Bulgaria (Republic of Bulgaria)

Bulgaria Republic of Bulgaria
Status	Independent State
Social and Moral Index	45th best
Capital	Sofia
Land Area	108 560km21
Location	Europe, The Balkans
Population	7.1m2
Life Expectancy	71.80yrs (2017)3
GNI	$23 079 (2017)4
ISO3166-1 Codes	BG, BGR, 1005
Internet Domain	.bg6
Currency	Lev (BGN)7
Telephone	+3598

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

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1. Overview

“The Bulgars, a Central Asian Turkic tribe, merged with the local Slavic inhabitants in the late 7th century to form the first Bulgarian state. In succeeding centuries, Bulgaria struggled with the Byzantine Empire to assert its place in the Balkans, but by the end of the 14th century the country was overrun by the Ottoman Turks. Northern Bulgaria attained autonomy in 1878 and all of Bulgaria became independent from the Ottoman Empire in 1908. Having fought on the losing side in both World Wars, Bulgaria fell within the Soviet sphere of influence and became a People's Republic in 1946. Communist domination ended in 1990, when Bulgaria held its first multiparty election since World War II and began the contentious process of moving toward political democracy and a market economy while combating inflation, unemployment, corruption, and crime. The country joined NATO in 2004 and the EU in 2007.”

CIA's The World Factbook (2013)₉

“From wild, wooded mountain ranges speckled with remote villages and enchanting monasteries to vibrant modern cities and long sandy beaches hugging the Black Sea coast, Bulgaria rewards exploration. Bulgaria may attract the majority of its visitors with its long, sandy Black Sea beaches, but there´s much more to see than that. Bulgaria boasts no fewer than seven mountain ranges and varied landscapes ideal for hiking, cycling, climbing and wildlife-watching. And you´ll find some of Europe´s most modern and reasonably priced ski resorts.

The depth of Bulgaria´s history and culture are immediately evident. There are countless churches and a full measure of Orthodox monasteries full of vibrant icons, picturesque villages of timber-framed houses 19th-century revival-era architecture and cobbled lanes, and dramatic reminders of the country´s heritage, from Thracian tombs and Roman ruins to medieval fortresses, Ottoman mosques and communist monuments slowly crumbling away into history.

Bulgaria´s cities reward visitors, with treasure-filled museums and galleries, and parks sprinkled with cafes and restaurants where the coffee is strong, the cuisine hearty and the conversation always animated.”

"The World" by Lonely Planet (2014)₁₀

2. Bulgaria 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
	...
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
72	Seychelles	0.785
73	Sri Lanka	0.782
	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
	...
57	Kazakhstan	$23 943
58	Trinidad & Tobago	$23 392
59	St Kitts & Nevis	$23 358
60	Bulgaria	$23 079
61	Guyana	$22 465
62	Mauritius	$22 025
63	Uruguay	$21 269
64	Argentina	$20 925
	Europe Avg	$40 512
	World Avg	$20 136
q=193.

Social & Moral Development Index12
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank12
1	Denmark	27.4
2	Norway	27.6
3	Sweden	30.4
	...
42	Lithuania	61.1
43	Croatia	62.2
44	Romania	63.9
45	Bulgaria	64.1
46	Mauritius	65.9
47	San Marino	68.0
48	Argentina	69.1
49	Serbia	69.8
	Europe Avg	57.5
	World Avg	89.7
q=198.

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. Bulgaria's Demographics and Migration

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

Population:

Bulgaria's population is predicted to fall to 6 455 000 by 2030. This country has a fertility rate of 1.78. 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
	...
102	Sierra Leone	7.7m
103	Hong Kong	7.4m
104	Laos	7.1m
105	Bulgaria	7.1m
106	Paraguay	7.0m
107	Lebanon	6.9m
108	Libya	6.7m
109	Nicaragua	6.5m
	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
	...
94	Armenia	72.0
95	Libya	71.9
96	Bhutan	71.8
97	Bulgaria	71.8
98	Georgia	71.7
99	St Kitts & Nevis	71.7
100	Ukraine	71.6
101	Bahamas	71.6
	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
	...
32	Malaysia	1.79
33	El Salvador	1.79
34	Qatar	1.78
35	Bulgaria	1.78
36	St Vincent & Grenadines	1.78
37	Brunei	1.76
38	Dominican Rep.	2.25
39	Nicaragua	2.28
	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
	...
161	Singapore	36.5
162	Latvia	36.7
163=	Sweden	37.0
163=	Bulgaria	37.0
165	Denmark	37.1
166	Bosnia & Herzegovina	37.3
167	S. Korea	37.6
168	Estonia	37.9
	World Avg	18.3
q=185.

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

Migration:

Immigrants16
Pos.		2017 %16
1	UAE	88.4%
2	Kuwait	75.5%
3	Qatar	65.2%
	...
121	Benin	2.3%
122	S. Korea	2.3%
123	Cameroon	2.2%
124	Bulgaria	2.2%
125	Kenya	2.2%
126	Angola	2.1%
127	Liberia	2.1%
128	Mali	2.1%
	World Avg	9.4%
q=195.

Emigrants17
Pos.		2010 %17
1	Dominica	104.8%
2	Palestine	68.4%
3	Samoa	67.3%
	...
38	Ireland	16.1%
39	Belize	16.1%
40	Azerbaijan	16.0%
41	Bulgaria	16.0%
42	Lebanon	15.6%
43	Equatorial Guinea	14.9%
44	Seychelles	14.6%
45	New Zealand	14.5%
	World Avg	11.5%
q=192.

4. Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance

#Bulgaria #bulgaria_human_rights #equality #freedom #gender_equality #human_rights #morals #politics #prejudice #tolerance

Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance (2025)18
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank18
1	Sweden	8.5
2	Denmark	13.5
3	Norway	13.5
	...
33	Switzerland	45.5
34	S. Korea	46.0
35	Malta	46.6
36	Bulgaria	46.8
37	Hong Kong	46.8
38	USA	47.6
	Europe Avg	51.0
	World Avg	87.8
q=200.

Bulgaria does relatively well in ensuring human rights and freedom, compared to many other countries. Bulgaria comes in the best 20 in commentary in Human Rights Watch reports₁₉. It does better than average in the rate of gender bias (from 7 indicators)₂₀, its nominal commitment to Human Rights₂₁, supporting personal, civil & economic freedoms₂₂ (but high for Europe), freethought₂₃, opposing gender inequality₂₄ (but high for Europe), its average Freedom in the World rating, LGBT equality₂₅ (but low for Europe) and in supporting press freedom₂₆ (but high for Europe). Bulgaria doesn't do so well in other areas. Bulgaria does worse than average in terms of its success in fighting anti-semitic prejudice₂₇ and in eliminating modern slavery₂₈.

For tables, charts and commentary, see:

• Human Rights and Freedom in Bulgaria

5. Bulgaria's Health

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

Compared to Europe (2020)29
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank29
1	Monaco	13.0
2	Liechtenstein	50.0
3	Norway	66.3
	...
39	Montenegro	101.3
40	Latvia	101.4
41	Serbia	102.0
42	Moldova	102.9
43=	Lithuania	105.5
44	Romania	105.8
45=	Bulgaria	105.8
46	Belarus	115.8
47	Ukraine	120.6
	Europe Avg	87.7
q=47.

Health (2020)29
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank29
1	Monaco	13.0
2	Maldives	41.7
3	Sri Lanka	43.1
	...
138=	Lithuania	105.5
139	Sudan	105.6
140=	Romania	105.8
140=	Bulgaria	105.8
142	Afghanistan	106.0
143=	Tonga	106.4
143=	Uruguay	106.4
145	Gambia	107.0
	World Avg	95.1
q=198.

The countries with the best overall approach to public health, in terms of both public policy and individual lifestyle choices, are Monaco, The Maldives and Sri Lanka₃₀. These countries are worth emulating. And, although often through no fault of the average citizen, the worst countries are S. Sudan, The Marshall Islands and Nigeria₃₀.

The data sets used to calculate points for each country are its average life expectancy, its alcohol consumption rate, its fertility rate, its smoking rate, its suicide rate, its food aid and health contributions and WHO compliance, the prevalence of overweight adults, its adolescent birth rate and its immunizations take-up. The regions with the best average results per country are Scandinavia, Asia and The Mediterranean₃₀, whereas the worst are Micronesia, Africa and Australasia₃₀.

For more, see:

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

Health:

Bulgaria has some poor policies and cultural issues which cause some public health problems. Bulgaria does better than average in its fertility rate₁₄, its food aid and health contributions and WHO compliance₃₁ (but bad for Europe), its immunizations take-up₃₂ (but low for Europe), its adolescent birth rate₂₄ (but one of the worst in Europe) and in its average life expectancy₁₁ (but bad for Europe). But, things could still be better. Bulgaria does worse than average in its suicide rate₃₃ and in its smoking rate₃₄. And finally, it falls into the worst-performing 20 when it comes to its alcohol consumption rate₃₅. The number of overweight adults has increased by 14% over the past 40 years. Life expectancy in Bulgaria improved by +3.7yrs in the 30 years from 1990, less than the global average of +7.9yrs. Bulgaria 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 2.31 in 1960.

Life Expectancy Higher is better11
Pos.		2021 Years11
1	Monaco	85.9
2	Hong Kong	85.5
3	Japan	84.8
	...
94	Armenia	72.0
95	Libya	71.9
96	Bhutan	71.8
97	Bulgaria	71.8
98	Georgia	71.7
99	St Kitts & Nevis	71.7
100	Ukraine	71.6
101	Bahamas	71.6
	Europe Avg	78.36
	World Avg	71.28
q=195.

Alcohol Consumption Lower is better35
Pos.		2016 Per Capita35
1	Bangladesh	0.0
2	Kuwait	0.0
3	Libya	0.0
	...
178=	Slovenia	12.6
178=	France	12.6
180	Romania	12.7
181=	Bulgaria	12.7
182	Latvia	12.9
183=	Luxembourg	13.0
183=	Ireland	13.0
185	Nigeria	13.4
	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
	...
32	Malaysia	1.79
33	El Salvador	1.79
34	Qatar	1.78
35	Bulgaria	1.78
36	St Vincent & Grenadines	1.78
37	Brunei	1.76
38	Dominican Rep.	2.25
39	Nicaragua	2.28
	Europe Avg	1.53
	World Avg	2.47
q=208.

Smoking Rates Lower is better34
Pos.		201434
1	Guinea	15
2	Solomon Islands	26
3	Kiribati	28
	...
148	Poland	1 396
149	Italy	1 443
150	Germany	1 480
151	Bulgaria	1 505
152	Kuwait	1 517
153	Armenia	1 545
154	Turkey	1 581
155	Slovakia	1 618
	Europe Avg	1 648
	World Avg	819
q=182.

Suicide Rate33
Pos.		2013 Per 100k33
1	Haiti	0
2	Grenada	0
3	Egypt	0.1
	...
61=	Germany	23.9
62	Cuba	24.5
63=	Romania	24.5
64	Bulgaria	25
65	Sweden	25.5
66	Slovakia	25.7
67	Czechia	28.3
68	Suriname	28.7
	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
	...
50	Ecuador	50
51	Israel	51
52	Slovakia	52
53	Bulgaria	53
54	Panama	54
55	Ukraine	55
56	S. Africa	56
57	Slovenia	57
	Europe Avg	47.4
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Overweight Adults Lower is better36
Pos.		2016 %36
1	Vietnam	18.3
2	India	19.7
3	Bangladesh	20.0
	...
148=	Costa Rica	61.6
148=	Tunisia	61.6
148=	Iran	61.6
151	Bulgaria	61.7
152	Algeria	62.0
153=	Greece	62.3
153=	Czechia	62.3
155	Oman	62.6
	Europe Avg	58.5
	World Avg	49.0
q=191.

Children's Health:

Adolescent Birth Rate Lower is better24
Pos.		2015 Per 100024
1	N. Korea	0.5
2	S. Korea	1.6
3	Switzerland	2.9
	...
86	Morocco	31.7
87	Botswana	32.3
88	Romania	34.6
89	Bulgaria	37.7
90	Tajikistan	38.1
91	Vietnam	38.6
92	Pakistan	38.7
93	Haiti	39.3
	Europe Avg	14.6
	World Avg	47.9
q=185.

Infant Immunizations 2011-2015 Higher is better32
Pos.		2015 Avg %32
1=	Hungary	99.0
1=	China	99.0
3	Uzbekistan	98.9
	...
86	Italy	93.8
87	Austria	93.8
88	Argentina	93.7
89	Bulgaria	93.7
90	Serbia	93.5
91	Egypt	93.4
92	Cape Verde	93.4
93	Burundi	93.3
	Europe Avg	92.7
	World Avg	88.3
q=194.

6. Bulgaria's Responsibility Towards The Environment

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

Compared to Europe (2023)37
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank37
1	Greece	50.4
2	Italy	51.8
3	Germany	55.8
	...
20	Czechia	77.2
21	Georgia	78.0
22=	Iceland	78.6
23	Bulgaria	78.8
24	Cyprus	79.3
25	Albania	79.8
26	Belarus	81.5
27	Belgium	82.2
28	Ireland	82.4
	Europe Avg	79.9
q=43.

Responsibility Towards The Environment (2023)37
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank37
1	Japan	33.2
2	Philippines	45.0
3	Uruguay	48.0
	...
73=	Iceland	78.6
74	Antigua & Barbuda	78.7
75=	Taiwan	78.7
76	Bulgaria	78.8
77	Cyprus	79.3
78	Chad	79.5
79	Albania	79.8
80	Argentina	80.8
	World Avg	85.7
q=188.

Bulgaria comes 76th in the world with regard to its responsibility towards the environment. This rank is derived from 7 data sets. Bulgaria comes in the best 20 when it comes to its forested percent change 2000-2020₃₈. It does better than average for its score on the Green Future Index₃₉ (but low for Europe) and in its environmental performance₄₀. But, things still need to improve in Bulgaria. Bulgaria does worse than average when it comes to the rate of rational beliefs on the environment in the population₄₁, energy to GDP efficiency₄₂, reducing annual meat consumption per person₄₃ (still good for Europe) and in how quickly it ratified the 1993 Convention on Biological Diversity.

Environmental Performance Higher is better40
Pos.		201840
1	Switzerland	87.4
2	France	84.0
3	Denmark	81.6
	...
27	USA	71.2
28	Slovakia	70.6
29	Lithuania	69.3
30=	Bulgaria	67.9
30=	Costa Rica	67.9
32	Qatar	67.8
33	Czechia	67.7
34	Slovenia	67.6
	Europe Avg	69.6
	World Avg	56.4
q=180.

Energy to GDP Efficiency Higher is better42
Pos.		201442
1	Hong Kong	26.32
2	Sri Lanka	20.00
3	Panama	17.86
	...
84	Vietnam	07.14
85	Saudi Arabia	07.04
86	Honduras	06.80
87	Bulgaria	06.54
88	Qatar	06.49
89	Finland	06.33
90=	Oman	06.29
90=	S. Korea	06.29
	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
	...
145	Tanzania	1996 Jun 06
146	Eritrea	1996 Jun 19
147	Ireland	1996 Jun 20
148	Bulgaria	1996 Jul 16
149	Rwanda	1996 Aug 27
150	St Vincent & Grenadines	1996 Sep 01
151	Slovenia	1996 Oct 07
152	Cyprus	1996 Oct 08
	Europe Avg	1899 Dec 30
	World Avg	1899 Dec 30
q=197.

Rational Beliefs on the Environment Higher is better41
Pos.		2011 %41
1	Argentina	78.3%
2	Greece	77.6%
3	Brazil	77.1%
	...
83	Luxembourg	33.3%
84	Togo	33.3%
85	Benin	32.6%
86	Bulgaria	32.5%
87	Kyrgyzstan	32.0%
88	Georgia	31.9%
89	Australia	31.8%
90	Austria	31.8%
	Europe Avg	33.6%
	World Avg	39.9%
q=145.

Meat Consumption Lower is better43
Pos.		2021 kg43
1	Congo, DR	03.0
2	Burundi	03.5
3	Bangladesh	04.3
	...
105	Suriname	60.8
106	Colombia	60.9
107	Slovenia	61.2
108	Bulgaria	61.8
109	Moldova	61.9
110	Costa Rica	62.2
111	China	63.6
112	Uruguay	62.8
	Europe Avg	71.1
	World Avg	52.5
q=185.

Green Future Index Higher is better39
Pos.		2023 Score39
1	Iceland	6.7
2	Finland	6.7
3	Norway	6.4
	...
20=	Switzerland	5.4
20=	Poland	5.4
22	Austria	5.4
23	Bulgaria	5.3
24	Costa Rica	5.3
25	S. Africa	5.2
26	Uruguay	5.1
27	China	5.1
	Europe Avg	5.6
	World Avg	4.8
q=76.

7. Bulgaria's Modernity and Learning

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

Compared to Europe (2020)44
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank44
1	Finland	7.7
2	Switzerland	14.7
3	Denmark	14.8
	...
26	Slovakia	39.0
27	Greece	40.6
28	Croatia	43.0
29	Bulgaria	44.0
30	Romania	45.8
31	Ukraine	47.1
32	Liechtenstein	47.7
33	Malta	49.4
34	Turkey	50.0
	Europe Avg	40.6
q=49.

Modernity & Learning (2020)44
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank44
1	Finland	7.7
2	Taiwan	10.0
3	Switzerland	14.7
	...
38	Russia	41.5
39	Croatia	43.0
40	Argentina	43.6
41	Bulgaria	44.0
42	Romania	45.8
43	Ukraine	47.1
44	Liechtenstein	47.7
45	Malaysia	49.3
	World Avg	82.7
q=205.

Modernity and Education:

Research & Development Higher is better
Pos.		2016 % RDP PPP
1	S. Korea	4.2945
2	Israel	4.1145
3	Japan	3.5845
	...
49=	Egypt	0.6846
50	Belarus	0.6746
51	Mali	0.6647
52	Bulgaria	0.6546
53	Ethiopia	0.6146
54	Latvia	0.6046
55=	Gabon	0.5848
55=	Argentina	0.5849
	Europe Avg	1.32
	World Avg	0.84
q=126.

Secondary Education Higher is better50
Pos.		201850
1=	Luxembourg	100.0%
1=	Estonia	100.0%
1=	Austria	100.0%
	...
25	USA	95.6%
26	Norway	95.4%
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%
	Europe Avg	88.3%
	World Avg	63.0%
q=169.

Length of Schooling Higher is better51
Pos.		2021 Years51
1	Australia	21.1
2	New Zealand	20.3
3	Greece	20.0
	...
85	Sri Lanka	14.1
86	Brunei	14.0
87	Seychelles	13.9
88	Bulgaria	13.9
89	Bosnia & Herzegovina	13.8
90	Egypt	13.8
91	Indonesia	13.7
92	Swaziland	13.7
	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
	...
11	Switzerland	11
12	New Zealand	12
13	Latvia	13
14	Bulgaria	14
15	Iceland	15
16	Bosnia & Herzegovina	16
17	Sweden	17
18	Lithuania	18
	Europe Avg	31.3
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Maths, Science & Reading Higher is better52
Pos.		2015 Score52
1	Singapore	1655
2	Hong Kong	1598
3	Japan	1586
	...
42	Slovakia	1389
43	Greece	1376
44	Chile	1329
45	Bulgaria	1319
46=	Romania	1313
46=	Cyprus	1313
48	UAE	1298
49	Uruguay	1290
	Europe Avg	1417
	World Avg	1389
q=70.

Religiosity Lower is better53
Pos.		2018 %53
1	China	3
2	Estonia	6
3	Czechia	7
	...
19=	Russia	16
20	Australia	18
21=	Vietnam	18
22	Bulgaria	19
23=	Norway	19
24	Netherlands	20
25=	Italy	21
25=	Belarus	21
	Europe Avg	25.8
	World Avg	54.3
q=106.

IQ Higher is better54
Pos.		200654
1=	Hong Kong	108
1=	Singapore	108
3	S. Korea	106
	...
44=	Romania	94
44=	Georgia	94
46	Argentina	93
47=	Bulgaria	93
48	Ireland	92
49=	Malaysia	92
49=	Greece	92
51	Brunei	91
	Europe Avg	96.6
	World Avg	85.6
q=138.

Technology and Information:

Internet Users Higher is better55
Pos.		201655
1	Iceland	100%
2	Faroe Islands	99%
3	Norway	98%
	...
78	Belarus	61%
79	St Vincent & Grenadines	60%
80	St Lucia	59%
81	Bulgaria	59%
82=	Turkey	58%
82=	Romania	58%
84	Venezuela	58%
85=	Seychelles	58%
	Europe Avg	76.7%
	World Avg	48.1%
q=201.

IPv6 Uptake Higher is better56
Pos.		2017 Ratio56
1	Belgium	55.4
2	Germany	41.8
3	Switzerland	35.1
	...
45	Argentina	1.4
46	Faroe Islands	1.4
47	Russia	1.3
48	Bulgaria	1.3
49	S. Korea	1.2
50	Dominican Rep.	1.1
51	Slovakia	0.8
52	Hong Kong	0.7
	Europe Avg	8.11
	World Avg	3.82
q=176.

Digital Quality of Life Higher is better57
Pos.		202457
1	Germany	77.9%
2	Finland	76.9%
3	France	73.9%
	...
15	Lithuania	67.8%
16	Romania	67.8%
17	USA	67.5%
18	Bulgaria	66.3%
19	Belgium	66.1%
20=	Poland	66.0%
20=	S. Korea	66.0%
22	Ireland	65.9%
	Europe Avg	61.0%
	World Avg	48.4%
q=121.

Bulgaria has very cheap entry-level internet (only Germany and Angola is cheaper)₅₈.

8. National Culture

#charity #corruption #happiness #morals #politics

World Giving Index Higher is better59
Pos.		2022 %59
1	Indonesia	68.0
2	Kenya	61.0
3	USA	59.0
	...
52=	Colombia	42.0
52=	China	42.0
52=	Ecuador	42.0
55	Bulgaria	41.0
56=	Slovakia	41.0
56=	Germany	41.0
58	Nepal	40.0
59=	Malaysia	40.0
	Europe Avg	39.0
	World Avg	39.6
q=125.

Corruption Higher is better60
Pos.		2022 Points60
1	Denmark	90.0
2=	Finland	87.0
2=	New Zealand	87.0
	...
71	Bahrain	44.0
72	Senegal	43.0
73=	S. Africa	43.0
73=	Bulgaria	43.0
73=	Benin	43.0
73=	Ghana	43.0
77	Timor-Leste (E. Timor)	42.0
78=	Vietnam	42.0
	Europe Avg	57.61
	World Avg	42.98
q=180.

Happiness Higher is better61
Pos.		2018 Score61
1	Finland	7.6
2	Norway	7.6
3	Denmark	7.6
	...
97	Bhutan	5.1
98	Somalia	5.0
99	Cameroon	5.0
100	Bulgaria	4.9
101	Nepal	4.9
102	Venezuela	4.8
103	Gabon	4.8
104	Palestine	4.7
	Europe Avg	6.06
	World Avg	5.38
q=156.

Creativity & Culture Lower is better31
Pos.		2017 Rank31
1	Belgium	1
2	Netherlands	2
3	Estonia	3
	...
36	Belize	36
37	Iceland	37
38	Croatia	38
39	Bulgaria	39
40	Marshall Islands	40
41	Malaysia	41
42	Namibia	42
43	St Vincent & Grenadines	43
	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
	...
36	Italy	36
37	Estonia	37
38	Cyprus	38
39	Bulgaria	39
40	Turkey	40
41	Marshall Islands	41
42	Malta	42
43	Morocco	43
	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 better62
Pos.		2023 Score62
1	Iceland	1.12
2	Denmark	1.31
3	Ireland	1.31
	...
27	Latvia	1.58
28	Sweden	1.63
29	Poland	1.63
30	Bulgaria	1.64
31=	Spain	1.65
31=	Romania	1.65
31=	Taiwan	1.65
34	Italy	1.66
	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
	...
66	Ghana	66
67	Sweden	67
68	Congo, (Brazzaville)	68
69	Bulgaria	69
70	Zimbabwe	70
71	Spain	71
72	USA	72
73	Cyprus	73
	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
	...
29	USA	29
30	Singapore	30
31	Greece	31
32	Bulgaria	32
33	S. Korea	33
34	Mauritius	34
35	Bosnia & Herzegovina	35
36	Romania	36
	Europe Avg	37.8
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Impact of Terrorism Lower is better63
Pos.		2019 Score63
1	Togo	0.00
2	Mongolia	0.00
3	Swaziland	0.00
	...
36	Macedonia	0.30
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
	Europe Avg	1.62
	World Avg	2.78
q=150.

10. Economic Inequality and Poverty

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

Inequality in Life Expectancy Lower is better64
Pos.		201964
1	Iceland	2.40
2=	Singapore	2.50
2=	Hong Kong	2.50
	...
46	Kuwait	5.90
47	Maldives	6.00
48=	Malaysia	6.10
48=	Bulgaria	6.10
50	Chile	6.30
51=	USA	6.30
51=	Romania	6.30
53	Saudi Arabia	6.40
	Europe Avg	4.86
	World Avg	14.59
q=184.

Income Inequality (Gini Coefficient) Lower is better65
Pos.		2023 %65
1	Slovakia	24.1%66
2	Slovenia	24.3%66
3	Belarus	24.4%67
	...
111=	Gambia	38.8%67
111=	El Salvador	38.8%68
111=	Laos	38.8%69
114	Bulgaria	39.0%66
115	Tuvalu	39.1%70
116	Suriname	39.2%68
117	Morocco	39.5%71
118	Micronesia	40.1%71
	Europe Avg	30.7%
	World Avg	36.5%
q=167.

11. Religion and Beliefs

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

Religiosity (2018)53
Pos.		Lower is better %53
1	China	3
2	Estonia	6
3	Czechia	7
	...
19=	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
28=	Spain	22
30	Slovakia	23
31=	Ukraine	23
32	Canada	27
33=	Uzbekistan	29
33=	Uruguay	29
	World Avg	54.3
q=106.

Disbelief In God (2007)72
Pos.		Higher is better %72
1	Vietnam	81
2	Japan	65
3	Sweden	64
	...
11=	UK	42
12	Cuba	40
13	Slovenia	35
14	Bulgaria	34
15	Hungary	32
16	Norway	31
17	S. Korea	30
18	Finland	28
19	Russia	27
20	Australia	25
21	Taiwan	24
22=	New Zealand	22
22=	Canada	22
24	Latvia	20
25=	Ukraine	20
25=	Mongolia	20
	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 below₇₃:

Christian	82.1%
Muslim	13.7%
Hindu	0.1%
Buddhist	0.1%
Folk Religion	0.1%
Jewish	0.1%
Unaffiliated	4.2%

By adding up the Pew Forum data for the major monotheistic religions we can see that these make up 95.9% of the population. Yet there are simply too many who disbelieve in God for this to be true (34%). 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 96.2% of the populace say they belong to a religion, only 19% 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: Eastern Orthodox 59.4%, Muslim (Sunni) 7.4%, Muslim (Shia) 0.4%, other (including Catholic, Protestant, Armenian Apostolic Orthodox, and Judaism) 1.7%, other (unknown) 27.4%, none 3.7% (2011 census)₇₄.

Links:

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