Paraguay (Republic of Paraguay)

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

By Vexen Crabtree 2025

Paraguay Republic of Paraguay
Status	Independent State
Social and Moral Index	110th best
Capital	Asuncion
Land Area	397 300km²₁
Location	South America, The Americas
Population	7.0m₂
Life Expectancy	70.26yrs (2017)₃
GNI	$12 349 (2017)₄
ISO3166-1 Codes	PY, PRY, 600₅
Internet Domain	.py₆
Currency	Guarani (PYG)₇
Telephone	+595₈

1. Overview

“Paraguay achieved its independence from Spain in 1811. In the disastrous War of the Triple Alliance (1865-70) - between Paraguay and Argentina, Brazil, and Uruguay - Paraguay lost two-thirds of all its adult males and much of its territory. The country stagnated economically for the next half century. Following the Chaco War of 1932-35 with Bolivia, Paraguay gained a large part of the Chaco lowland region. The 35-year military dictatorship of Alfredo STROESSNER ended in 1989, and, despite a marked increase in political infighting in recent years, Paraguay has held relatively free and regular presidential elections since the country's return to democracy.”
CIA's The World Factbook (2013)₉

“Little-visited and little-known, landlocked Paraguay is a country surrounded by South America´s `big boys´, but there´s a warm welcome and much to experience here. Paraguay is a country much misunderstood. Despite its location at the heart of the continent, it is all too often passed over by travelers who wrongly assume that a lack of `mega-attractions´ means there´s nothing to see. Instead, it´s ideal for those keen to get off the gringo trail for a truly authentic South American experience.
Paraguay is a country of remarkable contrasts: it is rustic and sophisticated, extremely poor and obscenely wealthy; it boasts exotic natural reserves and massive human-made dams; it is a place where horses and carts pull up beside luxury automobiles, artisans´ workshops abut glitzy shopping centers, and Jesuit ruins in rural villages lie just kilometers from sophisticated colonial towns. The steamy subtropical Atlantic Forest of the east is a stark contrast to the dry, spiny wilderness of the Chaco, location of the isolated Mennonite colonies.
While Paraguayans are more used to visits from their bordering neighbors, they are relaxed, kind and welcoming to anyone.”
"The World" by Lonely Planet (2014)₁₀

2. Paraguay 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
	...
102=	Dominica	0.720
102=	Jordan	0.720
104	Libya	0.718
105	Paraguay	0.717
106=	Palestine	0.715
106=	St Lucia	0.715
108	Guyana	0.714
109	S. Africa	0.713
	The Americas 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
	...
93	S. Africa	$12 948
94	Suriname	$12 672
95	Sri Lanka	$12 578
96	Paraguay	$12 349
97	Barbados	$12 306
98	Peru	$12 246
99	Equatorial Guinea	$12 074
100	St Lucia	$12 048
	The Americas Avg	$16 628
	World Avg	$20 136
q=193.

Social & Moral Development Index₁₂
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₁₂
1	Denmark	27.3
2	Norway	30.5
3	Switzerland	32.2
	...
107	Jordan	92.4
108	Guatemala	92.8
109	Ghana	93.3
110	Paraguay	93.5
111	Botswana	94.2
112	Nepal	95.7
113	Venezuela	95.8
114	Guyana	96.0
	The Americas Avg	81.5
	World Avg	88.8
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. Paraguay's Demographics and Migration

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

Population Datasets:

Paraguay's population is predicted to rise to 8.67 million by 2030. This country has a fertility rate of 2.44. 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 8.86.₁₃

Population₂
Pos.		2018 Population₂
1	China	1.4b
2	India	1.4b
3	USA	327.1m
	...
103	Hong Kong	7.4m
104	Laos	7.1m
105	Bulgaria	7.1m
106	Paraguay	7.0m
107	Lebanon	6.9m
108	Libya	6.7m
109	Nicaragua	6.5m
110	El Salvador	6.4m
	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
	...
114	Iraq	70.4
115	Solomon Islands	70.3
116	Suriname	70.3
117	Paraguay	70.3
118	Egypt	70.2
119	Mexico	70.2
120	Honduras	70.1
121	Kyrgyzstan	70.0
	World Avg	71.28
q=195.

Fertility Rate 2.0 is best₁₄
Pos.		2022₁₄
1	US Virgin Islands	2.00
2	Ecuador	2.00
3	Nepal	2.01
	...
73	Isle of Man	1.57
74=	Slovakia	1.57
74=	UK	1.57
76	Paraguay	2.44
77	Laos	2.45
78=	Denmark	1.55
78=	Slovenia	1.55
80	Chile	1.54
	World Avg	2.47
q=208.

Old-Age Dependency Ratio Lower is better₁₅
Pos.		2016 Per 100₁₅
1	Uganda	04.3
2	Mali	04.5
3=	Chad	04.7
	...
88=	India	12.5
89	Bolivia	12.7
90	Nicaragua	13.1
91	Paraguay	13.2
92	Iran	13.4
93	Samoa	13.7
94	Algeria	14.0
95	Malaysia	14.5
	World Avg	18.3
q=185.

Migration Datasets:

Immigrants₁₆
Pos.		2017 %₁₆
1	UAE	88.4%
2	Kuwait	75.5%
3	Qatar	65.2%
	...
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%
122	S. Korea	2.3%
	World Avg	9.4%
q=195.

Emigrants₁₇
Pos.		2010 %₁₇
1	Dominica	104.8%
2	Palestine	68.4%
3	Samoa	67.3%
	...
78	Ecuador	8.3%
79	Poland	8.3%
80	Afghanistan	8.1%
81	Paraguay	7.9%
82	Russia	7.9%
83	Mali	7.6%
84	UK	7.5%
85	Honduras	7.5%
	World Avg	11.5%
q=192.

4. Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance

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

Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance (2025)₁₈
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₁₈
1	Sweden	5.9
2	Norway	8.0
3	Denmark	8.1
	...
86	Senegal	80.3
87	Botswana	80.4
88	Palau	80.7
89	Paraguay	81.3
90	Armenia	81.9
91	Nauru	82.3
	The Americas Avg	71.80
	World Avg	86.35
q=198.

Paraguay does relatively well in ensuring human rights and freedom, compared to many other countries. Paraguay does the second-best when it comes to its nominal commitment to Human Rights₁₉. It does better than average when it comes to commentary in Human Rights Watch reports₂₀, supporting personal, civil & economic freedoms₂₁ (but high for The Americas), LGBT equality₂₂ (but bad for The Americas), supporting press freedom₂₃ and in its average Freedom in the World rating (but high for The Americas). But, things still need to improve in Paraguay. Paraguay does worse than average in its success in fighting anti-semitic prejudice₂₄, combatting modern slavery₂₅, opposing gender inequality₂₆ and in freethought₂₇. Human Rights in Paraguay are under sustained attack from Catholic lobby groups and traditionalist Christians supported by US Conservative Christians. In particular, they are succeeding in preventing women's rights, and have reversed some movements towards LGBT tolerance₂₈.

For tables, charts and commentary, see:

Human Rights and Freedom in Paraguay

5. Paraguay's Health

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

Compared to The Americas (2025)₂₉
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₂₉
1	Canada	57.4
2	Turks & Caicos Islands	62.6
3	St Martin	66.7
	...
30	Venezuela	101.7
31	Guyana	104.5
32	Dominican Rep.	104.6
33	Paraguay	105.5
34	Belize	106.7
35	Puerto Rico	109.9
36	Suriname	110.1
37	Honduras	112.1
38	Guatemala	113.2
	The Americas Avg	92.66
q=41.

Health (2025)₂₉
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₂₉
1	Monaco	12.4
2	Liechtenstein	30.1
3	San Marino	30.6
	...
120	Myanmar	104.2
121	Guyana	104.5
122	Dominican Rep.	104.6
123	Paraguay	105.5
124	Palau	105.6
125	Belize	106.7
126	Bangladesh	107.6
127	Mongolia	109.1
	World Avg	96.86
q=204.

The countries with the best overall approach to public health, in terms of both public policy and individual lifestyle choices, are Monaco, Liechtenstein and San Marino₃₀. These countries are worth emulating. And, although often through no fault of the average citizen, the worst countries are Angola, Somalia and S. Sudan₃₀.

36 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, its immunizations take-up and childhood mortality in the 2020s (so far). The regions with the best average results per country are Scandinavia, Europe and The Mediterranean₃₀, whereas the worst are Micronesia, Africa and Melanesia₃₀.

For more, see:

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

Health Datasets:

Paraguay does relatively well in encouraging good health, compared to many other countries. Paraguay comes in the best 20 in its suicide rate₃₁. It does better than average when it comes to its smoking rate₃₂, its food aid and health contributions and WHO compliance₃₃, its fertility rate₁₄ (but bad for The Americas) and in the prevalence of overweight adults₃₄. But, things could still be better. Paraguay does worse than average in its alcohol consumption rate₃₅, childhood mortality in the 2020s (so far)₃₆, its average life expectancy₁₁, its immunizations take-up₃₇ and in its adolescent birth rate₃₈ (one of the highest in The Americas). The prevalence of overweight adults has increased by 14% during the past 40 years. Life expectancy in Paraguay improved by +5.7yrs in the 30 years from 1990, less than the global average of +7.9yrs. Paraguay's peak fertility rate was 6.5 in 1960.

Life Expectancy Higher is better₁₁
Pos.		2021 Years₁₁
1	Monaco	85.9
2	Hong Kong	85.5
3	Japan	84.8
	...
114	Iraq	70.4
115	Solomon Islands	70.3
116	Suriname	70.3
117	Paraguay	70.3
118	Egypt	70.2
119	Mexico	70.2
120	Honduras	70.1
121	Kyrgyzstan	70.0
	The Americas Avg	72.58
	World Avg	71.28
q=195.

Alcohol Consumption Lower is better₃₅
Pos.		2016 Per Capita₃₅
1	Bangladesh	0.0
2	Kuwait	0.0
3	Libya	0.0
	...
105=	Antigua & Barbuda	7.0
105=	Niue	7.0
107=	China	7.2
107=	Paraguay	7.2
109	Mongolia	7.4
110=	Albania	7.5
110=	Burundi	7.5
110=	Italy	7.5
	The Americas Avg	6.9
	World Avg	6.2
q=189.

Fertility Rate 2.0 is best₁₄
Pos.		2022₁₄
1	US Virgin Islands	2.00
2	Ecuador	2.00
3	Nepal	2.01
	...
73	Isle of Man	1.57
74=	Slovakia	1.57
74=	UK	1.57
76	Paraguay	2.44
77	Laos	2.45
78=	Denmark	1.55
78=	Slovenia	1.55
80	Chile	1.54
	The Americas Avg	1.80
	World Avg	2.47
q=208.

Smoking in the 2020s Lower is better₃₂
Pos.		Total %₃₂
1	Nigeria	3.3%
2	Ghana	3.4%
3	Panama	5.2%
	...
34=	Gambia	10.5%
34=	Dominican Rep.	10.5%
36	Kenya	10.7%
37	Paraguay	10.8%
38	Cape Verde	11.0%
39	Guyana	11.2%
40	Burundi	11.2%
41=	Zimbabwe	11.3%
	The Americas Avg	12.7%
	World Avg	20.0%
q=165.

Suicide Rate₃₁
Pos.		2013 Per 100k₃₁
1	Haiti	0
2	Grenada	0
3	Egypt	0.1
	...
15	Venezuela	6.5
16	Malta	6.9
17	Greece	7
18	Paraguay	7.1
19=	St Vincent & Grenadines	7.3
19=	Guatemala	7.3
19=	Barbados	7.3
19=	Belize	7.3
	The Americas Avg	13.57
	World Avg	20.93
q=91.

Food Aid, Health Contributions & WHO Compliance Lower is better₃₃
Pos.		2017 Rank₃₃
1	Sweden	1
2	Ireland	2
3	Denmark	3
	...
66	Georgia	66
67	Belarus	67
68	Brunei	68
69	Paraguay	69
70	Latvia	70
71	Liberia	71
72	Kazakhstan	72
73	Egypt	73
	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
	...
73	Singapore	22.8
74	St Lucia	24.0
75	Guyana	24.3
76	Paraguay	25.1
77	Honduras	25.5
78	Antigua & Barbuda	25.8
79=	St Vincent & Grenadines	25.9
79=	Solomon Islands	25.9
	The Americas Avg	30.7
	World Avg	27.1
q=191.

Adult Obesity Lower is better₃₉
Pos.		2022 %₃₉
1	Vietnam	2.1%
2	Timor-Leste (E. Timor)	2.2%
3	Ethiopia	2.4%
	...
147	UAE	31.5%
148	Australia	31.8%
149	Costa Rica	32.0%
150	Paraguay	32.1%
151	Brunei	32.4%
152	Nicaragua	32.4%
153	Palestine	32.8%
154	St Vincent & Grenadines	33.6%
	The Americas Avg	32.0%
	World Avg	24.7%
q=199.

Children's Health Datasets:

Adolescent Birth Rate Lower is better₃₈
Pos.		2022 Per 1000₃₈
1	Hong Kong	1.6
2	Denmark	1.8
3	S. Korea	2.1
	...
153	Ethiopia	66.5
154	Swaziland	68.4
155	Panama	68.5
156	Paraguay	69.9
157	Nauru	71.1
158	Honduras	71.3
159	Laos	71.8
160	Bangladesh	73.3
	The Americas Avg	48.1
	World Avg	43.8
q=195.

Infant Immunizations 2011-2015 Higher is better₃₇
Pos.		2015 Avg %₃₇
1=	Hungary	99.0
1=	China	99.0
3	Uzbekistan	98.9
	...
129	Colombia	88.4
130	Kiribati	88.4
131	Netherlands	88.1
132	Paraguay	88.1
133	Bosnia & Herzegovina	88.0
134	Sierra Leone	87.7
135	Suriname	87.2
136	Ecuador	86.8
	The Americas Avg	91.3
	World Avg	88.3
q=194.

Infant Mortality (2020s) Lower is better₃₆
Pos.		Total Per 1000₃₆
1	San Marino	2.11
2	Finland	2.59
3	Luxembourg	2.60
	...
111	Vietnam	22.10
112	Fiji	22.11
113	N. Korea	22.55
114	Paraguay	22.61
115	Trinidad & Tobago	22.83
116	Kyrgyzstan	23.23
117	Egypt	23.97
118	Morocco	24.53
	The Americas Avg	18.99
	World Avg	32.19
q=195.

6. Paraguay's Responsibility Towards The Environment

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

Compared to The Americas (2025)₄₀
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₄₀
1	Uruguay	43.2
2	Puerto Rico	47.1
3	Costa Rica	49.7
	...
21	Canada	87.2
22	Guyana	87.4
23	Jamaica	88.6
24	Paraguay	91.0
25	Belize	91.3
26	St Vincent & Grenadines	92.0
27	Trinidad & Tobago	94.5
28=	St Kitts & Nevis	96.9
29	Bahamas	100.9
	The Americas Avg	92.66
q=36.

Responsibility Towards The Environment (2025)₄₀
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₄₀
1	Sri Lanka	34.9
2	Uruguay	43.2
3	Switzerland	45.0
	...
119	Czechia	89.3
120	Malaysia	89.5
121	Lithuania	89.5
122	Paraguay	91.0
123	Equatorial Guinea	91.2
124	Belize	91.3
125	Albania	91.5
126	St Vincent & Grenadines	92.0
	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"₄₁. 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).

Paraguay comes 122nd in the world regarding its responsibility towards the environment. This rank is derived from 21 data sets. Paraguay comes in the best 20 for the rate of rational beliefs on the environment in the population₄₂. It does better than average for its sign-up rate to major international accords on protecting the environment and in reducing annual meat consumption per person₄₃. But, things still need to improve in Paraguay. Paraguay does worse than average in terms of its environmental performance₄₄ and in energy to GDP efficiency₄₅. And finally, it falls into the worst 20 in its score on the Green Future Index₄₆ (the lowest in The Americas) and in its forested percent change 2000-2020₄₇.

Forest Area Change 2000-2020 Higher is better₄₇
Pos.		Total₄₇
1	Guernsey	82.6%
2	Bahrain	75.2%
3	Iceland	64.7%
	...
227	Uganda	-28.0%
228	St Pierre & Miquelon	-29.1%
229	Malawi	-29.4%
230	Paraguay	-32.6%
231	Chad	-35.0%
232	Gambia	-35.2%
233	Nicaragua	-41.1%
234	Ivory Coast	-50.6%
	The Americas Avg	-2.1%
	World Avg	-0.1%
q=234.

From 2000 to 2010, Paraguay destroyed 15% of its forest cover, well over three million hectares, the 4^th-worse proportional loss in the world in that decade, damaging its own future, that of its neighbours, and at that scale, degrading global environmental health. It destroyed a further 18% by 2020, falling to 16 million hectares.

Environmental Performance Higher is better₄₄
Pos.		2018₄₄
1	Switzerland	87.4
2	France	84.0
3	Denmark	81.6
	...
102	Samoa	54.5
103	Suriname	54.2
104	Sao Tome & Principe	54.0
105	Paraguay	53.9
106	El Salvador	53.9
107	Fiji	53.1
108	Turkey	53.0
109	Ukraine	52.9
	The Americas Avg	58.8
	World Avg	56.4
q=180.

Energy to GDP Efficiency Lower is better₄₅
Pos.		2022 Avg₄₅
1	Rwanda	0.25
2	Chad	0.26
3	Tanzania	0.31
	...
138	Zimbabwe	1.74
139	Saudi Arabia	1.76
140	Serbia	1.79
141	Paraguay	1.79
142	Jamaica	1.83
143	Moldova	1.88
144	S. Africa	1.97
145	Kuwait	2.02
	The Americas Avg	1.42
	World Avg	1.23
q=165.

So far, compared to the 2010s, Paraguay has improved its energy-to-GDP efficiency more than any other country in the world.

International Accords on the Environment Higher is better
Pos.		Total Avg Rate
1	Sweden	83%
2	Canada	82%
3	Norway	81%
	...
37	Mexico	69%
38	Uzbekistan	69%
39	India	69%
40	Paraguay	69%
41	Ghana	68%
42	Luxembourg	68%
43	Netherlands	68%
44	Kenya	68%
	The Americas Avg	60.7%
	World Avg	57.5%
q=197.

Paraguay was one of the early adopters of the Kyoto Protocol in 1999.

Rational Beliefs on the Environment Higher is better₄₂
Pos.		2011 %₄₂
1	Argentina	78.3%
2	Greece	77.6%
3	Brazil	77.1%
	...
9	S. Korea	70.7%
10	Colombia	70.3%
11	Bolivia	69.3%
12	Paraguay	68.9%
13	Mexico	67.0%
14	Nicaragua	67.0%
15	El Salvador	66.8%
16	Indonesia	66.5%
	The Americas Avg	58.6%
	World Avg	39.9%
q=145.

Meat Consumption Lower is better₄₃
Pos.		2021 kg₄₃
1	Congo, DR	03.0
2	Burundi	03.5
3	Bangladesh	04.3
	...
66	Venezuela	35.6
67	Jordan	36.0
68	Lebanon	36.3
69	Paraguay	36.4
70	Azerbaijan	37.1
71	Namibia	37.2
72	Georgia	37.8
73	Cape Verde	38.4
	The Americas Avg	70.3
	World Avg	52.5
q=185.

Green Future Index Higher is better₄₆
Pos.		2023 Score₄₆
1	Iceland	6.7
2	Finland	6.7
3	Norway	6.4
	...
68	Malaysia	3.7
69=	Guatemala	3.6
69=	Russia	3.6
71	Paraguay	3.6
72	Bangladesh	3.5
73	Qatar	3.4
74	Zambia	3.3
75	Algeria	3.1
	The Americas Avg	4.6
	World Avg	4.8
q=76.

7. Paraguay's Modernity and Learning

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

Compared to The Americas (2020)₄₈
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₄₈
1=	Canada	21.8
2	USA	26.4
3	Argentina	38.2
	...
25	Venezuela	89.0
26	Belize	89.1
27	Jamaica	94.6
28	Paraguay	103.1
29	Suriname	106.6
30	El Salvador	109.2
31	Nicaragua	121.4
32	Guatemala	121.5
33	Guyana	122.5
	The Americas Avg	81.34
q=35.

Modernity & Learning (2020)₄₈
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₄₈
1	Finland	7.1
2	Belgium	12.9
3	Denmark	13.6
	...
117	Algeria	100.2
118	Tajikistan	101.3
119	Maldives	102.1
120	Paraguay	103.1
121	Suriname	106.6
122	Gabon	108.2
123	El Salvador	109.2
124	Uganda	109.8
	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 Denmark₄₉. The worst countries are Eritrea, S. Sudan and Sierra Leone₄₉. Despite improves in global education, access to tertiary (adult) education is becoming increasingly unequal between the rich haves and the poor have-nots₅₀.

“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)₅₁

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 Europe₄₉, whereas the worst are Melanesia, Africa and Micronesia₄₉.

For more, see:

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

Modernity and Education Datasets:

Research & Development Higher is better
Pos.		2016 % RDP PPP
1	S. Korea	4.29₅₂
2	Israel	4.11₅₂
3	Japan	3.58₅₂
	...
108=	Philippines	0.11₅₃
108=	Myanmar	0.11₅₄
110	Peru	0.10₅₅
111	Paraguay	0.09₅₆
112=	Congo, DR	0.08₅₇
112=	Indonesia	0.08₅₈
114=	Saudi Arabia	0.07₅₉
114=	Algeria	0.07₅₅
	The Americas Avg	0.47
	World Avg	0.84
q=126.

Secondary Education Higher is better₆₀
Pos.		2018₆₀
1=	Luxembourg	100.0%
1=	Estonia	100.0%
1=	Austria	100.0%
	...
113	Indonesia	48.8%
114	Congo, (Brazzaville)	48.8%
115	Iraq	48.0%
116	Paraguay	47.8%
117	Nicaragua	47.5%
118	Maldives	47.1%
119	Bangladesh	46.7%
120	St Lucia	46.0%
	The Americas Avg	63.0%
	World Avg	63.0%
q=169.

Length of Schooling Higher is better₆₁
Pos.		2021 Years₆₁
1	Australia	21.1
2	New Zealand	20.3
3	Greece	20.0
	...
108	Panama	13.1
109	Suriname	13.0
110	Belize	13.0
111	Paraguay	13.0
112	Gabon	13.0
113	Vietnam	13.0
114	Togo	13.0
115	Bahamas	12.9
	The Americas Avg	14.2
	World Avg	13.5
q=193.

Intellectual Endeavours Lower is better₃₃
Pos.		2017 Rank₃₃
1	Ukraine	1
2	Czechia	2
3	Hungary	3
	...
152	Sierra Leone	152
153	Cambodia	153
154	Zambia	154
155	Paraguay	155
156	Tanzania	156
157	Equatorial Guinea	157
158	Guyana	158
159	Afghanistan	159
	The Americas Avg	99.8
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Religiosity Lower is better₆₂
Pos.		2018 %₆₂
1	China	3
2	Estonia	6
3	Czechia	7
	...
51=	USA	53
52	Bosnia & Herzegovina	54
53=	Greece	56
53=	Paraguay	56
55	Lebanon	57
56	Panama	61
57	Venezuela	67
58	Turkey	68
	The Americas Avg	65.4
	World Avg	54.3
q=106.

IQ Higher is better₆₃
Pos.		2006₆₃
1=	Hong Kong	108
1=	Singapore	108
3	S. Korea	106
	...
81=	Iran	84
81=	Pakistan	84
81=	Panama	84
81=	Paraguay	84
81=	Morocco	84
81=	Saudi Arabia	84
87=	Algeria	83
87=	Libya	83
	The Americas Avg	85.3
	World Avg	85.6
q=138.

Technology and Information Datasets:

Internet Users Higher is better₆₄
Pos.		2016₆₄
1	Iceland	100%
2	Faroe Islands	99%
3	Norway	98%
	...
100	Iran	49%
101	Tunisia	48%
102	Moldova	48%
103=	Paraguay	47%
103=	Fiji	47%
105	Tonga	47%
106	Nigeria	46%
107	Jordan	46%
	The Americas Avg	56.4%
	World Avg	48.1%
q=201.

IPv6 Uptake Higher is better₆₅
Pos.		2017 Ratio₆₅
1	Belgium	55.4
2	Germany	41.8
3	Switzerland	35.1
	...
82=	Philippines	0.0
82=	Macedonia	0.0
82=	Pakistan	0.0
82=	Paraguay	0.0
82=	Chile	0.0
82=	US Virgin Islands	0.0
82=	Mauritius	0.0
89=	Botswana	0.0
	The Americas Avg	3.36
	World Avg	3.82
q=176.

Digital Quality of Life Higher is better₆₆
Pos.		2024₆₆
1	Germany	77.9%
2	Finland	76.9%
3	France	73.9%
	...
78	Jordan	42.6%
79	Egypt	42.5%
80	Panama	41.6%
81	Paraguay	41.2%
82	Tunisia	40.4%
83	Bangladesh	40.3%
84	Kyrgyzstan	39.5%
85	Jamaica	38.9%
	The Americas Avg	44.7%
	World Avg	48.4%
q=121.

8. Paraguay's Culture, Peace and Inequality

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

Compared to The Americas (2020)₆₇
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₆₇
1	Canada	22.3
2	USA	46.3
3	Uruguay	47.8
	...
22	Dominican Rep.	85.8
23	Suriname	85.9
24	Peru	86.0
25	Paraguay	86.6
26	Bolivia	86.8
27	Ecuador	87.4
28	Nicaragua	88.2
29	Colombia	91.5
30	Honduras	91.7
	The Americas Avg	79.19
q=33.

Culture, Peace & Inequality (2020)₆₇
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₆₇
1	Denmark	11.3
2	Netherlands	13.7
3	Finland	13.7
	...
100	Vietnam	86.3
101	S. Africa	86.6
102	Bahrain	86.6
103	Paraguay	86.6
104	Bolivia	86.8
105	Botswana	87.0
106	Ecuador	87.4
107	Tonga	87.8
	World Avg	80.34
q=186.

This is the final pillar of the Social and Moral Development Index; it has 32 datasets, including multiple decades of data on World Giving Index, resisting corruption, overall happiness, Creativity and Culture, passport utility in the 2020s (so far), Open Trading, Aid and Development, its Global Peace Index rating, Peacekeeping and Security, Refugees and UN Treaties, the impact of terrorism, poverty in the 2020s (so far), 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 Datasets:

World Giving Index Higher is better₆₈
Pos.		2022 %₆₈
1	Indonesia	68.0
2	Kenya	61.0
3	USA	59.0
	...
38=	Sri Lanka	44.0
38=	Ethiopia	44.0
38=	Bosnia & Herzegovina	44.0
38=	Paraguay	44.0
38=	Dominican Rep.	44.0
38=	Kyrgyzstan	44.0
38=	Mexico	44.0
38=	Costa Rica	44.0
	The Americas Avg	43.7
	World Avg	39.6
q=125.

Corruption Higher is better₆₉
Pos.		2022 Points₆₉
1	Denmark	90.0
2=	Finland	87.0
2=	New Zealand	87.0
	...
134=	Djibouti	30.0
134=	Papua New Guinea	30.0
136	Gabon	29.0
137=	Paraguay	28.0
137=	Russia	28.0
137=	Mali	28.0
140=	Pakistan	27.0
140=	Kyrgyzstan	27.0
	The Americas Avg	42.97
	World Avg	42.98
q=180.

In 1998, Paraguay began to be included in the Corruption Perception Index data, and entered at the 2nd-worst spot, behind only Cameroon. But things improved, especially from the mid-2000s.

Happiness Higher is better₇₀
Pos.		2024 Score₇₀
1	Finland	7.7
2	Denmark	7.5
3	Iceland	7.5
	...
51	Latvia	6.2
52	Oman	6.2
53	Uzbekistan	6.2
54	Paraguay	6.2
55	Japan	6.1
56	Bosnia & Herzegovina	6.1
57	Philippines	6.1
58	S. Korea	6.0
	The Americas Avg	6.31
	World Avg	5.58
q=147.

Creativity & Culture Lower is better₃₃
Pos.		2017 Rank₃₃
1	Belgium	1
2	Netherlands	2
3	Estonia	3
	...
137	Congo, (Brazzaville)	137
138	Algeria	138
139	Azerbaijan	139
140	Paraguay	140
141	Sri Lanka	141
142	Malawi	142
143	Benin	143
144	Cameroon	144
	The Americas Avg	80.2
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Passport Reach (2020s) Higher is better₇₁
Pos.		Total Q₇₁
1	Singapore	192.2
2	Japan	192.0
3	S. Korea	190.7
	...
64	Panama	144.2
65	Macau	144.0
66	Dominica	143.3
67	Paraguay	142.5
68	Ukraine	140.8
69	Peru	137.2
70	Serbia	136.2
71	El Salvador	134.2
	The Americas Avg	132.4
	World Avg	108.8
q=195.

Open Trading, Aid & Development Lower is better₃₃
Pos.		2017 Rank₃₃
1	Ireland	1
2	Denmark	2
3	Sweden	3
	...
151	Suriname	151
152	Gabon	152
153	Iraq	153
154	Paraguay	154
155	Grenada	155
156	Venezuela	156
157	Bahrain	157
158	Mauritania	158
	The Americas Avg	100.5
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Peace Versus Instability Datasets:

Global Peace Index Lower is better₇₂
Pos.		2023 Score₇₂
1	Iceland	1.12
2	Denmark	1.31
3	Ireland	1.31
	...
66	Armenia	1.93
67	France	1.94
68	Panama	1.94
69	Paraguay	1.94
70=	Liberia	1.95
70=	Trinidad & Tobago	1.95
70=	Kosovo	1.95
73	Cambodia	1.95
	The Americas Avg	2.13
	World Avg	2.07
q=163.

Peacekeeping & Security Lower is better₃₃
Pos.		2017 Rank₃₃
1	Samoa	1
2	S. Africa	2
3	Tunisia	3
	...
27	Netherlands	27
28	Mongolia	28
29	Rwanda	29
30	Paraguay	30
31	Jordan	31
32	India	32
33	New Zealand	33
34	Malaysia	34
	The Americas Avg	82.3
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Refugees & UN Treaties Lower is better₃₃
Pos.		2017 Rank₃₃
1	Austria	1
2	Germany	2
3	Netherlands	3
	...
79	Algeria	79
80	Ecuador	80
81	Kuwait	81
82	Paraguay	82
83	Sierra Leone	83
84	Israel	84
85	Tanzania	85
86	Jamaica	86
	The Americas Avg	91.5
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Impact of Terrorism Lower is better₇₃
Pos.		2019 Score₇₃
1	Togo	0.00
2	Mongolia	0.00
3	Swaziland	0.00
	...
86	Nicaragua	2.95
87	Jordan	3.09
88	Italy	3.11
89	Paraguay	3.12
90	Bahrain	3.20
91	Tanzania	3.27
92	Spain	3.35
93	Bolivia	3.39
	The Americas Avg	2.16
	World Avg	2.78
q=150.

Economic Inequality and Poverty Datasets:

Poverty (2020s) Lower is better₇₄
Pos.		Total %₇₄
1	Malaysia	0.01%
2	Bhutan	0.01%
3	Cyprus	0.02%
	...
58	Palestine	2.07%
59	Suriname	2.18%
60	Montenegro	2.37%
61	Paraguay	2.43%
62	Nepal	2.44%
63	Mexico	3.29%
64	Bolivia	3.35%
65	Panama	3.39%
	The Americas Avg	4.07%
	World Avg	11.40%
q=106.

Inequality in Life Expectancy Lower is better₇₅
Pos.		2019₇₅
1	Iceland	2.40
2=	Singapore	2.50
2=	Hong Kong	2.50
	...
104=	Nicaragua	13.10
104=	Mongolia	13.10
106	Honduras	13.30
107	Paraguay	13.80
108=	Uzbekistan	13.90
108=	Indonesia	13.90
108=	Azerbaijan	13.90
111	Algeria	14.10
	The Americas Avg	12.03
	World Avg	14.59
q=184.

Income Inequality (Gini Coefficient) Lower is better₇₆
Pos.		2023 %₇₆
1	Slovakia	24.1%₇₇
2	Slovenia	24.3%₇₇
3	Belarus	24.4%₇₈
	...
146=	Congo, DR	44.7%₇₈
146=	Venezuela	44.7%₇₉
148	Lesotho	44.9%₈₀
149	Paraguay	45.1%₈₁
150	Comoros	45.3%₈₂
151	Nicaragua	46.2%₈₂
152	Costa Rica	46.7%₈₃
153	Honduras	48.2%₈₄
	The Americas Avg	44.0%
	World Avg	36.5%
q=167.

Multidimensional Poverty Lower is better₈₅
Pos.		2018 Severity₈₅
1	Armenia	.001
2	Ukraine	.001
3	Serbia	.001
	...
26	Belize	.017
27	Ecuador	.018
28	Jamaica	.018
29	Paraguay	.019
30	Vietnam	.019
31	Egypt	.019
32	Colombia	.020
33	Philippines	.024
	The Americas Avg	.045
	World Avg	.154
q=101.

9. Religion and Beliefs

#belief #buddhism #christianity #god #hinduism #islam #judaism #Paraguay #religion #religion_in_paraguay #religiosity #secularisation

Religiosity (2018)₆₂
Pos.		Lower is better %₆₂
1	China	3
2	Estonia	6
3	Czechia	7
	...
51=	USA	53
52	Bosnia & Herzegovina	54
53=	Greece	56
53=	Paraguay	56
55	Lebanon	57
56	Panama	61
57	Venezuela	67
58	Turkey	68
59=	Bolivia	71
59=	Botswana	71
61=	Brazil	72
61=	Egypt	72
63=	Algeria	73
63=	Peru	73
65	S. Africa	75
66=	Ecuador	76
	World Avg	54.3
q=106.

Disbelief In God (2007)₈₆
Pos.		Higher is better %₈₆
1	Vietnam	81
2	Japan	65
3	Sweden	64
	...
70=	Tajikistan	2
70=	Turkmenistan	2
70=	Indonesia	2
73=	Paraguay	1
73=	Nicaragua	1
73=	Bolivia	1
73=	Colombia	1
73=	Costa Rica	1
73=	Honduras	1
73=	Brazil	1
73=	Ecuador	1
73=	S. Africa	1
73=	Venezuela	1
73=	Peru	1
73=	Guatemala	1
73=	El Salvador	1
	World Avg	9.9
q=137.

Pew Forum polling over the decades has found the following adherency rates:₈₇:

	2010	2020
Christian	96.8%	93.5%
Unaffiliated	0.492%	4.25%
Other	2.7%	2.17%
Buddhist	<0.1%	<0.1%
Jewish	<0.1%	<0.1%
Muslim	<0.1%	<0.1%
Hindu	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 95.8% of the populace say they belong to a religion, only 56% 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: Roman Catholic 89.6%, Protestant 6.2%, other Christian 1.1%, other or unspecified 1.9%, none 1.1% (2002 census)₈₈.

Freedom of Religion and Belief: Although Paraguay's constitution states that "the State is independent of religion"₈₉, the Catholic Church is also named as a cooperative partner in Articles 24 and 89₂₈. Conservative Catholics have great influence over politics to the extent that they damage democracy and human rights, especially women's rights and LGBT tolerance. With support of US Christian organisations, they managed ban the teaching of tolerance in schools, with the Minister for Education swearing that he would "burn any books that contained so-called gender ideology"₂₈.

Links: