Swaziland (Kingdom of Swaziland)

https://www.humantruth.info/swaziland.html

By Vexen Crabtree 2025

Swaziland Kingdom of Swaziland
Status	Independent State
Social and Moral Index	156th best
Capital	Mbabane (administrative) and Lobamba (legislative)
Land Area	17 200km²₁
Location	Africa
Population	1.1m₂
Life Expectancy	57.07yrs (2017)₃
GNI	$7 679 (2017)₄
ISO3166-1 Codes	SZ, SWZ, 748₅
Internet Domain	.sz₆
Currency	Lilangeni (SZL)₇
Telephone	+268₈

1. Overview

“Autonomy for the Swazis of southern Africa was guaranteed by the British in the late 19th century; independence was granted in 1968. Student and labor unrest during the 1990s pressured King MSWATI III, Africa's last absolute monarch, to grudgingly allow political reform and greater democracy, although he has backslid on these promises in recent years. A constitution came into effect in 2006, but the legal status of political parties remains unclear. The African United Democratic Party tried unsuccessfully to register as an official political party in mid 2006. Talks over the constitution broke down between the government and progressive groups in 2007. Swaziland recently surpassed Botswana as the country with the world's highest known HIV/AIDS prevalence rate.”
CIA's The World Factbook (2013)₉

“Ancient traditions are inherent in everyday life in this tiny mountain kingdom, where local festivals provide a rich counterpoint to the activities and wildlife spotting on offer. In short: big things come in small packages. The intriguing kingdom of Swaziland is diminutive, but boasts a huge checklist for any visitor. Wildlife watching? Adrenalin-boosting activities like rafting and mountain biking? Lively and colourful local culture? Tick. Tick. Tick. Plus there are superb walking trails, stunning mountain and flatland scenery, and excellent, high-quality handicrafts.
Presiding over this is King Mswati III, the last remaining absolute monarch in Africa. The monarchy has its critics but, combined with the Swazis´ distinguished history of resistance to the Boers, the British and the Zulus, it has fostered a strong sense of national pride. This is exemplified in its national festivals: the Incwala ceremony and the Umhlanga (Reed) dance.
An excellent road system makes Swaziland a pleasure to navigate. Many make a flying visit on their way to Kruger National Park, but it´s worth lingering here if you get the chance.”
"The World" by Lonely Planet (2014)₁₀

2. Swaziland 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
	...
141=	Laos	0.607
141=	Vanuatu	0.607
143	Nepal	0.602
144	Swaziland	0.597
145	Equatorial Guinea	0.596
146=	Cambodia	0.593
146=	Zimbabwe	0.593
148	Angola	0.586
	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
	...
121	Cuba	$7 879
122	Vietnam	$7 867
123	Laos	$7 700
124	Swaziland	$7 679
125	Morocco	$7 303
126	Tonga	$6 822
127	India	$6 590
128	Palestine	$6 583
	Africa Avg	$5 339
	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
	...
153	Somaliland	112.4
154	Gambia	112.7
155	Togo	112.8
156	Swaziland	114.1
157	Benin	114.1
158	Kiribati	114.4
159	Libya	114.7
160	Zambia	115.1
	Africa Avg	119.0
	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. Swaziland's Demographics and Migration

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

Population Datasets:

Swaziland's population is predicted to rise to 1.462 million by 2030. This country has a fertility rate of 2.79. 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
	...
154	Timor-Leste (E. Timor)	1.3m
155	Mauritius	1.3m
156	Cyprus	1.2m
157	Swaziland	1.1m
158	Djibouti	1.0m
159	Fiji	0.9m
160	Comoros	0.8m
161	Guyana	0.8m
	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
	...
186	Mali	58.9
187	Guinea	58.9
188	Ivory Coast	58.6
189	Swaziland	57.1
190	Somalia	55.3
191	S. Sudan	55.0
192	Central African Rep.	53.9
193	Lesotho	53.1
	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
	...
133	Italy	1.24
134	Haiti	2.77
135	Mongolia	2.77
136	Swaziland	2.79
137	Jordan	2.79
138	Kyrgyzstan	2.80
139	Aruba	1.18
140	China	1.18
	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
	...
38=	Ghana	06.5
38=	Palestine	06.5
40=	Ethiopia	06.6
40=	Swaziland	06.6
42=	Central African Rep.	06.8
42=	Sudan	06.8
42=	Mauritania	06.8
42=	Kuwait	06.8
	World Avg	18.3
q=185.

Migration Datasets:

Immigrants₁₇
Pos.		2017 %₁₇
1	UAE	88.4%
2	Kuwait	75.5%
3	Qatar	65.2%
	...
113	Kiribati	2.6%
114	Samoa	2.5%
115	Zimbabwe	2.4%
116	Swaziland	2.4%
117	Ecuador	2.4%
118	Paraguay	2.4%
119	Uruguay	2.3%
120	Mauritius	2.3%
	World Avg	9.4%
q=195.

Emigrants₁₈
Pos.		2010 %₁₈
1	Dominica	104.8%
2	Palestine	68.4%
3	Samoa	67.3%
	...
45	New Zealand	14.5%
46	Ukraine	14.4%
47	Israel	14.0%
48	Swaziland	13.4%
49	Lithuania	13.2%
50	Romania	13.1%
51	Iceland	13.0%
52	Bahamas	12.8%
	World Avg	11.5%
q=192.

4. Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance

#equality #freedom #gender_equality #human_rights #morals #politics #prejudice #slavery #swaziland #swaziland_slavery #tolerance

Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance (2025)₁₉
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₁₉
1	Sweden	7.8
2	Netherlands	8.7
3	Denmark	8.8
	...
161	Algeria	124.0
162	Comoros	124.3
163	Bangladesh	124.4
164	Swaziland	124.5
165	Egypt	126.0
166	Zambia	127.2
	Africa Avg	110.04
	World Avg	89.80
q=199.

Swaziland is very poor at ensuring human rights and freedom compared to the rest of the world, and it has cultural issues when it comes to tolerance and equality. Swaziland does better than average for combatting modern slavery₂₀. However Swaziland performs less well in most areas. It does worse than average for supporting press freedom₂₁, commentary in Human Rights Watch reports₂₂, opposing gender inequality₂₃ (still good for Africa), LGBT equality in the 2020s₂₄, supporting personal, civil & economic freedoms₂₅, its nominal commitment to Human Rights₂₆, freethought₂₇ and in its average Freedom in the World rating. Progress is always going to be difficult in a country where the richest 10% hold 40% of the country's entire income₂₈; the powerful and the rich dominate everyone else. There is no popular representation since political parties were banned in 1973, and the dictatorial rule of King Mswati III since 1986 continues to "repress political dissent and disregard human rights and rule of law""World Report 2018" by Human Rights Watch (2018)₂₉.

For tables, charts and commentary, see:

Human Rights and Freedom in Swaziland

5. Swaziland's Health

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

Compared to Africa (2025)₃₀
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₃₀
1	Mauritius	71.1
2	Tunisia	75.3
3	Seychelles	77.4
	...
19	Lesotho	125.5
20	Senegal	126.3
21=	Burundi	126.8
22	Swaziland	127.0
23	Djibouti	127.8
24	Congo, (Brazzaville)	129.4
25	Tanzania	129.7
26	Togo	130.6
27	Malawi	130.8
	Africa Avg	111.13
q=54.

Health (2025)₃₀
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₃₀
1	Monaco	10.3
2	Liechtenstein	30.1
3	Japan	37.3
	...
162	Micronesia	126.6
163=	Burundi	126.8
163=	Haiti	126.8
165	Swaziland	127.0
166	Cook Islands	127.5
167	Djibouti	127.8
168	Congo, (Brazzaville)	129.4
169	Tanzania	129.7
	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 Japan₃₁. These countries are worth emulating. And, although often through no fault of the average citizen, the worst countries are Angola, Somalia and S. Sudan₃₁.

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 Mediterranean₃₁, whereas the worst are Africa, Micronesia and Melanesia₃₁.

For more, see:

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

5.1. Health Datasets

#alcohol #birth_control #demographics #health #lesotho #life_expectancy #longevity #obesity #overpopulation #smoking #swaziland

Swaziland is a pretty unhealthy country. Swaziland does better than average for its smoking rate₃₂ and in the prevalence of overweight adults₃₃ (but high for Africa). When it comes to most other metrics, Swaziland does not do well. It does worse than average for delivery rate of 7x Infant Immunizations 2011-2015₃₄ (still good for Africa), its food aid and health contributions and WHO compliance₃₅, its fertility rate₁₅ (still good for Africa), delivery rate of infant DTP immunizations in the 2020s₃₆, its alcohol consumption rate₃₇, its adolescent birth rate₃₈ and in childhood mortality in the 2020s₃₉. And finally, it falls into the worst 20 in its average life expectancy₁₁. The number of overweight adults has increased by 14% over the last 40 years. Life expectancy in Eswatini in 2002-2005 was the worst in the world, at 46yrs. Life expectancy in Eswatini declined by 2.5 years over the 30 years from 1990 - the only other country with such a long-term reduction in longevity is Lesotho, at -5.2yrs, although, in the 2010s many things improved. Eswatini's peak fertility rate was 6.86 in 1963.

Life Expectancy Higher is better₁₁
Pos.		2021 Years₁₁
1	Monaco	85.9
2	Hong Kong	85.5
3	Japan	84.8
	...
186	Mali	58.9
187	Guinea	58.9
188	Ivory Coast	58.6
189	Swaziland	57.1
190	Somalia	55.3
191	S. Sudan	55.0
192	Central African Rep.	53.9
193	Lesotho	53.1
	Africa Avg	62.79
	World Avg	71.28
q=195. Also scored for 1990s-2010s.

Alcohol Consumption Lower is better₃₇
Pos.		2016 Per Capita₃₇
1	Bangladesh	0.0
2	Kuwait	0.0
3	Libya	0.0
	...
147=	Namibia	9.8
147=	USA	9.8
149=	St Lucia	9.9
149=	Swaziland	9.9
151	Spain	10.0
152	S. Korea	10.2
153=	Laos	10.4
153=	Greece	10.4
	Africa Avg	4.8
	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
	...
133	Italy	1.24
134	Haiti	2.77
135	Mongolia	2.77
136	Swaziland	2.79
137	Jordan	2.79
138	Kyrgyzstan	2.80
139	Aruba	1.18
140	China	1.18
	Africa Avg	3.97
	World Avg	2.47
q=208. Also scored for 1960s-2010s.

Smoking in the 2020s Lower is better₃₂
Pos.		Total %₃₂
1	Nigeria	3.3%
2	Ghana	3.4%
3	Panama	5.2%
	...
27	Iceland	9.3%
28	Tanzania	9.3%
29	Mauritania	9.5%
30	Swaziland	9.5%
31	Jamaica	9.7%
32	Malawi	9.7%
33	Ecuador	10.2%
34=	Gambia	10.5%
	Africa Avg	12.4%
	World Avg	20.0%
q=165. Also scored for 2000s-2020s.

Food Aid, Health Contributions & WHO Compliance Lower is better₃₅
Pos.		2017 Rank₃₅
1	Sweden	1
2	Ireland	2
3	Denmark	3
	...
114	Kenya	114
115	Haiti	115
116	Malawi	116
117	Swaziland	117
118	Iran	118
119	Yemen	119
120	Seychelles	120
121	Guinea-Bissau	121
	Africa Avg	117.0
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Overweight Adults Lower is better₃₃
Pos.		1976 %₃₃
1	Bangladesh	4.7
2	Vietnam	5.1
3	Nepal	5.4
	...
60	Japan	15.2
61	Lesotho	15.4
62	Namibia	15.7
63	Swaziland	15.8
64	Zimbabwe	16.3
65=	N. Korea	16.8
65=	Brunei	16.8
67	Mauritius	17.0
	Africa Avg	13.4
	World Avg	27.1
q=191.

Adult Obesity Lower is better₄₀
Pos.		2022 %₄₀
1	Vietnam	2.1%
2	Timor-Leste (E. Timor)	2.2%
3	Ethiopia	2.4%
	...
112	Ecuador	27.0%
113	Portugal	27.1%
114	Peru	27.2%
115	Swaziland	27.3%
116	Canada	27.3%
117	Azerbaijan	27.5%
118	Bolivia	27.8%
119	Armenia	27.9%
	Africa Avg	13.7%
	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 better₃₈
Pos.		2022 Per 1000₃₈
1	Hong Kong	1.6
2	Denmark	1.8
3	S. Korea	2.1
	...
151	Senegal	64.6
152	Guyana	64.6
153	Ethiopia	66.5
154	Swaziland	68.4
155	Panama	68.5
156	Paraguay	69.9
157	Nauru	71.1
158	Honduras	71.3
	Africa Avg	84.6
	World Avg	43.8
q=195. Also scored for 1990s-2010s.

Infant DTP Immunizations (2020s) Higher is better₃₆
Pos.		Total Avg %₃₆
1=	Luxembourg	99.0
1=	Oman	99.0
1=	Niue	99.0
	...
144	Tanzania	88.0
145	Pakistan	87.9
146=	Cook Islands	87.8
146=	Swaziland	87.8
148	Montenegro	87.5
149	Anguilla	87.3
150	Barbados	87.3
151	Namibia	87.2
	Africa Avg	82.9
	World Avg	88.5
q=211. Also scored for 1980s-2020s.

7x Infant Immunizations (2011-2015) Higher is better₃₄
Pos.		2015 Avg %₃₄
1=	Hungary	99.0
1=	China	99.0
3	Uzbekistan	98.9
	...
100	Romania	92.7
101	France	92.6
102=	El Salvador	92.4
102=	Swaziland	92.4
104	Palau	92.4
105	Vietnam	92.3
106	Denmark	92.3
107	Azerbaijan	92.2
	Africa Avg	81.7
	World Avg	88.3
q=194.

Infant Mortality (2020s) Lower is better₃₉
Pos.		Total Per 1000₃₉
1	San Marino	2.11
2	Finland	2.59
3	Luxembourg	2.60
	...
159	Uganda	58.61
160	Kiribati	58.77
161	Malawi	60.75
162	Swaziland	60.78
163	Gambia	61.12
164	Timor-Leste (E. Timor)	62.21
165	Zambia	63.61
166	Zimbabwe	63.76
	Africa Avg	71.63
	World Avg	32.19
q=195. Also scored for 1960s-2020s.

After many decades of gradual improvements, Eswatini's infant mortality rate from the 2000s to the 2010s declined more than any other country, although it more than recovered by the 2020s (so far)₃₉.

Eswatini was amongst 49 countries in the 1990s who had an adolescent birth rate of over 100 (per 1000 girls aged 15-19).

6. Swaziland's Responsibility Towards The Environment

#biodiversity #climate_change #deforestation #environmentalism #food #internationalism #meat #over-exploitation #the_environment #veganism #vegetarianism

Compared to Africa (2025)₄₁
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₄₁
1	Morocco	46.5
2	Burundi	47.8
3	Mali	51.0
	...
21	Ivory Coast	70.8
22	Togo	71.1
23	Congo, DR	73.0
24	Swaziland	74.2
25	Chad	74.4
26	Cape Verde	75.6
27	Malawi	76.0
28	Benin	76.5
29	Botswana	76.8
	Africa Avg	80.07
q=53.

Responsibility Towards The Environment (2025)₄₁
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₄₁
1	Sri Lanka	34.9
2	Uruguay	43.2
3	Switzerland	45.0
	...
66	France	72.8
67	Congo, DR	73.0
68	Romania	73.8
69	Swaziland	74.2
70	Chad	74.4
71	UK	74.4
72	Turkey	75.0
73	China	75.2
	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"₄₂. 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).

Swaziland is positioned 69th in the world when it comes to its responsibility towards the environment. This is derived from 21 data sets. Swaziland does better than average in terms of energy to GDP efficiency₄₃, reducing annual meat consumption per person₄₄ (but high for Africa) and in its forested percent change 2000-2020₄₅. Swaziland doesn't do so well in other areas. Swaziland does worse than average in its sign-up rate to major international accords on protecting the environment. And finally, it sits amongst the bottom 20 for its environmental performance₄₆.

Forest Area Change 2000-2020 Higher is better₄₅
Pos.		Total₄₅
1	Guernsey	82.6%
2	Bahrain	75.2%
3	Iceland	64.7%
	...
47	Belarus	5.9%
48	Latvia	5.2%
49	Tunisia	5.2%
50	Swaziland	5.1%
51	Thailand	4.7%
52	Poland	4.6%
53	Macedonia	4.6%
54	Palau	4.6%
	Africa Avg	-8.7%
	World Avg	-0.1%
q=234.

Environmental Performance Higher is better₄₆
Pos.		2018₄₆
1	Switzerland	87.4
2	France	84.0
3	Denmark	81.6
	...
159	Togo	41.8
160	Liberia	41.6
161	Cameroon	40.8
162	Swaziland	40.3
163	Djibouti	40.0
164	Papua New Guinea	39.4
165	Eritrea	39.3
166	Mauritania	39.2
	Africa Avg	46.4
	World Avg	56.4
q=180.

Energy to GDP Efficiency Lower is better₄₃
Pos.		2022 Avg₄₃
1	Rwanda	0.25
2	Chad	0.26
3	Tanzania	0.31
	...
36	Puerto Rico	0.68
37	Angola	0.70
38	Indonesia	0.71
39	Swaziland	0.73
40	Guatemala	0.74
41	Togo	0.74
42	Romania	0.75
43	Egypt	0.76
	Africa Avg	0.83
	World Avg	1.23
q=165. Also scored for 1960s-2010s.

International Accords on the Environment Higher is better
Pos.		Total Avg Rate
1	Sweden	83%
2	Canada	82%
3	Norway	81%
	...
149	Equatorial Guinea	50%
150	Moldova	50%
151	Bahrain	50%
152	Swaziland	50%
153	Kuwait	49%
154	Lebanon	49%
155	Oman	48%
156	Yemen	48%
	Africa Avg	56.4%
	World Avg	57.5%
q=197. Also scored for 1970s-2020s.

Meat Consumption Lower is better₄₄
Pos.		2021 kg₄₄
1	Congo, DR	03.0
2	Burundi	03.5
3	Bangladesh	04.3
	...
46	Haiti	21.6
47	Lesotho	21.7
48	Thailand	26.0
49	Swaziland	27.1
50	Malawi	27.4
51	Tunisia	27.8
52	Sao Tome & Principe	28.3
53	Maldives	28.8
	Africa Avg	24.9
	World Avg	52.5
q=185. Also scored for 2010s.

7. Swaziland's Modernity and Learning

#education #metric #modernity #technology #the_internet

Compared to Africa (2025)₄₇
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₄₇
1	S. Africa	58.2
2	Tunisia	63.4
3	Seychelles	64.9
	...
18	Togo	112.9
19	Zimbabwe	114.4
20	Zambia	115.6
21	Swaziland	116.9
22	Congo, (Brazzaville)	118.1
23	Ivory Coast	118.3
24	Senegal	118.4
25	Comoros	118.5
26	Benin	119.5
	Africa Avg	119.28
q=54.

Modernity & Learning (2025)₄₇
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₄₇
1	Vatican City	1.0
2	Finland	4.8
3	Belgium	8.5
	...
142	Zimbabwe	114.4
143	Zambia	115.6
144	Pakistan	116.8
145	Swaziland	116.9
146	Nepal	117.4
147	Congo, (Brazzaville)	118.1
148	Ivory Coast	118.3
149	Senegal	118.4
	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 Belgium₄₈. The worst countries are S. Sudan, Eritrea and Somalia₄₈. Despite improves in global education, access to tertiary (adult) education is becoming increasingly unequal between the rich haves and the poor have-nots₄₉.

“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)₅₀

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 Europe₄₈, whereas the worst are Melanesia, Africa and Micronesia₄₈.

For more, see:

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

7.1. Modernity Datasets

#metric

Intellectual Endeavours Lower is better₃₅
Pos.		2017 Rank₃₅
1	Ukraine	1
2	Czechia	2
3	Hungary	3
	...
101	Cameroon	101
102	Peru	102
103	Cape Verde	103
104	Swaziland	104
105	Albania	105
106	Madagascar	106
107	Thailand	107
108	Yemen	108
	Africa Avg	106.4
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Metric System Adoption Rate Higher is better₅₁
Pos.		2025 %₅₁
1=	Slovakia	100
1=	Poland	100
1=	Portugal	100
	...
130=	Timor-Leste (E. Timor)	90
130=	Tanzania	90
130=	Syria	90
130=	Swaziland	90
130=	Sudan	90
130=	Sri Lanka	90
130=	Sierra Leone	90
130=	Senegal	90
	Africa Avg	90
	World Avg	92
q=187. Also scored for 1960s-2020s.

Adopted metric in 1969. Progression:

1960 (40%): Colonial mix; science metric.
1970 (60%): Metrication accelerates post-independence.
1980 (80%): Commerce/education largely metric.
2000 (90%): Metric dominant; minor informal legacy.
2025 (90%).

7.2. Education Datasets

#education

Secondary Education Higher is better₅₂
Pos.		2018₅₂
1=	Luxembourg	100.0%
1=	Estonia	100.0%
1=	Austria	100.0%
	...
136	Honduras	33.5%
137	Haiti	33.2%
138	S. Sudan	33.2%
139	Swaziland	32.6%
140	Morocco	32.2%
141	Uganda	32.1%
142	Angola	30.2%
143	Lesotho	30.0%
	Africa Avg	34.4%
	World Avg	63.0%
q=169.

Length of Schooling Higher is better₅₃
Pos.		2021 Years₅₃
1	Australia	21.1
2	New Zealand	20.3
3	Greece	20.0
	...
89	Bosnia & Herzegovina	13.8
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
96	Jamaica	13.4
	Africa Avg	11.0
	World Avg	13.5
q=193. Also scored for 1990s-2010s.

7.3. Technology and Information Datasets

#the_internet

Internet Users Higher is better₅₄
Pos.		2016₅₄
1	Iceland	100%
2	Faroe Islands	99%
3	Norway	98%
	...
134	Sri Lanka	29%
135	Samoa	29%
136	Ghana	28%
137	Swaziland	28%
138	Guatemala	27%
139	Sudan	26%
140	Sao Tome & Principe	26%
141	Yemen	25%
	Africa Avg	18.4%
	World Avg	48.1%
q=201.

IPv6 Uptake Higher is better₅₅
Pos.		2017 Ratio₅₅
1	Belgium	55.4
2	Germany	41.8
3	Switzerland	35.1
	...
119=	Tuvalu	0.0
119=	Marshall Islands	0.0
119=	Georgia	0.0
119=	Swaziland	0.0
119=	Mongolia	0.0
119=	Samoa	0.0
119=	Albania	0.0
119=	Micronesia	0.0
	Africa Avg	0.04
	World Avg	3.82
q=176.

8. Swaziland's Culture, Peace and Inequality

#capitalism #corruption #economics #extremism #happiness #health #human_development #inequality #internationalism #life_expectancy #peace #politics #poverty #religious_violence #social_development #south_africa #terrorism

8.1. National Culture Datasets

#corruption #happiness #internationalism #politics

Corruption Higher is better₅₆
Pos.		2022 Points₅₆
1	Denmark	90.0
2=	Finland	87.0
2=	New Zealand	87.0
	...
130=	Egypt	30.0
130=	Mauritania	30.0
130=	Togo	30.0
130=	Swaziland	30.0
130=	Djibouti	30.0
130=	Papua New Guinea	30.0
136	Gabon	29.0
137=	Paraguay	28.0
	Africa Avg	32.31
	World Avg	42.98
q=180. Also scored for 1990s-2010s.

Happiness Higher is better₅₇
Pos.		2024 Score₅₇
1	Finland	7.7
2	Denmark	7.5
3	Iceland	7.5
	...
134	Bangladesh	3.9
135	Egypt	3.8
136	Tanzania	3.8
137	Swaziland	3.8
138	Lesotho	3.8
139	Comoros	3.8
140	Yemen	3.6
141	Congo, DR	3.5
	Africa Avg	4.42
	World Avg	5.58
q=147. Also scored for 2010s.

Creativity & Culture Lower is better₃₅
Pos.		2017 Rank₃₅
1	Belgium	1
2	Netherlands	2
3	Estonia	3
	...
109	Georgia	109
110	Kuwait	110
111	China	111
112	Swaziland	112
113	Argentina	113
114	Qatar	114
115	Afghanistan	115
116	Ivory Coast	116
	Africa Avg	117.8
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Passport Reach (2020s) Higher is better₅₈
Pos.		Total Q₅₈
1	Singapore	192.2
2	Japan	192.0
3	S. Korea	190.7
	...
114	Suriname	77.8
115	Lesotho	77.5
116	Kazakhstan	75.7
117	Swaziland	74.8
118	Malawi	73.8
119	Kenya	72.8
120	Indonesia	72.5
121	Tanzania	71.8
	Africa Avg	62.9
	World Avg	108.8
q=195. Also scored for 2000s-2020s.

Open Trading, Aid & Development Lower is better₃₅
Pos.		2017 Rank₃₅
1	Ireland	1
2	Denmark	2
3	Sweden	3
	...
52	Sri Lanka	52
53	Haiti	53
54	Rwanda	54
55	Swaziland	55
56	Luxembourg	56
57	Mali	57
58	El Salvador	58
59	Senegal	59
	Africa Avg	96.7
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

8.2. Peace Versus Instability Datasets

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

Global Peace Index Lower is better₅₉
Pos.		2023 Score₅₉
1	Iceland	1.12
2	Denmark	1.31
3	Ireland	1.31
	...
106	Guyana	2.13
107	Sri Lanka	2.14
108	Bahrain	2.15
109	Swaziland	2.17
110	Benin	2.18
111	Lesotho	2.19
112	Djibouti	2.20
113	Congo, (Brazzaville)	2.21
	Africa Avg	2.29
	World Avg	2.07
q=163. Also scored for 2010s.

Peacekeeping & Security Lower is better₃₅
Pos.		2017 Rank₃₅
1	Samoa	1
2	S. Africa	2
3	Tunisia	3
	...
153	Lebanon	153
154	Liberia	154
155	Mali	155
156	Swaziland	156
157	Yemen	157
158	Iraq	158
159	Bahrain	159
160	Slovenia	160
	Africa Avg	83.6
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Refugees & UN Treaties Lower is better₃₅
Pos.		2017 Rank₃₅
1	Austria	1
2	Germany	2
3	Netherlands	3
	...
122	Honduras	122
123	Guinea	123
124	Congo, (Brazzaville)	124
125	Swaziland	125
126	Madagascar	126
127	Benin	127
128	Yemen	128
129	Pakistan	129
	Africa Avg	104.5
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Impact of Terrorism Lower is better₆₀
Pos.		2019 Score₆₀
1	Togo	0.00
2	Mongolia	0.00
3	Swaziland	0.00
4	Equatorial Guinea	0.00
5	Cambodia	0.00
6	Portugal	0.00
7	Croatia	0.00
8	Benin	0.00
9	Mauritania	0.00
10	Slovenia	0.00
11	Costa Rica	0.00
12	Romania	0.00
	Africa Avg	3.41
	World Avg	2.78
q=150.

8.3. Economic Inequality and Poverty Datasets

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

Inequality in Life Expectancy Lower is better₆₁
Pos.		2019₆₁
1	Iceland	2.40
2=	Singapore	2.50
2=	Hong Kong	2.50
	...
148=	Kiribati	24.70
148=	Yemen	24.70
150	Ethiopia	24.90
151=	Swaziland	25.10
151=	Malawi	25.10
153	Tanzania	25.30
154	Zambia	26.50
155	Uganda	27.20
	Africa Avg	26.10
	World Avg	14.59
q=184.

Income Inequality (Gini Coefficient) Lower is better₆₂
Pos.		2023 %₆₂
1	Slovakia	24.1%₆₃
2	Slovenia	24.3%₆₃
3	Belarus	24.4%₆₄
	...
160	Zambia	51.5%₆₅
161	Brazil	52.0%₆₅
162	Botswana	53.3%₆₆
163	Swaziland	54.6%₆₇
164	Colombia	54.8%₆₅
165	Belize	57.7%₆₈
166	Namibia	59.1%₆₆
167	S. Africa	63.0%₆₉
	Africa Avg	40.7%
	World Avg	36.5%
q=167. Also scored for 1980s-2010s.

Income inequality data is rarely available for Eswatini - only for 4 years between 1980 and 2019. It doesn't score well, and in the 2010s its sole data point indicated that it was the 4th-most-economically unequal country in the world, although, it is significant that its average score of 0.54 in the 2010s was relatively good compared to the 0.63 value of its much large neighbour South Africa (which Eswatini is almost an enclave).

Multidimensional Poverty Lower is better₇₀
Pos.		2018 Severity₇₀
1	Armenia	.001
2	Ukraine	.001
3	Serbia	.001
	...
43	Peru	.053
44	Gabon	.066
45	Nicaragua	.074
46	Swaziland	.081
47	Morocco	.085
48	Honduras	.090
49	Sao Tome & Principe	.092
50	Bolivia	.094
	Africa Avg	.264
	World Avg	.154
q=101.

9. Religion and Beliefs

#buddhism #christianity #hinduism #islam #judaism

Pew Forum polling over the decades has found the following adherency rates:₇₁:

	2010	2020
Christian	93.1%	93.2%
Unaffiliated	3.99%	6.16%
Other	2.37%	0.313%
Muslim	0.336%	0.136%
Hindu	0.136%	0.127%
Buddhist	<0.1%	<0.1%
Jewish	<0.1%	<0.1%

The CIA World Factbook has slightly different data, and states: Zionist 40% (a blend of Christianity and indigenous ancestral worship), Roman Catholic 20%, Muslim 10%, other (includes Anglican, Baha'i, Methodist, Mormon, Jewish) 30%₇₂.

Links:

A List of All Religions and Belief Systems