The Human Truth Foundation

Lesotho (Kingdom of Lesotho)

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

By Vexen Crabtree 2013

#lesotho #swaziland

Lesotho
Kingdom of Lesotho
StatusIndependent State
Social and Moral Index142nd best
CapitalMaseru
Land Area 30 360km21
LocationAfrica
Population2.1m2
Life Expectancy53.06yrs (2017)3
GNI$2 700 (2017)4
ISO3166-1 CodesLS, LSO, 4265
Internet Domain.ls6
CurrencyLoti (LSL)7
Telephone+2668

1. Overview

Basutoland was renamed the Kingdom of Lesotho upon independence from the UK in 1966. The Basuto National Party ruled the country during its first two decades. King MOSHOESHOE was exiled in 1990, but returned to Lesotho in 1992 and was reinstated in 1995 and subsequently succeeded by his son, King LETSIE III, in 1996. Constitutional government was restored in 1993 after seven years of military rule. In 1998, violent protests and a military mutiny following a contentious election prompted a brief but bloody intervention by South African and Batswana military forces under the aegis of the Southern African Development Community. Subsequent constitutional reforms restored relative political stability. Peaceful parliamentary elections were held in 2002, but the National Assembly elections of February 2007 were hotly contested and aggrieved parties disputed how the electoral law was applied to award proportional seats in the Assembly. In May 2012, competitive elections involving 18 parites saw Prime Minister Motsoahae Thomas THABANE form a coalition government - the first in the country's history - that ousted the 14-year incumbent, Pakalitha MOSISILI, who peacefully transferred power the following month.

CIA's The World Factbook (2013)9

Book CoverTiny Lesotho is Africa´s `Kingdom in the Sky´, home to traditional Basotho culture where herdboys tend their sheep on steep hillsides and horsemen wrapped in blankets ride mountain passes. Lesotho (Le- soo -too) is a vastly underrated travel destination. It´s beautiful, culturally rich, safe, cheap and easily accessible from Durban and Johannesburg. The hiking and trekking is world class and the national parks´ infrastructure continues to improve.

The 1000m-high `lowlands´ are the scene of low-key Lesotho life, with good craft shopping around Teyateyaneng and Maseru. But be sure to head to the valleys and mountains, where streams traverse an ancient dinosaur playground.

South Africa is just a mountain pass or two away, but Lesotho´s towering peaks and isolated valleys, and the pride of the Basotho in their identity, have served to insulate Lesotho´s culture from that of its larger neighbour. For anyone seeking adventure, wilderness, a laid-back pace and the chance to get acquainted with people living traditional lifestyles, Lesotho is a magical destination.

"The World" by Lonely Planet (2014)10

2. Lesotho National and Social Development

#economics #human_development #wealth

UN HDI (2021)11
Pos.Higher is better
Value11
1Switzerland0.962
2Norway0.961
3Iceland0.959
...
165Rwanda0.534
166=Benin0.525
166=Uganda0.525
168Lesotho0.514
169Malawi0.512
170Senegal0.511
171Djibouti0.509
172Sudan0.508
Africa Avg0.56
World Avg0.72
q=191.
Gross National Income Per-Capita (2021)11
Pos.Higher is better
PPP $11
1Liechtenstein$146 830
2Singapore$90 919
3Qatar$87 134
...
164Vanuatu$3 085
165Congo, (Brazzaville)$2 889
166Haiti$2 848
167Lesotho$2 700
168Tanzania$2 664
169Solomon Islands$2 482
170Guinea$2 481
171Ethiopia$2 361
Africa Avg$5 339
World Avg$20 136
q=193.
Social & Moral
Development Index
12
Pos.Lower is better
Avg Rank12
1Norway29.8
2Denmark30.0
3Finland33.7
...
139Uganda105.9
140Rwanda105.9
141Burkina Faso106.1
142Lesotho107.7
143Kiribati109.3
144Sao Tome & Principe109.9
145Togo110.4
146Tanzania110.7
Africa Avg112.4
World Avg87.9
q=196.

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.

Progress is always going to be difficult in a country where the richest 10% hold 41% of the country's entire income13.

3. Lesotho's Demographics and Migration

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

Population:

Lesotho's population is predicted to rise to 2.566 million by 2030. This country has a fertility rate of 3.08. The fertility rate is, in simple terms, the average amount of children that each woman has. The higher the figure, the quicker the population is growing, although, to calculate the rate you also need to take into account morbidity, i.e., 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, 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.

Population2
Pos.2018
Population2
1China1.4b
2India1.4b
3USA327.1m
...
142Gambia2.3m
143Botswana2.3m
144Gabon2.1m
145Lesotho2.1m
146Macedonia2.1m
147Slovenia2.1m
148Latvia1.9m
149Guinea-Bissau1.9m
World Avg39.0m
q=195.
Life Expectancy
Higher is better
11
Pos.2021
Years11
1Monaco85.9
2Hong Kong85.5
3Japan84.8
...
188Ivory Coast58.6
189Swaziland57.1
190Somalia55.3
191S. Sudan55.0
192Central African Rep.53.9
193Lesotho53.1
194Nigeria52.7
195Chad52.5
World Avg71.28
q=195.
Fertility Rate
2.0 is best
14
Pos.201314
1N. Korea2.00
2Brunei1.99
3St Vincent & Grenadines2.01
...
120Jordan2.93
121Honduras3.02
122Philippines3.06
123Lesotho3.08
124Namibia3.08
125Zimbabwe3.15
126Tajikistan3.19
127Haiti3.19
World Avg2.81
q=180.
Old-Age Dependency Ratio
Lower is better
15
Pos.2016
Per 10015
1Uganda04.3
2Mali04.5
3=Chad04.7
...
26Iraq06.0
27=Guinea06.1
27=Guinea-Bissau06.1
27=Lesotho06.1
27=Kenya06.1
31S. Sudan06.2
32=Tanzania06.2
32=Sao Tome & Principe06.2
World Avg18.3
q=185.

Migration:

Immigrants16
Pos.2017
%16
1UAE88.4%
2Kuwait75.5%
3Qatar65.2%
...
180Brazil0.4%
181Eritrea0.3%
182Somalia0.3%
183Lesotho0.3%
184Peru0.3%
185Colombia0.3%
186Morocco0.3%
187Philippines0.2%
World Avg9.4%
q=195.
Emigrants17
Pos.2010
%17
1Dominica104.8%
2Palestine68.4%
3Samoa67.3%
...
26Moldova21.5%
27Fiji21.3%
28Portugal20.8%
29Lesotho20.5%
30El Salvador20.5%
31Micronesia19.7%
32Belarus18.4%
33Eritrea18.0%
World Avg11.5%
q=192.

4. Lesotho's Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance

#equality #freedom #freethought #gender #gender_equality #homosexuality #human_rights #international_law #mass_media #misogyny #morals #politics #prejudice #religious_tolerance #slavery #tolerance #women

Compared to Africa (2020)18
Pos.Lower is better
Avg Rank18
1S. Africa56.1
2Seychelles66.7
3Namibia69.4
...
12Kenya92.4
13Niger93.8
14Uganda94.2
15Lesotho94.8
16=Botswana94.8
17Mozambique94.9
18Gabon95.2
19Benin95.7
20Tanzania95.7
Africa Avg108.2
q=54.
Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance (2020)18
Pos.Lower is better
Avg Rank18
1Sweden9.0
2Norway14.5
3Denmark14.5
...
103Monaco93.8
104Belize93.9
105Uganda94.2
106Lesotho94.8
107=Sri Lanka94.8
107=Botswana94.8
109Mozambique94.9
110Gabon95.2
World Avg87.9
q=199.

The best countries in the world at ensuring human rights, fostering equality and promoting tolerance, are Sweden, Norway and Denmark19. These countries are displaying the best traits that humanity has to offer. The worst countries are The Solomon Islands, Somalia and Tuvalu19.

The data sets used to calculate points for each country are statistics on commentary in Human Rights Watch reports, its nominal commitment to Human Rights, speed of uptake of HR treaties, supporting personal, civil & economic freedoms, supporting press freedom, eliminating modern slavery, 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 Melanesia, Micronesia and Australasia19.

For more, see:

Human Rights & Tolerance:

Nominal Commitment to HR
Higher is better
20
Pos.2009
Treaties20
1Argentina24
2=Chile23
2=Costa Rica23
...
53Switzerland19
54=UK19
54=Venezuela19
54=Lesotho19
54=Rwanda19
54=Finland19
54=Netherlands19
54=Nicaragua19
Africa Avg14.8
World Avg15.1
q=194.
HR Treaties Lag
Lower is better
21
Pos.2019
Avg Yrs/Treaty21
1Ecuador2.15
2Uruguay2.25
3Tunisia3.65
...
79Bangladesh9.18
80Sierra Leone9.33
81China9.36
82Lesotho9.44
83Gabon9.47
84Turkey9.48
85Malta9.60
86Luxembourg9.67
Africa Avg9.88
World Avg10.02
q=195.
Personal, Civil & Economic Freedom
Lower is better
22
Pos.2014
Rank22
1Hong Kong1
2Switzerland2
3New Zealand3
...
92Cape Verde92
93Botswana93
94=Liberia94
94=Lesotho94
96Kazakhstan96
97Ecuador97
98Kyrgyzstan98
99Tanzania99
Africa Avg114.2
World Avg79.7
q=159.
Press Freedom
Lower is better
23
Pos.201323
1Finland638
2Netherlands648
3Norway652
...
77Nicaragua2831
78Benin2833
79Dominican Rep.2834
80Lesotho2836
81Bhutan2842
82Togo2845
83Greece2846
84Kosovo2847
Africa Avg3511
World Avg3249
q=178.
Slavery
Lower is better
24
Pos.2018
% Victims24
1Japan0.03
2=Canada0.05
2=Taiwan0.05
...
83Kyrgyzstan0.41
84Cyprus0.42
85=Kazakhstan0.42
85=Lesotho0.42
87Georgia0.43
88=Romania0.43
89Vietnam0.45
90=Azerbaijan0.45
Africa Avg0.96
World Avg0.65
q=167.

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

The Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) dropped murder charges against the former prime minister and first lady. [...] Police brutality, including allegations of torture and other ill-treatment and an unlawful killing, remained a serious concern. Gender-based violence continued to rise while women were marginalized in the economic and political spheres. Access to healthcare was limited, particularly for women and girls in rural areas.

"The State of the World's Human Rights 2022/23" by Amnesty International (2023)25

Gender Equality:

Lesotho is an unequal country, with male rights dominating those of women.

See:

Gender Inequality
Lower is better
26
Pos.201526
1Switzerland0.04
2Denmark0.04
3Netherlands0.04
...
129Tanzania0.54
130Pakistan0.55
131Ghana0.55
132Lesotho0.55
133Syria0.55
134Togo0.56
135Kenya0.56
136Egypt0.57
Africa Avg0.54
World Avg0.36
q=159.
Year Women Can Vote
Lower is better
Pos.Total
Year
1New Zealand1893
2Australia1902
3Finland1906
...
146=Sudan1964
146=Libya1964
146=Papua New Guinea1964
149Lesotho1965
150=Botswana1965
151Tuvalu1967
152=Kiribati1967
152=Ecuador1967
Africa Avg1961
World Avg1930
q=189.

Prejudice:

LGBT Equality
Higher is better
27
Pos.2017
Score27
1Netherlands103
2Belgium90
3Sweden86
...
98=Cambodia15
98=Vanuatu15
98=Congo, DR15
98=Lesotho15
98=Belize15
98=Belarus15
98=Kyrgyzstan15
105Jordan12
Africa Avg-10.4
World Avg12.6
q=196.
Freedom of Thought
Lower is better
28
Pos.202128
1=Belgium1.0
1=Netherlands1.0
1=Taiwan1.0
...
87Canada2.8
88Switzerland3.0
89=Belize3.0
89=Lesotho3.0
89=Laos3.0
89=Grenada3.0
89=Finland3.0
89=Panama3.0
Africa Avg3.1
World Avg3.0
q=196.

5. Lesotho's Health

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

Compared to Africa (2020)29
Pos.Lower is better
Avg Rank29
1Mauritius64.5
2Morocco73.1
3=Eritrea77.0
...
18Comoros102.1
19=Guinea104.5
19=Malawi104.5
21Lesotho106.3
22Botswana106.5
23Tanzania107.5
24Mauritania107.6
25Kenya107.9
26Senegal108.0
Africa Avg108.2
q=54.
Health (2020)29
Pos.Lower is better
Avg Rank29
1Monaco13.0
2Hong Kong18.3
3Maldives41.0
...
139=Malawi104.5
140Bulgaria105.5
141Timor-Leste (E. Timor)105.6
142Lesotho106.3
143Botswana106.5
144Jamaica106.6
145=Belize107.1
145=Belarus107.1
World Avg93.5
q=196.

The countries with the best overall approach to public health, in terms of both public policy and individual lifestyle choices, are Monaco, Hong Kong and The Maldives30. These countries are worth emulating. And, although often through no fault of the average citizen, the worst countries are The Marshall Islands, S. Sudan and Palau30.

The data sets used to calculate points for each country are 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, its adolescent birth rate and its immunizations take-up. The regions with the best average results per country are Scandinavia, Asia and The Mediterranean30, whereas the worst are Micronesia, Australasia and Africa30.

For more, see:

Health:

Lesotho is a pretty unhealthy country. Lesotho comes in the best 20 when it comes to its smoking rate31. It does better than average in its alcohol consumption rate32 (but high for Africa). But that's it. Lesotho has problems. It does worse than average when it comes to its food aid and health contributions and WHO compliance33 (still good for Africa), its immunizations take-up34 (still high for Africa), its fertility rate14 (still low for Africa) and in its adolescent birth rate26. And finally, it sits amongst the bottom 20 in its average life expectancy11 (one of the lowest in Africa). The number of overweight adults has increased by 14% between 1976 and 2016. Life expectancy in Lesotho in 2006-2012 was the worst in the world, hovering at 43-47yrs before improving in the 2010s. Life expectancy in Lesotho has declined by 5.2 years over 30 years from 1990 - the worst overall trend in the world, and one of only two countries with such a long-term reduction in longevity (the other is Eswatini at -2.5yrs).

Life Expectancy
Higher is better
11
Pos.2021
Years11
1Monaco85.9
2Hong Kong85.5
3Japan84.8
...
188Ivory Coast58.6
189Swaziland57.1
190Somalia55.3
191S. Sudan55.0
192Central African Rep.53.9
193Lesotho53.1
194Nigeria52.7
195Chad52.5
Africa Avg62.79
World Avg71.28
q=195.
Alcohol Consumption
Lower is better
32
Pos.2016
Per Capita32
1Bangladesh0.0
2Kuwait0.0
3Libya0.0
...
77=Myanmar (Burma)4.8
77=Zambia4.8
77=Zimbabwe4.8
80Lesotho5.0
81Suriname5.1
82Nicaragua5.2
83Turkmenistan5.4
84Armenia5.5
Africa Avg4.8
World Avg6.2
q=189.
Fertility Rate
2.0 is best
14
Pos.201314
1N. Korea2.00
2Brunei1.99
3St Vincent & Grenadines2.01
...
120Jordan2.93
121Honduras3.02
122Philippines3.06
123Lesotho3.08
124Namibia3.08
125Zimbabwe3.15
126Tajikistan3.19
127Haiti3.19
Africa Avg4.31
World Avg2.81
q=180.
Smoking Rates
Lower is better
31
Pos.201431
1Guinea 15
2Solomon Islands 26
3Kiribati 28
...
14Mozambique 82
15Nepal 83
16Afghanistan 84
17Lesotho 88
18Trinidad & Tobago 97
19Burundi 98
20Tanzania 101
21Liberia 104
Africa Avg 340
World Avg 819
q=182.
Food Aid, Health Contributions & WHO Compliance
Lower is better
33
Pos.2017
Rank33
1Sweden1
2Ireland2
3Denmark3
...
97Guyana97
98Colombia98
99Vietnam99
100Lesotho100
101Tanzania101
102Equatorial Guinea102
103Barbados103
104Venezuela104
Africa Avg117.0
World Avg82.0
q=163.
Overweight Adults
Lower is better
35
Pos.2016
%35
1Vietnam18.3
2India19.7
3Bangladesh20.0
...
62Zimbabwe38.2
63Swaziland38.4
64Djibouti38.6
65Lesotho38.7
66Gabon40.2
67Namibia40.6
68Brunei41.2
69Malaysia42.5
Africa Avg33.3
World Avg49.0
q=191.

Children's Health:

Adolescent Birth Rate
Lower is better
26
Pos.2015
Per 100026
1N. Korea0.5
2S. Korea1.6
3Switzerland2.9
...
158Kenya90.9
159Central African Rep.91.9
160Togo92.0
161Lesotho92.7
162Dominican Rep.97.9
163Gabon99.9
164Somalia103.9
165Cameroon104.6
Africa Avg87.5
World Avg47.9
q=185.
Infant Immunizations 2011-2015
Higher is better
34
Pos.2015
Avg %34
1=Hungary99.0
1=China99.0
3Uzbekistan98.9
...
108=Australia92.1
108=Barbados92.1
110Ghana91.7
111=Lesotho91.7
112Malawi91.7
113Mexico91.6
114Moldova91.5
115Iceland91.5
Africa Avg81.7
World Avg88.3
q=194.

6. Lesotho's Responsibility Towards The Environment

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

Compared to Africa (2023)36
Pos.Lower is better
Avg Rank36
1Seychelles55.3
2Kenya57.4
3=Zambia57.6
...
41Swaziland102.3
42Botswana106.8
43S. Africa106.8
44Lesotho109.7
45Sao Tome & Principe110.3
46Congo, (Brazzaville)111.8
47Mauritania114.5
48=S. Sudan118.0
49Zimbabwe119.0
Africa Avg90.1
q=53.
Responsibility Towards The Environment (2023)36
Pos.Lower is better
Avg Rank36
1Japan33.2
2Philippines45.0
3Uruguay48.0
...
155=Nauru108.0
155=Samoa108.0
157Latvia109.0
158Lesotho109.7
159Sao Tome & Principe110.3
160Turkmenistan110.8
161USA111.0
162Grenada111.3
World Avg85.7
q=188.
Lesotho comes 158th in the world with regard to its responsibility towards the environment. This rank is derived from 4 data sets. Lesotho does better than average for annual meat consumption per person37 and in its forested percent change 2000-202038. Lesotho does worse than average in terms of how quickly it ratified the 1993 Convention on Biological Diversity. And finally, it falls into the worst 20 for its environmental performance39 (amongst the worst in Africa).

Forest Area Change 2000-2020
Higher is better
38
Pos.Total38
1Guernsey82.6%
2Bahrain75.2%
3Iceland64.7%
...
121=S. Sudan0.0%
121=Curaco0.0%
121=Turks & Caicos Islands0.0%
121=Lesotho0.0%
121=Anguilla0.0%
121=Jersey0.0%
121=Maldives0.0%
121=St Vincent & Grenadines0.0%
Africa Avg-8.7%
World Avg-0.1%
q=234.
Environmental Performance
Higher is better
39
Pos.201839
1Switzerland87.4
2France84.0
3Denmark81.6
...
170Angola37.4
171Central African Rep.36.4
172Niger35.7
173Lesotho33.8
174Haiti33.7
175Madagascar33.7
176Nepal31.4
177India30.6
Africa Avg46.4
World Avg56.4
q=180.
Convention on Biological Diversity
Earlier is better
Pos.Total
Signed
1=China1993 Dec 29
1=Guinea1993 Dec 29
1=Cook Islands1993 Dec 29
...
107Sierra Leone1995 Mar 12
108Lebanon1995 Mar 15
109Jamaica1995 Apr 06
110Lesotho1995 Apr 10
111Panama1995 Apr 17
112Ukraine1995 May 08
113Oman1995 May 09
114Cambodia1995 May 10
Africa Avg1899 Dec 30
World Avg1899 Dec 30
q=197.
Meat Consumption
Lower is better
37
Pos.2021
kg37
1Congo, DR03.0
2Burundi03.5
3Bangladesh04.3
...
44Liberia20.3
45Ghana20.9
46Haiti21.6
47Lesotho21.7
48Thailand26.0
49Swaziland27.1
50Malawi27.4
51Tunisia27.8
Africa Avg24.9
World Avg52.5
q=185.

7. Lesotho's Modernity and Learning

#education #modernity #research #science #technology #the_internet

Compared to Africa (2020)40
Pos.Lower is better
Avg Rank40
1S. Africa52.8
2Egypt70.4
3Tunisia73.4
...
36Mozambique133.8
37=Congo, DR134.7
37=Mauritania134.7
39Lesotho137.2
40Congo, (Brazzaville)137.4
41Burundi139.0
42Madagascar142.5
43Benin143.3
44Gambia144.0
Africa Avg120.7
q=53.
Modernity & Learning (2020)40
Pos.Lower is better
Avg Rank40
1Finland8.4
2Taiwan10.0
3Switzerland15.1
...
182=Mauritania134.7
182=Congo, DR134.7
184Afghanistan136.7
185Lesotho137.2
186Congo, (Brazzaville)137.4
187Burundi139.0
188Madagascar142.5
189Kiribati143.0
World Avg83.2
q=205.

Modernity and Education:

Research & Development
Higher is better
Pos.2016
% RDP PPP
1S. Korea4.2941
2Israel4.1141
3Japan3.5841
...
119=Honduras0.0442
119=Guatemala0.0443
119=Bahrain0.0444
119=Colombia0.0444
123Iraq0.0345
124=El Salvador0.0343
124=China0.0344
126Lesotho0.0145
Africa Avg0.36
World Avg0.84
q=126.
Secondary Education
Higher is better
46
Pos.201846
1=Luxembourg100.0%
1=Estonia100.0%
1=Austria100.0%
...
140Morocco32.2%
141Uganda32.1%
142Angola30.2%
143Lesotho30.0%
144Cape Verde29.9%
145Liberia29.0%
146Yemen28.0%
147Benin26.5%
Africa Avg34.4%
World Avg63.0%
q=169.
Length of Schooling
Higher is better
47
Pos.2021
Years47
1Australia21.1
2New Zealand20.3
3Greece20.0
...
135Zimbabwe12.1
136Iraq12.1
137Ghana12.0
138Lesotho12.0
139Namibia11.9
140Comoros11.9
141India11.9
142Kiribati11.8
Africa Avg11.0
World Avg13.5
q=193.
Intellectual Endeavours
Lower is better
33
Pos.2017
Rank33
1Ukraine1
2Czechia2
3Hungary3
...
145Qatar145
146Philippines146
147Mozambique147
148Lesotho148
149Venezuela149
150Libya150
151Gabon151
152Sierra Leone152
Africa Avg106.4
World Avg82.0
q=163.

Technology and Information:

Internet Users
Higher is better
48
Pos.201648
1Iceland100%
2Faroe Islands99%
3Norway98%
...
147Libya21%
148Zimbabwe21%
149Equatorial Guinea21%
150Lesotho21%
151Indonesia20%
152Marshall Islands20%
153Algeria20%
154Nicaragua19%
Africa Avg18.4%
World Avg48.1%
q=201.
IPv6 Uptake
Higher is better
49
Pos.2017
Ratio49
1Belgium55.4
2Germany41.8
3Switzerland35.1
...
146=Papua New Guinea0.0
146=French Polynesia0.0
146=Palestine0.0
146=Lesotho0.0
146=Monaco0.0
146=Bermuda0.0
146=Isle of Man0.0
146=San Marino0.0
Africa Avg0.04
World Avg3.82
q=176.

8. National Culture

#corruption #happiness #politics

Corruption
Higher is better
50
Pos.2022
Points50
1Denmark90.0
2=Finland87.0
2=New Zealand87.0
...
97Tanzania38.0
98=Morocco38.0
99Ivory Coast37.0
100=Lesotho37.0
101Serbia36.0
102=Peru36.0
102=Turkey36.0
102=Sri Lanka36.0
Africa Avg32.31
World Avg42.98
q=180.
Happiness
Higher is better
51
Pos.2018
Score51
1Finland7.6
2Norway7.6
3Denmark7.6
...
138Ukraine4.1
139Togo4.0
140Guinea4.0
141Lesotho3.8
142Angola3.8
143Madagascar3.8
144Zimbabwe3.7
145Afghanistan3.6
Africa Avg4.29
World Avg5.38
q=156.
Creativity & Culture
Lower is better
33
Pos.2017
Rank33
1Belgium1
2Netherlands2
3Estonia3
...
105Bahrain105
106Ecuador106
107Uganda107
108Lesotho108
109Georgia109
110Kuwait110
111China111
112Swaziland112
Africa Avg117.8
World Avg82.0
q=163.
Open Trading, Aid & Development
Lower is better
33
Pos.2017
Rank33
1Ireland1
2Denmark2
3Sweden3
...
64Honduras64
65S. Korea65
66Benin66
67Lesotho67
68Panama68
69New Zealand69
70Tunisia70
71Montenegro71
Africa Avg96.7
World Avg82.0
q=163.

9. Peace Versus Instability

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

Global Peace Index
Lower is better
52
Pos.2023
Score52
1Iceland1.12
2Denmark1.31
3Ireland1.31
...
108Bahrain2.15
109Swaziland2.17
110Benin2.18
111Lesotho2.19
112Djibouti2.20
113Congo, (Brazzaville)2.21
114Mauritania2.23
115Philippines2.23
Africa Avg2.29
World Avg2.07
q=163.
Peacekeeping & Security
Lower is better
33
Pos.2017
Rank33
1Samoa1
2S. Africa2
3Tunisia3
...
99Lithuania99
100Luxembourg100
101Niger101
102Lesotho102
103Antigua & Barbuda103
104Latvia104
105Laos105
106Mozambique106
Africa Avg83.6
World Avg82.0
q=163.
Refugees & UN Treaties
Lower is better
33
Pos.2017
Rank33
1Austria1
2Germany2
3Netherlands3
...
115Iraq115
116Dominica116
117Saudi Arabia117
118Lesotho118
119Oman119
120Egypt120
121Colombia121
122Honduras122
Africa Avg104.5
World Avg82.0
q=163.
Impact of Terrorism
Lower is better
53
Pos.2019
Score53
1Togo0.00
2Mongolia0.00
3Swaziland0.00
...
21UAE0.05
22Slovakia0.06
23Norway0.08
24Lesotho0.10
25Liberia0.11
26=Moldova0.12
26=Serbia0.12
26=Estonia0.12
Africa Avg3.41
World Avg2.78
q=150.

10. Economic Inequality and Poverty

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

Inequality in Life Expectancy
Lower is better54
Pos.201954
1Iceland2.40
2=Singapore2.50
2=Hong Kong2.50
...
169Angola32.00
170Haiti32.20
171Guinea-Bissau32.30
172Lesotho33.10
173Ivory Coast33.30
174Cameroon33.50
175Equatorial Guinea34.60
176Benin34.90
Africa Avg26.10
World Avg14.59
q=184.
Income Inequality (Gini Coefficient)
Lower is better
55
Pos.2017
%55
1Ukraine25.0
2=Belarus25.4
2=Slovenia25.4
...
145Botswana53.3
146=Brazil53.3
147Mozambique54.0
148Lesotho54.2
149Central African Rep.56.2
150Zambia57.1
151Namibia59.1
152S. Africa63.0
Africa Avg42.6
World Avg38.1
q=152.
Multidimensional Poverty
Lower is better
56
Pos.2018
Severity56
1Armenia.001
2Ukraine.001
3Serbia.001
...
54Guatemala.134
55Zimbabwe.137
56Ghana.138
57Lesotho.146
58Nepal.148
59Cambodia.170
60Namibia.171
61Vanuatu.174
Africa Avg.264
World Avg.154
q=101.

11. Religion and Beliefs

#buddhism #christianity #hinduism #islam #judaism

Data from the Pew Forum, a professional polling outfit, states that in 2010 the religious makeup of this country was as follows in the table below57:

Christian96.8%
Muslim0.1%
Hindu0.1%
Buddhist0.1%
Folk Religion0.1%
Jewish0.1%
Unaffiliated3.1%

The CIA World Factbook has slightly different data, and states simply: Christian 80%, indigenous beliefs 20%58.

Links: