Djibouti (Republic of Djibouti)

Djibouti Republic of Djibouti
Status	Independent State
Social and Moral Index	161st best
Capital	Djibouti
Land Area	23 180km21
Location	Africa
Population	1.0m2
Life Expectancy	62.30yrs (2017)3
GNI	$5 025 (2017)4
ISO3166-1 Codes	DJ, DJI, 2625
Internet Domain	.dj6
Currency	Franc (DJF)7
Telephone	+2538

1. Overview
2. Djibouti National and Social Development
3. Djibouti's Demographics and Migration
4. Djibouti's Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance
   1. Human Rights & Tolerance Datasets
   2. Gender Equality Datasets
   3. Prejudice Datasets
5. Djibouti's Health
   1. Health Datasets
   2. Children's Health Datasets
6. Djibouti's Responsibility Towards The Environment
7. Djibouti's Modernity and Learning
   1. Modernity Datasets
   2. Education Datasets
   3. Technology and Information Datasets
8. Djibouti's Culture, Peace and Inequality
   1. National Culture Datasets
   2. Peace Versus Instability Datasets
   3. Economic Inequality and Poverty Datasets
9. Religion and Beliefs
10. Links

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1. Overview

#france #USA

“The French Territory of the Afars and the Issas became Djibouti in 1977. Hassan Gouled APTIDON installed an authoritarian one-party state and proceeded to serve as president until 1999. Unrest among the Afar minority during the 1990s led to a civil war that ended in 2001 with a peace accord between Afar rebels and the Somali Issa-dominated government. In 1999, Djibouti's first multiparty presidential elections resulted in the election of Ismail Omar GUELLEH as president; he was reelected to a second term in 2005 and extended his tenure in office via a constitutional amendment, which allowed him to begin a third term in 2011. Djibouti occupies a strategic geographic location at the intersection of the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden and serves as an important shipping portal for goods entering and leaving the east African highlands and transshipments between Europe, the Middle East, and Asia. The government holds longstanding ties to France, which maintains a significant military presence in the country, and has strong ties with the United States. Djibouti hosts several thousand members of US armed services at US-run Camp Lemonnier.”

CIA's The World Factbook (2013)₉

“Djibouti, a tiny speck of a country, packs a big punch, making up for its diminutive size with austere beauty, other wordly landscapes and geological oddities. Few countries in the world offer such weird landscapes as Djibouti. Think salt lakes, extinct volcanoes, sunken plains, limestone chimneys belching out puffs of steam, basaltic plateaus and majestic canyons. This comes courtesy of Djibouti's location, straddling the intersection of three diverging tectonic plates, on the edge of the Red Sea.

Outdoor adventure comes in many forms here, with superb and challenging hiking opportunities. Then, after extending yourself in the rugged beauty of the interior, there is diving and kitesurfing on the Red Sea - not to mention snorkelling alongside mighty whale sharks in the Gulf of Tadjoura.Barring Djibouti City, the country is refreshingly devoid of large-scale development. It's all about ecotravel, with some great sustainable stays in the hinterland that provide a fascinating glimpse into rural life. Travelling independently around Djibouti may not come cheap, but despite the high cost of living you´ll leave this corner of Africa with new experiences and wonderful memories.”

"The World" by Lonely Planet (2014)₁₀

2. Djibouti 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
	...
168	Lesotho	0.514
169	Malawi	0.512
170	Senegal	0.511
171	Djibouti	0.509
172	Sudan	0.508
173	Madagascar	0.501
174	Gambia	0.500
175	Ethiopia	0.498
	Africa Avg	0.56
	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
	...
137	Honduras	$5 298
138	Ivory Coast	$5 217
139	Mauritania	$5 075
140	Djibouti	$5 025
141	Venezuela	$4 811
142	Nigeria	$4 790
143	Pakistan	$4 624
144	Marshall Islands	$4 620
	Africa Avg	$5 339
	World Avg	$20 136
q=193.

Social & Moral Development Index12
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank12
1	Denmark	28.1
2	Norway	29.9
3	Sweden	31.0
	...
158	Benin	115.3
159	Swaziland	115.8
160	Mali	116.0
161	Djibouti	116.1
162	Zambia	116.1
163	Ivory Coast	116.4
164	Congo, (Brazzaville)	117.4
165	Nigeria	117.7
	Africa Avg	115.3
	World Avg	89.4
q=200.

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. Djibouti's Demographics and Migration

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

Population Datasets:

Djibouti's population is predicted to rise to 1.263 million by 2030. This country has a fertility rate of 2.76. 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, once you take mortality into account₁₃. The highest fertility rate ever detected in a single year was in Yemen in 1985, at 8.86.₁₄

Population2
Pos.		2018 Population2
1	China	1.4b
2	India	1.4b
3	USA	327.1m
	...
155	Mauritius	1.3m
156	Cyprus	1.2m
157	Swaziland	1.1m
158	Djibouti	1.0m
159	Fiji	0.9m
160	Comoros	0.8m
161	Guyana	0.8m
162	Bhutan	0.8m
	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
	...
162	Malawi	62.9
163	Uganda	62.7
164	S. Africa	62.3
165	Djibouti	62.3
166	Gambia	62.1
167	Afghanistan	62.0
168	Burundi	61.7
169	Angola	61.6
	World Avg	71.28
q=195. Also scored for 1990s-2010s.

Fertility Rate 2.0 is best15
Pos.		202215
1	US Virgin Islands	2.00
2	Ecuador	2.00
3	Nepal	2.01
	...
129	Poland	1.26
130	Japan	1.26
131	Botswana	2.75
132	Djibouti	2.76
133	Italy	1.24
134	Haiti	2.77
135	Mongolia	2.77
136	Swaziland	2.79
	World Avg	2.47
q=208. Also scored for 1960s-2010s.

Old-Age Dependency Ratio Lower is better16
Pos.		2016 Per 10016
1	Uganda	04.3
2	Mali	04.5
3=	Chad	04.7
	...
58	Pakistan	08.6
59	Bahrain	08.7
60	Syria	09.0
61=	Djibouti	09.1
61=	Tajikistan	09.1
63	Equatorial Guinea	09.4
64=	Kiribati	09.5
64=	Guatemala	09.5
	World Avg	18.3
q=185.

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

Migration Datasets:

Immigrants17
Pos.		2017 %17
1	UAE	88.4%
2	Kuwait	75.5%
3	Qatar	65.2%
	...
46	Libya	12.4%
47	France	12.2%
48	Barbados	12.1%
49	Djibouti	12.1%
50	Netherlands	12.1%
51	Slovenia	11.8%
52	Denmark	11.5%
53	Belarus	11.4%
	World Avg	9.4%
q=195.

Emigrants18
Pos.		2010 %18
1	Dominica	104.8%
2	Palestine	68.4%
3	Samoa	67.3%
	...
160	Libya	1.7%
161	Gabon	1.7%
162	Vanuatu	1.6%
163	Djibouti	1.5%
164	Timor-Leste (E. Timor)	1.4%
165	Zambia	1.4%
166	Cameroon	1.4%
167	Malawi	1.4%
	World Avg	11.5%
q=192.

4. Djibouti's Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance

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

Compared to Africa (2025)19
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank19
1	Cape Verde	66.3
2	S. Africa	70.7
3	Mauritius	74.9
	...
38	Zimbabwe	128.0
39	Nigeria	128.6
40	Burundi	129.3
41	Djibouti	129.7
42	Malawi	131.6
43	S. Sudan	131.7
44	Guinea	135.7
45	Libya	135.9
46	Ethiopia	136.3
	Africa Avg	116.66
q=54.

Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance (2025)19
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank19
1	Sweden	7.8
2	Netherlands	8.7
3	Denmark	8.8
	...
169	Zimbabwe	128.0
170	Nigeria	128.6
171	Burundi	129.3
172	Djibouti	129.7
173	Malawi	131.6
174	S. Sudan	131.7
175	Palestine	132.1
176	UAE	133.5
	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 Denmark₂₀. These countries are displaying the best traits that humanity has to offer. The worst countries are Somalia, Eritrea and Saudi Arabia₂₀.

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 Europe₂₀, whereas the worst are The Middle East, Africa and Asia₂₀.

For more, see:

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

4.1. Human Rights & Tolerance Datasets

#freedom #human_rights #international_law #mass_media #politics #slavery

Press Freedom Higher is better21
Pos.		202521
1	Norway	92.31
2	Estonia	89.46
3	Netherlands	88.64
	...
164	Cuba	26.03
165	Belarus	25.73
166	Azerbaijan	25.47
167	Djibouti	25.36
168	Myanmar	25.32
169	Egypt	24.74
170	Russia	24.57
171	Nicaragua	22.83
	Africa Avg	52.30
	World Avg	54.65
q=179. Also scored for 2000s-2010s.

Slavery in the 2020s Lower is better22
Pos.		Slavery in the 2020s Per 100022
1=	Switzerland	0.50
1=	Norway	0.50
3=	Germany	0.60
	...
104=	Serbia	7.00
105=	Peru	7.10
105=	Iran	7.10
105=	Djibouti	7.10
105=	Bangladesh	7.10
109	Bolivia	7.20
110=	Nicaragua	7.30
110=	Ivory Coast	7.30
	Africa Avg	6.90
	World Avg	7.15
q=160. Also scored for 2010s-2020s.

Freedom in the World Lower is better
Pos.		2024 Score
1=	Norway	1.0
1=	Canada	1.0
1=	Cape Verde	1.0
	...
167=	Egypt	6.0
167=	Cambodia	6.0
167=	Rwanda	6.0
167=	Djibouti	6.0
167=	Burkina Faso	6.0
167=	Cameroon	6.0
173=	Vietnam	6.5
173=	Bahrain	6.5
	Africa Avg	4.8
	World Avg	3.7
q=205. Also scored for 1970s-2010s.

Nominal Commitment to HR Higher is better23
Pos.		2009 Treaties23
1	Argentina	24
2=	Chile	23
2=	Costa Rica	23
	...
133=	Equatorial Guinea	13
133=	Antigua & Barbuda	13
133=	Nepal	13
133=	Djibouti	13
137=	Ethiopia	12
137=	Haiti	12
137=	Dominica	12
137=	Central African Rep.	12
	Africa Avg	14.8
	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
	...
167	Grenada	13.86
168	Bahamas	13.93
169	Zimbabwe	13.95
170	Djibouti	13.99
171	St Lucia	14.11
172	Montenegro	14.20
173	USA	14.23
174	Malaysia	14.35
	Africa Avg	9.88
	World Avg	10.02
q=195.

4.2. Gender Equality Datasets

#gender_equality #human_rights #politics #women

See:

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

Year Women Can Vote Lower is better
Pos.		Year Women Can Vote Year
1	New Zealand	1893
2	Australia	1902
3	Finland	1906
	...
176=	Iraq	1980
176=	Vanuatu	1980
178	Liechtenstein	1984
179=	Djibouti	1986
179=	Central African Rep.	1986
181	Namibia	1989
182	Samoa	1990
183	Kazakhstan	1993
	Africa Avg	1961
	World Avg	1930
q=189.

4.3. Prejudice Datasets

#2020s #freethought #homosexuality #religious_tolerance

LGBT Equality in the 2020s Higher is better25
Pos.		LGBT Equality in the 2020s Score25
1=	Germany	4.88
1=	Spain	4.88
3	Portugal	4.81
	...
142	Turkmenistan	-2.68
143	Palestine	-2.72
144	N. Korea	-3.05
145	Djibouti	-3.10
146	Samoa	-3.13
147	Papua New Guinea	-3.18
148=	Sierra Leone	-3.23
148=	Guyana	-3.23
	Africa Avg	-3.78
	World Avg	-1.21
q=215. Also scored for 1970s-2020s.

In Djibouti, homosexuality is not explicitly criminalized. Same�€`sex marriage and civil partnerships are not recognized and adoption is banned. Public 'morality laws' have been used to harass LGBT folk since 1995 (Articles 353-354), with censorship and prosecutions for �€�attacks on good morals�€�, and ongoing social stigma reinforced by government opposition to international LGBT rights resolutions.

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).
•  ⇣  Opposed the 2006 Norway Joint Statement on sexual orientation and gender identity at the UN.
•  ⇣  Voted against the 2011 Resolution at the UN Human Rights Council posted by South Africa, requesting a report on discrimination and violence against LGBTQ folk.

Freedom of Thought Lower is better26
Pos.		202126
1=	Belgium	1.0
1=	Taiwan	1.0
1=	Netherlands	1.0
	...
120=	Brazil	3.3
120=	Cameroon	3.3
120=	Croatia	3.3
120=	Djibouti	3.3
120=	Ethiopia	3.3
120=	Germany	3.3
120=	Ghana	3.3
120=	Italy	3.3
	Africa Avg	3.1
	World Avg	3.0
q=196.

5. Djibouti's Health

#health

Compared to Africa (2025)27
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank27
1	Mauritius	72.2
2	Tunisia	73.9
3	Seychelles	78.0
	...
17	Namibia	125.2
18	Senegal	125.2
19	Zimbabwe	125.4
20	Djibouti	126.1
21	Lesotho	126.2
22	Burundi	126.4
23	Tanzania	127.7
24	Swaziland	127.8
25	Mauritania	128.7
	Africa Avg	127.77
q=54.

Health (2025)27
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank27
1	Monaco	10.3
2	Liechtenstein	30.1
3	Japan	40.8
	...
159	Senegal	125.2
160	Zimbabwe	125.4
161	Haiti	126.1
162	Djibouti	126.1
163	Lesotho	126.2
164	Burundi	126.4
165	Cook Islands	127.5
166	Tanzania	127.7
	World Avg	97.39
q=207.

The countries with the best overall approach to public health, in terms of both public policy and individual lifestyle choices, are Monaco, Liechtenstein and Japan₂₈. These countries are worth emulating. And, although often through no fault of the average citizen, the worst countries are Angola, Somalia and S. Sudan₂₈.

42 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, delivery rate of infant DTP immunizations, delivery rate of 7x Infant Immunizations 2011-2015 and childhood mortality. The regions with the best average results per country are Scandinavia, Europe and The Mediterranean₂₈, whereas the worst are Micronesia, Africa and Melanesia₂₈.

For more, see:

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

5.1. Health Datasets

#2010s #alcohol #birth_control #demographics #djibouti #health #life_expectancy #longevity #mental_health #obesity #overpopulation #suicide

Djibouti has some poor policies and cultural issues which cause some public health problems. Djibouti comes in the best 20 in its alcohol consumption rate₂₉. It does better than average for the prevalence of overweight adults₃₀ (but high for Africa) and in its adolescent birth rate₃₁. But that's it. Djibouti has problems. It does worse than average in terms of its suicide rate₃₂, its fertility rate₁₅ (still good for Africa), delivery rate of 7x Infant Immunizations 2011-2015₃₃, its average life expectancy₁₁, childhood mortality in the 2020s₃₄ and in delivery rate of infant DTP immunizations in the 2020s₃₅. The prevalence of overweight adults has increased by 14% over the last 40 years. Life expectancy in Djibouti improved by +7.6yrs in the 30 years from 1990, on par with the global average improvement of +7.9yrs. Djibouti's peak fertility rate was 6.86 in 1971.

Life Expectancy Higher is better11
Pos.		2021 Years11
1	Monaco	85.9
2	Hong Kong	85.5
3	Japan	84.8
	...
162	Malawi	62.9
163	Uganda	62.7
164	S. Africa	62.3
165	Djibouti	62.3
166	Gambia	62.1
167	Afghanistan	62.0
168	Burundi	61.7
169	Angola	61.6
	Africa Avg	62.79
	World Avg	71.28
q=195. Also scored for 1990s-2010s.

Alcohol Consumption Lower is better29
Pos.		2016 Per Capita29
1	Bangladesh	0.0
2	Kuwait	0.0
3	Libya	0.0
	...
12=	Iraq	0.4
12=	Brunei	0.4
12=	Egypt	0.4
15=	Djibouti	0.5
15=	Niger	0.5
15=	Sudan	0.5
18=	Bhutan	0.6
18=	Morocco	0.6
	Africa Avg	4.8
	World Avg	6.2
q=189.

Fertility Rate 2.0 is best15
Pos.		202215
1	US Virgin Islands	2.00
2	Ecuador	2.00
3	Nepal	2.01
	...
129	Poland	1.26
130	Japan	1.26
131	Botswana	2.75
132	Djibouti	2.76
133	Italy	1.24
134	Haiti	2.77
135	Mongolia	2.77
136	Swaziland	2.79
	Africa Avg	3.97
	World Avg	2.47
q=208. Also scored for 1960s-2010s.

Suicide Rate in the 2010s Lower is better32
Pos.		Suicide Rate in the 2010s Per 100k32
1=	Jordan	1.00
1=	Sao Tome & Principe	1.00
1=	Antigua & Barbuda	1.00
	...
94	Benin	7.32
95=	Vietnam	7.38
95=	St Lucia	7.38
97	Djibouti	7.39
98	Seychelles	7.63
99=	Somalia	7.84
99=	Rwanda	7.84
101	Qatar	7.87
	Africa Avg	7.70
	World Avg	9.24
q=185. Also scored for 2000s-2010s.

Overweight Adults Lower is better30
Pos.		1976 %30
1	Bangladesh	4.7
2	Vietnam	5.1
3	Nepal	5.4
	...
68	Seychelles	17.4
69=	Haiti	20.2
69=	Yemen	20.2
71	Djibouti	20.5
72	Trinidad & Tobago	20.6
73	Singapore	22.8
74	St Lucia	24.0
75	Guyana	24.3
	Africa Avg	13.4
	World Avg	27.1
q=191.

Adult Obesity Lower is better36
Pos.		2022 %36
1	Vietnam	2.1%
2	Timor-Leste (E. Timor)	2.2%
3	Ethiopia	2.4%
	...
38	Ivory Coast	10.6%
39	Sri Lanka	10.6%
40	Nigeria	10.8%
41	Djibouti	10.9%
42	N. Korea	10.9%
43	France	10.9%
44	Kenya	11.0%
45	Tanzania	11.4%
	Africa Avg	13.7%
	World Avg	24.7%
q=199. Also scored for 1990s-2010s.

5.2. Children's Health Datasets

#children's_health #health #parenting #population #vaccines

Adolescent Birth Rate Lower is better31
Pos.		2022 Per 100031
1	Hong Kong	1.6
2	Denmark	1.8
3	S. Korea	2.1
	...
71	Kazakhstan	20.9
72	Turkmenistan	21.2
73	Hungary	21.9
74	Djibouti	22.7
75	Chile	22.8
76	Mauritius	24.0
77	Jordan	24.9
78	Mongolia	25.0
	Africa Avg	84.6
	World Avg	43.8
q=195. Also scored for 1990s-2010s.

Infant DTP Immunizations (2020s) Higher is better35
Pos.		Infant DTP Immunizations (2020s) Avg %35
1=	Luxembourg	99.0
1=	Oman	99.0
1=	Niue	99.0
	...
188=	Equatorial Guinea	72.6
189	Suriname	72.2
190	Chad	72.1
191	Djibouti	71.2
192	Ethiopia	71.0
193	Northern Mariana Islands	70.8
194	Myanmar	70.2
195	Laos	70.0
	Africa Avg	82.9
	World Avg	88.5
q=211. Also scored for 1980s-2020s.

7x Infant Immunizations (2011-2015) Higher is better33
Pos.		2015 Avg %33
1=	Hungary	99.0
1=	China	99.0
3	Uzbekistan	98.9
	...
146	Congo, (Brazzaville)	83.6
147	Cameroon	83.3
148	Laos	83.3
149	Djibouti	82.6
150	Uganda	82.5
151	Comoros	81.8
152	Marshall Islands	81.8
153	Mozambique	81.4
	Africa Avg	81.7
	World Avg	88.3
q=194.

Infant Mortality (2020s) Lower is better34
Pos.		Infant Mortality (2020s) Per 100034
1	San Marino	2.11
2	Finland	2.59
3	Luxembourg	2.60
	...
165	Zambia	63.61
166	Zimbabwe	63.76
167	Sudan	65.51
168	Djibouti	66.40
169	Madagascar	66.96
170	Ethiopia	67.34
171	Burundi	71.23
172	Afghanistan	74.59
	Africa Avg	71.63
	World Avg	32.19
q=195. Also scored for 1960s-2020s.

6. Djibouti's Responsibility Towards The Environment

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

Compared to Africa (2025)37
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank37
1	Morocco	46.5
2	Burundi	47.8
3	Mali	51.0
	...
34	Guinea-Bissau	83.7
35	Namibia	83.9
36	Central African Rep.	84.2
37	Djibouti	84.5
38	Zambia	85.4
39	Gabon	87.9
40	Equatorial Guinea	91.2
41	S. Africa	92.2
42	Sao Tome & Principe	92.7
	Africa Avg	78.58
q=53.

Responsibility Towards The Environment (2025)37
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank37
1	Sri Lanka	34.9
2	Uruguay	43.2
3	Switzerland	45.0
	...
104	S. Korea	84.0
105	Cambodia	84.0
106	Central African Rep.	84.2
107	Djibouti	84.5
108	Honduras	84.6
109	Zambia	85.4
110	Venezuela	86.1
111	Taiwan	86.1
	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"₃₈. 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).

Regarding its responsibility towards the environment, Djibouti ranks 107th in the world. This is computed from 21 data sets. Djibouti does better than average in reducing annual meat consumption per person₃₉, the rate of rational beliefs on the environment in the population₄₀, its forested percent change 2000-2020₄₁ and in energy to GDP efficiency₄₂ (but high for Africa). But, things still need to improve in Djibouti. Djibouti does worse than average in its sign-up rate to major international accords on protecting the environment. And finally, it falls into the worst 20 in its environmental performance₄₃.

Forest Area Change 2000-2020 Higher is better41
Pos.		Total41
1	Guernsey	82.6%
2	Bahrain	75.2%
3	Iceland	64.7%
	...
56	Morocco	4.2%
57	Lebanon	3.8%
58	Bosnia & Herzegovina	3.6%
59	Djibouti	3.6%
60	Tajikistan	3.4%
61	Belgium	3.3%
62	Croatia	2.9%
63	Netherlands	2.8%
	Africa Avg	-8.7%
	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
	...
160	Liberia	41.6
161	Cameroon	40.8
162	Swaziland	40.3
163	Djibouti	40.0
164	Papua New Guinea	39.4
165	Eritrea	39.3
166	Mauritania	39.2
167	Benin	38.2
	Africa Avg	46.4
	World Avg	56.4
q=180.

Energy to GDP Efficiency Lower is better42
Pos.		2022 Avg42
1	Rwanda	0.25
2	Chad	0.26
3	Tanzania	0.31
	...
62	Cyprus	0.92
63	Tunisia	0.93
64	Israel	0.94
65	Djibouti	0.94
66	France	0.95
67	Portugal	0.95
68	Uruguay	0.96
69	Nicaragua	0.96
	Africa Avg	0.83
	World Avg	1.23
q=165. Also scored for 1960s-2010s.

From the 1990s to the 2000s, Djibouti was amongst the 10 countries who improved their energy-to-GDP efficiency the most.

International Accords on the Environment Higher is better
Pos.		International Accords on the Environment Avg Rate
1	Sweden	83%
2	Canada	82%
3	Norway	81%
	...
141	Mauritania	51%
142	Lesotho	51%
143	Croatia	51%
144	Djibouti	51%
145	Gabon	51%
146	Fiji	51%
147	Qatar	51%
148	Vanuatu	50%
	Africa Avg	56.4%
	World Avg	57.5%
q=197. Also scored for 1970s-2020s.

Rational Beliefs on the Environment Higher is better40
Pos.		2011 %40
1	Argentina	78.3%
2	Greece	77.6%
3	Brazil	77.1%
	...
55	Congo, (Brazzaville)	44.0%
56	Yemen	43.2%
57	Sri Lanka	43.1%
58	Djibouti	42.8%
59	Burundi	42.0%
60	Zambia	41.9%
61	Singapore	41.6%
62	Ukraine	41.5%
	Africa Avg	38.3%
	World Avg	39.9%
q=145.

Meat Consumption Lower is better39
Pos.		2021 kg39
1	Congo, DR	03.0
2	Burundi	03.5
3	Bangladesh	04.3
	...
22	Bhutan	13.6
23	Cameroon	14.6
24	Guinea-Bissau	14.7
25	Djibouti	14.8
26	Benin	15.6
27	Guinea	16.7
28	Gambia	16.7
29	Timor-Leste (E. Timor)	17.2
	Africa Avg	24.9
	World Avg	52.5
q=185. Also scored for 2010s.

7. Djibouti's Modernity and Learning

#education #modernity #technology #the_internet

Compared to Africa (2025)44
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank44
1	S. Africa	63.3
2	Seychelles	63.4
3	Tunisia	68.7
	...
10	Libya	92.8
11	Botswana	104.8
12	Kenya	107.0
13	Djibouti	107.9
14	Ghana	111.9
15	Cameroon	115.0
16	Nigeria	115.5
17	Uganda	117.3
18	Togo	119.6
	Africa Avg	124.71
q=54.

Modernity & Learning (2025)44
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank44
1	Finland	6.1
2	Iceland	8.1
3	Denmark	8.8
	...
126	Botswana	104.8
127	Kenya	107.0
128	Maldives	107.2
129	Djibouti	107.9
130	Samoa	109.0
131	Ghana	111.9
132	Guyana	112.8
133	Bahamas	113.4
	World Avg	84.96
q=197.

The most modern countries, with the best results from education, the highest levels of research, and with the easiest access to information on the Internet, are Finland, Iceland and Denmark₄₅. The worst countries are S. Sudan, Eritrea and Somalia₄₅. Despite improves in global education, access to tertiary (adult) education is becoming increasingly unequal between the rich haves and the poor have-nots₄₆.

“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)₄₇

27 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 Europe₄₅, whereas the worst are Melanesia, Africa and Micronesia₄₅.

For more, see:

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

7.1. Modernity Datasets

#metric #religion #religiosity #secularisation

Metric System Adoption Rate Higher is better48
Pos.		2025 %48
1=	Slovakia	100
1=	Poland	100
1=	Portugal	100
	...
50=	Canada	95
50=	Bosnia & Herzegovina	95
50=	Bolivia	95
50=	Djibouti	95
50=	Turkmenistan	95
50=	Armenia	95
50=	Belarus	95
50=	Georgia	95
	Africa Avg	90
	World Avg	92
q=187. Also scored for 1960s-2020s.

Officially adopted metric in 1898, as a French colony. Progression:

• 1960 (60%): French metric legacy; mixed usage.
• 1970 (75%): Standardization in commerce/education.
• 1980 (90%): Metric dominant across sectors.
• 2000 (95%).
• 2025 (95%).

Religiosity Lower is better49
Pos.		2018 %49
1	China	3
2	Estonia	6
3	Czechia	7
	...
85=	Congo, DR	88
85=	Nigeria	88
85=	Nicaragua	88
88=	Djibouti	89
88=	Ghana	89
88=	Guatemala	89
91=	Honduras	90
91=	Cameroon	90
	Africa Avg	87.0
	World Avg	54.3
q=106.

7.2. Education Datasets

#djibouti #education #niger #south_sudan

From 1997-2009, education in Djibouti was woefully short - the average person could expect around 3 years, just a third of the global average, although this rose by two years over that period, only Niger done worse. Throughout 2010-2019, it had the 3rd-shortest education of all countries except South Sudan and Niger. ₅₀

Length of Schooling Higher is better51
Pos.		2021 Years51
1	Australia	21.1
2	New Zealand	20.3
3	Greece	20.0
	...
186	Eritrea	8.1
187	Central African Rep.	8.0
188	Chad	8.0
189	Sudan	7.9
190	Djibouti	7.4
191	Mali	7.4
192	Niger	7.0
193	S. Sudan	5.5
	Africa Avg	11.0
	World Avg	13.5
q=193. Also scored for 1990s-2010s.

7.3. Technology and Information Datasets

#it_security #the_internet

Internet Users (2020s) Higher is better
Pos.		Internet Users (2020s)
1=	Iceland	99%
1=	Kuwait	99%
1=	UAE	99%
	...
123	St Lucia	65%
124	Indonesia	65%
125	Marshall Islands	63%
126	Djibouti	62%
127	El Salvador	62%
128	Namibia	61%
129	Laos	61%
130	Sao Tome & Principe	59%
	Africa Avg	41.0%
	World Avg	67.8%
q=188. Also scored for 1990s-2020s.

IT Security Lower is better52
Pos.		201352
1=	Ireland	0.11
1=	Luxembourg	0.11
1=	Belize	0.11
	...
57	Malawi	1.23
58	Turkmenistan	1.23
59	Kazakhstan	1.23
60	Djibouti	1.29
61	UK	1.34
62	Mongolia	1.42
63	Uganda	1.44
64	Ukraine	1.44
	Africa Avg	1.07
	World Avg	0.98

IPv6 Uptake Higher is better53
Pos.		2017 Ratio53
1	Belgium	55.4
2	Germany	41.8
3	Switzerland	35.1
	...
125=	Albania	0.0
125=	Micronesia	0.0
125=	Algeria	0.0
125=	Djibouti	0.0
125=	Guyana	0.0
125=	Namibia	0.0
125=	Tonga	0.0
125=	Myanmar	0.0
	Africa Avg	0.04
	World Avg	3.82
q=176.

8. Djibouti's Culture, Peace and Inequality

#charitability #culture #equality #human_development #inequality #peace

Compared to Africa (2025)54
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank54
1	Mauritius	51.4
2	Seychelles	66.9
3	Tunisia	76.2
	...
38	Mozambique	119.2
39	Sudan	119.9
40	Mali	120.2
41	Djibouti	121.0
42	Libya	123.7
43	Congo, (Brazzaville)	123.9
44	Guinea-Bissau	124.7
45	Angola	130.1
46	Equatorial Guinea	131.4
	Africa Avg	110.07
q=54.

Culture, Peace & Inequality (2025)54
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank54
1	Denmark	11.6
2	Finland	13.4
3	Netherlands	13.6
	...
167	Sudan	119.9
168	Mali	120.2
169	Syria	120.9
170	Djibouti	121.0
171	Libya	123.7
172	Congo, (Brazzaville)	123.9
173	Guinea-Bissau	124.7
174	Angola	130.1
	World Avg	81.27
q=187.

This is the final pillar of the Social and Moral Development Index; it has 32 datasets, including multiple decades of data on World Giving Index, resisting corruption, overall happiness, Creativity and Culture, passport utility (so far), Open Trading, Aid and Development, its Global Peace Index rating, Peacekeeping and Security, Refugees and UN Treaties, the impact of terrorism, poverty (so far), life expectancy inequality, Income Inequality (Gini Coefficient) and Multidimensional Poverty.

For more, see:

• "Which are the Countries for International Contributions, Creativity, Peace and Inequality?" by Vexen Crabtree (2025).

8.1. National Culture Datasets

#corruption #internationalism #politics

Corruption Higher is better55
Pos.		2022 Points55
1	Denmark	90.0
2=	Finland	87.0
2=	New Zealand	87.0
	...
131=	Mauritania	30.0
131=	Togo	30.0
131=	Swaziland	30.0
131=	Djibouti	30.0
131=	Papua New Guinea	30.0
136	Gabon	29.0
137=	Paraguay	28.0
137=	Russia	28.0
	Africa Avg	32.31
	World Avg	42.98
q=180. Also scored for 1990s-2010s.

Passport Reach (2020s) Higher is better56
Pos.		Passport Reach (2020s) Q56
1	Singapore	192.2
2	Japan	192.0
3	S. Korea	190.7
	...
172=	Laos	49.7
172=	Liberia	49.7
174	Congo, (Brazzaville)	49.0
175	Djibouti	47.7
176	Myanmar	46.5
177=	Ethiopia	45.3
177=	Nigeria	45.3
179	Congo, DR	43.2
	Africa Avg	62.9
	World Avg	108.8
q=195. Also scored for 2000s-2020s.

8.2. Peace Versus Instability Datasets

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

Global Peace Index Lower is better57
Pos.		2023 Score57
1	Iceland	1.12
2	Denmark	1.31
3	Ireland	1.31
	...
109	Swaziland	2.17
110	Benin	2.18
111	Lesotho	2.19
112	Djibouti	2.20
113	Congo, (Brazzaville)	2.21
114	Mauritania	2.23
115	Philippines	2.23
116	Belarus	2.25
	Africa Avg	2.29
	World Avg	2.07
q=163. Also scored for 2010s.

Impact of Terrorism Lower is better58
Pos.		2019 Score58
1	Togo	0.00
2	Mongolia	0.00
3	Swaziland	0.00
	...
35	S. Korea	0.30
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
	Africa Avg	3.41
	World Avg	2.78
q=150.

8.3. Economic Inequality and Poverty Datasets

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

Inequality in Life Expectancy Lower is better59
Pos.		201959
1	Iceland	2.40
2=	Singapore	2.50
2=	Hong Kong	2.50
	...
141=	Myanmar	22.80
141=	Gabon	22.80
143=	Turkmenistan	23.40
143=	Djibouti	23.40
145	Papua New Guinea	24.10
146=	Zimbabwe	24.20
146=	Ghana	24.20
148=	Kiribati	24.70
	Africa Avg	26.10
	World Avg	14.59
q=184.

Income Inequality (Gini Coefficient) Lower is better60
Pos.		2023 %60
1	Slovakia	24.1%61
2	Slovenia	24.3%61
3	Belarus	24.4%62
	...
127	Bolivia	40.9%61
128	Haiti	41.1%63
129	USA	41.3%64
130	Djibouti	41.6%65
131	Papua New Guinea	41.9%66
132	Cameroon	42.2%61
133	Cape Verde	42.4%67
134	Madagascar	42.6%63
	Africa Avg	40.7%
	World Avg	36.5%
q=167. Also scored for 1980s-2010s.

Income inequality data is rarely available for Djibouti - only for 4 years between 1980 and 2019.

9. Religion and Beliefs

#atheism #bah�'�_faith #buddhism #christianity #djibouti #hinduism #islam #judaism #religion #religiosity #secularisation

Religiosity (2018)49
Pos.		Lower is better %49
1	China	3
2	Estonia	6
3	Czechia	7
	...
85=	Congo, DR	88
85=	Nigeria	88
85=	Nicaragua	88
88=	Djibouti	89
88=	Ghana	89
88=	Guatemala	89
91=	Honduras	90
91=	Cameroon	90
91=	Rwanda	90
91=	Liberia	90
95=	Morocco	91
95=	Guinea-Bissau	91
95=	Philippines	91
95=	Zambia	91
99	Afghanistan	92
100=	Burkina Faso	93
	World Avg	54.3
q=106.

Pew Forum polling over the decades has found the following adherency rates:₆₈:

	2010	2020
Muslim	97.4%	97.7%
Unaffiliated	1.11%	1.1%
Christian	1.35%	1.1%
Other	<0.1%	<0.1%
Hindu	<0.1%	<0.1%
Jewish	None	None
Buddhist	None	None

The CIA World Factbook has slightly different data, and states simply: Muslim 94%, Christian 6%₆₉.

The International Humanist and Ethical Union produced a report in 2012 entitled "Freedom of Thought" (2012)₇₀, in which they document bias and prejudice at the national level that is based on religion, belief and/or lack of belief. Their entry for Djibouti states:

“Although the constitution and other laws and policies protect freedom of religion or belief, Islam is the state religion and the president and other government employees, including magistrates, are required to take religious oaths₇₁. More than 99% of the population identifies as Sunni Muslim. Citizens officially are considered Muslims if they do not specifically identify with a faith; there are no figures available on the number of atheists in the country. Muslims are required to marry in an Islamic ceremony. Non-Muslims - who are known to include Roman Catholics, Protestants, Copts, and Bahá'ís - must marry in accordance with the rites of the religion with which they are registered. The government allows civil marriage only for non-Muslim foreign residents; so if there were atheist Djibouti who wanted to marry, they would not be able to do so (unless they hid their atheism and registered with a religion). A non-Muslim man may marry a Muslim woman only after converting to Islam₇₁. According to the family code, "impediment to a marriage occurs when a Muslim woman marries a non-Muslim."

The president is required to take a religious oath at inauguration; other government employees are also required to do so, such as magistrates, the presidents of Constitutional Court, Supreme Court, Chamber of Accounts, and the inspector general of state. While there is no penalty established by law, it remains an official custom written in the Constitution for the president of the country and required by law for others. No legal provision exists for opposite practice.”

"Freedom of Thought" by IHEU (2012)₇₂

Links:

• A List of All Religions and Belief Systems