Qatar (State of Qatar)

Qatar State of Qatar
Status	Independent State
Social and Moral Index	102nd best
Capital	Doha
Land Area	11 610km21
Location	Asia, The Middle East
Population	2.8m2
Life Expectancy	79.27yrs (2017)3
GNI	$87 134 (2017)4
ISO3166-1 Codes	QA, QAT, 6345
Internet Domain	.qa6
Currency	Rial (QAR)7
Telephone	+9748

1. Overview
2. Qatar National and Social Development
3. Qatar's Demographics and Migration
4. Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance
5. Qatar's Health
   1. Health Datasets
   2. Children's Health Datasets
6. Qatar's Responsibility Towards The Environment
7. Qatar's Modernity and Learning
   1. Modernity Datasets
   2. Education Datasets
   3. Technology and Information Datasets
8. Qatar's Culture, Peace and Inequality
   1. National Culture Datasets
   2. Peace Versus Instability Datasets
   3. Economic Inequality and Poverty Datasets
9. Religion and Beliefs
10. Al-Jazeera News Station
11. Links

---

1. Overview

#bahrain #libya #saudi_arabia

“Ruled by the Al Thani family since the mid-1800s, Qatar transformed itself from a poor British protectorate noted mainly for pearling into an independent state with significant oil and natural gas revenues. During the late 1980s and early 1990s, the Qatari economy was crippled by a continuous siphoning off of petroleum revenues by the Amir, who had ruled the country since 1972. His son, the current Amir HAMAD bin Khalifa Al Thani, overthrew him in a bloodless coup in 1995. In 2001, Qatar resolved its longstanding border disputes with both Bahrain and Saudi Arabia. As of 2007, oil and natural gas revenues had enabled Qatar to attain the highest per capita income in the world. Qatar has not experienced the level of unrest or violence seen in other Near Eastern and North African countries in 2010-11, due in part to its immense wealth. Qatar's international image is bolstered in part by the Doha-based Al Jazeera news network, which has provided comprehensive coverage of the Near East and North African Arab revolutions. Additionally, Qatar played a significant role in the Libyan revolution by pressing the Gulf Cooperation Council and the Arab League to assist the Libyan rebel movement.”

CIA's The World Factbook (2013)₉

“Combining Bedouin heritage with modern elegance and luxury, Qatar offers an excellent introduction to the Arab world. Ask the Qataris, Bedouin roots notwithstanding, what they are most proud of and they will undoubtedly say Doha. And indeed you can see why: the modern capital with its spectacular tapering towers, elegant corniche and extravagant malls, makes Doha arguably the finest stop over in the Gulf.But there´s more to Qatar than a shopping spree. The whole country, with its heritage souqs, world-class Museum of Islamic Art, and lyrical sand dunes, provides travellers the perfect first step into the Middle East but without the tensions often associated with the region.

The success of this booming nation is more than just skin deep. Rapid economic expansion, barely slowed by the global recession, international sports tournaments, and Education City: these are some of the many hallmarks of Qatar´s sophistication. Chances are, if you spend a night in the vibrant city of Doha, you´ll be lobbying the relatives to stay a whole lot longer in Qatar.”

"The World" by Lonely Planet (2014)₁₀

2. Qatar 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
	...
40=	Andorra	0.858
40=	Croatia	0.858
42=	Chile	0.855
42=	Qatar	0.855
44	San Marino	0.853
45	Slovakia	0.848
46	Hungary	0.846
47	Argentina	0.842
	Asia Avg	0.75
	World Avg	0.72
q=191.

Gross National Income Per-Capita (2021)11
Pos.		Higher is better PPP $11
1	Liechtenstein	$146 830
2	Singapore	$90 919
3	Qatar	$87 134
4	Luxembourg	$84 649
5	Ireland	$76 169
6	Switzerland	$66 933
7	USA	$64 765
8	Norway	$64 660
9	Brunei	$64 490
10	Hong Kong	$62 607
11	UAE	$62 574
12	Denmark	$60 365
	Asia Avg	$22 215
	World Avg	$20 136
q=193.

Social & Moral Development Index12
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank12
1	Denmark	28.1
2	Norway	29.9
3	Sweden	31.0
	...
99	Guatemala	90.1
100	Indonesia	90.4
101	Bahrain	90.7
102	Qatar	90.7
103	S. Africa	91.1
104	Jordan	91.9
105	Paraguay	92.0
106	Mongolia	92.5
	Asia Avg	92.4
	World Avg	89.4
q=200.

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. Qatar's Demographics and Migration

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

Population Datasets:

Qatar's population is predicted to fall to 2 371 000 by 2030. Developed countries with falling populations face a pension's crises, whereby an increasingly ageing population must be cared for by fewer and fewer workers. Economic stability can be maintained by increasing foreign workers from younger countries. This country has a fertility rate of 1.78. 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 account₁₃. The highest fertility rate ever detected in a single year was in Yemen in 1985, at 8.86.₁₄

Population2
Pos.		2018 Population2
1	China	1.4b
2	India	1.4b
3	USA	327.1m
	...
137	Jamaica	2.9m
138	Albania	2.9m
139	Lithuania	2.8m
140	Qatar	2.8m
141	Namibia	2.4m
142	Gambia	2.3m
143	Botswana	2.3m
144	Gabon	2.1m
	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
	...
32	Andorra	80.4
33	Greece	80.1
34	Maldives	79.9
35	Qatar	79.3
36	Chile	78.9
37	Bahrain	78.8
38	Thailand	78.7
39	UAE	78.7
	World Avg	71.28
q=195. Also scored for 1990s-2010s.

Fertility Rate 2.0 is best15
Pos.		202215
1	US Virgin Islands	2.00
2	Ecuador	2.00
3	Nepal	2.01
	...
31	N. Korea	1.79
32	Malaysia	1.79
33	El Salvador	1.79
34	Qatar	1.78
35	Bulgaria	1.78
36	St Vincent & Grenadines	1.78
37	Brunei	1.76
38	Dominican Rep.	2.25
	World Avg	2.47
q=208. Also scored for 1960s-2010s.

Old-Age Dependency Ratio Lower is better16
Pos.		2016 Per 10016
1	Uganda	04.3
2	Mali	04.5
3=	Chad	04.7
	...
10=	Afghanistan	05.0
10=	Zimbabwe	05.0
12=	Nigeria	05.1
12=	Qatar	05.1
14=	Somalia	05.4
14=	Togo	05.4
16=	Ivory Coast	05.6
16=	Malawi	05.6
	World Avg	18.3
q=185.

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

Migration Datasets:

Immigrants17
Pos.		2017 %17
1	UAE	88.4%
2	Kuwait	75.5%
3	Qatar	65.2%
4	Liechtenstein	65.1%
5	Monaco	54.9%
6	Andorra	53.3%
7	Bahrain	48.4%
8	Singapore	46.0%
9	Luxembourg	45.3%
10	Oman	44.7%
11	Hong Kong	39.1%
12	Saudi Arabia	37.0%
	World Avg	9.4%
q=195.

Emigrants18
Pos.		2010 %18
1	Dominica	104.8%
2	Palestine	68.4%
3	Samoa	67.3%
	...
182	Tanzania	0.7%
183	Brazil	0.7%
184	Saudi Arabia	0.7%
185	Qatar	0.7%
186	Nigeria	0.6%
187	Maldives	0.6%
188	China	0.6%
189	Japan	0.6%
	World Avg	11.5%
q=192.

4. Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance

#equality #freedom #gender #gender_equality #human_rights #Islam #misogyny #morals #politics #prejudice #qatar #qatar_gender #tolerance #Wahabi #women

Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance (2025)19
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank19
1	Sweden	7.8
2	Netherlands	8.7
3	Denmark	8.8
	...
177	Guinea	135.7
178	Libya	135.9
179	Ethiopia	136.3
180	Qatar	136.5
181	Yemen	136.9
182	Iraq	138.4
	Asia Avg	109.13
	World Avg	89.80
q=199.

Strict Wahabi Islam serves as an impenetrable barrier against progress. Qatar is amongst the worst places in the world at ensuring human rights and freedom, and it has severe cultural issues when it comes to tolerance and equality. Qatar does better than average in terms of opposing gender inequality₂₀, commentary in Human Rights Watch reports₂₁ and in supporting press freedom₂₂. When it comes to most other metrics, Qatar does not do well. It does worse than average in combatting modern slavery₂₃, supporting personal, civil & economic freedoms₂₄, its average Freedom in the World rating, its nominal commitment to Human Rights₂₅ and in freethought₂₆. It falls into the worst 20 in terms of its success in fighting anti-semitic prejudice₂₇ and in LGBT equality in the 2020s₂₈. And finally, it is second-from-the-bottom when it comes to the rate of gender bias (from 7 indicators)₂₉. There is widespread and serious "legal, cultural, and institutional discrimination against, women and girls, LGBTI+ people, non-Qatari nationals, certain local tribes, and other minorities"₃₀. Hundreds of preventable deaths annually may be attributable to poor labour protection law₃₁. Progress is not helped by the fact that the richest 1% hold 29% of the country's entire income₃₂.

For tables, charts and commentary, see:

• Human Rights and Freedom in Qatar

5. Qatar's Health

#health

Compared to Asia (2025)33
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank33
1	Japan	40.8
2	Singapore	43.3
3	S. Korea	53.7
	...
14	Bahrain	71.0
15	UAE	75.9
16	Vietnam	77.5
17	Qatar	77.9
18	Oman	80.7
19	Iran	80.8
20	Maldives	82.2
21	Armenia	85.3
22	Russia	86.8
	Asia Avg	90.68
q=50.

Health (2025)33
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank33
1	Monaco	10.3
2	Liechtenstein	30.1
3	Japan	40.8
	...
60	Costa Rica	76.4
61	Vietnam	77.5
62	Barbados	77.6
63	Qatar	77.9
64	Seychelles	78.0
65	Macedonia	78.5
66	Belarus	80.2
67	Dominica	80.4
	World Avg	97.39
q=207.

The countries with the best overall approach to public health, in terms of both public policy and individual lifestyle choices, are Monaco, Liechtenstein and Japan₃₄. These countries are worth emulating. And, although often through no fault of the average citizen, the worst countries are Angola, Somalia and S. Sudan₃₄.

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 Mediterranean₃₄, whereas the worst are Micronesia, Africa and Melanesia₃₄.

For more, see:

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

5.1. Health Datasets

#2010s #alcohol #birth_control #demographics #health #life_expectancy #longevity #mental_health #obesity #overpopulation #qatar #smoking #suicide

Qatar does relatively well in encouraging good health, compared to many other countries. Qatar does better than average when it comes to its food aid and health contributions and WHO compliance₃₅, its adolescent birth rate₃₆, its fertility rate₁₅, its average life expectancy₁₁, its alcohol consumption rate₃₇, childhood mortality in the 2020s₃₈, its smoking rate₃₉, delivery rate of 7x Infant Immunizations 2011-2015₄₀ and in delivery rate of infant DTP immunizations in the 2020s₄₁. But, things could still be better. Qatar does worse than average in terms of its suicide rate₄₂. And finally, it falls into the worst-performing 20 when it comes to the prevalence of overweight adults₄₃ (one of the highest in Asia). The number of overweight adults has increased by 14% over the past 40 years. Life expectancy in Qatar improved by +7yrs in the 30 years from 1990, on par with the global average improvement of +7.9yrs. Qatar is amongst only 41 countries who have seen their fertility rate drop by more than 4 since the 1960s. Its peak fertility rate was 6.74 in 1966.

Life Expectancy Higher is better11
Pos.		2021 Years11
1	Monaco	85.9
2	Hong Kong	85.5
3	Japan	84.8
	...
32	Andorra	80.4
33	Greece	80.1
34	Maldives	79.9
35	Qatar	79.3
36	Chile	78.9
37	Bahrain	78.8
38	Thailand	78.7
39	UAE	78.7
	Asia Avg	73.48
	World Avg	71.28
q=195. Also scored for 1990s-2010s.

Alcohol Consumption Lower is better37
Pos.		2016 Per Capita37
1	Bangladesh	0.0
2	Kuwait	0.0
3	Libya	0.0
	...
39=	Madagascar	1.9
39=	Tunisia	1.9
39=	Bahrain	1.9
42=	Qatar	2.0
42=	Nepal	2.0
42=	Singapore	2.0
42=	Turkey	2.0
46	Timor-Leste (E. Timor)	2.1
	Asia Avg	3.9
	World Avg	6.2
q=189.

Fertility Rate 2.0 is best15
Pos.		202215
1	US Virgin Islands	2.00
2	Ecuador	2.00
3	Nepal	2.01
	...
31	N. Korea	1.79
32	Malaysia	1.79
33	El Salvador	1.79
34	Qatar	1.78
35	Bulgaria	1.78
36	St Vincent & Grenadines	1.78
37	Brunei	1.76
38	Dominican Rep.	2.25
	Asia Avg	2.17
	World Avg	2.47
q=208. Also scored for 1960s-2010s.

Smoking in the 2020s Lower is better39
Pos.		Smoking in the 2020s %39
1	Nigeria	3.3%
2	Ghana	3.4%
3	Panama	5.2%
	...
47	New Zealand	12.3%
48	Honduras	12.4%
49	Bolivia	12.4%
50	Qatar	12.5%
51	Sierra Leone	12.9%
52	Morocco	13.0%
53	Australia	13.1%
54	Iran	13.3%
	Asia Avg	22.8%
	World Avg	20.0%
q=165. Also scored for 2000s-2020s.

Suicide Rate in the 2010s Lower is better42
Pos.		Suicide Rate in the 2010s Per 100k42
1=	Jordan	1.00
1=	Sao Tome & Principe	1.00
1=	Antigua & Barbuda	1.00
	...
98	Seychelles	7.63
99=	Somalia	7.84
99=	Rwanda	7.84
101	Qatar	7.87
102	Spain	7.88
103	Ecuador	8.02
104	Haiti	8.11
105	Ivory Coast	8.18
	Asia Avg	7.22
	World Avg	9.24
q=185. Also scored for 2000s-2010s.

Food Aid, Health Contributions & WHO Compliance Lower is better35
Pos.		2017 Rank35
1	Sweden	1
2	Ireland	2
3	Denmark	3
	...
22	Spain	22
23	France	23
24	Italy	24
25	Qatar	25
26	Oman	26
27	Estonia	27
28	Austria	28
29	Greece	29
	Asia Avg	64.4
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Overweight Adults Lower is better43
Pos.		1976 %43
1	Bangladesh	4.7
2	Vietnam	5.1
3	Nepal	5.4
	...
176	Israel	46.8
177	Andorra	47.0
178	Czechia	47.1
179	Qatar	49.0
180	Malta	49.6
181	Kiribati	50.0
182=	Micronesia	51.4
182=	Tuvalu	51.4
	Asia Avg	23.1
	World Avg	27.1
q=191.

Adult Obesity Lower is better44
Pos.		2022 %44
1	Vietnam	2.1%
2	Timor-Leste (E. Timor)	2.2%
3	Ethiopia	2.4%
	...
181	Palau	42.2%
182	USA	42.9%
183	Egypt	43.0%
184	Qatar	43.8%
185	Kuwait	45.4%
186	Micronesia	45.6%
187	Kiribati	46.2%
188	St Kitts & Nevis	46.6%
	Asia Avg	21.1%
	World Avg	24.7%
q=199. Also scored for 1990s-2010s.

5.2. Children's Health Datasets

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

Adolescent Birth Rate Lower is better36
Pos.		2022 Per 100036
1	Hong Kong	1.6
2	Denmark	1.8
3	S. Korea	2.1
	...
26	Tunisia	6.6
27	Maldives	6.8
28	Cyprus	6.8
29	Qatar	6.9
30	Monaco	6.9
31	Libya	7.0
32	Portugal	7.1
33	Germany	7.2
	Asia Avg	25.9
	World Avg	43.8
q=195. Also scored for 1990s-2010s.

Infant DTP Immunizations (2020s) Higher is better41
Pos.		Infant DTP Immunizations (2020s) Avg %41
1=	Luxembourg	99.0
1=	Oman	99.0
1=	Niue	99.0
	...
64	St Vincent & Grenadines	96.4
65=	Uzbekistan	96.3
65=	Tuvalu	96.3
67	Qatar	96.1
68	Aruba	96.0
69	Eritrea	96.0
70	Hong Kong	96.0
71=	El Salvador	95.7
	Asia Avg	90.6
	World Avg	88.5
q=211. Also scored for 1980s-2020s.

7x Infant Immunizations (2011-2015) Higher is better40
Pos.		2015 Avg %40
1=	Hungary	99.0
1=	China	99.0
3	Uzbekistan	98.9
	...
53	Tunisia	95.7
54	Japan	95.7
55	Portugal	95.7
56=	Qatar	95.6
56=	Armenia	95.6
58	Uruguay	95.6
59	Bhutan	95.6
60	Turkey	95.5
	Asia Avg	90.5
	World Avg	88.3
q=194.

Infant Mortality (2020s) Lower is better38
Pos.		Infant Mortality (2020s) Per 100038
1	San Marino	2.11
2	Finland	2.59
3	Luxembourg	2.60
	...
47	UAE	7.69
48	Bahrain	7.92
49	Chile	7.93
50	Qatar	7.95
51	Malaysia	8.13
52	Russia	8.36
53	Bulgaria	8.60
54	Uruguay	9.08
	Asia Avg	23.58
	World Avg	32.19
q=195. Also scored for 1960s-2020s.

6. Qatar's Responsibility Towards The Environment

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

Compared to Asia (2025)45
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank45
1	Sri Lanka	34.9
2	Nepal	47.9
3	India	49.5
	...
26	Taiwan	86.1
27	Malaysia	89.5
28	Palestine	92.7
29	Qatar	94.1
30	Saudi Arabia	94.9
31	Israel	95.8
32=	Laos	97.0
33	Russia	99.2
34	Myanmar	99.9
	Asia Avg	88.09
q=51.

Responsibility Towards The Environment (2025)45
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank45
1	Sri Lanka	34.9
2	Uruguay	43.2
3	Switzerland	45.0
	...
132	Palestine	92.7
133	Vanuatu	93.0
134	Mozambique	93.9
135	Qatar	94.1
136	Liberia	94.2
137	Trinidad & Tobago	94.5
138	Ukraine	94.8
139	Saudi Arabia	94.9
	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"₄₆. 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).

Qatar ranks 135th in the world in terms of its responsibility towards the environment. This rank is calculated from 21 data sets. Qatar does better than average in its environmental performance₄₇ and in its forested percent change 2000-2020₄₈. But that's it. Qatar has problems. It does worse than average in terms of the rate of rational beliefs on the environment in the population₄₉, energy to GDP efficiency₅₀, its sign-up rate to major international accords on protecting the environment and in reducing annual meat consumption per person₅₁. And finally, it falls into the worst-performing 20 in terms of its score on the Green Future Index₅₂ (one of the lowest in Asia).

Forest Area Change 2000-2020 Higher is better48
Pos.		Total48
1	Guernsey	82.6%
2	Bahrain	75.2%
3	Iceland	64.7%
	...
86	Niue	0.2%
87	Cook Islands	0.1%
88	New Caledonia	0.0%
89=	Qatar	0.0%
89=	Marshall Islands	0.0%
89=	Norfolk Island	0.0%
89=	Yemen	0.0%
89=	Tonga	0.0%
	Asia Avg	3.2%
	World Avg	-0.1%
q=234.

Environmental Performance Higher is better47
Pos.		201847
1	Switzerland	87.4
2	France	84.0
3	Denmark	81.6
	...
29	Lithuania	69.3
30=	Bulgaria	67.9
30=	Costa Rica	67.9
32	Qatar	67.8
33	Czechia	67.7
34	Slovenia	67.6
35	Trinidad & Tobago	67.4
36	St Vincent & Grenadines	66.5
	Asia Avg	54.5
	World Avg	56.4
q=180.

Energy to GDP Efficiency Lower is better50
Pos.		2022 Avg50
1	Rwanda	0.25
2	Chad	0.26
3	Tanzania	0.31
	...
117	Liberia	1.37
118	Armenia	1.42
119	Finland	1.44
120	Qatar	1.46
121	Belgium	1.49
122	Panama	1.49
123	Uzbekistan	1.52
124	Malaysia	1.53
	Asia Avg	1.50
	World Avg	1.23
q=165. Also scored for 1960s-2010s.

From the 1960s, Qatar increased the amount of energy it used to maintain its GDP much more than any other country, especially from the 1970s to the 1980s, where it used eight times as much per GDP per capita. In the 1990s, it was the 2nd-least-efficient country in the world for its energy usage to GDP; however, this splurge came to an end and into the 2000s, it improved its energy-to-GDP efficiency more than any other country. It was still improving its ratio into the 2010s.

International Accords on the Environment Higher is better
Pos.		International Accords on the Environment Avg Rate
1	Sweden	83%
2	Canada	82%
3	Norway	81%
	...
144	Djibouti	51%
145	Gabon	51%
146	Fiji	51%
147	Qatar	51%
148	Vanuatu	50%
149	Equatorial Guinea	50%
150	Moldova	50%
151	Bahrain	50%
	Asia Avg	55.4%
	World Avg	57.5%
q=197. Also scored for 1970s-2020s.

Rational Beliefs on the Environment Higher is better49
Pos.		2011 %49
1	Argentina	78.3%
2	Greece	77.6%
3	Brazil	77.1%
	...
102	Saudi Arabia	27.2%
103	Belgium	26.9%
104	Syria	26.6%
105	Qatar	26.5%
106	Bahrain	26.3%
107	S. Africa	26.2%
108	Lithuania	25.6%
109	Nigeria	25.3%
	Asia Avg	37.9%
	World Avg	39.9%
q=145.

Meat Consumption Lower is better51
Pos.		2021 kg51
1	Congo, DR	03.0
2	Burundi	03.5
3	Bangladesh	04.3
	...
150	UK	82.3
151	Czechia	82.4
152	Bahrain	82.8
153	Qatar	83.0
154=	Iceland	83.6
154=	Lithuania	83.6
156	UAE	84.3
157	Panama	85.0
	Asia Avg	46.7
	World Avg	52.5
q=185. Also scored for 2010s.

Green Future Index Higher is better52
Pos.		2023 Score52
1	Iceland	6.7
2	Finland	6.7
3	Norway	6.4
	...
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
76	Iran	2.6
	Asia Avg	4.3
	World Avg	4.8
q=76.

7. Qatar's Modernity and Learning

#education #modernity #technology #the_internet

Compared to Asia (2025)53
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank53
1	S. Korea	23.5
2	Taiwan	25.4
3	Japan	27.4
	...
21	Vietnam	74.8
22	Bahrain	77.9
23	Kuwait	78.6
24	Qatar	78.8
25	Brunei	78.9
26	Philippines	80.3
27	Turkmenistan	81.7
28	Tajikistan	83.9
29	India	87.2
	Asia Avg	86.04
q=51.

Modernity & Learning (2025)53
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank53
1	Finland	6.1
2	Iceland	8.1
3	Denmark	8.8
	...
89	Barbados	76.9
90	Bahrain	77.9
91	Kuwait	78.6
92	Qatar	78.8
93	Brunei	78.9
94	Tonga	80.0
95	Philippines	80.3
96	Paraguay	80.3
	World Avg	84.96
q=197.

The most modern countries, with the best results from education, the highest levels of research, and with the easiest access to information on the Internet, are Finland, Iceland and Denmark₅₄. The worst countries are S. Sudan, Eritrea and Somalia₅₄. Despite improves in global education, access to tertiary (adult) education is becoming increasingly unequal between the rich haves and the poor have-nots₅₅.

“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)₅₆

27 datasets are used to calculate points for each country, including multiple decades of data on Research and Development, Intellectual Endeavours, metric system adoption rate, Religiosity, IQ, Secondary Education, Length of Schooling, Maths, Science & Reading, the percent of citizens with access to the internet, Freedom On The Internet, IT Security, IPv6 Uptake and digital quality of life. The regions with the best average results per country are Scandinavia, Baltic States and Europe₅₄, whereas the worst are Melanesia, Africa and Micronesia₅₄.

For more, see:

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

7.1. Modernity Datasets

#metric #research #science

Research & Development Higher is better
Pos.		2016 % RDP PPP
1	S. Korea	4.2957
2	Israel	4.1157
3	Japan	3.5857
	...
60=	Uganda	0.4858
60=	Cyprus	0.4859
62=	Costa Rica	0.4760
62=	Qatar	0.4761
62=	Cuba	0.4759
65=	Macedonia	0.4459
65=	Puerto Rico	0.4459
67	Jordan	0.4362
	Asia Avg	0.75
	World Avg	0.84
q=126.

Intellectual Endeavours Lower is better35
Pos.		2017 Rank35
1	Ukraine	1
2	Czechia	2
3	Hungary	3
	...
142	Nigeria	142
143	Mali	143
144	Congo, (Brazzaville)	144
145	Qatar	145
146	Philippines	146
147	Mozambique	147
148	Lesotho	148
149	Venezuela	149
	Asia Avg	97.1
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Metric System Adoption Rate Higher is better63
Pos.		2025 %63
1=	Slovakia	100
1=	Poland	100
1=	Portugal	100
	...
141=	St Lucia	90
141=	St Kitts & Nevis	90
141=	Rwanda	90
141=	Qatar	90
141=	Pakistan	90
141=	Oman	90
141=	Nigeria	90
141=	Niger	90
	Asia Avg	90
	World Avg	92
q=187. Also scored for 1960s-2020s.

Officially adopted metric in 1970. Progression:

• 1960 (50%): Traditional units dominant; metric in administration.
• 1970 (70%): Modernization drives metric standardization.
• 1980 (85%): Commerce/industry largely metric.
• 2000 (90%): Metric dominant officially.
• 2025 (90%).

7.2. Education Datasets

#education #english #maths #science

Secondary Education Higher is better64
Pos.		201864
1=	Luxembourg	100.0%
1=	Estonia	100.0%
1=	Austria	100.0%
	...
78	Iran	69.8%
79	Vietnam	69.4%
80	Venezuela	69.2%
81	Qatar	67.5%
82	Mauritius	66.9%
83	Oman	66.4%
84	Jamaica	66.3%
85	Egypt	65.3%
	Asia Avg	66.0%
	World Avg	63.0%
q=169.

Length of Schooling Higher is better65
Pos.		2021 Years65
1	Australia	21.1
2	New Zealand	20.3
3	Greece	20.0
	...
120	Malawi	12.7
121	El Salvador	12.7
122	Nicaragua	12.6
123	Qatar	12.6
124	Maldives	12.6
125	Timor-Leste (E. Timor)	12.6
126	Cape Verde	12.6
127	Guyana	12.5
	Asia Avg	13.5
	World Avg	13.5
q=193. Also scored for 1990s-2010s.

Maths, Science & Reading Higher is better66
Pos.		2015 Score66
1	Singapore	1655
2	Hong Kong	1598
3	Japan	1586
	...
56=	Albania	1245
56=	Thailand	1245
58	Colombia	1231
59	Qatar	1222
60	Georgia	1216
61	Jordan	1197
62	Indonesia	1186
63	Brazil	1185
	Asia Avg	1398
	World Avg	1389
q=70.

7.3. Technology and Information Datasets

#it_security #modernity #qatar #technology #the_internet

Internet Users (2020s) Higher is better
Pos.		Internet Users (2020s)
1=	Iceland	99%
1=	Kuwait	99%
1=	UAE	99%
1=	Qatar	99%
1=	Bahrain	99%
6	Monaco	99%
7	Saudi Arabia	99%
8	Luxembourg	99%
9	Denmark	98%
10	Brunei	98%
11	Norway	98%
12	S. Korea	97%
	Asia Avg	74.9%
	World Avg	67.8%
q=188. Also scored for 1990s-2020s.

IT Security Lower is better67
Pos.		201367
1=	Ireland	0.11
1=	Luxembourg	0.11
1=	Belize	0.11
	...
23	S. Korea	0.56
24	Australia	0.63
25	Libya	0.63
26	Qatar	0.65
27	Chile	0.66
28	Guinea-Bissau	0.67
29	Uzbekistan	0.69
30	Moldova	0.71
	Asia Avg	1.08
	World Avg	0.98

IPv6 Uptake Higher is better68
Pos.		2017 Ratio68
1	Belgium	55.4
2	Germany	41.8
3	Switzerland	35.1
	...
106=	Malta	0.0
106=	Turkmenistan	0.0
106=	Bangladesh	0.0
106=	Qatar	0.0
106=	Kuwait	0.0
106=	Guernsey	0.0
106=	Bahamas	0.0
106=	Antigua & Barbuda	0.0
	Asia Avg	2.11
	World Avg	3.82
q=176.

8. Qatar's Culture, Peace and Inequality

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

Compared to Asia (2025)71
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank71
1	Singapore	18.1
2	Hong Kong	36.9
3	Japan	38.5
4	Cyprus	39.3
5=	S. Korea	40.6
6	UAE	46.2
7	Malaysia	47.4
8	Taiwan	50.7
9	Qatar	54.9
10	Israel	58.1
11	Oman	61.2
12	Thailand	66.8
13	Kuwait	70.8
	Asia Avg	84.83
q=51.

Culture, Peace & Inequality (2025)71
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank71
1	Denmark	11.6
2	Finland	13.4
3	Netherlands	13.6
	...
42	Latvia	53.5
43	Chile	53.6
44	Lithuania	53.8
45	Qatar	54.9
46	Israel	58.1
47	Greece	58.1
48	Bulgaria	58.9
49	Moldova	60.0
	World Avg	81.27
q=187.

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 (so far), Open Trading, Aid and Development, its Global Peace Index rating, Peacekeeping and Security, Refugees and UN Treaties, the impact of terrorism, poverty (so far), life expectancy inequality, Income Inequality (Gini Coefficient) and Multidimensional Poverty.

For more, see:

• "Which are the Countries for International Contributions, Creativity, Peace and Inequality?" by Vexen Crabtree (2025).

8.1. National Culture Datasets

#corruption #internationalism #politics #qatar

Corruption Higher is better72
Pos.		2022 Points72
1	Denmark	90.0
2=	Finland	87.0
2=	New Zealand	87.0
	...
37=	St Vincent & Grenadines	60.0
37=	Botswana	60.0
39	Latvia	59.0
40	Qatar	58.0
41=	Czechia	56.0
41=	Georgia	56.0
41=	Italy	56.0
41=	Slovenia	56.0
	Asia Avg	39.98
	World Avg	42.98
q=180. Also scored for 1990s-2010s.

Throughout the 2000s, Qatar improved its Corruption Perception Index score more than any other country.

Creativity & Culture Lower is better35
Pos.		2017 Rank35
1	Belgium	1
2	Netherlands	2
3	Estonia	3
	...
111	China	111
112	Swaziland	112
113	Argentina	113
114	Qatar	114
115	Afghanistan	115
116	Ivory Coast	116
117	Panama	117
118	Colombia	118
	Asia Avg	99.0
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Passport Reach (2020s) Higher is better73
Pos.		Passport Reach (2020s) Q73
1	Singapore	192.2
2	Japan	192.0
3	S. Korea	190.7
	...
93	Turkey	112.2
94	S. Africa	104.3
95	Belize	102.0
96	Qatar	101.3
97	Kuwait	97.2
98	Timor-Leste (E. Timor)	94.5
99	Ecuador	92.3
100	Maldives	89.7
	Asia Avg	85.1
	World Avg	108.8
q=195. Also scored for 2000s-2020s.

Open Trading, Aid & Development Lower is better35
Pos.		2017 Rank35
1	Ireland	1
2	Denmark	2
3	Sweden	3
	...
58	El Salvador	58
59	Senegal	59
60	Kyrgyzstan	60
61	Qatar	61
62	USA	62
63	Congo, DR	63
64	Honduras	64
65	S. Korea	65
	Asia Avg	86.3
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

8.2. Peace Versus Instability Datasets

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

Global Peace Index Lower is better74
Pos.		2023 Score74
1	Iceland	1.12
2	Denmark	1.31
3	Ireland	1.31
	...
18	Hungary	1.51
19	Malaysia	1.51
20	Belgium	1.52
21	Qatar	1.52
22	Australia	1.53
23	Mauritius	1.55
24	Norway	1.55
25	Estonia	1.56
	Asia Avg	2.17
	World Avg	2.07
q=163. Also scored for 2010s.

Peacekeeping & Security Lower is better35
Pos.		2017 Rank35
1	Samoa	1
2	S. Africa	2
3	Tunisia	3
	...
33	New Zealand	33
34	Malaysia	34
35	S. Korea	35
36	Qatar	36
37	Germany	37
38	Togo	38
39	Argentina	39
40	China	40
	Asia Avg	76.0
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Refugees & UN Treaties Lower is better35
Pos.		2017 Rank35
1	Austria	1
2	Germany	2
3	Netherlands	3
	...
91	Venezuela	91
92	Belarus	92
93	Ghana	93
94	Qatar	94
95	Peru	95
96	Gabon	96
97	Russia	97
98	Papua New Guinea	98
	Asia Avg	92.2
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Impact of Terrorism Lower is better75
Pos.		2019 Score75
1	Togo	0.00
2	Mongolia	0.00
3	Swaziland	0.00
	...
14	Bhutan	0.01
15=	Trinidad & Tobago	0.02
15=	Uzbekistan	0.02
17=	Qatar	0.03
17=	Iceland	0.03
19=	Panama	0.04
19=	Guyana	0.04
21	UAE	0.05
	Asia Avg	3.60
	World Avg	2.78
q=150.

8.3. Economic Inequality and Poverty Datasets

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

Inequality in Life Expectancy Lower is better76
Pos.		201976
1	Iceland	2.40
2=	Singapore	2.50
2=	Hong Kong	2.50
	...
42=	Latvia	5.40
43=	Lithuania	5.50
43=	Bahrain	5.50
45	Qatar	5.70
46	Kuwait	5.90
47	Maldives	6.00
48=	Malaysia	6.10
48=	Bulgaria	6.10
	Asia Avg	11.80
	World Avg	14.59
q=184.

Income Inequality (Gini Coefficient) Lower is better77
Pos.		2023 %77
1	Slovakia	24.1%78
2	Slovenia	24.3%78
3	Belarus	24.4%79
	...
83	Ethiopia	35.0%80
84=	Russia	35.1%78
84=	Nigeria	35.1%81
84=	Qatar	35.1%82
87=	Liberia	35.3%83
87=	Ivory Coast	35.3%78
89	Marshall Islands	35.5%84
90=	China	35.7%78
	Asia Avg	33.0%
	World Avg	36.5%
q=167. Also scored for 1980s-2010s.

Income inequality data for Qatar is only available for the year 2017.

9. Religion and Beliefs

#buddhism #christianity #hinduism #islam #judaism #qatar #religion_in_qatar #Saudi_Arabia

Often, rulers in Qatar have been more liberal than the public, but generally Islamic radicalist and fundamentalist pressure groups are simply too powerful for the government to resist₈₅.

Pew Forum polling over the decades has found the following adherency rates:₈₆:

	2010	2020
Muslim	74.6%	75.9%
Christian	13.4%	12.5%
Hindu	11.1%	10.6%
Other	0.448%	0.427%
Unaffiliated	0.3%	0.274%
Buddhist	0.169%	0.218%
Jewish	<0.1%	<0.1%

The CIA World Factbook has slightly different data, and states: Muslim 77.5%, Christian 8.5%, other 14% (2004 census)₈₇.

Freedom of Religion and Belief: Qatar belongs to the same puritanical Wahhabi branch of Islam as Saudi Arabia, its neighbour₈₈, which is often at the absolute bottom of freedom of thought indices. In Qatar, there is not much religious activity outside of Wahhabi. Islamic schools are the only permitted kind₃₀ and promoting any other religion other than Islam is illegal₃₀. It does only apply its most restrictive religious laws to locals - so consistently, that in the evening, they shelve their traditional attire and sneak out en masse as the only way of having a free life away from their own oppressive laws. Some Islamist Qataris are unhappy that Islam is not universally applied₈₈ and if they get their way in the future, the upholding of human rights in Qatar could worsen.

Links:

• A List of All Religions and Belief Systems
• Human Rights and Freedom in Qatar: 4.3. Freedom of Thought

10. Al-Jazeera News Station₈₉

#al-jazeera #mass_media #middle_east #middle_east_mass_media #news #palestine #qatar

Qatar is host to the Arab region's unique news station, Al-Jazeera, counted by Julian McDougall₉₀ as one of the five leading providers of global news, with 100 million viewers across the world₉₁. It is surprisingly progressive for the region, but still outputs a lof of material that is prejudiced and problematic_92,93.

“[The media landscape of the Arab world] changed utterly after 1996 when the emir of Qatar, Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa, established the al-Jazeera television station in his capital, Doha. In return for choosing not to dwell overmuch on the blemishes of Qatar itself, the new station was allowed to broadcast proper, hard-hitting news from everywhere else in the Arab world. [...] It went on to do so with gusto and quickly spawned many imitators and competitors. [...] They are making their leaders explain and justify themselves as never before. And although it is no substitute for a proper electorate democracy, this is building the underpinnings of a new kind of pluralist politics rooted in a vocal, critical public sphere. [...]

From 2003 onwards al-Jazeera's reporters and talk-show hosts put themselves at the heart of the American-initiated debate about political reform in the Arab world. The station looked closely at the G8's American-inspired Greater Middle East Initiative, giving airtime to American as well as Arab talking heads. [...] Many Arabs, reformers included, remain deeply shocked by al-Jazeera's now well-established practice of letting Israelis appear on its shows.”

The Economist (2009)₉₂

Western commentators have always had mixed reviews of the station, but it is undoubted that it has single-handed pushed forwards the quality of civic life. Some of the restrictions on the station come from enduring social pressures; Al-Jazeera reporters would surely suffer social exclusion from their friends and family if they encroached upon certain topics₉₂, and this informal and indirect censorship will surely continue indefinitely - until stations like Al-Jazeera become more common, making reporters more anonymous.

“Al-Jazeera, the first independent satellite television station in the region, which has enormous pan-Arab influence, is populist and modern. Many of its anchors are women. It broadcasts news that the official media routinely censor. And yet it fills its airwaves with crude appeals to Arab nationalism, anti-Americanism, anti-Semitism, and religious fundamentalism.”

"The Future of Freedom" by Fareed Zakaria (2003)₉₃

It is prejudiced and untrustworthy when it comes to reporting on issues like Palestine, and, it aired Osama Bin Laden's videos which enticed many towards violence₉₂. Its reporting on science is woeful and inaccurate; it proudly announced that the discovery of the 4.4million-year-old Ardipithecus ramidus fossil meant that "Ardi Refutes Darwin's Theory", and of the many dozens of celebratory responses only a few were from readers complaining that it was wrong₉₄.