Kosovo

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

By Vexen Crabtree 2025

Kosovo
Status	Disputed status
Social and Moral Index	77th best
Capital	Pristina
Land Area	10 887km²₁
Location	Europe, The Balkans
Population
GNI
ISO3166-1 Codes	xk, , ₂
Internet Domain	₃
Currency	₄
Telephone	+₅

1. Overview

“The central Balkans were part of the Roman and Byzantine Empires before ethnic Serbs migrated to the territories of modern Kosovo in the 7th century. During the medieval period, Kosovo became the center of a Serbian Empire and saw the construction of many important Serb religious sites, including many architecturally significant Serbian Orthodox monasteries. The defeat of Serbian forces at the Battle of Kosovo in 1389 led to five centuries of Ottoman rule during which large numbers of Turks and Albanians moved to Kosovo. By the end of the 19th century, Albanians replaced the Serbs as the dominant ethnic group in Kosovo. Serbia reacquired control over Kosovo from the Ottoman Empire during the First Balkan War of 1912. After World War II, Kosovo became an autonomous province of Serbia in the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (S.F.R.Y.) with status almost equivalent to that of a republic under the 1974 S.F.R.Y. constitution. Despite legislative concessions, Albanian nationalism increased in the 1980s, which led to riots and calls for Kosovo's independence. At the same time, Serb nationalist leaders, such as Slobodan MILOSEVIC, exploited Kosovo Serb claims of maltreatment to secure votes from supporters, many of whom viewed Kosovo as their cultural heartland. Under MILOSEVIC's leadership, Serbia instituted a new constitution in 1989 that revoked Kosovo's status as an autonomous province of Serbia. Kosovo's Albanian leaders responded in 1991 by organizing a referendum that declared Kosovo independent. Under MILOSEVIC, Serbia carried out repressive measures against the Kosovar Albanians in the early 1990s as the unofficial Kosovo government, led by Ibrahim RUGOVA, used passive resistance in an attempt to try to gain international assistance and recognition of an independent Kosovo. Albanians dissatisfied with RUGOVA's passive strategy in the 1990s created the Kosovo Liberation Army and launched an insurgency. Starting in 1998, Serbian military, police, and paramilitary forces under MILOSEVIC conducted a brutal counterinsurgency campaign that resulted in massacres and massive expulsions of ethnic Albanians. Approximately 800,000 Albanians were forced from their homes in Kosovo during this time. International attempts to mediate the conflict failed, and MILOSEVIC's rejection of a proposed settlement led to a three-month NATO military operation against Serbia beginning in March 1999 that forced Serbia to agree to withdraw its military and police forces from Kosovo. UN Security Council Resolution 1244 (1999) placed Kosovo under a transitional administration, the UN Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK), pending a determination of Kosovo's future status. A UN-led process began in late 2005 to determine Kosovo's final status. The negotiations ran in stages between 2006 and 2007, but ended without agreement between Belgrade and Pristina. On 17 February 2008, the Kosovo Assembly declared Kosovo independent. Since then, over 95 countries have recognized Kosovo, and it has joined the International Monetary Fund, World Bank, and European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, and is in the process of signing a framework agreement with the European Investment Bank (EIB). In October 2008, Serbia sought an advisory opinion from the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on the legality under international law of Kosovo's declaration of independence. The ICJ released the advisory opinion in July 2010 affirming that Kosovo's declaration of independence did not violate general principles of international law, UN Security Council Resolution 1244, or the Constitutive Framework. The opinion was closely tailored to Kosovo's unique history and circumstances. Serbia continues to reject Kosovo's independence, but the two countries are currently engaged in an EU-facilitated dialogue aimed at normalizing the countries' relations.”
CIA's The World Factbook (2013)₆

“It may be Europe´s newest country, but Kosovo´s long and dramatic history can be witnessed at every turn in elegant Ottoman towns and little-visited mountain vistas. Kosovo is contested territory. Populated predominately by Albanians, it is considered holy ground by minority Serbs. The Kosovar Albanians declared independence in 2008, a move hotly disputed by some and still not universally recognised, leading to tensions between Albanian and Serbian locals.
Far from being the dangerous or depressing place most people imagine, Kosovo is a fascinating land at the heart of the Balkans and one of the last corners of Eastern Europe where tourism has yet to take off.
Barbs of its past are impossible to miss: roads are dotted with memorials to those killed in inter-ethnic tension in 1999, while NATO forces still guard Serbian monasteries. But with independence has come a degree of stability, and Kosovo is now the latest word in getting off the beaten track in the Balkans. Visitors will be rewarded with welcoming smiles, terracotta-roofed old quarters, remote 13th-century domed Orthodox monasteries and poppy-splashed hillside meadows, which they will likely have all to themselves.”
"The World" by Lonely Planet (2014)₇

2. Kosovo National and Social Development

#human_development

Social & Moral Development Index₈
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₈
1	Denmark	26.9
2	Norway	29.1
3	Sweden	29.9
	...
74	El Salvador	81.9
75	Turkey	82.6
76	Georgia	82.9
77	Kosovo	83.1
78	Philippines	83.3
79	Jamaica	83.7
80	Russia	84.6
81	Dominica	84.7
	Europe Avg	55.7
	World Avg	89.0
q=200.

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. Kosovo's Demographics and Migration

#birth_control #demographics #fertility #health #overpopulation #population #yemen

Population Datasets:

This country has a fertility rate of 1.51. 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 account₉. The highest fertility rate ever detected in a single year was in Yemen in 1985, at 8.86.₁₀

Fertility Rate 2.0 is best₁₁
Pos.		2022₁₁
1	US Virgin Islands	2.00
2	Ecuador	2.00
3	Nepal	2.01
	...
85=	Sweden	1.52
85=	Hungary	1.52
87	St Kitts & Nevis	1.51
88	Kosovo	1.51
89	Belarus	1.50
90	Netherlands	1.49
91	Uruguay	1.48
92=	Latvia	1.47
	World Avg	2.47
q=208. Also scored for 1960s-2010s.

4. Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance

#equality #freedom #freethought #gender_equality #human_rights #kosovo #kosovo_freethought #morals #politics #prejudice #religious_tolerance #tolerance

Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance (2025)₁₂
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₁₂
1	Sweden	7.8
2	Netherlands	8.7
3	Denmark	8.8
	...
101	Burkina Faso	93.3
102	Senegal	95.2
103	Singapore	95.8
104	Kosovo	96.1
105	Venezuela	96.2
106	Bhutan	97.2
	Europe Avg	47.37
	World Avg	89.80
q=199.

Kosovo does relatively well in ensuring human rights and freedom, compared to many other countries. Kosovo comes in the best 20 for freethought₁₃. It does better than average when it comes to commentary in Human Rights Watch reports₁₄ (but bad for Europe), LGBT equality in the 2020s₁₅ and in its average Freedom in the World rating (but bad for Europe). But, things could still be better. Kosovo does worse than average in terms of supporting press freedom₁₆, combatting modern slavery₁₇ and in its average Freedom in the World rating. Solid progress is being made in bringing prosecutions against those involved in serious war crimescommitted during the 1998-1999 Kosovo war₁₈.

For tables, charts and commentary, see:

Human Rights and Freedom in Kosovo

5. Kosovo's Health

#birth_control #demographics #health #kosovo #overpopulation

Compared to Europe (2025)₁₉
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₁₉
1	Monaco	10.3
2	Liechtenstein	30.1
3	Sweden	42.3
	...
40	Romania	86.3
41	Armenia	86.5
42	Bosnia & Herzegovina	89.8
43	Moldova	95.3
44	Turkey	96.1
45	Ukraine	96.1
46	Georgia	96.7
47	Kosovo	102.3
48	Azerbaijan	103.9
	Europe Avg	86.87
q=48.

