Albania (Republic of Albania)

Albania Republic of Albania
Status	Independent State
Social and Moral Index	62nd best
Capital	Tirana
Land Area	27 400km21
Location	Europe, The Balkans, The Mediterranean
Population	2.9m2
Life Expectancy	76.46yrs (2017)3
GNI	$14 131 (2017)4
ISO3166-1 Codes	AL, ALB, 85
Internet Domain	.al6
Currency	Lek (ALL)7
Telephone	+3558

1. Overview
2. Albania National and Social Development
3. Albania's Demographics and Migration
4. Albania's Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance
5. Albania's Health
6. Albania's Responsibility Towards The Environment
7. Albania's Modernity and Learning
8. Albania's Culture, Peace and Inequality
9. Religion and Beliefs
10. Links

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1. Overview

“Albania declared its independence from the Ottoman Empire in 1912, but was conquered by Italy in 1939. Communist partisans took over the country in 1944. Albania allied itself first with the USSR (until 1960), and then with China (to 1978). In the early 1990s, Albania ended 46 years of xenophobic Communist rule and established a multiparty democracy. The transition has proven challenging as successive governments have tried to deal with high unemployment, widespread corruption, dilapidated infrastructure, powerful organized crime networks, and combative political opponents. Albania has made progress in its democratic development since first holding multiparty elections in 1991, but deficiencies remain. International observers judged elections to be largely free and fair since the restoration of political stability following the collapse of pyramid schemes in 1997; however, each of Albania's post-Communist elections have been marred by claims of electoral fraud. The 2009 general elections resulted in a coalition government, the first such in the country's history. Albania joined NATO in April 2009 and is a potential candidate for EU accession. Although Albania's economy continues to grow, the country is still one of the poorest in Europe, hampered by a large informal economy and an inadequate energy and transportation infrastructure.”

CIA's The World Factbook (2013)₉

“With stunning mountain scenery, a thriving, multicoloured capital city and beaches to rival anywhere else in the Mediterranean, Albania has become the sleeper hit of the Balkans. [...] Albania has natural beauty in such abundance that you might wonder why it´s taken 20 years for the country to take off as a tourist destination since the demise of a particularly insular strain of communism in 1991. [Albanians have] just got on with embracing life in a languid and chaotically post-communist way. Albania offers a remarkable array of unique attractions, largely due to this very isolation: ancient mountain codes of behaviours, forgotten archaeological sites and villages where time seems to have stood still are all on the menu. Lively, colourful Tirana is the beating heart of Albania, where this tiny nation´s hopes and dreams coalesce into a vibrant whirl of traffic, brash consumerism and unfettered fun.”

"The World" by Lonely Planet (2014)₁₀

2. Albania 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
	...
64=	Georgia	0.802
64=	Serbia	0.802
66	Thailand	0.800
67	Albania	0.796
68=	Grenada	0.795
68=	Bulgaria	0.795
70	Barbados	0.790
71	Antigua & Barbuda	0.788
	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
	...
82	Colombia	$14 384
83	Brazil	$14 370
84	Azerbaijan	$14 257
85	Albania	$14 131
86	Palau	$13 819
87	Grenada	$13 484
88	Gabon	$13 367
89	Ukraine	$13 256
	Europe Avg	$40 512
	World Avg	$20 136
q=193.

Social & Moral Development Index12
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank12
1	Denmark	25.2
2	Norway	28.2
3	Netherlands	30.1
	...
59	Ukraine	76.8
60	Barbados	77.4
61	Moldova	77.5
62	Albania	77.8
63	Ecuador	78.0
64	Panama	78.7
65	Bosnia & Herzegovina	78.8
66	Northern Cyprus	79.1
	Europe Avg	55.7
	World Avg	88.4
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. Albania's Demographics and Migration

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

Population Datasets:

Albania's population is predicted to rise to 3.29 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 1.38. 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
	...
135	Mongolia	3.2m
136	Armenia	3.0m
137	Jamaica	2.9m
138	Albania	2.9m
139	Lithuania	2.8m
140	Qatar	2.8m
141	Namibia	2.4m
142	Gambia	2.3m
	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
	...
47	Estonia	77.1
48	Costa Rica	77.0
49	Saudi Arabia	76.9
50	Albania	76.5
51	Poland	76.5
52	Sri Lanka	76.4
53	Algeria	76.4
54	Montenegro	76.3
	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
	...
109	St Lucia	1.39
110	Turkmenistan	2.62
111	Bahamas	1.38
112	Albania	1.38
113	Bosnia & Herzegovina	1.35
114	Jamaica	1.34
115	Micronesia	2.67
116	Canada	1.33
	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
	...
144	Ukraine	30.8
145	Australia	31.3
146	Slovakia	31.6
147	Albania	31.8
148	Norway	32.2
149	Iceland	32.5
150	Serbia	32.7
151	Hungary	32.9
	World Avg	18.3
q=185.

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

Migration Datasets:

Immigrants16
Pos.		2017 %16
1	UAE	88.4%
2	Kuwait	75.5%
3	Qatar	65.2%
	...
132	Romania	1.9%
133	Japan	1.8%
134	Sudan	1.8%
135	Albania	1.8%
136	Pakistan	1.7%
137	Nepal	1.7%
138	Poland	1.7%
139	Senegal	1.7%
	World Avg	9.4%
q=195.

Emigrants17
Pos.		2010 %17
1	Dominica	104.8%
2	Palestine	68.4%
3	Samoa	67.3%
	...
7	Monaco	56.3%
8	Antigua & Barbuda	47.6%
9	Tonga	45.4%
10	Albania	45.4%
11	Barbados	41.0%
12	Suriname	39.0%
13	Bosnia & Herzegovina	38.9%
14	Palau	38.8%
	World Avg	11.5%
q=192.

4. Albania's Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance

#equality #freedom #freethought #gender #gender_equality #homosexuality #human_rights #international_law #mass_media #misogyny #morals #politics #prejudice #religious_tolerance #slavery #tolerance #women

Compared to Europe (2025)18
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank18
1	Sweden	7.8
2	Netherlands	8.7
3	Denmark	8.8
	...
39	Macedonia	77.4
40	Georgia	81.4
41	Moldova	83.7
42	Albania	86.0
43	Bosnia & Herzegovina	88.0
44	Kosovo	96.1
45	Turkey	98.8
46	Armenia	99.1
47	Vatican City	113.6
	Europe Avg	47.37
q=49.

Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance (2025)18
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank18
1	Sweden	7.8
2	Netherlands	8.7
3	Denmark	8.8
	...
84	Tuvalu	83.8
85	St Vincent & Grenadines	84.8
86	Namibia	85.9
87	Albania	86.0
88	Belize	86.3
89	Bosnia & Herzegovina	88.0
90	Ghana	88.7
91	Nauru	89.3
	World Avg	89.80
q=199.

The best countries in the world at ensuring human rights, fostering equality and promoting tolerance, are Sweden, The Netherlands and Denmark₁₉. These countries are displaying the best traits that humanity has to offer. The worst countries are Somalia, Eritrea and Saudi Arabia₁₉.

31 datasets are used to calculate points for each country, including multiple decades of data on supporting press freedom, combatting modern slavery, supporting personal, civil & economic freedoms, its average Freedom in the World rating, commentary in Human Rights Watch reports, its nominal commitment to Human Rights, speed of uptake of HR treaties, opposing gender inequality, the rate of gender bias (from 7 indicators), the year from which women could participate in democracy, its success in fighting anti-semitic prejudice, LGBT equality and freethought. The regions with the best average results per country are Scandinavia, Baltic States and Europe₁₉, whereas the worst are The Middle East, Africa and Asia₁₉.

For more, see:

• " Which are the Best Countries for Human Rights, Equality and Tolerance?" by Vexen Crabtree (2025).

Human Rights & Tolerance Datasets:

Press Freedom Higher is better20
Pos.		202520
1	Norway	92.31
2	Estonia	89.46
3	Netherlands	88.64
	...
76	Cyprus	59.04
77	Papua New Guinea	58.35
78	Qatar	58.25
79	Albania	58.18
80	Botswana	57.64
81	Zambia	57.33
82	Niger	57.05
83	Paraguay	56.84
	Europe Avg	70.63
	World Avg	54.65
q=179.

Slavery in the 2020s Lower is better21
Pos.		Total Per 100021
1=	Switzerland	0.50
1=	Norway	0.50
3=	Germany	0.60
	...
143=	Pakistan	10.60
144	Kazakhstan	11.10
145	Belarus	11.30
146	Albania	11.80
147	Turkmenistan	11.90
148	Myanmar	12.10
149	Macedonia	12.60
150	Ukraine	12.80
	Europe Avg	5.64
	World Avg	7.15
q=160.

The Walk Free Foundation in 2023 lists Albania amongst the 10 countries whose governments have done the most in recent years to curb modern slavery₂₂.

Personal, Civil & Economic Freedom Lower is better23
Pos.		2014 Rank23
1	Hong Kong	1
2	Switzerland	2
3	New Zealand	3
	...
47	Mongolia	47
48=	Bahamas	48
48=	Greece	48
50	Albania	50
51	Seychelles	51
52	Israel	52
53	Peru	53
54	Bosnia & Herzegovina	54
	Europe Avg	33.9
	World Avg	79.7
q=159.

Freedom in the World Lower is better
Pos.		2024 Score
1=	Norway	1.0
1=	Canada	1.0
1=	Cape Verde	1.0
	...
94=	Fiji	3.0
94=	Ecuador	3.0
94=	Dominican Rep.	3.0
94=	Albania	3.0
94=	Bolivia	3.0
94=	Hungary	3.0
100=	Papua New Guinea	3.5
100=	Nepal	3.5
	Europe Avg	2.2
	World Avg	3.7
q=205.

Nominal Commitment to HR Higher is better24
Pos.		2009 Treaties24
1	Argentina	24
2=	Chile	23
2=	Costa Rica	23
	...
29=	Hungary	20
29=	Czechia	20
29=	Georgia	20
29=	Albania	20
29=	Cyprus	20
29=	Namibia	20
29=	Ukraine	20
29=	Macedonia	20
	Europe Avg	19.5
	World Avg	15.1
q=194.

HR Treaties Lag Lower is better25
Pos.		2019 Avg Yrs/Treaty25
1	Ecuador	2.15
2	Uruguay	2.25
3	Tunisia	3.65
	...
103	Croatia	10.65
104	Zambia	10.81
105	Iran	10.81
106	Albania	10.94
107	Israel	10.97
108	Armenia	11.00
109	Lithuania	11.03
110	Mozambique	11.04
	Europe Avg	9.09
	World Avg	10.02
q=195.

Amnesty International's 2023-23 summary on human rights in Albania stated:

“Intimidation against journalists continued. A specialized forensic psychiatric facility was lacking to accommodate and treat patients. Roma and Egyptian people were subjected to discrimination and segregation in education. Violence persisted against women and LGBTI people. There were fears that the restructuring of the courts would make justice less accessible.”

"The State of the World's Human Rights 2022/23" by Amnesty International (2023)₂₆

Gender Equality Datasets:

Albania is on the way towards ending gender inequality.

See:

• "Religion Versus Womankind" by Vexen Crabtree (2007)

Gender Inequality Lower is better27
Pos.		202227
1	Denmark	0.01
2	Norway	0.01
3	Switzerland	0.02
	...
32	Serbia	0.12
33	Czechia	0.12
34	Greece	0.12
35	Albania	0.12
36	Montenegro	0.12
37	Macedonia	0.14
38	Bosnia & Herzegovina	0.14
39	Latvia	0.15
	Europe Avg	0.12
	World Avg	0.34
q=166.

Note there was only 1 datapoint in the 1990s (for 1999) but it's consistent with the following decades' trends, so its still listed as an 'average' for the 1990s.

Year Women Can Vote Lower is better
Pos.		Total Year
1	New Zealand	1893
2	Australia	1902
3	Finland	1906
	...
19=	Poland	1919
20=	Canada	1920
20=	USA	1920
20=	Albania	1920
23=	Lithuania	1921
23=	Sweden	1921
23=	Azerbaijan	1921
23=	Armenia	1921
	Europe Avg	1895
	World Avg	1930
q=189.

Prejudice Datasets:

LGBT Equality in the 2020s Higher is better28
Pos.		Total Score28
1=	Germany	4.88
1=	Spain	4.88
3	Portugal	4.81
	...
102	Cambodia	-0.12
103	Laos	-0.13
104	Trinidad & Tobago	-0.19
105	Albania	-0.40
106	Macedonia	-0.43
107	Bahamas	-0.45
108	Mongolia	-0.48
109	Hungary	-0.50
	Europe Avg	1.77
	World Avg	-1.21
q=215.

Under Ahmet Zog from 1925, homosexuality was outlawed (for the first time). After that from 1952 it was punishable by ten years in prison under the Penal Code of the People’s Socialist Republic of Albania, Article 137 ("Crimes against Societal Moral"). It was decriminalized in 1995, and equal age of consent was granted from 2001 (at 14years, for all). But in 2003, Albania went backwards when it explicitly defined marriage as between a man and a woman in the Family Code of Albania, Law No. 9062.

ILGA researchers in 2017 found that Albania had legal protections against anti-LGBT employment discrimination, hate crime, incitement and other protections.

Actions taken at the United Nations:

•  ⇣  Opposed a 2003 resolution at the UN Commission tabled by Brazil, on prohibiting discrimination based on sexual orientation and opposed it again in 2004 (it was defeated both times by the Vatican and a collection of Islamic countries..
•  ⇡  Supported the 2006 Norway Joint Statement on sexual orientation and gender identity at the UN.
•  ⇣  Opposed the 2006 Norway Joint Statement on sexual orientation and gender identity at the UN.
•  ⇡  Supported the 2008 Declaration at the UN General Assemly affirming LGBTQ rights, tabled by Argentina.
•  ⇡  In 2025, signed the UN Human Rights Council Joint statement on ending acts of violence and human rights violations based on sexual orientation and gender identity.
•  ⇣  Voted for the 2016 UN Human Rights Council Resolution 32/2 to create the Independent Expert on protection against violence and discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity.

Freedom of Thought Lower is better29
Pos.		202129
1=	Belgium	1.0
1=	Taiwan	1.0
1=	Netherlands	1.0
	...
21=	Slovenia	1.8
21=	Palau	1.8
21=	Burkina Faso	1.8
21=	Albania	1.8
21=	Kosovo	1.8
21=	S. Korea	1.8
27=	Barbados	2.0
27=	Gabon	2.0
	Europe Avg	2.6
	World Avg	3.0
q=196.

5. Albania's Health

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

Compared to Europe (2025)30
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank30
1	Monaco	12.4
2	Liechtenstein	30.1
3	San Marino	30.6
	...
30	Poland	75.3
31	Macedonia	76.9
32	Estonia	77.1
33	Albania	79.0
34	Hungary	79.5
35	Bosnia & Herzegovina	81.5
36	Serbia	82.2
37	Lithuania	82.2
38	Belarus	82.3
	Europe Avg	86.87
q=48.

Health (2025)30
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank30
1	Monaco	12.4
2	Liechtenstein	30.1
3	San Marino	30.6
	...
59	Macedonia	76.9
60	UAE	77.0
61	Estonia	77.1
62	Albania	79.0
63	Hungary	79.5
64	Tunisia	80.2
65	Grenada	81.0
66	Bosnia & Herzegovina	81.5
	World Avg	96.86
q=204.

The countries with the best overall approach to public health, in terms of both public policy and individual lifestyle choices, are Monaco, Liechtenstein and San Marino₃₁. These countries are worth emulating. And, although often through no fault of the average citizen, the worst countries are Angola, Somalia and S. Sudan₃₁.

36 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, its immunizations take-up and childhood mortality (so far). The regions with the best average results per country are Scandinavia, Europe and The Mediterranean₃₁, whereas the worst are Micronesia, Africa and Melanesia₃₁.

For more, see:

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

Health Datasets:

Albania does relatively well in encouraging good health, compared to many other countries. Albania does better than average in its suicide rate₃₂, its immunizations take-up₃₃, its average life expectancy₁₁ (but low for Europe), its adolescent birth rate₃₄ (but high for Europe) and in childhood mortality in the 2020s (so far)₃₅. Albania still has work to do. Albania does worse than average for its smoking rate₃₆, its alcohol consumption rate₃₇ (still low for Europe), its fertility rate₁₄, the prevalence of overweight adults₃₈ (still good for Europe) and in its food aid and health contributions and WHO compliance₃₉ (the highest in Europe). The number of overweight adults has increased by 14% over the past 40 years. Life expectancy in Albania improved by +6.1yrs in the 30 years from 1990, less than the global average of +7.9yrs. Albania is amongst only 41 countries who have seen their fertility rate drop by more than 4 since the 1960s. Its peak fertility rate was 6.46 in 1960.

Life Expectancy Higher is better11
Pos.		2021 Years11
1	Monaco	85.9
2	Hong Kong	85.5
3	Japan	84.8
	...
47	Estonia	77.1
48	Costa Rica	77.0
49	Saudi Arabia	76.9
50	Albania	76.5
51	Poland	76.5
52	Sri Lanka	76.4
53	Algeria	76.4
54	Montenegro	76.3
	Europe Avg	78.36
	World Avg	71.28
q=195.

Alcohol Consumption Lower is better37
Pos.		2016 Per Capita37
1	Bangladesh	0.0
2	Kuwait	0.0
3	Libya	0.0
	...
107=	China	7.2
107=	Paraguay	7.2
109	Mongolia	7.4
110=	Albania	7.5
110=	Burundi	7.5
110=	Italy	7.5
110=	Norway	7.5
114	Kazakhstan	7.7
	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
	...
109	St Lucia	1.39
110	Turkmenistan	2.62
111	Bahamas	1.38
112	Albania	1.38
113	Bosnia & Herzegovina	1.35
114	Jamaica	1.34
115	Micronesia	2.67
116	Canada	1.33
	Europe Avg	1.53
	World Avg	2.47
q=208.

Smoking in the 2020s Lower is better36
Pos.		Total %36
1	Nigeria	3.3%
2	Ghana	3.4%
3	Panama	5.2%
	...
96=	Germany	21.3%
97	Yemen	21.4%
98	Malaysia	22.0%
99	Albania	22.0%
100	Kazakhstan	22.2%
101	Finland	22.3%
102	Italy	22.5%
103	Samoa	22.6%
	Europe Avg	27.0%
	World Avg	20.0%
q=165.

Suicide Rate32
Pos.		2013 Per 100k32
1	Haiti	0
2	Grenada	0
3	Egypt	0.1
	...
21=	Barbados	7.3
21=	Belize	7.3
23	Bahrain	7.5
24	Albania	8
25=	Mexico	8.5
25=	Israel	8.5
27	Georgia	8.8
28	Seychelles	8.9
	Europe Avg	26.99
	World Avg	20.93
q=91.

Food Aid, Health Contributions & WHO Compliance Lower is better39
Pos.		2017 Rank39
1	Sweden	1
2	Ireland	2
3	Denmark	3
	...
135	Iraq	135
136	Madagascar	136
137	Congo, (Brazzaville)	137
138	Albania	138
139	Ghana	139
140	Chad	140
141	Rwanda	141
142	Mali	142
	Europe Avg	47.4
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Overweight Adults Lower is better38
Pos.		1976 %38
1	Bangladesh	4.7
2	Vietnam	5.1
3	Nepal	5.4
	...
120	Moldova	33.4
121	Peru	33.5
122	Netherlands	33.7
123	Albania	33.8
124	Syria	34.3
125	Ireland	34.5
126	Armenia	34.6
127	Austria	35.1
	Europe Avg	38.2
	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%
	...
107	Moldova	25.6%
108	Serbia	26.1%
109	Belarus	26.6%
110	Albania	26.6%
111	Estonia	26.7%
112	Ecuador	27.0%
113	Portugal	27.1%
114	Peru	27.2%
	Europe Avg	25.9%
	World Avg	24.7%
q=199.

Children's Health Datasets:

Adolescent Birth Rate Lower is better34
Pos.		2022 Per 100034
1	Hong Kong	1.6
2	Denmark	1.8
3	S. Korea	2.1
	...
55	Saudi Arabia	11.6
56	New Zealand	11.8
57	Serbia	14.4
58	Albania	14.5
59	Russia	14.5
60	USA	15.1
61	Ukraine	15.2
62	Sri Lanka	15.4
	Europe Avg	11.4
	World Avg	43.8
q=195.

Infant Immunizations 2011-2015 Higher is better33
Pos.		2015 Avg %33
1=	Hungary	99.0
1=	China	99.0
3	Uzbekistan	98.9
	...
29=	St Vincent & Grenadines	97.2
30=	Dominica	97.1
30=	Kazakhstan	97.1
32	Albania	97.1
33	Andorra	97.1
34	Russia	97.0
35	Guyana	97.0
36	Slovakia	97.0
	Europe Avg	92.7
	World Avg	88.3
q=194.

Infant Mortality (2020s) Lower is better35
Pos.		Total Per 100035
1	San Marino	2.11
2	Finland	2.59
3	Luxembourg	2.60
	...
61	Brunei	9.90
62	Macedonia	9.95
63	Maldives	10.37
64	Albania	10.41
65	Antigua & Barbuda	11.08
66	Georgia	11.17
67	Oman	11.23
68	China	11.43
	Europe Avg	6.30
	World Avg	32.19
q=195.

6. Albania's Responsibility Towards The Environment

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

Compared to Europe (2025)41
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank41
1	Switzerland	45.0
2	Denmark	50.4
3	Liechtenstein	56.8
	...
30	Croatia	88.5
31	Czechia	89.3
32	Lithuania	89.5
33	Albania	91.5
34=	Monaco	92.1
34=	Moldova	92.1
36	Malta	92.2
37	Ukraine	94.8
38=	Iceland	96.9
	Europe Avg	86.45
q=48.

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
	...
122	Paraguay	91.0
123	Equatorial Guinea	91.2
124	Belize	91.3
125	Albania	91.5
126	St Vincent & Grenadines	92.0
127=	Monaco	92.1
127=	Moldova	92.1
129	S. Africa	92.2
	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).

Albania comes 125th in the world with regard to its responsibility towards the environment. This is calculated from 21 data sets. Albania does better than average in its environmental performance₄₃ (but bad for Europe), its forested percent change 2000-2020₄₄ and in reducing annual meat consumption per person₄₅. But, things still need to improve in Albania. Albania does worse than average in energy to GDP efficiency₄₆ and in its sign-up rate to major international accords on protecting the environment. And finally, it is second-from-the-bottom when it comes to the rate of rational beliefs on the environment in the population₄₇.

Forest Area Change 2000-2020 Higher is better44
Pos.		Total44
1	Guernsey	82.6%
2	Bahrain	75.2%
3	Iceland	64.7%
	...
62	Croatia	2.9%
63	Netherlands	2.8%
64	UAE	2.5%
65	Albania	2.5%
66	Luxembourg	2.3%
67	Georgia	2.2%
68	USA	2.1%
69	Ukraine	1.9%
	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
	...
37	Latvia	66.1
38	Turkmenistan	66.1
39	Seychelles	66.0
40	Albania	65.5
41	Croatia	65.5
42	Colombia	65.2
43	Hungary	65.0
44	Belarus	65.0
	Europe Avg	69.6
	World Avg	56.4
q=180.

Energy to GDP Efficiency Lower is better46
Pos.		2022 Avg46
1	Rwanda	0.25
2	Chad	0.26
3	Tanzania	0.31
	...
84	Benin	1.06
85	Namibia	1.07
86	Cambodia	1.07
87	Albania	1.08
88	Jordan	1.10
89	Mexico	1.10
90	Taiwan	1.10
91	Bolivia	1.11
	Europe Avg	1.25
	World Avg	1.23
q=165.

From the 1980s to the 1990s, Albania was one of only 7 countries that improved its energy-to-GDP efficiency by more than 1.0; it performed the best in Europe.

International Accords on the Environment Higher is better
Pos.		Total Avg Rate
1	Sweden	83%
2	Canada	82%
3	Norway	81%
	...
156	Yemen	48%
157	Comoros	48%
158	USA	47%
159	Albania	47%
160	Turkey	47%
161	Cambodia	47%
162	Kyrgyzstan	46%
163	Libya	46%
	Europe Avg	62.7%
	World Avg	57.5%
q=197.

Rational Beliefs on the Environment Higher is better47
Pos.		2011 %47
1	Argentina	78.3%
2	Greece	77.6%
3	Brazil	77.1%
	...
138	Denmark	14.9%
139	Libya	14.6%
140	Iceland	13.1%
141	Uzbekistan	11.3%
142	Tajikistan	11.1%
143	Haiti	10.0%
144	Albania	9.4%
145	Turkmenistan	8.6%
	Europe Avg	33.6%
	World Avg	39.9%
q=145.

Meat Consumption Lower is better45
Pos.		2021 kg45
1	Congo, DR	03.0
2	Burundi	03.5
3	Bangladesh	04.3
	...
88	Cuba	49.6
89	Libya	50.0
90	Ecuador	50.9
91	Albania	52.0
92	Kiribati	52.4
93	Vietnam	52.6
94	Dominican Rep.	53.5
95	Peru	54.0
	Europe Avg	71.1
	World Avg	52.5
q=185.

In the 2010s, meat consumption per person in Albania was reducing.₄₅

7. Albania's Modernity and Learning

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

Compared to Europe (2025)48
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank48
1	Vatican City	1.0
2	Finland	4.8
3	Belgium	8.5
	...
41	Bosnia & Herzegovina	49.5
42	Georgia	51.9
43	Moldova	54.1
44	Andorra	56.8
45	Armenia	58.9
46	Azerbaijan	60.6
47	Macedonia	63.8
48	UK	64.5
49	Albania	65.8
	Europe Avg	31.28
q=49.

Modernity & Learning (2025)48
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank48
1	Vatican City	1.0
2	Finland	4.8
3	Belgium	8.5
	...
79	Seychelles	64.9
80=	Panama	65.7
80=	Dominican Rep.	65.7
82	Albania	65.8
83	Thailand	66.0
84	Venezuela	66.3
85	Turkmenistan	66.8
86	Mauritius	67.2
	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 Belgium₄₉. The worst countries are S. Sudan, Eritrea and Somalia₄₉. Despite improves in global education, access to tertiary (adult) education is becoming increasingly unequal between the rich haves and the poor have-nots₅₀.

“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)₅₁

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 Europe₄₉, whereas the worst are Melanesia, Africa and Micronesia₄₉.

For more, see:

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

Modernity Datasets:

Research & Development Higher is better
Pos.		2016 % RDP PPP
1	S. Korea	4.2952
2	Israel	4.1152
3	Japan	3.5852
	...
98=	Bolivia	0.1653
98=	Kyrgyzstan	0.1654
98=	Sri Lanka	0.1655
101	Albania	0.1556
102	Namibia	0.1455
103=	Georgia	0.1357
103=	Gambia	0.1354
105=	Tajikistan	0.1258
	Europe Avg	1.32
	World Avg	0.84
q=126.

Intellectual Endeavours Lower is better39
Pos.		2017 Rank39
1	Ukraine	1
2	Czechia	2
3	Hungary	3
	...
102	Peru	102
103	Cape Verde	103
104	Swaziland	104
105	Albania	105
106	Madagascar	106
107	Thailand	107
108	Yemen	108
109	Brazil	109
	Europe Avg	31.3
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Metric System Adoption Rate Higher is better59
Pos.		2025 %59
1=	Slovakia	100
1=	Poland	100
1=	Portugal	100
	...
27=	Greece	95
27=	Andorra	95
27=	Algeria	95
27=	Albania	95
27=	Costa Rica	95
27=	Argentina	95
27=	Kosovo	95
27=	China	95
	Europe Avg	97
	World Avg	92
q=187.

Albania officially adopted metric in 1948₆₀. Progression:

• 1960 (70%): Metric established officially; traditional units remain in rural areas.
• 1970 (85%): Commerce/education standardized metric under socialist administration.
• 1980 (90%): Metric dominant across sectors.
• 2000 (95%): Stable; EU-aligned standards.
• 2025 (95%).

Religiosity Lower is better61
Pos.		2018 %61
1	China	3
2	Estonia	6
3	Czechia	7
	...
13=	Belgium	11
14	Austria	12
15	Hungary	14
16	Albania	15
17=	Lithuania	16
17=	S. Korea	16
17=	Russia	16
20=	Australia	18
	Europe Avg	25.8
	World Avg	54.3
q=106.

IQ Higher is better62
Pos.		200662
1=	Hong Kong	108
1=	Singapore	108
3	S. Korea	106
	...
52=	Thailand	91
52=	Lithuania	91
52=	Cambodia	91
55=	Albania	90
55=	Croatia	90
55=	Kyrgyzstan	90
55=	Chile	90
59=	Costa Rica	89
	Europe Avg	96.6
	World Avg	85.6
q=138.

Education Datasets:

In the 1990s, the expected duration of education in Albania fell by almost a year, whereas most of the rest of the world's increased. ₆₃

Secondary Education Higher is better64
Pos.		201864
1=	Luxembourg	100.0%
1=	Estonia	100.0%
1=	Austria	100.0%
	...
32	Japan	93.6%
33	Tajikistan	93.1%
34	Barbados	92.9%
35	Albania	92.9%
36	Belarus	92.2%
37	Marshall Islands	92.1%
38	Montenegro	91.6%
39	Australia	90.4%
	Europe Avg	88.3%
	World Avg	63.0%
q=169.

Length of Schooling Higher is better65
Pos.		2021 Years65
1	Australia	21.1
2	New Zealand	20.3
3	Greece	20.0
	...
72	Trinidad & Tobago	14.5
73	Slovakia	14.5
74	Dominican Rep.	14.5
75	Albania	14.4
76	Cuba	14.4
77	Colombia	14.4
78	Moldova	14.4
79	Serbia	14.4
	Europe Avg	16.1
	World Avg	13.5
q=193.

Maths, Science & Reading Higher is better66
Pos.		2015 Score66
1	Singapore	1655
2	Hong Kong	1598
3	Japan	1586
	...
53	Montenegro	1256
54=	Costa Rica	1247
54=	Mexico	1247
56=	Albania	1245
56=	Thailand	1245
58	Colombia	1231
59	Qatar	1222
60	Georgia	1216
	Europe Avg	1417
	World Avg	1389
q=70.

Technology and Information Datasets:

Internet Users Higher is better67
Pos.		201667
1	Iceland	100%
2	Faroe Islands	99%
3	Norway	98%
	...
70	Greece	65%
71	Saudi Arabia	65%
72	French Polynesia	64%
73	Albania	63%
74	Palestine	63%
75	Montenegro	62%
76	Bosnia & Herzegovina	62%
77	Azerbaijan	61%
	Europe Avg	76.7%
	World Avg	48.1%
q=201.

IPv6 Uptake Higher is better68
Pos.		2017 Ratio68
1	Belgium	55.4
2	Germany	41.8
3	Switzerland	35.1
	...
122=	Swaziland	0.0
122=	Mongolia	0.0
122=	Samoa	0.0
122=	Albania	0.0
122=	Micronesia	0.0
122=	Algeria	0.0
122=	Djibouti	0.0
122=	Guyana	0.0
	Europe Avg	8.11
	World Avg	3.82
q=176.

Digital Quality of Life Higher is better69
Pos.		202469
1	Germany	77.9%
2	Finland	76.9%
3	France	73.9%
	...
59	Indonesia	47.5%
60	India	47.0%
61	Costa Rica	46.9%
62	Albania	46.7%
63	Azerbaijan	46.0%
64	Macedonia	45.7%
65	Moldova	45.5%
66	S. Africa	45.4%
	Europe Avg	61.0%
	World Avg	48.4%
q=121.

8. Albania's Culture, Peace and Inequality

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

National Culture Datasets:

World Giving Index Higher is better70
Pos.		2022 %70
1	Indonesia	68.0
2	Kenya	61.0
3	USA	59.0
	...
92=	Namibia	35.0
93=	Togo	34.0
93=	Mozambique	34.0
93=	Albania	34.0
93=	Montenegro	34.0
93=	Kazakhstan	34.0
93=	Gabon	34.0
93=	Taiwan	34.0
	Europe Avg	39.0
	World Avg	39.6
q=125.

Corruption Higher is better71
Pos.		2022 Points71
1	Denmark	90.0
2=	Finland	87.0
2=	New Zealand	87.0
	...
103=	Turkey	36.0
103=	Sri Lanka	36.0
103=	Panama	36.0
103=	Albania	36.0
103=	Ecuador	36.0
103=	Kazakhstan	36.0
103=	Thailand	36.0
110=	Gambia	34.0
	Europe Avg	57.61
	World Avg	42.98
q=180.

Happiness Higher is better72
Pos.		2024 Score72
1	Finland	7.7
2	Denmark	7.5
3	Iceland	7.5
	...
86	Macedonia	5.5
87	Armenia	5.5
88	Hong Kong	5.5
89=	Albania	5.4
89=	Tajikistan	5.4
91	Georgia	5.4
92	Nepal	5.3
93	Laos	5.3
	Europe Avg	6.37
	World Avg	5.58
q=147.

Creativity & Culture Lower is better39
Pos.		2017 Rank39
1	Belgium	1
2	Netherlands	2
3	Estonia	3
	...
75	Turkey	75
76	Kyrgyzstan	76
77	Togo	77
78	Albania	78
79	Brunei	79
80	Suriname	80
81	Fiji	81
82	Kenya	82
	Europe Avg	35.0
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Passport Reach (2020s) Higher is better73
Pos.		Total Q73
1	Singapore	192.2
2	Japan	192.0
3	S. Korea	190.7
	...
88	Bosnia & Herzegovina	119.0
89	Russia	117.7
90	Georgia	117.5
91	Albania	117.0
92	Vanuatu	113.7
93	Turkey	112.2
94	S. Africa	104.3
95	Belize	102.0
	Europe Avg	160.7
	World Avg	108.8
q=195.

Open Trading, Aid & Development Lower is better39
Pos.		2017 Rank39
1	Ireland	1
2	Denmark	2
3	Sweden	3
	...
12	Philippines	12
13	Austria	13
14	Germany	14
15	Albania	15
16	Togo	16
17	France	17
18	Singapore	18
19	Malaysia	19
	Europe Avg	42.6
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Peace Versus Instability Datasets:

Global Peace Index Lower is better74
Pos.		2023 Score74
1	Iceland	1.12
2	Denmark	1.31
3	Ireland	1.31
	...
38	Macedonia	1.71
39	Costa Rica	1.73
40=	Vietnam	1.75
40=	Albania	1.75
42	Botswana	1.76
43	S. Korea	1.76
44	Mongolia	1.77
45	Montenegro	1.77
	Europe Avg	1.70
	World Avg	2.07
q=163.

Peacekeeping & Security Lower is better39
Pos.		2017 Rank39
1	Samoa	1
2	S. Africa	2
3	Tunisia	3
	...
77	Iceland	77
78	Turkey	78
79	Georgia	79
80	Albania	80
81	Gabon	81
82	Russia	82
83	Iran	83
84	Serbia	84
	Europe Avg	84.6
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Refugees & UN Treaties Lower is better39
Pos.		2017 Rank39
1	Austria	1
2	Germany	2
3	Netherlands	3
	...
71	Guatemala	71
72	Estonia	72
73	Guinea-Bissau	73
74	Albania	74
75	Botswana	75
76	Lebanon	76
77	Bahrain	77
78	Sri Lanka	78
	Europe Avg	37.8
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Impact of Terrorism Lower is better75
Pos.		2019 Score75
1	Togo	0.00
2	Mongolia	0.00
3	Swaziland	0.00
	...
37	Zambia	0.31
38	Djibouti	0.32
39	Bulgaria	0.37
40=	Albania	0.42
40=	Cyprus	0.42
42=	Lithuania	0.46
42=	Sierra Leone	0.46
44	Jamaica	0.47
	Europe Avg	1.62
	World Avg	2.78
q=150.

Economic Inequality and Poverty Datasets:

Poverty (2020s) Lower is better76
Pos.		Total %76
1	Malaysia	0.01%
2	Bhutan	0.01%
3	Cyprus	0.02%
	...
22	Germany	0.24%
23	S. Korea	0.25%
24	Canada	0.25%
25	Albania	0.34%
26	Croatia	0.36%
27	Estonia	0.39%
28	Portugal	0.40%
29	Tonga	0.41%
	Europe Avg	1.20%
	World Avg	11.40%
q=106.

Inequality in Life Expectancy Lower is better77
Pos.		201977
1	Iceland	2.40
2=	Singapore	2.50
2=	Hong Kong	2.50
	...
56	Sri Lanka	7.00
57=	Costa Rica	7.10
57=	Russia	7.10
59	Albania	7.20
60=	Lebanon	7.40
60=	Ukraine	7.40
62	Brunei	7.60
63	Kazakhstan	7.70
	Europe Avg	4.86
	World Avg	14.59
q=184.

Income Inequality (Gini Coefficient) Lower is better78
Pos.		2023 %78
1	Slovakia	24.1%79
2	Slovenia	24.3%79
3	Belarus	24.4%80
	...
26=	Hungary	29.2%79
26=	Kazakhstan	29.2%79
28	Maldives	29.3%81
29	Albania	29.4%80
30	Iraq	29.5%82
31=	Pakistan	29.6%83
31=	Guinea	29.6%83
33	Sweden	29.8%79
	Europe Avg	30.7%
	World Avg	36.5%
q=167.

Multidimensional Poverty Lower is better84
Pos.		2018 Severity84
1	Armenia	.001
2	Ukraine	.001
3	Serbia	.001
	...
7	Montenegro	.002
8	Trinidad & Tobago	.002
9	Maldives	.003
10	Albania	.003
11	Thailand	.003
12	Moldova	.004
13	Palestine	.004
14	Tunisia	.005
	Europe Avg	.004
	World Avg	.154
q=101.

9. Religion and Beliefs

#belief #buddhism #christianity #god #hinduism #islam #judaism #religion #religiosity #secularisation

Religiosity (2018)61
Pos.		Lower is better %61
1	China	3
2	Estonia	6
3	Czechia	7
	...
13=	Belgium	11
14	Austria	12
15	Hungary	14
16	Albania	15
17=	Lithuania	16
17=	S. Korea	16
17=	Russia	16
20=	Australia	18
20=	Vietnam	18
22=	Bulgaria	19
22=	Norway	19
24	Netherlands	20
25=	Italy	21
25=	Belarus	21
27=	Ireland	22
27=	Kazakhstan	22
	World Avg	54.3
q=106.

Disbelief In God (2007)85
Pos.		Higher is better %85
1	Vietnam	81
2	Japan	65
3	Sweden	64
	...
40=	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
50=	Laos	5
50=	Ireland	5
50=	Mozambique	5
53=	Zimbabwe	4
53=	Namibia	4
53=	Iran	4
	World Avg	9.9
q=137.

Pew Forum polling over the decades has found the following adherency rates:₈₆:

	2010	2020
Muslim	70.2%	74.5%
Christian	20.3%	17.8%
Unaffiliated	9.54%	7.65%
Other	<0.1%	<0.1%
Jewish	<0.1%	<0.1%
Hindu	None	<0.1%
Buddhist	None	<0.1%

By adding up the Pew Forum data for the major monotheistic religions we can see that these make up 92.3% of the population. Yet there are simply too many who disbelieve in God for this to be true (8%). 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 92.3% of the populace say they belong to a religion, only 15% 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 (2009)

The CIA World Factbook has slightly different data, and states: Muslim 70%, Albanian Orthodox 20%, Roman Catholic 10%. Note: percentages are estimates; there are no available current statistics on religious affiliation; all mosques and churches were closed in 1967 and religious observances prohibited; in November 1990, Albania began allowing private religious practice₈₇.

Links:

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