Hong Kong (Special Administrative Region)

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

By Vexen Crabtree 2013

Hong Kong Hong Kong Special Administrative Region
Status	A Special Administrative Region of China
Capital
Land Area	1 042km²₁
Location	Asia
Population	7.4m₂
Life Expectancy	85.47yrs (2017)₃
GNI	$62 607 (2017)₄
ISO3166-1 Codes	HK, HKG, 344₅
Internet Domain	.hk₆
Currency	Dollar (HKD)₇
Telephone	+852₈

1. Overview

#china #UK

“Occupied by the UK in 1841, Hong Kong was formally ceded by China the following year; various adjacent lands were added later in the 19th century. Pursuant to an agreement signed by China and the UK on 19 December 1984, Hong Kong became the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR) of the People's Republic of China on 1 July 1997. In this agreement, China promised that, under its "one country, two systems" formula, China's socialist economic system would not be imposed on Hong Kong and that Hong Kong would enjoy a high degree of autonomy in all matters except foreign and defense affairs for the next 50 years.”
CIA's The World Factbook (2013)₉

“This enigmatic city of soaring towers, ancient rituals and action movies is safe, friendly and wonderfully well organised. The tantalising neighbourhoods and curious islands that make up Hong Kong are a sensory delight awaiting exploration. You can find yourself swaying along on a double-decker tramcar one moment, then cheering with the hordes at the city-centre horse races, or simply gazing out at the magnificent harbour.
But over 70% of Hong Kong is mountains and sprawling country parks so escape the city limits on one of the world´s best transport systems and spend your day wandering in a Song-dynasty village or hiking surf-beaten beaches. Whatever your gastronomic preferences you will be sated in Hong Kong - over a bowl of noodles with beef brisket, a basket of vegetarian dim sum, your first-ever stinky tofu or a plate of freshly steamed prawns fragrant with garlic.
Shopaholics rejoice: from ready-to-wear Chinese jackets to bespoke kitchen knives, the sheer range and variety of products on Hong Kong´s shelves is mind-bending.”
"The World" by Lonely Planet (2014)₁₀

2. Hong Kong 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
4	Hong Kong	0.952
5	Australia	0.951
6	Denmark	0.948
7	Sweden	0.947
8	Ireland	0.945
9	Germany	0.942
10	Netherlands	0.941
11	Finland	0.940
12	Singapore	0.939
	Asia Avg	0.75
	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
	...
7	USA	$64 765
8	Norway	$64 660
9	Brunei	$64 490
10	Hong Kong	$62 607
11	UAE	$62 574
12	Denmark	$60 365
13	Netherlands	$55 979
14	Iceland	$55 782
	Asia Avg	$22 215
	World Avg	$20 136
q=193.

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..

As a territory of China, this territory does not have standard international statistics available for it in its own right.

3. Hong Kong's Demographics and Migration

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

Population Datasets:

Hong Kong's population is predicted to rise to 8.483 million by 2030. This rise is despite a low fertility rate, meaning, that this country is helping to alleviate problems with growing population in neighbouring countries by accepting immigrants, very likely as a requirement of maintaining an active workforce. This country has a fertility rate of 0.70. 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 account₁₂. The highest fertility rate ever detected in a single year was in Yemen in 1985, at 8.86.₁₃

Life expectancy in Hong Kong was second best in the world throughout 2010-2019 and beyond.

Population₂
Pos.		2018 Population₂
1	China	1.4b
2	India	1.4b
3	USA	327.1m
	...
100	Israel	8.4m
101	Togo	7.9m
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
	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
4	Australia	84.5
5	Switzerland	84.0
6	Malta	83.8
7	S. Korea	83.7
8	Liechtenstein	83.3
9	Norway	83.2
10	Spain	83.0
11	Sweden	83.0
12	Italy	82.9
	World Avg	71.28
q=195. Also scored for 1990s-2010s.

Fertility Rate 2.0 is best₁₄
Pos.		2022₁₄
1	US Virgin Islands	2.00
2	Ecuador	2.00
3	Nepal	2.01
	...
157	Namibia	3.25
158	Kiribati	3.27
159	Kenya	3.30
160	Hong Kong	0.70
161	Uzbekistan	3.31
162	Pakistan	3.41
163	Zimbabwe	3.44
164	Iraq	3.45
	World Avg	2.47
q=208. Also scored for 1960s-2010s.

Old-Age Dependency Ratio Lower is better₁₅
Pos.		2016 Per 100₁₅
1	Uganda	04.3
2	Mali	04.5
3=	Chad	04.7
	...
178	Netherlands	41.9
179	Slovenia	42.7
180	Finland	43.3
181	Hong Kong	43.7
182	Portugal	44.7
183	Germany	47.7
184	Italy	48.6
185	Japan	53.1
	World Avg	18.3
q=185.

Migration Datasets:

Immigrants₁₆
Pos.		2017 %₁₆
1	UAE	88.4%
2	Kuwait	75.5%
3	Qatar	65.2%
	...
8	Singapore	46.0%
9	Luxembourg	45.3%
10	Oman	44.7%
11	Hong Kong	39.1%
12	Saudi Arabia	37.0%
13	Jordan	33.3%
14	Nauru	32.7%
15	Lebanon	31.9%
	World Avg	9.4%
q=195.

Emigrants₁₇
Pos.		2010 %₁₇
1	Dominica	104.8%
2	Palestine	68.4%
3	Samoa	67.3%
	...
64	Andorra	10.7%
65	Liberia	10.5%
66	Uruguay	10.5%
67	Hong Kong	10.2%
68	Dominican Rep.	10.1%
69	Zimbabwe	9.9%
70	Haiti	9.9%
71	San Marino	9.9%
	World Avg	11.5%
q=192.

4. Hong Kong's Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance

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

Compared to Asia (2025)₁₈
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₁₈
1	Japan	31.6
2	Taiwan	42.2
3	S. Korea	45.2
	...
8	Timor-Leste (E. Timor)	81.8
9	Thailand	82.1
10	Georgia	83.0
11	Hong Kong	83.9
12	Nepal	93.0
13	Singapore	97.8
14	Bhutan	98.0
15	Turkey	99.7
16	Armenia	100.8
	Asia Avg	110.11
q=51.

Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance (2025)₁₈
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₁₈
1	Sweden	7.5
2	Netherlands	8.6
3	Denmark	9.0
	...
79	Seychelles	83.6
80	Tuvalu	83.8
81	Belize	83.9
82	Hong Kong	83.9
83	Paraguay	84.0
84	Moldova	84.3
85	St Vincent & Grenadines	84.8
86	Namibia	86.6
	World Avg	90.04
q=198.

The best countries in the world at ensuring human rights, fostering equality and promoting tolerance, are Sweden, The Netherlands and Denmark₁₉. These countries are displaying the best traits that humanity has to offer. The worst countries are Somalia, Eritrea and Saudi Arabia₁₉.

30 datasets are used to calculate points for each country, including multiple decades of data on supporting press freedom, combatting modern slavery, its average Freedom in the World rating, commentary in Human Rights Watch reports, its nominal commitment to Human Rights, speed of uptake of HR treaties, opposing gender inequality, the rate of gender bias (from 7 indicators), the year from which women could participate in democracy, its success in fighting anti-semitic prejudice, LGBT equality and freethought. The regions with the best average results per country are Scandinavia, Baltic States and Europe₁₉, whereas the worst are The Middle East, Africa and Asia₁₉.

For more, see:

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

4.1. Human Rights & Tolerance Datasets

#china #democracy #freedom #hong_kong #human_rights #mass_media #politics #slavery #UK

Press Freedom Higher is better₂₀
Pos.		2025₂₀
1	Norway	92.31
2	Estonia	89.46
3	Netherlands	88.64
	...
136	Libya	40.42
137	Guatemala	40.32
138	Sri Lanka	39.93
139	Hong Kong	39.86
140	Kazakhstan	39.34
141	Honduras	38.51
142	Uganda	37.61
143	Kyrgyzstan	37.46
	Asia Avg	39.69
	World Avg	54.65
q=179. Also scored for 2000s-2010s.

Slavery in the 2020s Lower is better₂₁
Pos.		Slavery in the 2020s Per 1000₂₁
1=	Switzerland	0.50
1=	Norway	0.50
3=	Germany	0.60
	...
26=	Tunisia	2.30
27	Namibia	2.40
28	S. Africa	2.70
29	Hong Kong	2.80
30=	Tanzania	2.90
30=	Senegal	2.90
30=	Ghana	2.90
33=	Benin	3.00
	Asia Avg	9.89
	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
	...
152=	Puerto Rico	5.5
152=	Oman	5.5
152=	S. Ossetia	5.5
152=	Hong Kong	5.5
152=	Guinea	5.5
152=	Haiti	5.5
152=	Macau	5.5
152=	Zimbabwe	5.5
	Asia Avg	5.0
	World Avg	3.7
q=205. Also scored for 1970s-2010s.

Amnesty International's 2023-23 summary on human rights in Hong Kong stated:

“[Hong Kong's Chinese] authorities continued their crackdown against pro-democracy activists, journalists, human rights defenders and others. The 2020 National Security Law (NSL) and other repressive laws were widely used to target people exercising their rights to freedom of expression, peaceful assembly and association. The UN Human Rights Committee urged the Hong Kong government to repeal the NSL and sedition provisions of the Crime Ordinance, and in the meantime to refrain from applying them.
In July, John Lee, former Hong Kong security chief who oversaw the police crackdown on the 2019 protests and the implementation of the NSL, took over as Chief Executive of Hong Kong, having been selected by the central government in Beijing as the sole candidate in the May elections.”
"The State of the World's Human Rights 2022/23" by Amnesty International (2023)₂₂

4.2. Gender Equality Datasets

#gender_equality #prejudice #women

See:

"Religion Versus Womankind" by Vexen Crabtree (2007)

Gender Biases Lower is better₂₃
Pos.		2022 %₂₃
1	Sweden	31.8₂₄
2	New Zealand	34.4₂₅
3	Australia	37.0₂₅
	...
24	Estonia	78.3₂₄
25	Uruguay	78.6₂₄
26	Chile	79.9₂₅
27	Hong Kong	80.8₂₅
28	Poland	81.4₂₄
29	Cyprus	81.8₂₅
30	Ukraine	86.1₂₅
31	Brazil	86.3₂₅
	Asia Avg	94.24
	World Avg	83.93
q=88.

4.3. Prejudice Datasets

#2020s #homosexuality

LGBT Equality in the 2020s Higher is better₂₆
Pos.		LGBT Equality in the 2020s Score₂₆
1=	Germany	4.88
1=	Spain	4.88
3	Portugal	4.81
	...
94	Rwanda	0.06
95=	Fiji	0.05
95=	Cape Verde	0.05
97	Hong Kong	0.00
98	Bolivia	-0.01
99=	Timor-Leste (E. Timor)	-0.02
99=	Marshall Islands	-0.02
101	Nauru	-0.10
	Asia Avg	-2.88
	World Avg	-1.21
q=215. Also scored for 1970s-2020s.

It was illegal to be a male homosexual in Hong Kong, thanks to colonial British law, until 1991; there is still no recognition of civil partnerships nor adoption rights.

5. Hong Kong's Health

#health

Compared to Asia (2025)₂₇
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₂₇
1	Japan	40.8
2	Singapore	43.3
3	S. Korea	53.7
4	Brunei	54.8
5	Sri Lanka	56.4
6	Malaysia	59.6
7	Hong Kong	61.0
8	Cyprus	64.6
9	Israel	65.2
10	China	65.8
11	N. Korea	69.7
12	Kuwait	69.9
13	Thailand	70.4
	Asia Avg	90.68
q=50.

Health (2025)₂₇
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₂₇
1	Monaco	10.3
2	Liechtenstein	30.1
3	Japan	40.8
	...
18	Sri Lanka	56.4
19	Italy	57.8
20	Malaysia	59.6
21	Hong Kong	61.0
22	Slovenia	61.9
23	Portugal	62.1
24	Australia	62.1
25	Antigua & Barbuda	62.3
	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

#birth_control #demographics #health #hong_kong #life_expectancy #longevity #overpopulation #parenting #population #spain

Public health in Hong Kong is very good. Hong Kong performs the best for its adolescent birth rate₂₉. It does the second-best in its average life expectancy₁₁. It does better than average when it comes to delivery rate of infant DTP immunizations in the 2020s₃₀. Hong Kong still has work to do. Hong Kong does worse than average for its fertility rate₁₄. The prevalence of overweight adults has increased by 14% during the last 40 years. Hong Kong had the joint-lowest average fertility rate in the world throughout the 1990s, at 1.2, alongside Spain, and dropped even further into the 2000s, to 0.98, the world's lowest average that decade, before rising slightly in the 2010s. Its peak fertility rate was 5.17 in 1961.

Life Expectancy Higher is better₁₁
Pos.		2021 Years₁₁
1	Monaco	85.9
2	Hong Kong	85.5
3	Japan	84.8
4	Australia	84.5
5	Switzerland	84.0
6	Malta	83.8
7	S. Korea	83.7
8	Liechtenstein	83.3
9	Norway	83.2
10	Spain	83.0
11	Sweden	83.0
12	Italy	82.9
	Asia Avg	73.48
	World Avg	71.28
q=195. Also scored for 1990s-2010s.

Fertility Rate 2.0 is best₁₄
Pos.		2022₁₄
1	US Virgin Islands	2.00
2	Ecuador	2.00
3	Nepal	2.01
	...
157	Namibia	3.25
158	Kiribati	3.27
159	Kenya	3.30
160	Hong Kong	0.70
161	Uzbekistan	3.31
162	Pakistan	3.41
163	Zimbabwe	3.44
164	Iraq	3.45
	Asia Avg	2.17
	World Avg	2.47
q=208. Also scored for 1960s-2010s.

5.2. Children's Health Datasets

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

Adolescent Birth Rate Lower is better₂₉
Pos.		2022 Per 1000₂₉
1	Hong Kong	1.6
2	Denmark	1.8
3	S. Korea	2.1
4	Norway	2.2
5	Switzerland	2.2
6	N. Korea	2.4
7	Singapore	2.5
8	Netherlands	2.7
9	Japan	2.8
10	UAE	2.8
11	Liechtenstein	3.0
12	Sweden	3.3
	Asia Avg	25.9
	World Avg	43.8
q=195. Also scored for 1990s-2010s.

Infant DTP Immunizations (2020s) Higher is better₃₀
Pos.		Infant DTP Immunizations (2020s) Avg %₃₀
1=	Luxembourg	99.0
1=	Oman	99.0
1=	Niue	99.0
	...
67	Qatar	96.1
68	Aruba	96.0
69	Eritrea	96.0
70	Hong Kong	96.0
71=	El Salvador	95.7
71=	USA	95.7
73	Cayman Islands	95.6
74=	Botswana	95.6
	Asia Avg	90.6
	World Avg	88.5
q=211. Also scored for 1980s-2020s.

Throughout the 1990s to the 2010s, Hong Kong was amongst the 10 countries with the lowest adolescent birth rate.

6. Hong Kong's Responsibility Towards The Environment

#angola #climate_change #energy #food #hong_kong #iceland #meat #sustainability #the_environment #veganism #vegetarianism

Compared to Asia (2025)₃₁
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₃₁
1	Sri Lanka	34.9
2	Nepal	47.9
3	India	49.5
	...
7	Vietnam	60.6
8	Indonesia	61.9
9	Jordan	63.1
10	Hong Kong	64.6
11	Cyprus	64.8
12	Bangladesh	69.7
13	Maldives	70.5
14	Yemen	71.9
15	Pakistan	72.0
	Asia Avg	88.09
q=51.

Responsibility Towards The Environment (2025)₃₁
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₃₁
1	Sri Lanka	34.9
2	Uruguay	43.2
3	Switzerland	45.0
	...
40	Burkina Faso	63.1
41	Gambia	63.3
42	Senegal	63.4
43	Hong Kong	64.6
44	Cyprus	64.8
45	Dominican Rep.	65.0
46	Ecuador	65.6
47	Hungary	65.8
	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"₃₂. 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).

In terms of its responsibility towards the environment, Hong Kong ranks 43rd in the world. This is computed from 21 data sets. Hong Kong does better than average when it comes to the rate of rational beliefs on the environment in the population₃₃, its score on the Green Future Index₃₄ and in energy to GDP efficiency₃₅. But, things still need to improve in Hong Kong. And finally, it is the worst in reducing annual meat consumption per person₃₆.

Energy to GDP Efficiency Lower is better₃₅
Pos.		2022 Avg₃₅
1	Rwanda	0.25
2	Chad	0.26
3	Tanzania	0.31
	...
32	Haiti	0.63
33	Denmark	0.65
34	Botswana	0.67
35	Hong Kong	0.67
36	Puerto Rico	0.68
37	Angola	0.70
38	Indonesia	0.71
39	Swaziland	0.73
	Asia Avg	1.50
	World Avg	1.23
q=165. Also scored for 1960s-2010s.

Rational Beliefs on the Environment Higher is better₃₃
Pos.		2011 %₃₃
1	Argentina	78.3%
2	Greece	77.6%
3	Brazil	77.1%
	...
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%
35	Chad	52.8%
36	Kenya	52.1%
	Asia Avg	37.9%
	World Avg	39.9%
q=145.

Meat Consumption Lower is better₃₆
Pos.		2021 kg₃₆
1	Congo, DR	03.0
2	Burundi	03.5
3	Bangladesh	04.3
	...
178	St Vincent & Grenadines	109.5
179	Australia	110.2
180	Bahamas	111.9
181	Argentina	115.5
182	Mongolia	115.6
183	Nauru	125.9
184	USA	126.8
185	Hong Kong	146.9
	Asia Avg	46.7
	World Avg	52.5
q=185. Also scored for 2010s.

In the 2010s, Hong Kong's meat consumption per person was the highest in the world (135kg per person per year, on average), putting unnecessary strain on water supplies and the environment.₃₆

Green Future Index Higher is better₃₄
Pos.		2023 Score₃₄
1	Iceland	6.7
2	Finland	6.7
3	Norway	6.4
	...
30	Chile	5.1
31	Czechia	5.0
32	Singapore	5.0
33	Hong Kong	4.9
34	Colombia	4.8
35	Slovakia	4.8
36	UAE	4.8
37	Morocco	4.7
	Asia Avg	4.3
	World Avg	4.8
q=76.

Hong Kong scored 3rd-best in its recent efforts to reduce its carbon emissions in the 2023 edition of the Green Futures Index (only Iceland and Angola did better).₃₇

7. Hong Kong's Modernity and Learning

#education #modernity #technology #the_internet

Compared to Asia (2025)₃₈
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₃₈
1	S. Korea	23.5
2	Taiwan	25.4
3	Japan	27.4
4	Hong Kong	27.8
5	Israel	31.2
6	Singapore	33.7
7	Russia	42.7
8	Cyprus	45.4
9	Turkey	50.4
10	Malaysia	53.8
11	Kazakhstan	53.9
12	Georgia	60.6
13	Azerbaijan	65.5
	Asia Avg	86.04
q=51.

Modernity & Learning (2025)₃₈
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₃₈
1	Finland	6.1
2	Iceland	8.1
3	Denmark	8.8
	...
23	Australia	26.8
24	Japan	27.4
25	Italy	27.5
26	Hong Kong	27.8
27	Canada	28.7
28	Monaco	30.0
29	Slovakia	30.0
30	Latvia	30.1
	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 Denmark₃₉. The worst countries are S. Sudan, Eritrea and Somalia₃₉. Despite improves in global education, access to tertiary (adult) education is becoming increasingly unequal between the rich haves and the poor have-nots₄₀.

“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)₄₁

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 Europe₃₉, whereas the worst are Melanesia, Africa and Micronesia₃₉.

For more, see:

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

7.1. Modernity Datasets

#intelligence #research #science

Research & Development Higher is better
Pos.		2016 % RDP PPP
1	S. Korea	4.29₄₂
2	Israel	4.11₄₂
3	Japan	3.58₄₂
	...
44=	Morocco	0.73₄₃
44=	S. Africa	0.73₄₄
44=	Serbia	0.73₄₅
44=	Hong Kong	0.73₄₄
48=	Tunisia	0.68₄₄
48=	Egypt	0.68₄₅
50	Belarus	0.67₄₅
51	Mali	0.66₄₃
	Asia Avg	0.75
	World Avg	0.84
q=126.

IQ Higher is better₄₆
Pos.		2006₄₆
1=	Hong Kong	108
1=	Singapore	108
3	S. Korea	106
4=	Japan	105
4=	Taiwan	105
4=	China	105
7	Italy	102
8=	Iceland	101
8=	Switzerland	101
8=	Mongolia	101
11=	Netherlands	100
11=	Norway	100
	Asia Avg	90.4
	World Avg	85.6
q=138.

7.2. Education Datasets

#education #english #maths #science

Secondary Education Higher is better₄₇
Pos.		2018₄₇
1=	Luxembourg	100.0%
1=	Estonia	100.0%
1=	Austria	100.0%
	...
59	Cyprus	80.3%
60	Singapore	79.6%
61	Italy	79.6%
62	Hong Kong	79.4%
63	Chile	79.3%
64	China	78.6%
65	Belize	78.6%
66	Malta	78.2%
	Asia Avg	66.0%
	World Avg	63.0%
q=169.

Length of Schooling Higher is better₄₈
Pos.		2021 Years₄₈
1	Australia	21.1
2	New Zealand	20.3
3	Greece	20.0
	...
15	Argentina	17.9
16	Slovenia	17.7
17	UK	17.3
18	Hong Kong	17.3
19	Germany	17.0
20	Portugal	16.9
21	Malta	16.8
22	Uruguay	16.8
	Asia Avg	13.5
	World Avg	13.5
q=193. Also scored for 1990s-2010s.

Maths, Science & Reading Higher is better₄₉
Pos.		2015 Score₄₉
1	Singapore	1655
2	Hong Kong	1598
3	Japan	1586
4	Macau	1582
5	Estonia	1573
6=	Taiwan	1571
6=	Canada	1571
8	Finland	1568
9	S. Korea	1557
10	China	1543₅₀
11=	Ireland	1528
11=	Slovenia	1528
	Asia Avg	1398
	World Avg	1389
q=70.

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%
	...
21	Sweden	95%
22	Singapore	95%
23	Spain	95%
24	Hong Kong	94%
25	Andorra	94%
26	Bahamas	94%
27	Belgium	94%
28	Canada	94%
	Asia Avg	74.9%
	World Avg	67.8%
q=188. Also scored for 1990s-2020s.

IT Security Lower is better₅₁
Pos.		2013₅₁
1=	Ireland	0.11
1=	Luxembourg	0.11
1=	Belize	0.11
4	Hong Kong	0.12
5	Mexico	0.16
6	Israel	0.20
7	Colombia	0.22
8=	S. Africa	0.22
8=	Japan	0.22
10	Philippines	0.24
11	Czechia	0.24
12	Argentina	0.27
	Asia Avg	1.08
	World Avg	0.98

IPv6 Uptake Higher is better₅₂
Pos.		2017 Ratio₅₂
1	Belgium	55.4
2	Germany	41.8
3	Switzerland	35.1
	...
49	S. Korea	1.2
50	Dominican Rep.	1.1
51	Slovakia	0.8
52	Hong Kong	0.7
53	Spain	0.6
54	St Kitts & Nevis	0.6
55	Nauru	0.5
56	Egypt	0.4
	Asia Avg	2.11
	World Avg	3.82
q=176.

8. Hong Kong's Culture, Peace and Inequality

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

Compared to Asia (2025)₅₃
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₅₃
1	Singapore	16.8
2	Hong Kong	28.6
3	Japan	33.2
4	Cyprus	40.0
5	S. Korea	42.3
6	Taiwan	45.2
7	Malaysia	47.3
8	UAE	49.1
9	Israel	56.6
10	Oman	62.0
11	Brunei	64.6
12	Qatar	65.3
13	Thailand	66.6
	Asia Avg	84.07
q=50.

Culture, Peace & Inequality (2025)₅₃
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₅₃
1	Denmark	10.4
2	Netherlands	11.8
3	Finland	12.2
	...
15	Belgium	24.2
16	Australia	25.1
17	UK	25.3
18	Hong Kong	28.6
19	Slovenia	29.0
20	France	30.3
21	Malta	31.8
22	Japan	33.2
	World Avg	80.47
q=183.

This is the final pillar of the Social and Moral Development Index; it has 39 datasets, including multiple decades of data on resisting corruption, Creativity and Culture, overall happiness, Open Trading, Aid and Development, passport utility (so far), personal financial stability, World Giving Index, 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 (2026).

8.1. National Culture Datasets

#charity #china #corruption #democracy #freedom #happiness #hong_kong #human_rights #internationalism #morals #politics #UK

Hong Kong has an excellent long-term record on keeping corruption low.

Corruption Higher is better₅₄
Pos.		2022 Points₅₄
1	Denmark	90.0
2=	Finland	87.0
2=	New Zealand	87.0
	...
9	Germany	79.0
10=	Ireland	77.0
10=	Luxembourg	77.0
12	Hong Kong	76.0
13	Australia	75.0
14=	Estonia	74.0
14=	Uruguay	74.0
14=	Iceland	74.0
	Asia Avg	39.98
	World Avg	42.98
q=180. Also scored for 1990s-2010s.

Happiness Higher is better₅₅
Pos.		2024 Score₅₅
1	Finland	7.7
2	Denmark	7.5
3	Iceland	7.5
	...
85	Bulgaria	5.6
86	Macedonia	5.5
87	Armenia	5.5
88	Hong Kong	5.5
89=	Albania	5.4
89=	Tajikistan	5.4
91	Georgia	5.4
92	Nepal	5.3
	Asia Avg	5.41
	World Avg	5.58
q=147. Also scored for 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
	...
40	Monaco	175.3
41	Chile	174.7
42	Bulgaria	174.5
43	Hong Kong	170.7
44	Argentina	170.5
45	Brazil	170.2
46	San Marino	169.5
47	Andorra	169.0
	Asia Avg	85.1
	World Avg	108.8
q=195. Also scored for 2000s-2020s.

Personal Financial Stability in the 2020s Higher is better₅₇
Pos.		Personal Financial Stability in the 2020s Score₅₇
1	Denmark	9.06
2	Switzerland	9.00
3	Finland	8.96
	...
10	Iceland	8.76
11	Japan	8.74
12	Germany	8.64
13	Hong Kong	8.62
14	Austria	8.59
15	UK	8.58
16	Norway	8.57
17	Belgium	8.51
	Asia Avg	6.41
	World Avg	6.46
q=165.

China's continuing erosion of the human rights gained during Hong Kong's rule by the UK continued in 2017₅₈; "Hong Kong courts disqualified four pro-democracy lawmakers in July and jailed three prominent pro-democracy student leaders in August"₅₈.

World Giving Index Higher is better₅₉
Pos.		2022 %₅₉
1	Indonesia	68.0
2	Kenya	61.0
3	USA	59.0
	...
75=	Mali	38.0
76=	Switzerland	37.0
76=	Finland	37.0
76=	Hong Kong	37.0
76=	Cameroon	37.0
76=	Iraq	37.0
76=	Croatia	37.0
76=	Moldova	37.0
	Asia Avg	37.9
	World Avg	39.6
q=125. Also scored for 2010s.

8.2. Economic Inequality and Poverty Datasets

#health #inequality #life_expectancy

Inequality in Life Expectancy Lower is better₆₀
Pos.		2019₆₀
1	Iceland	2.40
2=	Singapore	2.50
2=	Hong Kong	2.50
4=	Sweden	2.90
4=	Slovenia	2.90
4=	Japan	2.90
7=	Finland	3.00
7=	Czechia	3.00
7=	Norway	3.00
7=	S. Korea	3.00
7=	Spain	3.00
12=	Netherlands	3.10
	Asia Avg	11.80
	World Avg	14.59
q=184.

9. Religion and Beliefs

#buddhism #christianity #hinduism #islam #judaism

Pew Forum polling over the decades has found the following adherency rates:₆₁:

	2010	2020
Unaffiliated	68.2%	71.4%
Christian	18.6%	18.7%
Buddhist	11.9%	8.41%
Other	1.15%	0.883%
Hindu	0.105%	0.303%
Muslim	0.105%	0.268%
Jewish	<0.1%	<0.1%

The CIA World Factbook has slightly different data, and states: eclectic mixture of local religions 90%, Christian 10%₆₂.

Links:

A List of All Religions and Belief Systems