The Human Truth Foundation

Cook Islands

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

By Vexen Crabtree 2013

Cook IslandsFlag
StatusSelf-governing in Free Association with New Zealand
CapitalAvarua
Land Area
LocationAustralasia, Polynesia
GroupingsSmall Islands
Population
GNI
ISO3166-1 CodesCK, COK, 1841
Internet Domain.ck2
CurrencyDollar (NZD)3
Telephone+6824

1. Overview

#new_zealand #UK

Named after Captain COOK, who sighted them in 1770, the islands became a British protectorate in 1888. By 1900, administrative control was transferred to New Zealand; in 1965, residents chose self-government in free association with New Zealand. The emigration of skilled workers to New Zealand and government deficits are continuing problems.

CIA's The World Factbook (2013)5

Book CoverFifteen droplets of land cast across 2 million sq km of wild Pacific blue, the Cook Islands are simultaneously remote and accessible, modern and traditional. With a hip cafe culture, fine restaurants and funky nightlife, Rarotonga lives confidently in the 21st century. But beyond the island´s tourist buzz and contemporary appearance is a robust culture, firmly anchored by traditional Polynesian values and steeped in oral history.North of `Raro´, the sublime lagoon of Aitutaki is ringed with tiny deserted islands and is one of the Pacific´s most improbably scenic jewels. Venture further and robust Polynesian traditions emerge nearer the surface. Drink home brew at a traditional `Atiuan tumunu (bush-beer drinking club), explore the ancient makatea (raised coral cliffs) and taro fields of Mangaia, or swim in the underground cave pools of Mitiaro and Ma´uke. The even more remote Northern Group is a sublime South Seas idyll experienced only by a lucky few.

"The World" by Lonely Planet (2014)6

As a territory of New Zealand I do not have many specific statistics for this territory in its own right.

2. Cook Islands's Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance

#homosexuality #human_rights

Human Rights & Tolerance:

Nominal Commitment to HR
Higher is better
7
Pos.2009
Treaties7
1Argentina24
2=Chile23
2=Costa Rica23
...
168Iran9
169=St Kitts & Nevis9
169=Comoros9
169=Cook Islands9
172Guinea-Bissau8
173=USA8
173=Somalia8
173=Eritrea8
Australasia Avg8.7
World Avg15.1
q=194.

Prejudice:

LGBT Equality
Higher is better
8
Pos.2017
Score8
1Netherlands103
2Belgium90
3Sweden86
...
127=Namibia-5
127=Kiribati-5
127=Jamaica-5
127=Cook Islands-5
127=Guyana-5
132St Lucia-9
133=India-10
133=Samoa-10
Australasia Avg07.1
World Avg12.6
q=196.

3. Cook Islands's Health

#alcohol #health #obesity #vaccines

Compared to Australasia (2025)9
Pos.Lower is better
Avg Rank9
1New Caledonia57.9
2Australia66.3
3New Zealand69.9
...
11Papua New Guinea125.9
12Tuvalu126.7
13Kiribati129.5
14Micronesia134.5
15Samoa135.7
16Nauru145.1
17Niue153.4
18Marshall Islands163.0
19Cook Islands164.3
Australasia Avg112.00
q=19.
Health (2025)9
Pos.Lower is better
Avg Rank9
1Monaco14.3
2Liechtenstein30.1
3Isle of Man32.1
...
206Nauru145.1
207Ivory Coast145.8
208Nigeria146.0
209Angola149.2
210S. Sudan149.6
211Niue153.4
212Marshall Islands163.0
213Cook Islands164.3
World Avg97.60
q=213.

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 Man10. These countries are worth emulating. And, although often through no fault of the average citizen, the worst countries are The Cook Islands, The Marshall Islands and Niue10.

25 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 and its immunizations take-up. The regions with the best average results per country are Scandinavia, Europe and The Balkans10, whereas the worst are Micronesia, Africa and Australasia10.

For more, see:

Health:

The Cook Islands is a pretty unhealthy country. The Cook Islands does better than average in its immunizations take-up11 (one of the best in Australasia). But that's it. The Cook Islands has problems. It does worse than average in terms of its alcohol consumption rate12 (one of the worst in Australasia). And finally, it falls into the worst 20 for the prevalence of overweight adults13 (amongst the highest in Australasia). The number of overweight adults has increased by 14% during the past 40 years.

Alcohol Consumption
Lower is better
12
Pos.2016
Per Capita12
1Bangladesh0.0
2Kuwait0.0
3Libya0.0
...
153=Laos10.4
153=Greece10.4
153=Denmark10.4
156Cook Islands10.6
157=Australia10.6
158New Zealand10.7
159=Finland10.7
160Uruguay10.8
Australasia Avg4.3
World Avg6.2
q=189.
Overweight Adults
Lower is better
13
Pos.1976
%13
1Bangladesh4.7
2Vietnam5.1
3Nepal5.4
...
184Niue51.7
185Kuwait52.2
186Tonga53.2
187Samoa54.0
188Cook Islands63.0
189Marshall Islands63.3
190Palau64.0
191Nauru78.1
Australasia Avg48.8
World Avg27.1
q=191.
Adult Obesity
Lower is better
14
Pos.2022
%14
1Vietnam2.1%
2Timor-Leste (E. Timor)2.2%
3Ethiopia2.4%
...
192Samoa61.2%
193Tuvalu63.9%
194Niue66.5%
195Cook Islands68.4%
196Tokelau69.2%
197Nauru70.2%
198Tonga70.5%
199American Samoa75.6%
Australasia Avg49.3%
World Avg24.7%
q=199.

Children's Health:

Infant Immunizations 2011-2015
Higher is better
11
Pos.2015
Avg %11
1=Hungary99.0
1=China99.0
3Uzbekistan98.9
...
23Kuwait97.5
24Morocco97.5
25=Monaco97.3
25=Cook Islands97.3
27Greece97.3
28=Turkmenistan97.2
28=St Vincent & Grenadines97.2
30Dominica97.1
Australasia Avg86.4
World Avg88.3
q=194.

4. Cook Islands's Responsibility Towards The Environment

#biodiversity #climate_change #deforestation #environmentalism #internationalism #over-exploitation #the_environment

Compared to Australasia (2025)15
Pos.Lower is better
Avg Rank15
1New Zealand75.8
2Australia76.6
3Fiji89.1
...
7Samoa107.0
8Kiribati111.4
9Micronesia114.6
10Cook Islands119.6
11Solomon Islands121.6
12Marshall Islands123.1
13Palau124.5
14Tuvalu127.4
15Niue129.5
Australasia Avg93.28
q=16.
Responsibility Towards The Environment (2025)15
Pos.Lower is better
Avg Rank15
1Sri Lanka34.9
2Uruguay43.2
3Switzerland45.0
...
177Bhutan115.3
178Belarus116.0
179Uzbekistan116.1
180Cook Islands119.6
181Libya121.4
182Zimbabwe121.5
183Solomon Islands121.6
184Marshall Islands123.1
World Avg84.93
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"16. 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:

Regarding its responsibility towards the environment, the Cook Islands comes 20th-worst in the world. This is computed from 21 data sets. The Cook Islands does better than average in its forested percent change 2000-202017. And finally, it does worse than average in its sign-up rate to major international accords on protecting the environment.

Forest Area Change 2000-2020
Higher is better
17
Pos.Total17
1Guernsey82.6%
2Bahrain75.2%
3Iceland64.7%
...
84Wallis & Futuna0.3%
85Japan0.2%
86Niue0.2%
87Cook Islands0.1%
88New Caledonia0.0%
89=Qatar0.0%
89=Marshall Islands0.0%
89=Norfolk Island0.0%
Australasia Avg0.1%
World Avg-0.1%
q=234.
International Accords on the Environment
Higher is better
Pos.Total
Avg Rate
1Sweden83%
2Canada82%
3Norway81%
...
173Somalia43%
174Tonga43%
175Kiribati42%
176Cook Islands42%
177Niue42%
178Solomon Islands42%
179Marshall Islands42%
180Serbia41%
Australasia Avg48.2%
World Avg57.5%
q=197.
The Cook Islands was one of the 30 who signed the Convention on Biological Diversity on its first day.

5. Religion and Beliefs

#buddhism #christianity #hinduism #islam #judaism

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 below18:

Christian96%
Muslim0.1%
Hindu0.1%
Buddhist0.1%
Folk Religion0.1%
Jewish0.1%
Unaffiliated3.2%

The CIA World Factbook has slightly different data, and states: Protestant 69.6% (Cook Islands Christian Church 55.9%, Seventh-Day Adventist 7.9%, other Protestant 5.8%), Roman Catholic 16.8%, Mormon 3.8%, other 4.2%, unspecified 2.6%, none 3% (2001 census)19.

The Lonely Planet travel guide points out with joyful glee the historical situation of the Cook Islands Christian Church. It...

Book Cover... was built by two villages, Areora and Ngatiarua, in 1882. When the outside was completed, there was disagreement between the villages about how the inside should be decorated so they built a wall down the middle. The wall has since been removed, though the interior is decorated in markedly different styles. Each village has its own entrance, sits at its own side and takes turns singing the hymns. The minister stands astride the dividing line down the middle of the pulpit.

"The World" by Lonely Planet (2014)6

Links: