Peru (Republic of Peru)

Peru Republic of Peru
Status	Independent State
Social and Moral Index	58th best
Capital	Lima
Land Area	1 280 000km21
Location	South America, The Americas
Population	32.0m2
Life Expectancy	72.38yrs (2017)3
GNI	$12 246 (2017)4
ISO3166-1 Codes	PE, PER, 6045
Internet Domain	.pe6
Currency	Sol (PEN)7
Telephone	+518

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

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1. Overview

“Ancient Peru was the seat of several prominent Andean civilizations, most notably that of the Incas whose empire was captured by Spanish conquistadors in 1533. Peruvian independence was declared in 1821, and remaining Spanish forces were defeated in 1824. After a dozen years of military rule, Peru returned to democratic leadership in 1980, but experienced economic problems and the growth of a violent insurgency. President Alberto FUJIMORI's election in 1990 ushered in a decade that saw a dramatic turnaround in the economy and significant progress in curtailing guerrilla activity. Nevertheless, the president's increasing reliance on authoritarian measures and an economic slump in the late 1990s generated mounting dissatisfaction with his regime, which led to his ouster in 2000. A caretaker government oversaw new elections in the spring of 2001, which installed Alejandro TOLEDO Manrique as the new head of government - Peru's first democratically elected president of indigenous Quechuan ethnicity. The presidential election of 2006 saw the return of Alan GARCIA Perez who, after a disappointing presidential term from 1985 to 1990, oversaw a robust economic rebound. In June 2011, former army officer Ollanta HUMALA Tasso was elected president, defeating Keiko FUJIMORI Higuchi, the daughter of Alberto FUJIMORI. Since his election, HUMALA has carried on the sound, market-oriented economic policies of the three preceeding administrations.”

CIA's The World Factbook (2013)₉

“Peru startles with its variety - parched coastal desert, jagged Andean peaks, lush Amazon rainforest. Its rich culture runs the gamut from sophisticated Lima to mist-shrouded ancient ruins. A visit to South America isn´t complete without a pilgrimage to the glorious Inca citadel of Machu Picchu, but, the truth is, this feted site is just a flash in a 5000-year history of peoples. Walk through the dusted remnants of a vast ancient city at Chan Chan, the largest pre-Columbian ruins in all the Americas. Fly over the puzzling geo-glyphs etched into the arid earth at Nazca. Or venture into the rugged wilds that hem the stalwart fortress of Kuelap. Lima´s great museums, with priceless ceramics, gold and some of the finest textiles in the world, reveal in full detail the sophistication, skill and passion of these lost civilizations. Visit remote communities and see how old ways live on. Peru is as complex as its most intricate weavings. Festivals mix ancient pageantry with stomping brass bands. The urban vanguard beams with artistry and innovation. Trails mark the way from dense jungle to glacial peaks. Immerse yourself in Peru and leave a little closer to the past.”

"The World" by Lonely Planet (2014)₁₀

2. Peru 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
	...
81=	Palau	0.767
81=	Dominican Rep.	0.767
83	Cuba	0.764
84	Peru	0.762
85	Armenia	0.759
86	Mexico	0.758
87	Brazil	0.754
88	Colombia	0.752
	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
	...
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
101	St Vincent & Grenadines	$11 961
102	Egypt	$11 732
	The Americas Avg	$16 628
	World Avg	$20 136
q=193.

Social & Moral Development Index12
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank12
1	Denmark	29.7
2	Norway	33.6
3	Switzerland	35.2
	...
55	Malaysia	76.8
56	Albania	76.9
57	Tunisia	77.0
58	Peru	77.5
59	Macedonia	77.8
60	Ecuador	78.1
61	Trinidad & Tobago	78.3
62	Northern Cyprus	79.1
	The Americas Avg	81.5
	World Avg	88.9
q=199.

The United Nations produces an annual Human Development Report which includes the Human Development Index. The factors taken into account include life expectancy, education and schooling and Gross National Income (GNI) amongst many others..

The Social and Moral Development Index concentrates on moral issues and human rights, violence, public health, equality, tolerance, freedom and effectiveness in climate change mitigation and environmentalism, and on some technological issues. A country scores higher for achieving well in those areas, and for sustaining that achievement in the long term. Those countries towards the top of this index can truly said to be setting good examples and leading humankind onwards into a bright, humane, and free future. See: Which are the Best Countries in the World? The Social and Moral Development Index.

3. Peru's Demographics and Migration

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

Population Datasets:

Peru's population is predicted to rise to 35.49 million by 2030. These millions of extra people will all need space to live, food to eat, energy to consume, and will increase the burden on the planet's resources. This country has a fertility rate of 2.16. 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
	...
40	Morocco	36.0m
41	Saudi Arabia	33.7m
42	Uzbekistan	32.5m
43	Peru	32.0m
44	Malaysia	31.5m
45	Angola	30.8m
46	Ghana	29.8m
47	Mozambique	29.5m
	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
	...
89	Oman	72.5
90	Belarus	72.4
91	Bangladesh	72.4
92	Peru	72.4
93	Syria	72.1
94	Armenia	72.0
95	Libya	71.9
96	Bhutan	71.8
	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
	...
20	Indonesia	2.15
21	Greenland	1.84
22	Gibraltar	1.84
23	Peru	2.16
24	Venezuela	2.19
25	Romania	1.81
26	Mexico	1.80
27=	Montenegro	1.80
	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
	...
96	Guyana	15.0
97	Fiji	15.3
98	Mexico	15.4
99	Peru	15.5
100=	Dominican Rep.	15.6
100=	Venezuela	15.6
100=	Kazakhstan	15.6
103	Ecuador	16.0
	World Avg	18.3
q=185.

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

Migration Datasets:

Immigrants16
Pos.		2017 %16
1	UAE	88.4%
2	Kuwait	75.5%
3	Qatar	65.2%
	...
181	Eritrea	0.3%
182	Somalia	0.3%
183	Lesotho	0.3%
184	Peru	0.3%
185	Colombia	0.3%
186	Morocco	0.3%
187	Philippines	0.2%
188	N. Korea	0.2%
	World Avg	9.4%
q=195.

Emigrants17
Pos.		2010 %17
1	Dominica	104.8%
2	Palestine	68.4%
3	Samoa	67.3%
	...
128	Bahrain	3.7%
129	Gambia	3.7%
130	Chile	3.7%
131	Peru	3.7%
132	Czechia	3.6%
133	Mauritania	3.5%
134	Canada	3.5%
135	Algeria	3.4%
	World Avg	11.5%
q=192.

4. Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance

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

Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance (2025)18
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank18
1	Sweden	6.1
2	Denmark	8.6
3	Norway	9.0
	...
62	Bahamas	66.6
63	Ecuador	67.2
64	Cape Verde	68.0
65	Peru	68.7
66	St Lucia	69.9
67	Kiribati	70.1
	The Americas Avg	71.80
	World Avg	86.55
q=199.

Peru does relatively well in ensuring human rights and freedom, compared to many other countries. Peru does the second-best in its nominal commitment to Human Rights₁₉. It does better than average when it comes to LGBT equality₂₀, the rate of gender bias (from 7 indicators)₂₁, commentary in Human Rights Watch reports₂₂, eliminating modern slavery₂₃, supporting personal, civil & economic freedoms₂₄, freethought₂₅ and in its average Freedom in the World rating (but bad for The Americas). But, things still need to improve in Peru. Peru does worse than average for its success in fighting anti-semitic prejudice₂₆ (amongst the worst in The Americas), opposing gender inequality₂₇ and in supporting press freedom₂₈. "Efforts to prosecute grave human rights abuses committed during the 20-year armed conflict that ended in 2000 have had mixed results"₂₉.

For tables, charts and commentary, see:

• Human Rights and Freedom in Peru

5. Peru's Health

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

Compared to The Americas (2025)30
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank30
1	Curaço	49.7
2	Aruba	49.9
3	US Virgin Islands	51.9
	...
24	Panama	93.5
25	Chile	95.1
26	El Salvador	96.3
27	Peru	96.4
28	Argentina	96.7
29	St Lucia	98.5
30	St Vincent & Grenadines	98.9
31	Dominican Rep.	103.2
32	Mexico	103.2
	The Americas Avg	92.66
q=44.

Health (2025)30
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank30
1	Monaco	14.3
2	Liechtenstein	30.1
3	Isle of Man	32.1
	...
112	Latvia	95.5
113	Moldova	95.7
114	El Salvador	96.3
115	Peru	96.4
116	Argentina	96.7
117	Bangladesh	96.8
118	Saudi Arabia	98.2
119	St Lucia	98.5
	World Avg	96.49
q=213.

The countries with the best overall approach to public health, in terms of both public policy and individual lifestyle choices, are Monaco, Liechtenstein and The Isle of Man₃₁. These countries are worth emulating. And, although often through no fault of the average citizen, the worst countries are The Marshall Islands, The Cook Islands and S. Sudan₃₁.

27 datasets are used to calculate points for each country, including multiple decades of data on its average life expectancy, its alcohol consumption rate, its fertility rate, its smoking rate, its suicide rate, its food aid and health contributions and WHO compliance, the prevalence of overweight adults, obesity rate, its adolescent birth rate and its immunizations take-up. The regions with the best average results per country are Scandinavia, Europe and The Mediterranean₃₁, whereas the worst are Micronesia, Melanesia and Australasia₃₁.

For more, see:

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

Health Datasets:

Peru does relatively well in encouraging good health, compared to many other countries. Peru comes in the best 20 in terms of its suicide rate₃₂ and in its smoking rate₃₃. It does better than average for its fertility rate₁₄ and in its average life expectancy₁₁. But, things could still be better. Peru does worse than average for its alcohol consumption rate₃₄, its food aid and health contributions and WHO compliance₃₅, the prevalence of overweight adults₃₆, its immunizations take-up₃₇ and in its adolescent birth rate₃₈. The prevalence of overweight adults has increased by 14% during the past 40 years. Life expectancy in Peru improved by +11.1yrs in the 30 years from 1990, much better than the global average of +7.9yrs. Peru is amongst only 41 countries who have seen their fertility rate drop by more than 4 since the 1960s. Its peak fertility rate was 6.94 in 1960.

Life Expectancy Higher is better11
Pos.		2021 Years11
1	Monaco	85.9
2	Hong Kong	85.5
3	Japan	84.8
	...
89	Oman	72.5
90	Belarus	72.4
91	Bangladesh	72.4
92	Peru	72.4
93	Syria	72.1
94	Armenia	72.0
95	Libya	71.9
96	Bhutan	71.8
	The Americas Avg	72.58
	World Avg	71.28
q=195.

Alcohol Consumption Lower is better34
Pos.		2016 Per Capita34
1	Bangladesh	0.0
2	Kuwait	0.0
3	Libya	0.0
	...
93	Cuba	6.1
94	Kyrgyzstan	6.2
95=	Guyana	6.3
95=	Peru	6.3
97	Bosnia & Herzegovina	6.4
98=	Angola	6.4
99	Mexico	6.5
100	Philippines	6.6
	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
	...
20	Indonesia	2.15
21	Greenland	1.84
22	Gibraltar	1.84
23	Peru	2.16
24	Venezuela	2.19
25	Romania	1.81
26	Mexico	1.80
27=	Montenegro	1.80
	The Americas Avg	1.80
	World Avg	2.47
q=208.

Smoking in the 2020s Lower is better33
Pos.		Total %33
1	Nigeria	3.3%
2	Ghana	3.4%
3	Panama	5.2%
	...
8=	Cameroon	6.5%
8=	Senegal	6.5%
10	Barbados	7.0%
11	Peru	7.2%
12	Chad	7.4%
13	Uganda	7.6%
14	Niger	7.7%
15	Sao Tome & Principe	7.9%
	The Americas Avg	12.7%
	World Avg	20.0%
q=165.

Suicide Rate32
Pos.		2013 Per 100k32
1	Haiti	0
2	Grenada	0
3	Egypt	0.1
4	Jordan	0.2
5	Maldives	0.7
6	Azerbaijan	1.3
7	S. Africa	1.8
8	Bahamas	2.5
9	Peru	2.9
10	Kuwait	3.6
11	Armenia	3.9
12	Dominican Rep.	4.6
	The Americas Avg	13.57
	World Avg	20.93
q=91.

Food Aid, Health Contributions & WHO Compliance Lower is better35
Pos.		2017 Rank35
1	Sweden	1
2	Ireland	2
3	Denmark	3
	...
110	Costa Rica	110
111	Dominica	111
112	Romania	112
113	Peru	113
114	Kenya	114
115	Haiti	115
116	Malawi	116
117	Swaziland	117
	The Americas Avg	94.3
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Overweight Adults Lower is better36
Pos.		1976 %36
1	Bangladesh	4.7
2	Vietnam	5.1
3	Nepal	5.4
	...
118	Tunisia	32.8
119	Cyprus	33.0
120	Moldova	33.4
121	Peru	33.5
122	Netherlands	33.7
123	Albania	33.8
124	Syria	34.3
125	Ireland	34.5
	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%
	...
111	Estonia	26.7%
112	Ecuador	27.0%
113	Portugal	27.1%
114	Peru	27.2%
115	Swaziland	27.3%
116	Canada	27.3%
117	Azerbaijan	27.5%
118	Bolivia	27.8%
	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
	...
130	El Salvador	54.5
131	Suriname	55.2
132	Comoros	56.1
133	Peru	56.1
134	Belize	56.6
135	Marshall Islands	57.5
136	Colombia	57.6
137	Solomon Islands	59.4
	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
	...
120	Montenegro	89.9
121	Zimbabwe	89.7
122	Senegal	89.5
123	Peru	89.3
124	Ireland	89.2
125	Sudan	89.2
126	Honduras	88.8
127	Kenya	88.5
	The Americas Avg	91.3
	World Avg	88.3
q=194.

6. Peru's Responsibility Towards The Environment

#biodiversity #climate_change #deforestation #energy #environmentalism #food #internationalism #meat #Mennonite #over-exploitation #peru #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
4	Chile	56.4
5	Peru	56.7
6	Dominican Rep.	65.0
7	Ecuador	65.6
8	Guatemala	66.1
9	Mexico	66.3
10	El Salvador	67.4
11	Brazil	70.2
12	Colombia	70.9
13	Argentina	78.5
	The Americas Avg	92.66
q=36.

Responsibility Towards The Environment (2025)40
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank40
1	Sri Lanka	34.9
2	Uruguay	43.2
3	Switzerland	45.0
	...
14	Nigeria	55.8
15	Rwanda	56.4
16	Chile	56.4
17	Peru	56.7
18	Liechtenstein	56.8
19	Japan	57.4
20	Uganda	57.8
21	Kenya	57.9
	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).

When it comes to its responsibility towards the environment, Peru is 17th-best in the world. This is calculated from 21 data sets. Peru comes in the best 20 when it comes to the rate of rational beliefs on the environment in the population₄₂. It does better than average in its sign-up rate to major international accords on protecting the environment, its environmental performance₄₃ and in energy to GDP efficiency₄₄. But, things still need to improve in Peru. Peru does worse than average in terms of reducing annual meat consumption per person₄₅ (still low for The Americas) and in its forested percent change 2000-2020₄₆. And finally, it sits amongst the bottom 20 when it comes to its score on the Green Future Index₄₇ (amongst the worst in The Americas).