Ukraine

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

By Vexen Crabtree 2013

Ukraine
Status	Independent State
Social and Moral Index	66th best
Capital	Kiev
Land Area	579 320km²₁
Location	Europe
Population	44.2m₂
Life Expectancy	71.62yrs (2017)₃
GNI	$13 256 (2017)₄
ISO3166-1 Codes	UA, UKR, 804₅
Internet Domain	.ua₆
Currency	Hryvnia (UAH)₇
Telephone	+380₈

1. Overview

#russia

“Ukraine was the center of the first eastern Slavic state, Kyivan Rus, which during the 10th and 11th centuries was the largest and most powerful state in Europe. Weakened by internecine quarrels and Mongol invasions, Kyivan Rus was incorporated into the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and eventually into the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. The cultural and religious legacy of Kyivan Rus laid the foundation for Ukrainian nationalism through subsequent centuries. A new Ukrainian state, the Cossack Hetmanate, was established during the mid-17th century after an uprising against the Poles. Despite continuous Muscovite pressure, the Hetmanate managed to remain autonomous for well over 100 years. During the latter part of the 18th century, most Ukrainian ethnographic territory was absorbed by the Russian Empire. Following the collapse of czarist Russia in 1917, Ukraine was able to achieve a short-lived period of independence (1917-20), but was reconquered and forced to endure a brutal Soviet rule that engineered two forced famines (1921-22 and 1932-33) in which over 8 million died. In World War II, German and Soviet armies were responsible for some 7 to 8 million more deaths. Although final independence for Ukraine was achieved in 1991 with the dissolution of the USSR, democracy and prosperity remained elusive as the legacy of state control and endemic corruption stalled efforts at economic reform, privatization, and civil liberties. A peaceful mass protest "Orange Revolution" in the closing months of 2004 forced the authorities to overturn a rigged presidential election and to allow a new internationally monitored vote that swept into power a reformist slate under Viktor YUSHCHENKO. Subsequent internal squabbles in the YUSHCHENKO camp allowed his rival Viktor YANUKOVYCH to stage a comeback in parliamentary elections and become prime minister in August of 2006. An early legislative election, brought on by a political crisis in the spring of 2007, saw Yuliya TYMOSHENKO, as head of an "Orange" coalition, installed as a new prime minister in December 2007. Viktor YANUKOVUYCH was elected president in a February 2010 run-off election that observers assessed as meeting most international standards. The following month, Ukraine's parliament, the Rada, approved a vote of no-confidence prompting Yuliya TYMOSHENKO to resign from her post as prime minister. In October 2012, Ukraine held Rada elections, widely criticized by Western observers as flawed due to use of government resources to favor ruling party candidates, interference with media access, and harassment of opposition candidates.”
CIA's The World Factbook (2013)₉

“Big, diverse and largely undiscovered, Ukraine is one of Europe´s last genuine travel frontiers, a poor nation rich in colourful tradition, warm-hearted people and off-the-map experiences. Ukraine is big. In fact it´s Europe´s biggest country (not counting Russia, which isn´t entirely in Europe) and packs a lot of diversity into its borders. You can be clambering around the Carpathians in search of Hutsul festivities, sipping Eastern Europe´s best coffee in sophisticated Lviv and partying on Odessa´s beaches, all in a few days.
A diverse landscape obviously throws up a whole bunch of outdoorsy activities. How about mountain biking or hill walking in the Carpathians, bird spotting in the Danube Delta or water sports on the Kyiv Sea? Many Ukrainians love nothing more than wandering their country´s vast forests, foraging for berries and mushrooms or picnicking by a meandering river.
History is all around you wherever you go in this vast land, whether it be among the Gothic churches of Lviv, the Stalinist facades of Kyiv, the remnants of the once-animated Jewish culture of West Ukraine or the more recent Soviet high-rises just about anywhere. After the latest political turmoils, this divided nation faces an uncertain future but its people share one thing: a talent for survival.”
"The World" by Lonely Planet (2014)₁₀

2. Ukraine 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
	...
74	Bosnia & Herzegovina	0.780
75	St Kitts & Nevis	0.777
76	Iran	0.774
77	Ukraine	0.773
78	Macedonia	0.770
79	China	0.768
80=	Moldova	0.767
80=	Palau	0.767
	Europe Avg	0.87
	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
	...
86	Palau	$13 819
87	Grenada	$13 484
88	Gabon	$13 367
89	Ukraine	$13 256
90	Armenia	$13 158
91	Turkmenistan	$13 021
92	Iran	$13 001
93	S. Africa	$12 948
	Europe Avg	$40 512
	World Avg	$20 136
q=193.

Social & Moral Development Index₁₂
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₁₂
1	Denmark	27.0
2	Norway	29.9
3	Sweden	31.8
	...
63	Dominica	77.7
64	Andorra	77.8
65	Georgia	78.0
66	Ukraine	78.3
67	Mexico	78.4
68	Ecuador	78.6
69	Northern Cyprus	79.1
70	Turkey	79.2
	Europe Avg	55.7
	World Avg	88.6
q=199.

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. Ukraine's Demographics and Migration

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

Population:

Ukraine's population is predicted to fall to 40 515 000 by 2030. This country has a fertility rate of 1.27. 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. The highest fertility rate ever detected in a single year was in Yemen in 1985, at 8.86.₁₃

Population₂
Pos.		2018 Population₂
1	China	1.4b
2	India	1.4b
3	USA	327.1m
	...
29	Colombia	49.7m
30	Spain	46.7m
31	Argentina	44.4m
32	Ukraine	44.2m
33	Uganda	42.7m
34	Algeria	42.2m
35	Sudan	41.8m
36	Iraq	38.4m
	World Avg	39.0m
q=195.

Life Expectancy Higher is better₁₁
Pos.		2021 Years₁₁
1	Monaco	85.9
2	Hong Kong	85.5
3	Japan	84.8
	...
97	Bulgaria	71.8
98	Georgia	71.7
99	St Kitts & Nevis	71.7
100	Ukraine	71.6
101	Bahamas	71.6
102	Tajikistan	71.6
103	Seychelles	71.3
104	St Lucia	71.1
	World Avg	71.28
q=195.

Fertility Rate 2.0 is best₁₄
Pos.		2022₁₄
1	US Virgin Islands	2.00
2	Ecuador	2.00
3	Nepal	2.01
	...
125	Syria	2.70
126	Philippines	2.73
127	Lithuania	1.27
128	Ukraine	1.27
129	Poland	1.26
130	Japan	1.26
131	Botswana	2.75
132	Djibouti	2.76
	World Avg	2.47
q=208.

Old-Age Dependency Ratio Lower is better₁₅
Pos.		2016 Per 100₁₅
1	Uganda	04.3
2	Mali	04.5
3=	Chad	04.7
	...
141	Georgia	29.7
142	Montenegro	30.0
143	Belarus	30.3
144	Ukraine	30.8
145	Australia	31.3
146	Slovakia	31.6
147	Albania	31.8
148	Norway	32.2
	World Avg	18.3
q=185.

Migration:

Immigrants₁₆
Pos.		2017 %₁₆
1	UAE	88.4%
2	Kuwait	75.5%
3	Qatar	65.2%
	...
52	Denmark	11.5%
53	Belarus	11.4%
54	Montenegro	11.3%
55	Ukraine	11.2%
56	Belgium	11.1%
57	Greece	10.9%
58	Malta	10.6%
59	Italy	10.0%
	World Avg	9.4%
q=195.

Emigrants₁₇
Pos.		2010 %₁₇
1	Dominica	104.8%
2	Palestine	68.4%
3	Samoa	67.3%
	...
43	Equatorial Guinea	14.9%
44	Seychelles	14.6%
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%
	World Avg	11.5%
q=192.

4. Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance

#equality #freedom #gender_equality #human_rights #morals #politics #prejudice #tolerance #ukraine #ukraine_human_rights

Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance (2025)₁₈
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₁₈
1	Sweden	6.1
2	Denmark	8.6
3	Norway	9.0
	...
48	Brazil	60.3
49	Romania	61.3
50	Andorra	61.5
51	Ukraine	63.6
52	Serbia	63.7
53	Mauritius	63.7
	Europe Avg	47.37
	World Avg	86.55
q=199.

Ukraine does relatively well in ensuring human rights and freedom, compared to many other countries. Ukraine does better than average when it comes to its nominal commitment to Human Rights₁₉, the rate of gender bias (from 7 indicators)₂₀ (but bad for Europe), commentary in Human Rights Watch reports₂₁ (but low for Europe), freethought₂₂, opposing gender inequality₂₃ (but high for Europe), supporting press freedom₂₄ (but low for Europe) and in LGBT equality₂₅ (but low for Europe). But, things could still be better. Ukraine does worse than average in its success in fighting anti-semitic prejudice₂₆, its average Freedom in the World rating, supporting personal, civil & economic freedoms₂₇ (amongst the worst in Europe) and in eliminating modern slavery₂₈.

For tables, charts and commentary, see:

Human Rights and Freedom in Ukraine

5. Ukraine's Health

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

Compared to Europe (2025)₂₉
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₂₉
1	Monaco	14.3
2	Liechtenstein	30.1
3	Isle of Man	32.1
	...
44	Latvia	76.0
45	Turkey	78.6
46	Bulgaria	82.8
47	Belarus	83.7
48	Romania	84.0
49	Moldova	85.0
50	Azerbaijan	86.0
51	Kosovo	86.4
52	Ukraine	89.6
	Europe Avg	86.87
q=52.

Health (2025)₂₉
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₂₉
1	Monaco	14.3
2	Liechtenstein	30.1
3	Isle of Man	32.1
	...
101	Iran	88.6
102	St Kitts & Nevis	88.9
103	St Vincent & Grenadines	89.3
104	Ukraine	89.6
105	Kazakhstan	90.7
106	Morocco	91.9
107	Uzbekistan	92.2
108	Indonesia	93.4
	World Avg	96.74
q=212.

The countries with the best overall approach to public health, in terms of both public policy and individual lifestyle choices, are Monaco, Liechtenstein and The Isle of Man₃₀. These countries are worth emulating. And, although often through no fault of the average citizen, the worst countries are S. Sudan, Angola and Nigeria₃₀.

21 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, its adolescent birth rate and its immunizations take-up. The regions with the best average results per country are Scandinavia, Europe and The Balkans₃₀, whereas the worst are Africa, Micronesia and Melanesia₃₀.

For more, see:

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

Health:

Ukraine is a pretty unhealthy country. Ukraine does better than average in its food aid and health contributions and WHO compliance₃₁ (but bad for Europe) and in its adolescent birth rate₃₂ (but bad for Europe). But unfortunately Ukraine gets most other things wrong. It does worse than average in its average life expectancy₁₁ (one of the worst in Europe), its fertility rate₁₄ and in its alcohol consumption rate₃₃ (still low for Europe). And finally, it falls into the worst-performing 20 in its suicide rate₃₄, its smoking rate₃₅ and in its immunizations take-up₃₆ (the lowest in Europe). The number of overweight adults has increased by 14% during the past 40 years. Life expectancy in Ukraine improved by +4.7yrs in the 30 years from 1990, less than the global average of +7.9yrs. Ukraine has had a long-term consistent fertility rate, and is one of only 22 countries to vary by less than 1.0 each decade since the 1960s. Its peak fertility rate was 2.24 in 1960.

Life Expectancy Higher is better₁₁
Pos.		2021 Years₁₁
1	Monaco	85.9
2	Hong Kong	85.5
3	Japan	84.8
	...
97	Bulgaria	71.8
98	Georgia	71.7
99	St Kitts & Nevis	71.7
100	Ukraine	71.6
101	Bahamas	71.6
102	Tajikistan	71.6
103	Seychelles	71.3
104	St Lucia	71.1
	Europe Avg	78.36
	World Avg	71.28
q=195.

Alcohol Consumption Lower is better₃₃
Pos.		2016 Per Capita₃₃
1	Bangladesh	0.0
2	Kuwait	0.0
3	Libya	0.0
	...
127=	Botswana	8.4
127=	Trinidad & Tobago	8.4
127=	Vietnam	8.4
130	Ukraine	8.6
131	Netherlands	8.7
132=	Croatia	8.9
132=	Cameroon	8.9
132=	Canada	8.9
	Europe Avg	10.3
	World Avg	6.2
q=189.

Fertility Rate 2.0 is best₁₄
Pos.		2022₁₄
1	US Virgin Islands	2.00
2	Ecuador	2.00
3	Nepal	2.01
	...
125	Syria	2.70
126	Philippines	2.73
127	Lithuania	1.27
128	Ukraine	1.27
129	Poland	1.26
130	Japan	1.26
131	Botswana	2.75
132	Djibouti	2.76
	Europe Avg	1.53
	World Avg	2.47
q=208.

Smoking Rates Lower is better₃₅
Pos.		2014₃₅
1	Guinea	15
2	Solomon Islands	26
3	Kiribati	28
	...
162	Japan	1 713
163	Hungary	1 759
164	Estonia	1 775
165	Ukraine	1 854
166	Jordan	1 855
167	Austria	1 988
168	S. Korea	2 073
169	Greece	2 086
	Europe Avg	1 648
	World Avg	819
q=182.

Suicide Rate₃₄
Pos.		2013 Per 100k₃₄
1	Haiti	0
2	Grenada	0
3	Egypt	0.1
	...
79	Finland	39
80	Belgium	39.1
81	Slovenia	44
82	Ukraine	44.8
83	Latvia	48.2
84	Japan	49.4
85	Hungary	50.6
86=	Kazakhstan	52.4
	Europe Avg	26.99
	World Avg	20.93
q=91.

Food Aid, Health Contributions & WHO Compliance Lower is better₃₁
Pos.		2017 Rank₃₁
1	Sweden	1
2	Ireland	2
3	Denmark	3
	...
52	Slovakia	52
53	Bulgaria	53
54	Panama	54
55	Ukraine	55
56	S. Africa	56
57	Slovenia	57
58	Morocco	58
59	Cyprus	59
	Europe Avg	47.4
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Overweight Adults Lower is better₃₇
Pos.		2016 %₃₇
1	Vietnam	18.3
2	India	19.7
3	Bangladesh	20.0
	...
122	Nicaragua	58.2
123=	Norway	58.3
123=	Poland	58.3
125	Ukraine	58.4
126=	Cuba	58.5
126=	Italy	58.5
128	Luxembourg	58.7
129	Panama	58.8
	Europe Avg	58.5
	World Avg	49.0
q=191.

Children's Health:

Adolescent Birth Rate Lower is better₃₂
Pos.		2022 Per 1000₃₂
1	Hong Kong	1.6
2	Denmark	1.8
3	S. Korea	2.1
	...
58	Albania	14.5
59	Russia	14.5
60	USA	15.1
61	Ukraine	15.2
62	Sri Lanka	15.4
63	Turkey	15.7
64	Uzbekistan	15.7
65	Macedonia	16.1
	Europe Avg	11.4
	World Avg	43.8
q=195.

Infant Immunizations 2011-2015 Higher is better₃₆
Pos.		2015 Avg %₃₆
1=	Hungary	99.0
1=	China	99.0
3	Uzbekistan	98.9
	...
185	Vanuatu	65.5
186	Guinea	63.3
187	Syria	62.4
188	Ukraine	55.2
189	Chad	52.5
190	Nigeria	50.0
191	Central African Rep.	49.4
192	Somalia	46.0
	Europe Avg	92.7
	World Avg	88.3
q=194.

6. Ukraine's Responsibility Towards The Environment

#biodiversity #climate_change #deforestation #energy #environmentalism #food #france #internationalism #meat #over-exploitation #sustainability #the_environment #ukraine #veganism #vegetarianism

Compared to Europe (2025)₃₈
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₃₈
1	Switzerland	45.0
2	Denmark	50.4
3	Liechtenstein	56.8
	...
34=	Monaco	92.1
34=	Moldova	92.1
36	Malta	92.2
37	Ukraine	94.8
38=	Iceland	96.9
39	Estonia	97.0
40	Montenegro	97.3
41	Azerbaijan	101.2
42	Bosnia & Herzegovina	103.5
	Europe Avg	86.45
q=48.

Responsibility Towards The Environment (2025)₃₈
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₃₈
1	Sri Lanka	34.9
2	Uruguay	43.2
3	Switzerland	45.0
	...
135	Qatar	94.1
136	Liberia	94.2
137	Trinidad & Tobago	94.5
138	Ukraine	94.8
139	Saudi Arabia	94.9
140	Israel	95.8
141	Tonga	96.1
142=	St Kitts & Nevis	96.9
	World Avg	84.93
q=199.

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).

Ukraine ranks 138th in the world regarding its responsibility towards the environment. This rank is derived from 7 data sets. Ukraine comes in the best 20 for its sign-up rate to major international accords on protecting the environment. It does better than average in the rate of rational beliefs on the environment in the population₃₉, its forested percent change 2000-2020₄₀ and in reducing annual meat consumption per person₄₁. But, things still need to improve in Ukraine. Ukraine does worse than average when it comes to its score on the Green Future Index₄₂ (one of the worst in Europe) and in its environmental performance₄₃ (one of the lowest in Europe). And finally, it falls into the worst 20 in terms of energy to GDP efficiency₄₄ (amongst the highest in Europe).

Forest Area Change 2000-2020 Higher is better₄₀
Pos.		Total₄₀
1	Guernsey	82.6%
2	Bahrain	75.2%
3	Iceland	64.7%
	...
66	Luxembourg	2.3%
67	Georgia	2.2%
68	USA	2.1%
69	Ukraine	1.9%
70	Australia	1.7%
71	Austria	1.6%
72	Czechia	1.5%
73	Slovakia	1.3%
	Europe Avg	8.2%
	World Avg	-0.1%
q=234.

Environmental Performance Higher is better₄₃
Pos.		2018₄₃
1	Switzerland	87.4
2	France	84.0
3	Denmark	81.6
	...
106	El Salvador	53.9
107	Fiji	53.1
108	Turkey	53.0
109	Ukraine	52.9
110	Guatemala	52.3
111	Maldives	52.1
112	Moldova	52.0
113	Botswana	51.7
	Europe Avg	69.6
	World Avg	56.4
q=180.

Energy to GDP Efficiency Lower is better₄₄
Pos.		2022 Avg₄₄
1	Rwanda	0.25
2	Chad	0.26
3	Tanzania	0.31
	...
147	Libya	2.05
148	Singapore	2.06
149	Lebanon	2.06
150	Ukraine	2.11
151	Syria	2.12
152	Kyrgyzstan	2.20
153	Iran	2.24
154	Russia	2.25
	Europe Avg	1.25
	World Avg	1.23
q=165.

From the 2000s to the 2010s, Ukraine was amongst the 10 countries who improved their energy-to-GDP efficiency the most.

International Accords on the Environment Higher is better
Pos.		Total Avg Rate
1	Sweden	83%
2	Canada	82%
3	Norway	81%
4	Latvia	81%
5	Estonia	80%
6	Ukraine	80%
7	Finland	79%
8	Georgia	79%
9	Switzerland	78%
10	Nigeria	78%
11	Germany	76%
12	Belarus	76%
	Europe Avg	62.7%
	World Avg	57.5%
q=197.

Rational Beliefs on the Environment Higher is better₃₉
Pos.		2011 %₃₉
1	Argentina	78.3%
2	Greece	77.6%
3	Brazil	77.1%
	...
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%
66	Serbia	41.1%
	Europe Avg	33.6%
	World Avg	39.9%
q=145.

Meat Consumption Lower is better₄₁
Pos.		2021 kg₄₁
1	Congo, DR	03.0
2	Burundi	03.5
3	Bangladesh	04.3
	...
84	Bosnia & Herzegovina	46.8
85	Chad	47.1
86	Oman	48.0
87	Ukraine	48.5
88	Cuba	49.6
89	Libya	50.0
90	Ecuador	50.9
91	Albania	52.0
	Europe Avg	71.1
	World Avg	52.5
q=185.

Green Future Index Higher is better₄₂
Pos.		2023 Score₄₂
1	Iceland	6.7
2	Finland	6.7
3	Norway	6.4
	...
44=	Australia	4.6
45	Taiwan	4.5
46=	Mexico	4.5
47	Ukraine	4.4
48	Argentina	4.3
49	Indonesia	4.3
50	India	4.3
51	Nigeria	4.2
	Europe Avg	5.6
	World Avg	4.8
q=76.

The 2023 edition of the Green Futures Index noted that Ukraine's nuclear contribution to its energy sector was very high, helping it avoid harmful carbon emissions (only France done better)₄₅.

7. Ukraine's Modernity and Learning

#azerbaijan #capitalism #charity #corruption #economics #education #extremism #france #happiness #health #human_development #inequality #intelligence #it_security #life_expectancy #modernity #morals #NATO #peace #politics #poverty #religion #religiosity #religious_violence #research #russia #science #secularisation #slovenia #social_development #technology #terrorism #the_internet #UK #ukraine #USA

Compared to Europe (2020)₄₆
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₄₆
1	Finland	7.1
2	Belgium	12.9
3	Denmark	13.6
	...
25	Greece	36.3
26	Slovakia	42.9
27	Malta	45.9
28	Ukraine	47.7
29	Bulgaria	47.8
30	Croatia	47.8
31	Liechtenstein	48.8
32	Romania	51.0
33	Belarus	51.5
	Europe Avg	39.81
q=45.

Modernity & Learning (2020)₄₆
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₄₆
1	Finland	7.1
2	Belgium	12.9
3	Denmark	13.6
	...
39	Malta	45.9
40	Barbados	47.4
41	Palau	47.4
42	Ukraine	47.7
43	Bulgaria	47.8
44	Croatia	47.8
45	Liechtenstein	48.8
46	St Kitts & Nevis	48.8
	World Avg	86.31
q=190.

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 Finland, Belgium and Denmark₄₇. The worst countries are Eritrea, S. Sudan and Sierra Leone₄₇. Despite improves in global education, access to tertiary (adult) education is becoming increasingly unequal between the rich haves and the poor have-nots₄₈.

“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)₄₉

15 datasets are used to calculate points for each country, including multiple decades of data on Research and Development, Secondary Education, Length of Schooling, Intellectual Endeavours, Maths, Science & Reading, Religiosity, IQ, 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 Europe₄₇, whereas the worst are Melanesia, Africa and Micronesia₄₇.

For more, see:

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

Modernity and Education:

Research & Development Higher is better
Pos.		2016 % RDP PPP
1	S. Korea	4.29₅₀
2	Israel	4.11₅₀
3	Japan	3.58₅₀
	...
40	India	0.82₅₁
41	Croatia	0.81₅₂
42	Kenya	0.79₅₃
43	Ukraine	0.76₅₂
44=	Morocco	0.73₅₃
44=	S. Africa	0.73₅₄
44=	Serbia	0.73₅₂
44=	Hong Kong	0.73₅₄
	Europe Avg	1.32
	World Avg	0.84
q=126.

Secondary Education Higher is better₅₅
Pos.		2018₅₅
1=	Luxembourg	100.0%
1=	Estonia	100.0%
1=	Austria	100.0%
	...
27	S. Korea	95.2%
28	Bulgaria	95.1%
29	Lithuania	94.9%
30	Ukraine	94.6%
31	Tonga	93.7%
32	Japan	93.6%
33	Tajikistan	93.1%
34	Barbados	92.9%
	Europe Avg	88.3%
	World Avg	63.0%
q=169.

Length of Schooling Higher is better₅₆
Pos.		2021 Years₅₆
1	Australia	21.1
2	New Zealand	20.3
3	Greece	20.0
	...
60	Montenegro	15.1
61	Hungary	15.0
62	Mongolia	15.0
63	Ukraine	15.0
64	Bolivia	14.9
65	Mexico	14.9
66	Fiji	14.7
67	St Vincent & Grenadines	14.7
	Europe Avg	16.1
	World Avg	13.5
q=193.

Intellectual Endeavours Lower is better₃₁
Pos.		2017 Rank₃₁
1	Ukraine	1
2	Czechia	2
3	Hungary	3
4	Denmark	4
5	UK	5
6	Austria	6
7	Finland	7
8	Netherlands	8
9	Belgium	9
10	Slovenia	10
11	Switzerland	11
12	New Zealand	12
	Europe Avg	31.3
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Religiosity Lower is better₅₇
Pos.		2018 %₅₇
1	China	3
2	Estonia	6
3	Czechia	7
	...
28=	Kazakhstan	22
28=	Spain	22
30	Slovakia	23
31=	Ukraine	23
32	Canada	27
33=	Uzbekistan	29
33=	Uruguay	29
35	Poland	30
	Europe Avg	25.8
	World Avg	54.3
q=106.

IQ Higher is better₅₈
Pos.		2006₅₈
1=	Hong Kong	108
1=	Singapore	108
3	S. Korea	106
	...
29=	USA	98
29=	Latvia	98
29=	Hungary	98
32	Ukraine	97
33=	Russia	97
33=	Belarus	97
35	Moldova	96
36=	Uruguay	96
	Europe Avg	96.6
	World Avg	85.6
q=138.

Technology and Information:

Internet Users Higher is better₅₉
Pos.		2016₅₉
1	Iceland	100%
2	Faroe Islands	99%
3	Norway	98%
	...
109	Mexico	45%
110=	Kenya	45%
110=	Belize	45%
112	Ukraine	44%
113	Philippines	44%
114	Jamaica	43%
115	Ecuador	43%
116	Thailand	43%
	Europe Avg	76.7%
	World Avg	48.1%
q=201.

Freedom On The Internet Lower is better₆₀
Pos.		2012₆₀
1	Estonia	10
2	USA	12
3	Germany	15
	...
8	UK	25
9=	S. Africa	26
9=	Argentina	26
11	Ukraine	27
12=	Brazil	27
13	Kenya	29
14	Georgia	30
15	Nigeria	33
	Europe Avg	31.4
	World Avg	46.7
q=47.

IT Security Lower is better₆₁
Pos.		2013₆₁
1=	Ireland	0.11
1=	Luxembourg	0.11
1=	Belize	0.11
	...
61	UK	1.34
62	Mongolia	1.42
63	Uganda	1.44
64	Ukraine	1.44
65	Nepal	1.45
66	Afghanistan	1.45
67	Germany	1.46
68	Netherlands	1.47
	Europe Avg	0.80
	World Avg	0.98

IPv6 Uptake Higher is better₆₂
Pos.		2017 Ratio₆₂
1	Belgium	55.4
2	Germany	41.8
3	Switzerland	35.1
	...
68	S. Africa	0.1
69	Jersey	0.1
70=	Sudan	0.1
70=	Ukraine	0.1
72	Lithuania	0.1
73	Vanuatu	0.1
74=	Iran	0.1
74=	Zambia	0.1
	Europe Avg	8.11
	World Avg	3.82
q=176.

Digital Quality of Life Higher is better₆₃
Pos.		2024₆₃
1	Germany	77.9%
2	Finland	76.9%
3	France	73.9%
	...
44	Chile	55.0%
45	China	54.8%
46	Uruguay	54.8%
47	Ukraine	54.4%
48	Serbia	53.5%
49	Turkey	52.2%
50	Russia	52.1%
51	Thailand	51.4%
	Europe Avg	61.0%
	World Avg	48.4%
q=121.

National Culture:

World Giving Index Higher is better₆₄
Pos.		2022 %₆₄
1	Indonesia	68.0
2	Kenya	61.0
3	USA	59.0
	...
7=	Sierra Leone	51.0
7=	Canada	51.0
9	Zambia	50.0
10=	Ukraine	49.0
10=	Ireland	49.0
12	Czechia	48.0
13=	Nigeria	48.0
13=	Thailand	48.0
	Europe Avg	39.0
	World Avg	39.6
q=125.

Corruption Higher is better₆₅
Pos.		2022 Points₆₅
1	Denmark	90.0
2=	Finland	87.0
2=	New Zealand	87.0
	...
113	Indonesia	34.0
114=	Bosnia & Herzegovina	34.0
114=	Nepal	34.0
116	Ukraine	33.0
117=	Mongolia	33.0
117=	El Salvador	33.0
117=	Zambia	33.0
117=	Algeria	33.0
	Europe Avg	57.61
	World Avg	42.98
q=180.

In 2000, Ukraine was perceived as being the 3rd-most-corrupt country in the world (after Azerbaijan).

Happiness Higher is better₆₆
Pos.		2024 Score₆₆
1	Finland	7.7
2	Denmark	7.5
3	Iceland	7.5
	...
108	Palestine	4.8
109	Pakistan	4.8
110	Niger	4.7
111	Ukraine	4.7
112	Morocco	4.6
113	Tunisia	4.6
114	Mauritania	4.5
115	Kenya	4.5
	Europe Avg	6.37
	World Avg	5.58
q=147.

Creativity & Culture Lower is better₃₁
Pos.		2017 Rank₃₁
1	Belgium	1
2	Netherlands	2
3	Estonia	3
	...
59	Uruguay	59
60	Samoa	60
61	Montenegro	61
62	Ukraine	62
63	Israel	63
64	Mexico	64
65	S. Africa	65
66	Lebanon	66
	Europe Avg	35.0
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Open Trading, Aid & Development Lower is better₃₁
Pos.		2017 Rank₃₁
1	Ireland	1
2	Denmark	2
3	Sweden	3
	...
69	New Zealand	69
70	Tunisia	70
71	Montenegro	71
72	Ukraine	72
73	Chile	73
74	Macedonia	74
75	Oman	75
76	Dominican Rep.	76
	Europe Avg	42.6
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Peace Versus Instability:

Russia has been disrupting and funding sectarian violence in Ukraine for over a decade, with the policy of Russian President Putin being that Ukrainians and Russians are 'one people'. Trying to justify his invasions has meant a long-term series of heavy misinformation campaigns that have served to dehumanize Ukranians, and heavy censorship has hid the truth of Russian aggression from many Russian citizens.

The events of early 2025 have proven that Russian misinformation permeated the USA's right-wing communities and its Republican Party, leading to President Trump vocally and frequently repeating Russian propaganda until the USA in March 2025, withdrew its support of Ukraine's self-defence.

A few European countries had already openly declared that they won't rule out sending troops to help Ukraine; the UK and France₆₇ being the most prominent, along with some Baltic states. They propose a 'coalition of the willing' to enforce any future peace deal, with their aim (along with that of NATO) being to raise a stronger deterrent against future Russia military aggression against European countries.

Global Peace Index Lower is better₆₈
Pos.		2023 Score₆₈
1	Iceland	1.12
2	Denmark	1.31
3	Ireland	1.31
	...
154	Iraq	3.01
155	Sudan	3.02
156	Somalia	3.04
157	Ukraine	3.04
158	Russia	3.14
159	Congo, DR	3.21
160	S. Sudan	3.22
161	Syria	3.29
	Europe Avg	1.70
	World Avg	2.07
q=163.

Peacekeeping & Security Lower is better₃₁
Pos.		2017 Rank₃₁
1	Samoa	1
2	S. Africa	2
3	Tunisia	3
	...
105	Laos	105
106	Mozambique	106
107	Poland	107
108	Ukraine	108
109	Belgium	109
110	Panama	110
111	Equatorial Guinea	111
112	Botswana	112
	Europe Avg	84.6
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Refugees & UN Treaties Lower is better₃₁
Pos.		2017 Rank₃₁
1	Austria	1
2	Germany	2
3	Netherlands	3
	...
54	Macedonia	54
55	Zambia	55
56	Lithuania	56
57	Ukraine	57
58	Croatia	58
59	Bangladesh	59
60	Seychelles	60
61	Philippines	61
	Europe Avg	37.8
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Impact of Terrorism Lower is better₆₉
Pos.		2019 Score₆₉
1	Togo	0.00
2	Mongolia	0.00
3	Swaziland	0.00
	...
124	Burkina Faso	5.42
125	Myanmar (Burma)	5.51
126	Mozambique	5.54
127	Ukraine	5.55
128	Niger	5.60
129	USA	5.69
130	Kenya	5.76
131	Sudan	5.81
	Europe Avg	1.62
	World Avg	2.78
q=150.

Economic Inequality and Poverty:

Inequality in Life Expectancy Lower is better₇₀
Pos.		2019₇₀
1	Iceland	2.40
2=	Singapore	2.50
2=	Hong Kong	2.50
	...
58	Russia	7.10
59	Albania	7.20
60=	Lebanon	7.40
60=	Ukraine	7.40
62	Brunei	7.60
63	Kazakhstan	7.70
64=	Macedonia	7.90
64=	Uruguay	7.90
	Europe Avg	4.86
	World Avg	14.59
q=184.

Income Inequality (Gini Coefficient) Lower is better₇₁
Pos.		2023 %₇₁
1	Slovakia	24.1%₇₂
2	Slovenia	24.3%₇₂
3	Belarus	24.4%₇₃
4	Ukraine	25.6%₇₃
5=	Moldova	25.7%₇₂
5=	Netherlands	25.7%₇₂
7	Iceland	26.1%₇₄
8	Czechia	26.2%₇₂
9=	Kyrgyzstan	26.4%₇₅
9=	UAE	26.4%₇₆
11	Syria	26.6%₇₅
12=	Azerbaijan	26.6%₇₇
	Europe Avg	30.7%
	World Avg	36.5%
q=167.

Ukraine had the 2nd-lowest income inequality in the world in the 2010s, almost as good as Slovenia.

Multidimensional Poverty Lower is better₇₈
Pos.		2018 Severity₇₈
1	Armenia	.001
2	Ukraine	.001
3	Serbia	.001
4	Turkmenistan	.001
5	Jordan	.002
6	Kazakhstan	.002
7	Montenegro	.002
8	Trinidad & Tobago	.002
9	Maldives	.003
10	Albania	.003
11	Thailand	.003
12	Moldova	.004
	Europe Avg	.004
	World Avg	.154
q=101.

8. Religion and Beliefs

#belief #buddhism #christianity #germany #god #hinduism #islam #judaism #religion #religiosity #russia #secularisation #ukraine

Religiosity (2018)₅₇
Pos.		Lower is better %₅₇
1	China	3
2	Estonia	6
3	Czechia	7
	...
28=	Kazakhstan	22
28=	Spain	22
30	Slovakia	23
31=	Ukraine	23
32	Canada	27
33=	Uzbekistan	29
33=	Uruguay	29
35	Poland	30
36	Serbia	34
37=	Israel	36
37=	Portugal	36
39	Azerbaijan	38
40	Chile	41
41=	Croatia	42
41=	Moldova	42
43	Argentina	43
	World Avg	54.3
q=106.

Disbelief In God (2007)₇₉
Pos.		Higher is better %₇₉
1	Vietnam	81
2	Japan	65
3	Sweden	64
	...
22=	New Zealand	22
22=	Canada	22
24	Latvia	20
25=	Ukraine	20
25=	Mongolia	20
27	Austria	18
28=	Slovakia	17
28=	Switzerland	17
28=	Belarus	17
31	Greece	16
32=	Iceland	16
33	Spain	15
34=	Israel	15
35	Armenia	14
36=	Lithuania	13
36=	Singapore	13
	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 below₈₀:

Christian	83.8%
Muslim	1.2%
Hindu	0.1%
Buddhist	0.1%
Folk Religion	0.1%
Jewish	0.1%
Unaffiliated	14.7%

By adding up the Pew Forum data for the major monotheistic religions we can see that these make up 85.1% of the population. Yet there are simply too many who disbelieve in God for this to be true (20%). This is due to the so-called 'Census Effect', whereby many put down a religion for cultural reasons rather than because it reflects their beliefs. In highly Christian countries, as many as half of those who say they're a Christian lack any connection to a Church, and do not hold Christian beliefs (such as believing in God!).

It appears that when asked "What religion are you" many give pollsters the 'correct' answer despite how they actually feel, and despite what they actually believe. Although 85.4% of the populace say they belong to a religion, only 23% say that they are religious when the question is phrased as "Is religion an important part of your daily life?".

For more on this phenomenon, see:

"Institutionalized Religions Have Their Numbers Inflated by National Polls" by Vexen Crabtree

The CIA World Factbook has slightly different data, and states: Ukrainian Orthodox - Kyiv Patriarchate 50.4%, Ukrainian Orthodox - Moscow Patriarchate 26.1%, Ukrainian Greek Catholic 8%, Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox 7.2%, Roman Catholic 2.2%, Protestant 2.2%, Jewish 0.6%, other 3.2% (2006 est.)₈₁.

The Ukrainian government does better than Russia when it comes to secularism; "There is no parallel to the united and dominant Russian Orthodox Church, or to the support given to the latter by the Russian government. The Ukrainian government is religiously neutral, allowing an efflorescence of religious pluralism"₈₂. Although many folk do declare themselves to belong to a religious denomination, 62% also say that they're not religious when asked in opinion-polls₈₂.

The sociologist of religion, Peter L. Berger, sheds some light on the differences between some of the Ukrainian denominations:

“The majority is Orthodox, but split into three mutually hostile factions: the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate, the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Kiev Patriarchate, and the Ukrainian Orthodox Autocephalous Church. Please do not count on me to explain all these differences, except that the split is politically significant in terms of pro-Russian versus pro-Western groups. There are Uniats (who practice eastern rites but recognize the primacy of Rome) and also standard Roman Catholics, especially in the western part of Ukraine.”
"Religion and Other Curiosities" by Peter L. Berger (2012)₈₂

Although a shameful number of Ukrainians collaborated with the German Nazi regime during the Holocaust of the 1940s, in modern times there is now (thankfully) "a significant renascence of Jewish culture"₈₃.

Links: