Ecuador (Republic of Ecuador)

Ecuador Republic of Ecuador
Status	Independent State
Social and Moral Index	62nd best
Capital	Quito
Land Area	248 360km21
Location	South America, The Americas
Population	17.1m2
Life Expectancy	73.67yrs (2017)3
GNI	$10 312 (2017)4
ISO3166-1 Codes	EC, ECU, 2185
Internet Domain	.ec6
Currency	Dollar (USD)7
Telephone	+5938

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

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1. Overview

“What is now Ecuador formed part of the northern Inca Empire until the Spanish conquest in 1533. Quito became a seat of Spanish colonial government in 1563 and part of the Viceroyalty of New Granada in 1717. The territories of the Viceroyalty - New Granada (Colombia), Venezuela, and Quito - gained their independence between 1819 and 1822 and formed a federation known as Gran Colombia. When Quito withdrew in 1830, the traditional name was changed in favor of the "Republic of the Equator." Between 1904 and 1942, Ecuador lost territories in a series of conflicts with its neighbors. A border war with Peru that flared in 1995 was resolved in 1999. Although Ecuador marked 30 years of civilian governance in 2004, the period was marred by political instability. Protests in Quito contributed to the mid-term ouster of three of Ecuador's last four democratically elected Presidents. In late 2008, voters approved a new constitution, Ecuador's 20th since gaining independence. General elections, under the new constitutional framework, were held in April 2009, and voters re-elected President Rafael CORREA.”

CIA's The World Factbook (2013)₉

2. Ecuador National and Social Development

#economics #human_development #wealth

UN HDI (2021)10
Pos.		Higher is better Value10
1	Switzerland	0.962
2	Norway	0.961
3	Iceland	0.959
	...
92=	Algeria	0.745
92=	Azerbaijan	0.745
92=	Turkmenistan	0.745
95	Ecuador	0.740
96	Mongolia	0.739
97=	Egypt	0.731
97=	Tunisia	0.731
99	Fiji	0.730
	The Americas Avg	0.75
	World Avg	0.72
q=191.

Gross National Income Per-Capita (2021)10
Pos.		Higher is better PPP $10
1	Liechtenstein	$146 830
2	Singapore	$90 919
3	Qatar	$87 134
	...
104	Indonesia	$11 466
105	Algeria	$10 800
106	Mongolia	$10 588
107	Ecuador	$10 312
108	Tunisia	$10 258
109	Fiji	$9 980
110	Iraq	$9 977
111	Jordan	$9 924
	The Americas Avg	$16 628
	World Avg	$20 136
q=193.

Social & Moral Development Index11
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank11
1	Denmark	29.1
2	Norway	32.3
3	Sweden	34.1
	...
59	Peru	78.0
60	Macedonia	79.0
61	Northern Cyprus	79.1
62	Ecuador	79.3
63	Bosnia & Herzegovina	79.5
64	Andorra	79.6
65	Vietnam	79.7
66	China	80.3
	The Americas Avg	81.5
	World Avg	88.9
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. Ecuador's Demographics and Migration

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

Population:

Ecuador's population is predicted to rise to 17.89 million by 2030. This country has a fertility rate of 2.00. 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 8.86.₁₂

Population2
Pos.		2018 Population2
1	China	1.4b
2	India	1.4b
3	USA	327.1m
	...
63	Malawi	18.1m
64	Zambia	17.4m
65	Guatemala	17.2m
66	Ecuador	17.1m
67	Netherlands	17.1m
68	Syria	16.9m
69	Cambodia	16.2m
70	Senegal	15.9m
	World Avg	39.0m
q=195.

Life Expectancy Higher is better10
Pos.		2021 Years10
1	Monaco	85.9
2	Hong Kong	85.5
3	Japan	84.8
	...
74	Tunisia	73.8
75	Lithuania	73.7
76	Cuba	73.7
77	Ecuador	73.7
78	Vietnam	73.6
79	Latvia	73.6
80	Mauritius	73.6
81	Palestine	73.5
	World Avg	71.28
q=195.

Fertility Rate 2.0 is best13
Pos.		202213
1	US Virgin Islands	2.00
2	Ecuador	2.00
3	Nepal	2.01
4	India	2.01
5	Belize	1.99
6	Grenada	1.99
7	New Caledonia	2.02
8	Sri Lanka	1.97
9	Faroe Islands	2.05
10	Bangladesh	1.95
11	Vietnam	1.94
12	Georgia	2.06
	World Avg	2.47
q=208.

Old-Age Dependency Ratio Lower is better14
Pos.		2016 Per 10014
1	Uganda	04.3
2	Mali	04.5
3=	Chad	04.7
	...
100	Dominican Rep.	15.6
101=	Venezuela	15.6
101=	Kazakhstan	15.6
103	Ecuador	16.0
104	Morocco	16.1
105=	Suriname	16.2
105=	Grenada	16.2
105=	Brunei	16.2
	World Avg	18.3
q=185.

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

Migration:

Immigrants15
Pos.		2017 %15
1	UAE	88.4%
2	Kuwait	75.5%
3	Qatar	65.2%
	...
114	Samoa	2.5%
115	Zimbabwe	2.4%
116	Swaziland	2.4%
117	Ecuador	2.4%
118	Paraguay	2.4%
119	Uruguay	2.3%
120	Mauritius	2.3%
121	Benin	2.3%
	World Avg	9.4%
q=195.

Emigrants16
Pos.		2010 %16
1	Dominica	104.8%
2	Palestine	68.4%
3	Samoa	67.3%
	...
75	Sri Lanka	9.1%
76	Somalia	8.7%
77	Kuwait	8.5%
78	Ecuador	8.3%
79	Poland	8.3%
80	Afghanistan	8.1%
81	Paraguay	7.9%
82	Russia	7.9%
	World Avg	11.5%
q=192.

4. Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance

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

Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance (2025)17
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank17
1	Sweden	6.1
2	Denmark	8.6
3	Norway	9.0
	...
60	Mexico	66.2
61	Bolivia	66.3
62	Bahamas	66.6
63	Ecuador	67.2
64	Cape Verde	68.0
65	Peru	68.7
	The Americas Avg	71.80
	World Avg	86.55
q=199.

Ecuador does relatively well in ensuring human rights and freedom, compared to many other countries. Ecuador does the second-best in its nominal commitment to Human Rights₁₈. It comes in the best 20 in freethought₁₉ (one of the best in The Americas). It does better than average for LGBT equality₂₀, eliminating modern slavery₂₁, commentary in Human Rights Watch reports₂₂ (but one of the worst in The Americas) and in its average Freedom in the World rating (but high for The Americas). But, things still need to improve in Ecuador. Ecuador does worse than average for the rate of gender bias (from 7 indicators)₂₃ (one of the worst in The Americas), opposing gender inequality₂₄, supporting press freedom₂₅ and in supporting personal, civil & economic freedoms₂₆. Now Rafael Correa has been replaced as President (in 2017), things are looking to get better, as new President Lenin Moreno "has publicly embraced respect for free speech and promised to deliver a more tolerant government"₂₇.

For tables, charts and commentary, see:

• Human Rights and Freedom in Ecuador

5. Ecuador's Health

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

Compared to The Americas (2025)28
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank28
1	Curaço	49.7
2	Aruba	49.9
3	US Virgin Islands	51.9
	...
19	Bermuda	91.5
20	Dominica	91.9
21	Colombia	92.4
22	Ecuador	95.6
23	Argentina	97.0
24	St Vincent & Grenadines	97.5
25	Bahamas	99.1
26	Peru	100.3
27	Jamaica	101.6
	The Americas Avg	92.66
q=44.

Health (2025)28
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank28
1	Monaco	14.3
2	Liechtenstein	30.1
3	Isle of Man	32.1
	...
104	Belarus	92.8
105	Seychelles	93.9
106	Russia	94.2
107	Ecuador	95.6
108	Moldova	95.9
109	Argentina	97.0
110	Algeria	97.0
111	St Vincent & Grenadines	97.5
	World Avg	97.60
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 Man₂₉. 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 Niue₂₉.

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 Balkans₂₉, whereas the worst are Micronesia, Africa and Australasia₂₉.

For more, see:

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

Health:

Ecuador does relatively well in encouraging good health, compared to many other countries. Ecuador does the second-best when it comes to its fertility rate₁₃. It does better than average when it comes to its suicide rate₃₀ (but high for The Americas), its smoking rate₃₁, its food aid and health contributions and WHO compliance₃₂, its alcohol consumption rate₃₃ and in its average life expectancy₁₀. Ecuador does not succeed in everything, however. Ecuador does worse than average in the prevalence of overweight adults₃₄, its immunizations take-up₃₅ and in its adolescent birth rate₃₆. The number of overweight adults has increased by 14% during the last 40 years. Life expectancy in Ecuador improved by +7.9yrs in the 30 years from 1990, which is the global average. Ecuador is amongst only 41 countries who have seen their fertility rate drop by more than 4 since the 1960s. Its peak fertility rate was 6.72 in 1960.

Life Expectancy Higher is better10
Pos.		2021 Years10
1	Monaco	85.9
2	Hong Kong	85.5
3	Japan	84.8
	...
74	Tunisia	73.8
75	Lithuania	73.7
76	Cuba	73.7
77	Ecuador	73.7
78	Vietnam	73.6
79	Latvia	73.6
80	Mauritius	73.6
81	Palestine	73.5
	The Americas Avg	72.58
	World Avg	71.28
q=195.

Alcohol Consumption Lower is better33
Pos.		2016 Per Capita33
1	Bangladesh	0.0
2	Kuwait	0.0
3	Libya	0.0
	...
70	Jamaica	4.2
71	Sri Lanka	4.3
72=	Bahamas	4.4
72=	Ecuador	4.4
74	Bolivia	4.8
75=	Costa Rica	4.8
75=	Guinea-Bissau	4.8
75=	Myanmar (Burma)	4.8
	The Americas Avg	6.9
	World Avg	6.2
q=189.

Fertility Rate 2.0 is best13
Pos.		202213
1	US Virgin Islands	2.00
2	Ecuador	2.00
3	Nepal	2.01
4	India	2.01
5	Belize	1.99
6	Grenada	1.99
7	New Caledonia	2.02
8	Sri Lanka	1.97
9	Faroe Islands	2.05
10	Bangladesh	1.95
11	Vietnam	1.94
12	Georgia	2.06
	The Americas Avg	1.80
	World Avg	2.47
q=208.

Smoking Rates Lower is better31
Pos.		201431
1	Guinea	15
2	Solomon Islands	26
3	Kiribati	28
	...
40	Central African Rep.	178
41	Cameroon	184
42	Guatemala	190
43	Ecuador	191
44	Myanmar (Burma)	206
45	Madagascar	206
46	Burkina Faso	213
47	Maldives	215
	The Americas Avg	457
	World Avg	819
q=182.

Suicide Rate30
Pos.		2013 Per 100k30
1	Haiti	0
2	Grenada	0
3	Egypt	0.1
	...
37	Macedonia	13.5
38	Mauritius	13.7
39	UK	13.9
40	Ecuador	14.1
41	Spain	15.3
42	Argentina	15.6
43	Thailand	15.8
44	Australia	16.4
	The Americas Avg	13.57
	World Avg	20.93
q=91.

Food Aid, Health Contributions & WHO Compliance Lower is better32
Pos.		2017 Rank32
1	Sweden	1
2	Ireland	2
3	Denmark	3
	...
47	Czechia	47
48	China	48
49	Singapore	49
50	Ecuador	50
51	Israel	51
52	Slovakia	52
53	Bulgaria	53
54	Panama	54
	The Americas Avg	94.3
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Overweight Adults Lower is better34
Pos.		1976 %34
1	Bangladesh	4.7
2	Vietnam	5.1
3	Nepal	5.4
	...
95=	Brazil	28.2
96	Costa Rica	28.6
97=	Mongolia	29.0
97=	Ecuador	29.0
99	Barbados	29.5
100	El Salvador	29.7
101=	Morocco	30.4
101=	Turkmenistan	30.4
	The Americas Avg	30.7
	World Avg	27.1
q=191.

Adult Obesity Lower is better37
Pos.		2022 %37
1	Vietnam	2.1%
2	Timor-Leste (E. Timor)	2.2%
3	Ethiopia	2.4%
	...
109	Belarus	26.6%
110	Albania	26.6%
111	Estonia	26.7%
112	Ecuador	27.0%
113	Portugal	27.1%
114	Peru	27.2%
115	Swaziland	27.3%
116	Canada	27.3%
	The Americas Avg	32.0%
	World Avg	24.7%
q=199.

Children's Health:

Adolescent Birth Rate Lower is better36
Pos.		2022 Per 100036
1	Hong Kong	1.6
2	Denmark	1.8
3	S. Korea	2.1
	...
138	Gambia	60.7
139	S. Africa	60.9
140	Iraq	61.2
141	Ecuador	62.1
142	Kenya	62.6
143	Bolivia	63.1
144	Namibia	63.1
145	Guatemala	63.2
	The Americas Avg	48.1
	World Avg	43.8
q=195.

Infant Immunizations 2011-2015 Higher is better35
Pos.		2015 Avg %35
1=	Hungary	99.0
1=	China	99.0
3	Uzbekistan	98.9
	...
133	Bosnia & Herzegovina	88.0
134	Sierra Leone	87.7
135	Suriname	87.2
136	Ecuador	86.8
137	Cambodia	86.5
138	Namibia	86.5
139	Dominican Rep.	86.3
140	Panama	86.1
	The Americas Avg	91.3
	World Avg	88.3
q=194.

6. Ecuador's Responsibility Towards The Environment

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

Compared to The Americas (2025)38
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank38
1	Uruguay	43.2
2	Puerto Rico	47.1
3	Costa Rica	49.7
4	Chile	56.4
5	Peru	56.7
6	Dominican Rep.	65.0
7	Ecuador	65.6
8	Guatemala	66.1
9	Mexico	66.3
10	El Salvador	67.4
11	Brazil	70.2
12	Colombia	70.9
13	Argentina	78.5
	The Americas Avg	92.66
q=36.

Responsibility Towards The Environment (2025)38
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank38
1	Sri Lanka	34.9
2	Uruguay	43.2
3	Switzerland	45.0
	...
43	Hong Kong	64.6
44	Cyprus	64.8
45	Dominican Rep.	65.0
46	Ecuador	65.6
47	Hungary	65.8
48	Guatemala	66.1
49	Lesotho	66.1
50	Mexico	66.3
	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"₃₉. 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).

With regard to its responsibility towards the environment, Ecuador comes 46th in the world. This rank is computed from 21 data sets. Ecuador comes in the best 20 in its sign-up rate to major international accords on protecting the environment. It does better than average for the rate of rational beliefs on the environment in the population₄₀ (but bad for The Americas), its environmental performance₄₁ (but low for The Americas) and in reducing annual meat consumption per person₄₂. But, things could still be better. Ecuador does worse than average when it comes to its score on the Green Future Index₄₃, energy to GDP efficiency₄₄ and in its forested percent change 2000-2020₄₅.

Forest Area Change 2000-2020 Higher is better45
Pos.		Total45
1	Guernsey	82.6%
2	Bahrain	75.2%
3	Iceland	64.7%
	...
192	Kenya	-8.9%
193	Senegal	-9.1%
194	Indonesia	-9.2%
195	Ecuador	-9.2%
196	Ghana	-9.7%
197	Brazil	-10.1%
198	Guinea	-11.0%
199	Mozambique	-11.1%
	The Americas Avg	-2.1%
	World Avg	-0.1%
q=234.

Environmental Performance Higher is better41
Pos.		201841
1	Switzerland	87.4
2	France	84.0
3	Denmark	81.6
	...
84=	Serbia	57.5
84=	Chile	57.5
86	Saudi Arabia	57.5
87	Ecuador	57.4
88	Algeria	57.2
89	Cape Verde	56.9
90	Mauritius	56.6
91	St Lucia	56.2
	The Americas Avg	58.8
	World Avg	56.4
q=180.

Energy to GDP Efficiency Lower is better44
Pos.		2022 Avg44
1	Rwanda	0.25
2	Chad	0.26
3	Tanzania	0.31
	...
102	Dominica	1.20
103	Greece	1.20
104	Algeria	1.20
105	Ecuador	1.22
106	New Zealand	1.22
107	Georgia	1.22
108	Mauritania	1.24
109	Iraq	1.24
	The Americas Avg	1.42
	World Avg	1.23
q=165.

International Accords on the Environment Higher is better
Pos.		Total Avg Rate
1	Sweden	83%
2	Canada	82%
3	Norway	81%
	...
16	Macedonia	74%
17	Panama	74%
18	Denmark	73%
19	Ecuador	72%
20	Armenia	72%
21	Montenegro	72%
22	Peru	72%
23	Mauritius	72%
	The Americas Avg	60.7%
	World Avg	57.5%
q=197.

Ecuador was one of the 30 who signed the Convention on Biological Diversity on its first day and one of 18 countries who enacted Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) in its first year (1975).

Rational Beliefs on the Environment Higher is better40
Pos.		2011 %40
1	Argentina	78.3%
2	Greece	77.6%
3	Brazil	77.1%
	...
27	Venezuela	60.1%
28	Morocco	60.0%
29	Malta	57.3%
30	Ecuador	57.2%
31	Portugal	55.8%
32	Hong Kong	54.8%
33	Lebanon	54.3%
34	Nepal	52.8%
	The Americas Avg	58.6%
	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
	...
87	Ukraine	48.5
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
	The Americas Avg	70.3
	World Avg	52.5
q=185.

Green Future Index Higher is better43
Pos.		2023 Score43
1	Iceland	6.7
2	Finland	6.7
3	Norway	6.4
	...
49	Indonesia	4.3
50	India	4.3
51	Nigeria	4.2
52	Ecuador	4.1
53=	Kazakhstan	4.1
53=	Vietnam	4.1
55	Thailand	4.1
56	Saudi Arabia	4.1
	The Americas Avg	4.6
	World Avg	4.8
q=76.

7. Ecuador's Modernity and Learning

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

Compared to The Americas (2020)46
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank46
1=	Canada	21.8
2	USA	26.4
3	Argentina	38.2
	...
12	Costa Rica	69.8
13	Cuba	72.8
14	Trinidad & Tobago	74.5
15	Ecuador	74.8
16	Colombia	77.3
17	Bolivia	79.5
18=	Antigua & Barbuda	79.6
19	St Vincent & Grenadines	80.0
20	Bahamas	83.5
	The Americas Avg	81.34
q=35.

Modernity & Learning (2020)46
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank46
1	Finland	7.1
2	Belgium	12.9
3	Denmark	13.6
	...
72	Cuba	72.8
73	Trinidad & Tobago	74.5
74	Kuwait	74.7
75	Ecuador	74.8
76	Qatar	74.8
77	Thailand	75.0
78	Albania	76.4
79	Uzbekistan	76.5
	World Avg	86.31
q=190.

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, Belgium and Denmark₄₇. The worst countries are Eritrea, S. Sudan and Sierra Leone₄₇. Despite improves in global education, access to tertiary (adult) education is becoming increasingly unequal between the rich haves and the poor have-nots₄₈.

“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)₄₉

15 datasets are used to calculate points for each country, including multiple decades of data on Research and Development, Secondary Education, Length of Schooling, Intellectual Endeavours, Maths, Science & Reading, Religiosity, IQ, 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 Europe₄₇, whereas the worst are Melanesia, Africa and Micronesia₄₇.

For more, see:

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

Modernity and Education:

Research & Development Higher is better
Pos.		2016 % RDP PPP
1	S. Korea	4.2950
2	Israel	4.1150
3	Japan	3.5850
	...
73=	Chile	0.3850
73=	Ghana	0.3851
75	Moldova	0.3552
76	Ecuador	0.3453
77	Bosnia & Herzegovina	0.3352
78	Iran	0.3151
79=	Nepal	0.3051
79=	Kuwait	0.3052
	The Americas Avg	0.47
	World Avg	0.84
q=126.

Secondary Education Higher is better54
Pos.		201854
1=	Luxembourg	100.0%
1=	Estonia	100.0%
1=	Austria	100.0%
	...
104	Turkey	53.1%
105	Costa Rica	52.9%
106	Colombia	52.0%
107	Ecuador	51.9%
108	Tunisia	51.8%
109	India	51.6%
110	Kuwait	51.5%
111	Congo, DR	50.7%
	The Americas Avg	63.0%
	World Avg	63.0%
q=169.

Length of Schooling Higher is better55
Pos.		2021 Years55
1	Australia	21.1
2	New Zealand	20.3
3	Greece	20.0
	...
66	Fiji	14.7
67	St Vincent & Grenadines	14.7
68	Algeria	14.6
69	Ecuador	14.6
70	Iran	14.6
71	Oman	14.6
72	Trinidad & Tobago	14.5
73	Slovakia	14.5
	The Americas Avg	14.2
	World Avg	13.5
q=193.

Intellectual Endeavours Lower is better32
Pos.		2017 Rank32
1	Ukraine	1
2	Czechia	2
3	Hungary	3
	...
136	Honduras	136
137	Papua New Guinea	137
138	Congo, DR	138
139	Ecuador	139
140	Syria	140
141	Mauritania	141
142	Nigeria	142
143	Mali	143
	The Americas Avg	99.8
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Religiosity Lower is better56
Pos.		2018 %56
1	China	3
2	Estonia	6
3	Czechia	7
	...
63=	Algeria	73
63=	Peru	73
65	S. Africa	75
66=	Ecuador	76
66=	Costa Rica	76
68	Puerto Rico	77
69=	Malaysia	77
69=	Colombia	77
	The Americas Avg	65.4
	World Avg	54.3
q=106.

IQ Higher is better57
Pos.		200657
1=	Hong Kong	108
1=	Singapore	108
3	S. Korea	106
	...
58=	Chile	90
59	Costa Rica	89
60=	Laos	89
61	Ecuador	88
62=	Mexico	88
63	Brazil	87
64=	Bolivia	87
64=	Iraq	87
	The Americas Avg	85.3
	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%
	...
112	Ukraine	44%
113	Philippines	44%
114	Jamaica	43%
115	Ecuador	43%
116	Thailand	43%
117=	Mauritius	43%
117=	Cape Verde	43%
119	Suriname	42%
	The Americas Avg	56.4%
	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
	...
12	France	18.8
13	Canada	18.3
14	Peru	18.3
15	Ecuador	18.2
16	Estonia	17.6
17	Malaysia	16.5
18	Norway	14.7
19	Australia	14.6
	The Americas Avg	3.36
	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%
	...
73	Belarus	43.5%
74	Georgia	43.4%
75	Dominican Rep.	43.4%
76	Ecuador	43.3%
77	Mauritius	42.9%
78	Jordan	42.6%
79	Egypt	42.5%
80	Panama	41.6%
	The Americas Avg	44.7%
	World Avg	48.4%
q=121.

8. Ecuador's Culture, Peace and Inequality

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

Compared to The Americas (2020)61
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank61
1	Canada	23.1
2	Barbados	46.9
3	Costa Rica	47.3
	...
21	El Salvador	85.5
22	Mexico	87.2
23	Peru	87.3
24	Ecuador	88.1
25	Bolivia	88.8
26	St Vincent & Grenadines	89.2
27	Nicaragua	92.1
28	Colombia	92.6
29	Grenada	93.0
	The Americas Avg	79.19
q=33.

Culture, Peace & Inequality (2020)61
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank61
1	Denmark	11.2
2	Norway	13.9
3	Netherlands	14.4
	...
107	Mexico	87.2
108	Namibia	87.3
109	Peru	87.3
110	Ecuador	88.1
111	Saudi Arabia	88.4
112	Zambia	88.5
113	Tajikistan	88.6
114	Bolivia	88.8
	World Avg	78.12
q=180.

This is the final pillar of the Social and Moral Development Index; it has 22 datasets, including multiple decades of data on World Giving Index, resisting corruption, overall happiness, Creativity and Culture, Open Trading, Aid and Development, its Global Peace Index rating, Peacekeeping and Security, Refugees and UN Treaties, the impact of terrorism, Inequality in Life Expectancy, 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).

National Culture:

World Giving Index Higher is better62
Pos.		2022 %62
1	Indonesia	68.0
2	Kenya	61.0
3	USA	59.0
	...
51=	Sweden	42.0
51=	Colombia	42.0
51=	China	42.0
51=	Ecuador	42.0
55	Bulgaria	41.0
56=	Slovakia	41.0
56=	Germany	41.0
58	Nepal	40.0
	The Americas Avg	43.7
	World Avg	39.6
q=125.

Corruption Higher is better63
Pos.		2022 Points63
1	Denmark	90.0
2=	Finland	87.0
2=	New Zealand	87.0
	...
104	Sri Lanka	36.0
105=	Panama	36.0
105=	Albania	36.0
105=	Ecuador	36.0
105=	Kazakhstan	36.0
105=	Thailand	36.0
110	Gambia	34.0
111=	Sierra Leone	34.0
	The Americas Avg	42.97
	World Avg	42.98
q=180.

Happiness Higher is better64
Pos.		2024 Score64
1	Finland	7.7
2	Denmark	7.5
3	Iceland	7.5
	...
59	Bahrain	6.0
60	Portugal	6.0
61	Colombia	6.0
62	Ecuador	6.0
63	Honduras	6.0
64	Malaysia	6.0
65	Peru	5.9
66	Russia	5.9
	The Americas Avg	6.31
	World Avg	5.58
q=147.

Creativity & Culture Lower is better32
Pos.		2017 Rank32
1	Belgium	1
2	Netherlands	2
3	Estonia	3
	...
103	Armenia	103
104	Ghana	104
105	Bahrain	105
106	Ecuador	106
107	Uganda	107
108	Lesotho	108
109	Georgia	109
110	Kuwait	110
	The Americas Avg	80.2
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Open Trading, Aid & Development Lower is better32
Pos.		2017 Rank32
1	Ireland	1
2	Denmark	2
3	Sweden	3
	...
107	Ghana	107
108	Mexico	108
109	Thailand	109
110	Ecuador	110
111	Malawi	111
112	Laos	112
113	China	113
114	S. Africa	114
	The Americas Avg	100.5
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Peace Versus Instability:

Global Peace Index Lower is better65
Pos.		2023 Score65
1	Iceland	1.12
2	Denmark	1.31
3	Ireland	1.31
	...
95	Algeria	2.09
96=	Papua New Guinea	2.10
96=	Azerbaijan	2.10
98	Ecuador	2.10
99	Cuba	2.10
100	Turkmenistan	2.11
101	Tajikistan	2.11
102	Kyrgyzstan	2.12
	The Americas Avg	2.13
	World Avg	2.07
q=163.

Peacekeeping & Security Lower is better32
Pos.		2017 Rank32
1	Samoa	1
2	S. Africa	2
3	Tunisia	3
	...
21	Thailand	21
22	Algeria	22
23	Guatemala	23
24	Ecuador	24
25	Madagascar	25
26	Sri Lanka	26
27	Netherlands	27
28	Mongolia	28
	The Americas Avg	82.3
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Refugees & UN Treaties Lower is better32
Pos.		2017 Rank32
1	Austria	1
2	Germany	2
3	Netherlands	3
	...
77	Bahrain	77
78	Sri Lanka	78
79	Algeria	79
80	Ecuador	80
81	Kuwait	81
82	Paraguay	82
83	Sierra Leone	83
84	Israel	84
	The Americas Avg	91.5
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Impact of Terrorism Lower is better66
Pos.		2019 Score66
1	Togo	0.00
2	Mongolia	0.00
3	Swaziland	0.00
	...
72	Kosovo	2.26
73	Japan	2.29
74	Netherlands	2.35
75	Ecuador	2.46
76	Kuwait	2.49
77	Malaysia	2.50
78	Brazil	2.53
79	Ivory Coast	2.60
	The Americas Avg	2.16
	World Avg	2.78
q=150.

Economic Inequality and Poverty:

Inequality in Life Expectancy Lower is better67
Pos.		201967
1	Iceland	2.40
2=	Singapore	2.50
2=	Hong Kong	2.50
	...
89	Grenada	11.20
90=	Kyrgyzstan	11.30
90=	St Vincent & Grenadines	11.30
92	Ecuador	11.50
93=	N. Korea	11.50
94	Egypt	11.60
95=	Panama	12.00
95=	Palestine	12.00
	The Americas Avg	12.03
	World Avg	14.59
q=184.

Income Inequality (Gini Coefficient) Lower is better68
Pos.		2023 %68
1	Slovakia	24.1%69
2	Slovenia	24.3%69
3	Belarus	24.4%70
	...
142	Grenada	43.8%71
143	S. Sudan	44.1%72
144	Turkey	44.4%69
145	Ecuador	44.6%73
146=	Congo, DR	44.7%70
146=	Venezuela	44.7%74
148	Lesotho	44.9%75
149	Paraguay	45.1%76
	The Americas Avg	44.0%
	World Avg	36.5%
q=167.

Income inequality data for 1987, 1995 and 1998 were for urban areas only, but were not widely divergent from the overall values.

Multidimensional Poverty Lower is better77
Pos.		2018 Severity77
1	Armenia	.001
2	Ukraine	.001
3	Serbia	.001
	...
24	China	.016
25	Brazil	.01678
26	Belize	.017
27	Ecuador	.018
28	Jamaica	.018
29	Paraguay	.019
30	Vietnam	.019
31	Egypt	.019
	The Americas Avg	.045
	World Avg	.154
q=101.

9. 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
	...
63=	Algeria	73
63=	Peru	73
65	S. Africa	75
66=	Ecuador	76
66=	Costa Rica	76
68	Puerto Rico	77
69=	Malaysia	77
69=	Colombia	77
71	Dominican Rep.	78
72=	Iran	78
72=	Tunisia	78
74	Bangladesh	80
75=	India	80
76	Iraq	82
77=	El Salvador	85
77=	Jordan	85
	World Avg	54.3
q=106.

Disbelief In God (2007)79
Pos.		Higher is better %79
1	Vietnam	81
2	Japan	65
3	Sweden	64
	...
77=	Costa Rica	1
77=	Honduras	1
77=	Brazil	1
77=	Ecuador	1
77=	S. Africa	1
77=	Venezuela	1
77=	Peru	1
77=	Guatemala	1
77=	El Salvador	1
77=	Panama	1
87	Somalia	0
88=	Sri Lanka	0
88=	Burundi	0
88=	Burkina Faso	0
88=	Brunei	0
88=	Botswana	0
	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 below₈₀:

Christian	94.1%
Muslim	0.1%
Hindu	0.1%
Buddhist	0.1%
Folk Religion	0.3%
Jewish	0.1%
Unaffiliated	5.5%

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 94.8% of the populace say they belong to a religion, only 76% say that they are religious when the question is phrased as "Is religion an important part of your daily life?".

For more on this phenomenon, see:

• "Institutionalized Religions Have Their Numbers Inflated by National Polls" by Vexen Crabtree (2009)

The CIA World Factbook has slightly different data, and states simply: Roman Catholic 95%, other 5%₈₁.

Links:

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