Albania (Republic of Albania)

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

By Vexen Crabtree 2013

Albania Republic of Albania
Status	Independent State
Social and Moral Index	53rd 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

“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	24.9
2	Norway	25.3
3	Sweden	27.7
	...
50	Andorra	68.2
51	Argentina	70.2
52	Montenegro	71.2
53	Albania	71.8
54	Trinidad & Tobago	73.1
55	Macedonia	74.6
56	Bosnia & Herzegovina	74.7
57	Moldova	75.0
	Europe Avg	55.7
	World Avg	89.9
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:

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.

Migration:

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	6.1
2	Denmark	8.6
3	Norway	9.0
	...
37	Montenegro	65.3
38	Monaco	71.7
39	Macedonia	72.8
40	Albania	73.6
41	Bosnia & Herzegovina	76.0
42	Georgia	76.4
43	Armenia	78.5
44	Moldova	80.6
45	Turkey	87.4
	Europe Avg	47.4
q=48.

Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance (2025)₁₈
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₁₈
1	Sweden	6.1
2	Denmark	8.6
3	Norway	9.0
	...
70	Mongolia	72.6
71	Macedonia	72.8
72	Belize	73.4
73	Albania	73.6
74	Seychelles	73.8
75	Hong Kong	74.5
76	Marshall Islands	75.0
77	Bosnia & Herzegovina	76.0
	World Avg	86.6
q=199.

The best countries in the world at ensuring human rights, fostering equality and promoting tolerance, are Sweden, Denmark and Norway₁₉. These countries are displaying the best traits that humanity has to offer. The worst countries are Somalia, N. Korea and Afghanistan₁₉.

21 datasets are used to calculate points for each country, including multiple decades of data on supporting press freedom, eliminating 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 Africa, The Middle East and Asia₁₉.

For more, see:

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

Human Rights & Tolerance:

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 Lower is better₂₁
Pos.		2018 % Victims₂₁
1	Japan	0.03
2=	Canada	0.05
2=	Taiwan	0.05
	...
123	Togo	0.68
124=	Cameroon	0.69
124=	Kenya	0.69
124=	Albania	0.69
124=	Malaysia	0.69
128	Djibouti	0.71
129	Angola	0.72
130	Syria	0.73
	Europe Avg	0.38
	World Avg	0.65
q=167.

Personal, Civil & Economic Freedom Lower is better₂₂
Pos.		2014 Rank₂₂
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
95=	Ecuador	3.0
95=	Dominican Rep.	3.0
95=	Albania	3.0
95=	Bolivia	3.0
95=	Hungary	3.0
100	Papua New Guinea	3.5
101=	Nepal	3.5
	Europe Avg	2.2
	World Avg	3.7
q=205.

Nominal Commitment to HR Higher is better₂₃
Pos.		2009 Treaties₂₃
1	Argentina	24
2=	Chile	23
2=	Costa Rica	23
	...
29	Hungary	20
30=	Czechia	20
30=	Georgia	20
30=	Albania	20
30=	Cyprus	20
30=	Namibia	20
30=	Ukraine	20
30=	Macedonia	20
	Europe Avg	19.5
	World Avg	15.1
q=194.

HR Treaties Lag Lower is better₂₄
Pos.		2019 Avg Yrs/Treaty₂₄
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)₂₅

Gender Equality:

Albania is on the way towards ending gender inequality.

See:

"Religion Versus Womankind" by Vexen Crabtree

Gender Inequality Lower is better₂₆
Pos.		2022₂₆
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
21=	USA	1920
21=	Albania	1920
23	Lithuania	1921
24=	Sweden	1921
24=	Azerbaijan	1921
24=	Armenia	1921
	Europe Avg	1895
	World Avg	1930
q=189.

Prejudice:

LGBT Equality Higher is better₂₇
Pos.		2017 Score₂₇
1	Netherlands	103
2	Belgium	90
3	Sweden	86
	...
36	USA	44
37=	Monaco	40
37=	Poland	40
37=	Albania	40
37=	Switzerland	40
37=	Serbia	40
37=	Cyprus	40
37=	Italy	40
	Europe Avg	46.9
	World Avg	12.6
q=196.

Freedom of Thought Lower is better₂₈
Pos.		2021₂₈
1=	Belgium	1.0
1=	Taiwan	1.0
1=	Netherlands	1.0
	...
21	Slovenia	1.8
22=	Palau	1.8
22=	Burkina Faso	1.8
22=	Albania	1.8
22=	Kosovo	1.8
22=	S. Korea	1.8
27	Barbados	2.0
28=	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)₂₉
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₂₉
1	Monaco	14.3
2	Liechtenstein	30.1
3	Isle of Man	32.1
	...
33	Estonia	67.8
34	Macedonia	70.4
35	Poland	70.8
36	Albania	71.4
37	Hungary	71.6
38	Slovakia	72.6
39	Serbia	72.7
40	Bosnia & Herzegovina	75.0
41=	Armenia	75.5
	Europe Avg	86.9
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
	...
63=	French Polynesia	70.9
63=	Puerto Rico	70.9
65	Barbados	71.0
66	Albania	71.4
67	Hungary	71.6
68	Slovakia	72.6
69	Serbia	72.7
70	Turks & Caicos Islands	74.3
	World Avg	96.7
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:

Albania does relatively well in encouraging good health, compared to many other countries. Albania does better than average in its suicide rate₃₁, its immunizations take-up₃₂, its average life expectancy₁₁ (but low for Europe) and in its adolescent birth rate₃₃ (but bad for Europe). Albania doesn't do so well in other areas. Albania does worse than average for its alcohol consumption rate₃₄ (still low for Europe), its fertility rate₁₄, its smoking rate₃₅ (still low for Europe) and in its food aid and health contributions and WHO compliance₃₆ (the highest in Europe). The prevalence of overweight adults has increased by 14% during 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 better₃₄
Pos.		2016 Per Capita₃₄
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 Rates Lower is better₃₅
Pos.		2014₃₅
1	Guinea	15
2	Solomon Islands	26
3	Kiribati	28
	...
129	Lithuania	1 124
130	Uruguay	1 135
131	Canada	1 154
132	Albania	1 177
133	Egypt	1 188
134	Vietnam	1 215
135	Iraq	1 227
136	Spain	1 265
	Europe Avg	1 648
	World Avg	819
q=182.

Suicide Rate₃₁
Pos.		2013 Per 100k₃₁
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 better₃₆
Pos.		2017 Rank₃₆
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 better₃₇
Pos.		2016 %₃₇
1	Vietnam	18.3
2	India	19.7
3	Bangladesh	20.0
	...
113=	Russia	57.1
114	Portugal	57.5
115=	Peru	57.5
116	Albania	57.7
117=	Romania	57.7
118	Netherlands	57.8
119=	Latvia	57.8
120	Finland	57.9
	Europe Avg	58.5
	World Avg	49.0
q=191.

Children's Health:

Adolescent Birth Rate Lower is better₃₃
Pos.		2022 Per 1000₃₃
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 better₃₂
Pos.		2015 Avg %₃₂
1=	Hungary	99.0
1=	China	99.0
3	Uzbekistan	98.9
	...
29=	St Vincent & Grenadines	97.2
30	Dominica	97.1
31=	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.

6. Albania's Responsibility Towards The Environment

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

Compared to Europe (2023)₃₈
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₃₈
1	Italy	57.4
2	Greece	61.5
3	Denmark	64.3
	...
15	Georgia	73.6
16=	Turkey	73.8
16=	Hungary	73.8
18	Albania	75.1
19	Norway	75.6
20	Luxembourg	77.5
21	Austria	77.9
22	Ukraine	79.3
23	Malta	80.3
	Europe Avg	80.6
q=43.

Responsibility Towards The Environment (2023)₃₈
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₃₈
1	Uruguay	46.1
2	Cuba	52.0
3	Fiji	53.7
	...
40=	Hungary	73.8
40=	Turkey	73.8
42	Chile	74.4
43	Albania	75.1
44	Norway	75.6
45	China	75.8
46	Lebanon	76.1
47	Swaziland	76.5
	World Avg	94.3
q=190.

Albania is 43rd in the world regarding its responsibility towards the environment. This rank is derived from 6 data sets. Albania does better than average for energy to GDP efficiency₃₉, its environmental performance₄₀ (but bad for Europe), how quickly it ratified the 1993 Convention on Biological Diversity, its forested percent change 2000-2020₄₁ and in reducing annual meat consumption per person₄₂. Albania doesn't do so well in other areas. Albania is second-from-the-bottom for the rate of rational beliefs on the environment in the population₄₃.

Forest Area Change 2000-2020 Higher is better₄₁
Pos.		Total₄₁
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 better₄₀
Pos.		2018₄₀
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 Higher is better₃₉
Pos.		2014₃₉
1	Hong Kong	26.32
2	Sri Lanka	20.00
3	Panama	17.86
	...
19=	Italy	13.16
20	Cyprus	12.99
21	Morocco	12.66
22=	Albania	12.50
22=	Spain	12.50
22=	Yemen	12.50
25	Namibia	12.35
26=	Portugal	12.35
	Europe Avg	09.80
	World Avg	09.29
q=119.

Convention on Biological Diversity Earlier is better
Pos.		Total Signed
1=	China	1993 Dec 29
1=	Guinea	1993 Dec 29
1=	Cook Islands	1993 Dec 29
	...
41	Germany	1994 Mar 21
42=	Denmark	1994 Mar 21
43	Belize	1994 Mar 30
44	Albania	1994 Apr 05
45	Malawi	1994 May 03
46	Samoa	1994 May 10
47	India	1994 May 19
48=	Paraguay	1994 May 25
	Europe Avg	1899 Dec 30
	World Avg	1899 Dec 30
q=197.

Rational Beliefs on the Environment Higher is better₄₃
Pos.		2011 %₄₃
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 better₄₂
Pos.		2021 kg₄₂
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.₄₂

7. Albania's Modernity and Learning

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

Compared to Europe (2020)₄₄
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₄₄
1	Finland	7.1
2	Belgium	12.9
3	Denmark	13.6
	...
37	Montenegro	64.9
38	Bosnia & Herzegovina	65.6
39	Georgia	65.6
40	Moldova	68.9
41	Albania	76.4
42	Macedonia	77.2
43	Armenia	77.9
44	Azerbaijan	78.9
45	Andorra	87.1
	Europe Avg	39.8
q=45.

Modernity & Learning (2020)₄₄
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₄₄
1	Finland	7.1
2	Belgium	12.9
3	Denmark	13.6
	...
75	Ecuador	74.8
76	Qatar	74.8
77	Thailand	75.0
78	Albania	76.4
79	Uzbekistan	76.5
80	Vietnam	76.9
81	Macedonia	77.2
82	Colombia	77.3
	World Avg	86.3
q=190.

Modernity and Education:

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. ₄₅

Research & Development Higher is better
Pos.		2016 % RDP PPP
1	S. Korea	4.29₄₆
2	Israel	4.11₄₆
3	Japan	3.58₄₆
	...
98=	Bolivia	0.16₄₇
98=	Kyrgyzstan	0.16₄₈
98=	Sri Lanka	0.16₄₉
101	Albania	0.15₅₀
102	Namibia	0.14₄₉
103=	Georgia	0.13₅₁
103=	Gambia	0.13₄₈
105	Tajikistan	0.12₅₂
	Europe Avg	1.32
	World Avg	0.84
q=126.

Secondary Education Higher is better₅₃
Pos.		2018₅₃
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 better₅₄
Pos.		2021 Years₅₄
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.

Intellectual Endeavours Lower is better₃₆
Pos.		2017 Rank₃₆
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.

Maths, Science & Reading Higher is better₅₅
Pos.		2015 Score₅₅
1	Singapore	1655
2	Hong Kong	1598
3	Japan	1586
	...
53	Montenegro	1256
54=	Costa Rica	1247
54=	Mexico	1247
56	Albania	1245
57=	Thailand	1245
58	Colombia	1231
59	Qatar	1222
60	Georgia	1216
	Europe Avg	1417
	World Avg	1389
q=70.

Religiosity Lower is better₅₆
Pos.		2018 %₅₆
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 better₅₇
Pos.		2006₅₇
1=	Hong Kong	108
1=	Singapore	108
3	S. Korea	106
	...
52=	Thailand	91
52=	Lithuania	91
52=	Cambodia	91
55	Albania	90
56=	Croatia	90
56=	Kyrgyzstan	90
56=	Chile	90
59	Costa Rica	89
	Europe Avg	96.6
	World Avg	85.6
q=138.

Technology and Information:

Internet Users Higher is better₅₈
Pos.		2016₅₈
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 better₅₉
Pos.		2017 Ratio₅₉
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 better₆₀
Pos.		2024₆₀
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. National Culture

#charity #corruption #happiness #morals #politics

World Giving Index Higher is better₆₁
Pos.		2022 %₆₁
1	Indonesia	68.0
2	Kenya	61.0
3	USA	59.0
	...
92=	Namibia	35.0
93	Togo	34.0
94=	Mozambique	34.0
94=	Albania	34.0
94=	Montenegro	34.0
94=	Kazakhstan	34.0
94=	Gabon	34.0
94=	Taiwan	34.0
	Europe Avg	39.0
	World Avg	39.6
q=125.

Corruption Higher is better₆₂
Pos.		2022 Points₆₂
1	Denmark	90.0
2=	Finland	87.0
2=	New Zealand	87.0
	...
103	Turkey	36.0
104=	Sri Lanka	36.0
104=	Panama	36.0
104=	Albania	36.0
104=	Ecuador	36.0
104=	Kazakhstan	36.0
104=	Thailand	36.0
110	Gambia	34.0
	Europe Avg	57.61
	World Avg	42.98
q=180.

Happiness Higher is better₆₃
Pos.		2024 Score₆₃
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 better₃₆
Pos.		2017 Rank₃₆
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.

Open Trading, Aid & Development Lower is better₃₆
Pos.		2017 Rank₃₆
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.

9. Peace Versus Instability

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

Global Peace Index Lower is better₆₄
Pos.		2023 Score₆₄
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 better₃₆
Pos.		2017 Rank₃₆
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 better₃₆
Pos.		2017 Rank₃₆
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 better₆₅
Pos.		2019 Score₆₅
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
43=	Sierra Leone	0.46
44	Jamaica	0.47
	Europe Avg	1.62
	World Avg	2.78
q=150.

10. Economic Inequality and Poverty

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

Inequality in Life Expectancy Lower is better₆₆
Pos.		2019₆₆
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 better₆₇
Pos.		2023 %₆₇
1	Slovakia	24.1%₆₈
2	Slovenia	24.3%₆₈
3	Belarus	24.4%₆₉
	...
26=	Hungary	29.2%₆₈
26=	Kazakhstan	29.2%₆₈
28	Maldives	29.3%₇₀
29	Albania	29.4%₆₉
30	Iraq	29.5%₇₁
31=	Pakistan	29.6%₇₂
31=	Guinea	29.6%₇₂
33	Sweden	29.8%₆₈
	Europe Avg	30.7%
	World Avg	36.5%
q=167.

Multidimensional Poverty Lower is better₇₃
Pos.		2018 Severity₇₃
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.

11. Religion and Beliefs

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

Religiosity (2018)₅₆
Pos.		Lower is better %₅₆
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
21=	Vietnam	18
22	Bulgaria	19
23=	Norway	19
24	Netherlands	20
25=	Italy	21
25=	Belarus	21
27	Ireland	22
28=	Kazakhstan	22
	World Avg	54.3
q=106.

Disbelief In God (2007)₇₄
Pos.		Higher is better %₇₄
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
49=	Italy	6
50	Laos	5
51=	Ireland	5
51=	Mozambique	5
53	Zimbabwe	4
54=	Namibia	4
54=	Iran	4
	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 below₇₅:

Christian	18%
Muslim	80.3%
Hindu	0.1%
Buddhist	0.1%
Folk Religion	0.1%
Jewish	0.1%
Unaffiliated	1.4%

By adding up the Pew Forum data for the major monotheistic religions we can see that these make up 98.4% 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 98.7% 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

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 practice₇₆.

Links: