133	Sudan	1996 Jan 28
134	S. Africa	1996 Jan 31
135	Nicaragua	1996 Feb 18
136	Latvia	1996 Mar 13
	Africa Avg	1899 Dec 30
	World Avg	1899 Dec 30
q=197.

Rational Beliefs on the Environment (2011)₆₀
Pos.		Higher is better %₆₀
1	Argentina	78.3%
2	Greece	77.6%
3	Brazil	77.1%
4	Trinidad & Tobago	74.5%
5	Costa Rica	74.2%
	...
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%
	Africa Avg	38.3%
	World Avg	39.9%
q=145.

10. Economic Inequality and Poverty

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

Inequality in Life Expectancy (2019)₆₁
Pos.		Higher is worse₆₁
184	Chad	40.90
183	Central African Rep.	40.10
182	Sierra Leone	39.00
181	Somalia	38.90
180	Nigeria	37.10
	...
131	India	19.70
130	Rwanda	19.50
129	Botswana	19.40
128	S. Africa	19.20
127	Guyana	19.00
126	Cambodia	18.10
	Africa Avg	26.10
	World Avg	14.59
q=184.

Income Inequality (Gini Coefficient) (2017)₆₂
Pos.		Lower is better %₆₂
1	Ukraine	25.0
2	Belarus	25.4
3	Slovenia	25.4
4	Czechia	25.9
5	Moldova	25.9
	...
147	Mozambique	54.0
148	Lesotho	54.2
149	Central African Rep.	56.2
150	Zambia	57.1
151	Namibia	59.1
152	S. Africa	63.0
	Africa Avg	42.6
	World Avg	38.1
q=152.

Multidimensional Poverty (2018)₆₃
Pos.		Lower is better Severity₆₃
1	Armenia	.001
2	Ukraine	.001
3	Serbia	.001
4	Turkmenistan	.001
5	Jordan	.002
	...
32	Colombia	.020
33	Philippines	.024
34	Mexico	.025
35	S. Africa	.025
36	Indonesia	.028
37	Syria	.029
	Africa Avg	.264
	World Avg	.154
q=101.

11. Religion and Beliefs

#afterlife #belief #buddhism #christianity #god #heaven #hell #hinduism #islam #judaism #religion #religion_in_south_africa #religiosity #secularisation #universalism

Religiosity (2018)₄₆
Pos.		Lower is better %₄₆
1	China	3
2	Estonia	6
3	Czechia	7
4	Switzerland	9
5	Denmark	9
	...
62	Egypt	72
63	Algeria	73
64	Peru	73
65	S. Africa	75
66	Ecuador	76
67	Costa Rica	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
4	Czechia	61
5	Estonia	49
	...
78	Honduras	1
79	Brazil	1
80	Ecuador	1
81	S. Africa	1
82	Venezuela	1
83	Peru	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	81.2%
Muslim	1.7%
Hindu	1.1%
Buddhist	0.2%
Folk Religion	0.4%
Jew	0.1%
Unaffiliated	14.9%

The CIA World Factbook has slightly different data, and states: Protestant 36.6% (Zionist Christian 11.1%, Pentecostal/Charismatic 8.2%, Methodist 6.8%, Dutch Reformed 6.7%, Anglican 3.8%), Catholic 7.1%, Muslim 1.5%, other Christian 36%, other 2.3%, unspecified 1.4%, none 15.1% (2001 census)₆₆.

The Afterlife: Ipsos-NA in 2011 gathered some statistics on South Africa₆₇. Despite the large numbers of Christians, not many have traditional beliefs in the afterlife - just 52%. Some people don't know what to believe (9%). Some believe that upon death, you simply cease to exist (9%). Also, 3% specifically believe in heaven but not in hell (which is nice - making them possible "universalists"). 5% believe in reincarnation.

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