Health (2025)₁₉
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₁₉
1	Monaco	10.3
2	Liechtenstein	30.1
3	Japan	37.3
	...
113	Mexico	101.9
114	Mongolia	102.1
115	Libya	102.1
116	Kosovo	102.3
117	Niue	102.3
118	Tonga	103.3
119	Palestine	103.9
120	Peru	103.9
	World Avg	97.57
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 Japan₂₀. These countries are worth emulating. And, although often through no fault of the average citizen, the worst countries are Angola, Somalia and S. Sudan₂₀.

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 Mediterranean₂₀, whereas the worst are Africa, Micronesia and Melanesia₂₀.

For more, see:

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

5.1. Health Datasets

#birth_control #demographics #health #kosovo #overpopulation

Kosovo does relatively well in encouraging good health, compared to many other countries. Kosovo does better than average for childhood mortality in the 2020s₂₁ and in its fertility rate₁₁. And finally, it does worse than average in delivery rate of infant DTP immunizations in the 2020s₂₂. The number of overweight adults has increased by 14% during the last 40 years. Kosovo is amongst only 41 countries who have seen their fertility rate drop by more than 4 since the 1960s. Its peak fertility rate was 6.36 in 1960.

Fertility Rate 2.0 is best₁₁
Pos.		2022₁₁
1	US Virgin Islands	2.00
2	Ecuador	2.00
3	Nepal	2.01
	...
85=	Sweden	1.52
85=	Hungary	1.52
87	St Kitts & Nevis	1.51
88	Kosovo	1.51
89	Belarus	1.50
90	Netherlands	1.49
91	Uruguay	1.48
92=	Latvia	1.47
	Europe Avg	1.53
	World Avg	2.47
q=208. Also scored for 1960s-2010s.

5.2. Children's Health Datasets

#children's_health #health #vaccines

Infant DTP Immunizations (2020s) Higher is better₂₂
Pos.		Total Avg %₂₂
1=	Luxembourg	99.0
1=	Oman	99.0
1=	Niue	99.0
	...
119=	Zimbabwe	91.0
119=	Georgia	91.0
119=	Marshall Islands	91.0
122	Kosovo	90.9
123	Dominican Rep.	90.9
124	British Virgin Islands	90.9
125=	San Marino	90.7
125=	India	90.7
	Europe Avg	93.2
	World Avg	88.5
q=211. Also scored for 1980s-2020s.

Infant Mortality (2020s) Lower is better₂₁
Pos.		Total Per 1000₂₁
1	San Marino	2.11
2	Finland	2.59
3	Luxembourg	2.60
	...
77	Seychelles	14.49
78	Mauritius	14.97
79	El Salvador	15.03
80	Kosovo	15.11
81	Armenia	15.18
82	Bahamas	15.20
83	British Virgin Islands	15.26
84	Moldova	15.77
	Europe Avg	6.30
	World Avg	32.19
q=195. Also scored for 1960s-2020s.

6. Kosovo's Modernity and Learning

#education #english #maths #metric #modernity #religion #religiosity #science #secularisation #technology #the_internet

Compared to Europe (2025)₂₃
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₂₃
1	Vatican City	1.0
2	Finland	4.8
3	Belgium	8.5
	...
25	Latvia	29.0
26	Lithuania	29.6
27	Greece	32.7
28	Kosovo	33.2
29	Romania	33.5
30	San Marino	38.4
31	Bulgaria	39.9
32	Croatia	39.9
33	Ukraine	40.3
	Europe Avg	31.28
q=49.

Modernity & Learning (2025)₂₃
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₂₃
1	Vatican City	1.0
2	Finland	4.8
3	Belgium	8.5
	...
33	Canada	30.9
34	Hong Kong	31.2
35	Greece	32.7
36	Kosovo	33.2
37	Romania	33.5
38	Argentina	34.3
39	Singapore	36.1
40	Russia	38.3
	World Avg	80.33
q=194.

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 The Vatican City, Finland and Belgium₂₄. The worst countries are S. Sudan, Eritrea and Somalia₂₄. Despite improves in global education, access to tertiary (adult) education is becoming increasingly unequal between the rich haves and the poor have-nots₂₅.

“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)₂₆

23 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 Europe₂₄, whereas the worst are Melanesia, Africa and Micronesia₂₄.

For more, see:

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

6.1. Modernity Datasets

#metric #religion #religiosity #secularisation

Metric System Adoption Rate Higher is better₂₇
Pos.		2025 %₂₇
1=	Slovakia	100
1=	Poland	100
1=	Portugal	100
	...
30=	Albania	95
30=	Costa Rica	95
30=	Argentina	95
30=	Kosovo	95
30=	China	95
30=	Taiwan	95
30=	Honduras	95
30=	Vietnam	95
	Europe Avg	97
	World Avg	92
q=187. Also scored for 1960s-2020s.

Officially adopted metric in 1871. Progression:

1960 (90%): Yugoslav metric standards; minor traditional use.
1970 (95%): Standardization across sectors.
1980 (95%).
2000 (95%): Post-independence continuity.
2025 (95%).

Religiosity Lower is better₂₈
Pos.		2018 %₂₈
1	China	3
2	Estonia	6
3	Czechia	7
	...
43	Argentina	43
44	Mexico	45
45	Kyrgyzstan	47
46	Kosovo	48
47=	Tajikistan	50
47=	Romania	50
49	Georgia	51
50=	Armenia	53
	Europe Avg	25.8
	World Avg	54.3
q=106.

6.2. Education Datasets

#education #english #maths #science

Maths, Science & Reading Higher is better₂₉
Pos.		2015 Score₂₉
1	Singapore	1655
2	Hong Kong	1598
3	Japan	1586
	...
63	Brazil	1185
64	Peru	1182
65	Lebanon	1129
66	Tunisia	1114
67	Macedonia	1107
68	Kosovo	1087
69	Algeria	1086
70	Dominican Rep.	1018
	Europe Avg	1417
	World Avg	1389
q=70.

7. Kosovo's Culture, Peace and Inequality

#capitalism #charity #corruption #economics #extremism #happiness #human_development #inequality #internationalism #morals #peace #politics #poverty #religious_violence #social_development #terrorism

7.1. National Culture Datasets

#charity #corruption #happiness #internationalism #morals #politics

On the Corruption Index, Kosovo scored on average 33.8 over the 2012-2016 period. Over the 10 years since then, it improved by 7.2 points.

World Giving Index Higher is better₃₀
Pos.		2022 %₃₀
1	Indonesia	68.0
2	Kenya	61.0
3	USA	59.0
	...
45=	Costa Rica	44.0
46=	Vietnam	43.0
46=	Iran	43.0
46=	Kosovo	43.0
46=	Bolivia	43.0
46=	Ghana	43.0
51=	Sweden	42.0
51=	Colombia	42.0
	Europe Avg	39.0
	World Avg	39.6
q=125. Also scored for 2010s.

Corruption Higher is better₃₁
Pos.		2022 Points₃₁
1	Denmark	90.0
2=	Finland	87.0
2=	New Zealand	87.0
	...
81=	Solomon Islands	42.0
81=	Kuwait	42.0
81=	Hungary	42.0
84	Kosovo	41.0
85=	Tunisia	40.0
85=	Suriname	40.0
85=	Macedonia	40.0
85=	Maldives	40.0
	Europe Avg	57.61
	World Avg	42.98
q=180. Also scored for 1990s-2010s.

Happiness Higher is better₃₂
Pos.		2024 Score₃₂
1	Finland	7.7
2	Denmark	7.5
3	Iceland	7.5
	...
26	Poland	6.7
27	Taiwan	6.7
28	Uruguay	6.7
29	Kosovo	6.7
30	Kuwait	6.6
31	Serbia	6.6
32	Saudi Arabia	6.6
33	France	6.6
	Europe Avg	6.37
	World Avg	5.58
q=147. Also scored for 2010s.

Passport Reach (2020s) Higher is better₃₃
Pos.		Total Q₃₃
1	Singapore	192.2
2	Japan	192.0
3	S. Korea	190.7
	...
158	Guinea-Bissau	53.5
159	Algeria	53.3
160=	Chad	53.2
160=	Kosovo	53.2
160=	Comoros	53.2
163	Bhutan	52.8
164	Central African Rep.	52.5
165	Jordan	52.2
	Europe Avg	160.7
	World Avg	108.8
q=195. Also scored for 2000s-2020s.

7.2. Peace Versus Instability Datasets

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

Global Peace Index Lower is better₃₄
Pos.		2023 Score₃₄
1	Iceland	1.12
2	Denmark	1.31
3	Ireland	1.31
	...
69	Paraguay	1.94
70=	Liberia	1.95
70=	Trinidad & Tobago	1.95
70=	Kosovo	1.95
73	Cambodia	1.95
74	Malawi	1.97
75	UAE	1.98
76	Kazakhstan	1.98
	Europe Avg	1.70
	World Avg	2.07
q=163. Also scored for 2010s.

Impact of Terrorism Lower is better₃₅
Pos.		2019 Score₃₅
1	Togo	0.00
2	Mongolia	0.00
3	Swaziland	0.00
	...
69	Madagascar	1.96
70	Finland	2.03
71	Haiti	2.18
72	Kosovo	2.26
73	Japan	2.29
74	Netherlands	2.35
75	Ecuador	2.46
76	Kuwait	2.49
	Europe Avg	1.62
	World Avg	2.78
q=150.

7.3. Economic Inequality and Poverty Datasets

#capitalism #economics #inequality #poverty #social_development

Poverty (2020s) Lower is better₃₆
Pos.		Total %₃₆
1	Malaysia	0.01%
2	Bhutan	0.01%
3	Cyprus	0.02%
	...
82	Philippines	13.61%
83	Honduras	16.37%
84	Syria	16.47%
85	Kosovo	17.25%
86	Senegal	17.89%
87	Ivory Coast	20.90%
88	Gambia	22.00%
89	Cameroon	26.69%
	Europe Avg	1.20%
	World Avg	11.40%
q=106. Also scored for 1980s-2020s.

Income Inequality (Gini Coefficient) Lower is better₃₇
Pos.		2023 %₃₇
1	Slovakia	24.1%₃₈
2	Slovenia	24.3%₃₈
3	Belarus	24.4%₃₉
	...
22=	Bhutan	28.5%₄₀
23	Timor-Leste (E. Timor)	28.7%₄₁
24	Croatia	28.9%₃₈
25	Kosovo	29.0%₄₂
26=	Hungary	29.2%₃₈
26=	Kazakhstan	29.2%₃₈
28	Maldives	29.3%₄₃
29	Albania	29.4%₃₉
	Europe Avg	30.7%
	World Avg	36.5%
q=167. Also scored for 1980s-2010s.

8. Religion and Beliefs

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

Religiosity (2018)₂₈
Pos.		Lower is better %₂₈
1	China	3
2	Estonia	6
3	Czechia	7
	...
43	Argentina	43
44	Mexico	45
45	Kyrgyzstan	47
46	Kosovo	48
47=	Tajikistan	50
47=	Romania	50
49	Georgia	51
50=	Armenia	53
50=	USA	53
52	Bosnia & Herzegovina	54
53=	Greece	56
53=	Paraguay	56
55	Lebanon	57
56	Panama	61
57	Venezuela	67
58	Turkey	68
	World Avg	54.3
q=106.

Pew Forum polling over the decades has found the following adherency rates:₄₄:

	2010	2020
Muslim	93.8%	94.3%
Christian	6.09%	5.6%
Unaffiliated	0.149%	0.139%
Jewish	<0.1%	<0.1%
Other	None	None
Hindu	None	None
Buddhist	None	None

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 99.9% of the populace say they belong to a religion, only 48% 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: Muslim, Serbian Orthodox, Roman Catholic₄₅.

Links:

A List of All Religions and Belief Systems