Russia (Russian Federation)

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

By Vexen Crabtree 2013

Russia Russian Federation
Status	Independent State
Social and Moral Index	95th best
Capital	Moscow
Land Area	16 376 870km²₁
Location	Asia
Population	145.7m₂
Life Expectancy	69.42yrs (2017)₃
GNI	$27 166 (2017)₄
ISO3166-1 Codes	RU, RUS, 643₅
Internet Domain	.ru, .su₆
Currency	Ruble (RUB)₇
Telephone	+7₈

1. Overview

“Founded in the 12th century, the Principality of Muscovy, was able to emerge from over 200 years of Mongol domination (13th-15th centuries) and to gradually conquer and absorb surrounding principalities. In the early 17th century, a new Romanov Dynasty continued this policy of expansion across Siberia to the Pacific. Under PETER I (ruled 1682-1725), hegemony was extended to the Baltic Sea and the country was renamed the Russian Empire. During the 19th century, more territorial acquisitions were made in Europe and Asia. Defeat in the Russo-Japanese War of 1904-05 contributed to the Revolution of 1905, which resulted in the formation of a parliament and other reforms. Repeated devastating defeats of the Russian army in World War I led to widespread rioting in the major cities of the Russian Empire and to the overthrow in 1917 of the imperial household. The Communists under Vladimir LENIN seized power soon after and formed the USSR. The brutal rule of Iosif STALIN (1928-53) strengthened Communist rule and Russian dominance of the Soviet Union at a cost of tens of millions of lives. The Soviet economy and society stagnated in the following decades until General Secretary Mikhail GORBACHEV (1985-91) introduced glasnost (openness) and perestroika (restructuring) in an attempt to modernize Communism, but his initiatives inadvertently released forces that by December 1991 splintered the USSR into Russia and 14 other independent republics. Since then, Russia has shifted its post-Soviet democratic ambitions in favor of a centralized semi-authoritarian state in which the leadership seeks to legitimize its rule through managed national elections, populist appeals by President PUTIN, and continued economic growth. Russia has severely disabled a Chechen rebel movement, although violence still occurs throughout the North Caucasus.”
CIA's The World Factbook (2013)₉

“From beautiful Lake Baikal to St Petersburg´s gilded palaces, Russia is so blessed with cultural and natural treasures that it would take a lifetime to experience them all. For centuries the world has wondered about Russia. The country has been reported as a land of unbelievable riches and indescribable poverty, cruel tyrants and great minds, generous hospitality and meddlesome bureaucracy, beautiful ballets and industrial monstrosities, pious faith and unbridled hedonism.
These eternal Russian truths coexist in equally diverse landscapes of icy tundra and sunkissed beaches, dense silver-birch forests, deep, mysterious lakes, snowcapped mountains and swaying grassland steppes. Factor in ancient fortresses, luxurious palaces, swirly-spired churches and lost-in-time wooden villages and you´ll begin to see why Russia is simply amazing.
Two decades on from the demise of the Soviet Union, an economically and politically resurgent Russia is a brash, exciting and fascinating place to visit.”
"The World" by Lonely Planet (2014)₁₀

2. Russia 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
	...
49	Montenegro	0.832
50	Kuwait	0.831
51	Brunei	0.829
52	Russia	0.822
53	Romania	0.821
54	Oman	0.816
55	Bahamas	0.812
56	Kazakhstan	0.811
	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
	...
48	Croatia	$30 132
49	Romania	$30 027
50	Greece	$29 002
51	Russia	$27 166
52	Oman	$27 054
53	Panama	$26 957
54	Malaysia	$26 658
55	Seychelles	$25 831
	Asia Avg	$22 215
	World Avg	$20 136
q=193.

Social & Moral Development Index₁₂
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₁₂
1	Denmark	27.4
2	Norway	27.6
3	Sweden	30.4
	...
92	Vietnam	86.4
93	Mongolia	86.8
94	Dominican Rep.	86.9
95	Russia	87.7
96	St Lucia	88.0
97	Philippines	88.1
98	Kazakhstan	88.5
99	Bahrain	89.1
	Asia Avg	92.0
	World Avg	89.7
q=198.

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. Russia's Demographics and Migration

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

Population:

Russia's population is predicted to fall to 136 429 000 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 1.42. 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
4	Indonesia	267.7m
5	Pakistan	212.2m
6	Brazil	209.5m
7	Nigeria	195.9m
8	Bangladesh	161.4m
9	Russia	145.7m
10	Japan	127.2m
11	Mexico	126.2m
12	Ethiopia	109.2m
	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
	...
121	Kyrgyzstan	70.0
122	St Vincent & Grenadines	69.6
123	Cambodia	69.6
124	Russia	69.4
125	Azerbaijan	69.4
126	Kazakhstan	69.4
127	Philippines	69.3
128	Turkmenistan	69.3
	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
	...
100=	Greece	1.43
100=	Portugal	1.43
102	Bolivia	2.58
103	Russia	1.42
104=	Austria	1.41
104=	Norway	1.41
104=	Estonia	1.41
107	Bhutan	1.40
	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
	...
137	Armenia	28.7
138=	Thailand	29.2
138=	Ireland	29.2
140	Russia	29.5
141	Georgia	29.7
142	Montenegro	30.0
143	Belarus	30.3
144	Ukraine	30.8
	World Avg	18.3
q=185.

Migration:

Immigrants₁₆
Pos.		2017 %₁₆
1	UAE	88.4%
2	Kuwait	75.5%
3	Qatar	65.2%
	...
65	Portugal	8.5%
66	Suriname	8.5%
67	Costa Rica	8.4%
68	Russia	8.1%
69	Congo, (Brazzaville)	7.6%
70	Botswana	7.3%
71	St Lucia	7.2%
72	S. Africa	7.1%
	World Avg	9.4%
q=195.

Emigrants₁₇
Pos.		2010 %₁₇
1	Dominica	104.8%
2	Palestine	68.4%
3	Samoa	67.3%
	...
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%
86	Austria	7.1%
	World Avg	11.5%
q=192.

4. Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance

#equality #freedom #gender_equality #human_rights #morals #politics #prejudice #russia #russia_women #syria #tolerance #women

Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance (2025)₁₈
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₁₈
1	Sweden	8.5
2	Denmark	13.5
3	Norway	13.5
	...
92	Dominica	87.8
93	Belarus	88.3
94	Singapore	89.2
95	Russia	90.0
96	Haiti	90.4
97	Nepal	90.8
	Asia Avg	103.0
	World Avg	87.8
q=200.

Russia is very poor at ensuring human rights and freedom compared to the rest of the world, and it has cultural issues when it comes to tolerance and equality. Russia does better than average for the rate of gender bias (from 7 indicators)₁₉, its success in fighting anti-semitic prejudice₂₀, opposing gender inequality₂₁ and in its nominal commitment to Human Rights₂₂. Russia still has work to do. Russia does worse than average in terms of eliminating modern slavery₂₃, supporting personal, civil & economic freedoms₂₄, LGBT equality₂₅, supporting press freedom₂₆, freethought₂₇ and in its average Freedom in the World rating. And finally, it falls into the worst 20 when it comes to commentary in Human Rights Watch reports₂₈. Russia was one of the 10 countries that did not sign the UN's Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1948₂₉. It actively abuses international law to cover for its own human rights abuses and for those of its allies. By late 2017, it had cast 11 vetoes to block the UN Security Council from addressing Syrian government war crimes. In 2017, the rate of punishments for (supposedly) violating laws on public gatherings was five times greater than the year before - as protests against corruption and other issues continued, "officials harassed and intimidated protesters" including beating them₃₀. New laws on "foreign funding" have meant that several human rights and environmental groups have had to close from 2012₃₀. In recent years, Russia has become the most repressive it has been since the breakup of the Soviet Union₃₁. Socially, the country suffers from great inequality between the powerful and all others: the richest 1% draw 20% of the country's entire income₃₂.

For tables, charts and commentary, see:

Human Rights and Freedom in Russia

5. Russia's Health

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

Compared to Asia (2020)₃₃
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₃₃
1	Maldives	41.7
2	Sri Lanka	43.1
3	Malaysia	53.1
	...
42=	Timor-Leste (E. Timor)	101.9
43	Syria	102.3
44	Kazakhstan	103.8
45=	Russia	104.9
46	Afghanistan	106.0
47=	Laos	112.0
48	Yemen	113.0
49	Philippines	113.4
50	Iraq	132.3
	Asia Avg	80.9
q=50.

Health (2020)₃₃
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₃₃
1	Monaco	13.0
2	Maldives	41.7
3	Sri Lanka	43.1
	...
133	Malawi	104.5
134	Comoros	104.9
135=	Ghana	104.9
135=	Russia	104.9
137	Egypt	105.5
138=	Lithuania	105.5
139	Sudan	105.6
140=	Romania	105.8
	World Avg	95.1
q=198.

The countries with the best overall approach to public health, in terms of both public policy and individual lifestyle choices, are Monaco, The Maldives and Sri Lanka₃₄. These countries are worth emulating. And, although often through no fault of the average citizen, the worst countries are S. Sudan, The Marshall Islands and Nigeria₃₄.

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 Mediterranean₃₄, whereas the worst are Micronesia, Africa and Australasia₃₄.

For more, see:

"Countries With the Healthiest Cultures and Health Policies" by Vexen Crabtree (2020).

Health:

Russia is a pretty unhealthy country. Russia does better than average when it comes to its immunizations take-up₃₅, its food aid and health contributions and WHO compliance₃₆, its adolescent birth rate₂₁ and in its fertility rate₁₄. But, things could still be better. Russia does worse than average in its average life expectancy₁₁. It sits amongst the bottom 20 in its alcohol consumption rate₃₇ (the worst in Asia) and in its smoking rate₃₈ (amongst the highest in Asia). And finally, it is the worst in its suicide rate₃₉. The prevalence of overweight adults has increased by 14% between 1976 and 2016. Life expectancy in Russian Federation improved by +5.4yrs in the 30 years from 1990, less than the global average of +7.9yrs. Russia has had a long-term consistent fertility rate, and is one of only 22 countries to vary by less than 1.0 each decade since the 1960s. Its peak fertility rate was 2.52 in 1960.

Life Expectancy Higher is better₁₁
Pos.		2021 Years₁₁
1	Monaco	85.9
2	Hong Kong	85.5
3	Japan	84.8
	...
121	Kyrgyzstan	70.0
122	St Vincent & Grenadines	69.6
123	Cambodia	69.6
124	Russia	69.4
125	Azerbaijan	69.4
126	Kazakhstan	69.4
127	Philippines	69.3
128	Turkmenistan	69.3
	Asia Avg	73.48
	World Avg	71.28
q=195.

Alcohol Consumption Lower is better₃₇
Pos.		2016 Per Capita₃₇
1	Bangladesh	0.0
2	Kuwait	0.0
3	Libya	0.0
	...
171=	Austria	11.6
171=	Estonia	11.6
171=	Poland	11.6
174	Russia	11.7
175	Seychelles	12.0
176	Belgium	12.1
177	Portugal	12.3
178=	Slovenia	12.6
	Asia Avg	3.9
	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
	...
100=	Greece	1.43
100=	Portugal	1.43
102	Bolivia	2.58
103	Russia	1.42
104=	Austria	1.41
104=	Norway	1.41
104=	Estonia	1.41
107	Bhutan	1.40
	Asia Avg	2.17
	World Avg	2.47
q=208.

Smoking Rates Lower is better₃₈
Pos.		2014₃₈
1	Guinea	15
2	Solomon Islands	26
3	Kiribati	28
	...
175	Luxembourg	2 284
176	Belgium	2 353
177	Slovenia	2 637
178	Russia	2 690
179	Macedonia	2 732
180	Lebanon	3 023
181	Belarus	3 831
182	Montenegro	4 125
	Asia Avg	1 035
	World Avg	819
q=182.

Suicide Rate₃₉
Pos.		2013 Per 100k₃₉
1	Haiti	0
2	Grenada	0
3	Egypt	0.1
	...
84	Japan	49.4
85	Hungary	50.6
86=	Kazakhstan	52.4
86=	Guyana	52.4
88	Belarus	57.5
89	S. Korea	62
90	Russia	63.4
91	Lithuania	71.7
	Asia Avg	19.50
	World Avg	20.93
q=91.

Food Aid, Health Contributions & WHO Compliance Lower is better₃₆
Pos.		2017 Rank₃₆
1	Sweden	1
2	Ireland	2
3	Denmark	3
	...
40	Brazil	40
41	Iceland	41
42	El Salvador	42
43	Russia	43
44	Turkey	44
45	Mexico	45
46	Malaysia	46
47	Czechia	47
	Asia Avg	64.4
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Overweight Adults Lower is better₄₀
Pos.		2016 %₄₀
1	Vietnam	18.3
2	India	19.7
3	Bangladesh	20.0
	...
110	Germany	56.8
111=	Vanuatu	57.1
111=	Serbia	57.1
111=	Russia	57.1
114	Portugal	57.5
115=	Peru	57.5
116	Albania	57.7
117=	Romania	57.7
	Asia Avg	44.3
	World Avg	49.0
q=191.

Children's Health:

Adolescent Birth Rate Lower is better₂₁
Pos.		2015 Per 1000₂₁
1	N. Korea	0.5
2	S. Korea	1.6
3	Switzerland	2.9
	...
68=	USA	22.6
69	Armenia	23.0
70	Jordan	23.2
71	Russia	23.4
72	New Zealand	23.6
73	Ukraine	24.1
74	India	24.5
75	Samoa	25.0
	Asia Avg	29.9
	World Avg	47.9
q=185.

Infant Immunizations 2011-2015 Higher is better₃₅
Pos.		2015 Avg %₃₅
1=	Hungary	99.0
1=	China	99.0
3	Uzbekistan	98.9
	...
31=	Kazakhstan	97.1
32	Albania	97.1
33	Andorra	97.1
34	Russia	97.0
35	Guyana	97.0
36	Slovakia	97.0
37	Kyrgyzstan	96.7
38	Brazil	96.7
	Asia Avg	90.5
	World Avg	88.3
q=194.

6. Russia's Responsibility Towards The Environment

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

Compared to Asia (2023)₄₁
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₄₁
1	Japan	33.2
2	Philippines	45.0
3	Sri Lanka	49.0
	...
32	Myanmar (Burma)	93.3
33	Kazakhstan	95.4
34	Azerbaijan	99.3
35	Russia	99.4
36	Kyrgyzstan	103.8
37	Qatar	104.0
38	Saudi Arabia	104.4
39	Laos	104.5
40	Oman	104.7
	Asia Avg	88.8
q=51.

Responsibility Towards The Environment (2023)₄₁
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₄₁
1	Japan	33.2
2	Philippines	45.0
3	Uruguay	48.0
	...
132	Namibia	99.0
133	Azerbaijan	99.3
134	Guinea-Bissau	99.3
135	Russia	99.4
136	Comoros	99.5
137	Jamaica	99.7
138	Niger	100.7
139	Congo, DR	101.8
	World Avg	85.7
q=188.

In terms of its responsibility towards the environment, Russia comes 135th in the world. This rank is calculated from 7 data sets. Russia does better than average for its environmental performance₄₂ and in its forested percent change 2000-2020₄₃. However Russia performs less well in most areas. It does worse than average in how quickly it ratified the 1993 Convention on Biological Diversity, the rate of rational beliefs on the environment in the population₄₄ and in reducing annual meat consumption per person₄₅. And finally, it falls into the worst-performing 20 in terms of its score on the Green Future Index₄₆ (amongst the worst in Asia) and in energy to GDP efficiency₄₇ (amongst the lowest in Asia).

Forest Area Change 2000-2020 Higher is better₄₃
Pos.		Total₄₃
1	Guernsey	82.6%
2	Bahrain	75.2%
3	Iceland	64.7%
	...
74	Portugal	1.0%
75	Micronesia	0.9%
76	Iraq	0.9%
77	Russia	0.7%
78	French Polynesia	0.6%
79	Germany	0.6%
80	Norway	0.6%
81	Cyprus	0.5%
	Asia Avg	3.2%
	World Avg	-0.1%
q=234.

Environmental Performance Higher is better₄₂
Pos.		2018₄₂
1	Switzerland	87.4
2	France	84.0
3	Denmark	81.6
	...
49	Singapore	64.2
50	Poland	64.1
51	Venezuela	63.9
52	Russia	63.8
53	Brunei	63.6
54	Morocco	63.5
55	Cuba	63.4
56	Panama	62.7
	Asia Avg	54.5
	World Avg	56.4
q=180.

Energy to GDP Efficiency Higher is better₄₇
Pos.		2014₄₇
1	Hong Kong	26.32
2	Sri Lanka	20.00
3	Panama	17.86
	...
106	Kyrgyzstan	04.78
107	Benin	04.69
108=	Bosnia & Herzegovina	04.52
108=	Russia	04.52
110	S. Africa	04.48
111	Bahrain	04.10
112	Ukraine	03.28
113	Togo	02.88
	Asia Avg	09.14
	World Avg	09.29
q=119.

Convention on Biological Diversity Earlier is better
Pos.		Total Signed
1=	China	1993 Dec 29
1=	Guinea	1993 Dec 29
1=	Cook Islands	1993 Dec 29
	...
115	Central African Rep.	1995 Jun 13
116=	Mali	1995 Jun 27
116=	Cape Verde	1995 Jun 27
118	Russia	1995 Jul 04
119	Guatemala	1995 Oct 08
120	Uzbekistan	1995 Oct 17
121	Niger	1995 Oct 23
122	Honduras	1995 Oct 29
	Asia Avg	1899 Dec 30
	World Avg	1899 Dec 30
q=197.

Rational Beliefs on the Environment Higher is better₄₄
Pos.		2011 %₄₄
1	Argentina	78.3%
2	Greece	77.6%
3	Brazil	77.1%
	...
115	Poland	23.8%
116	Belarus	23.7%
117	Afghanistan	23.6%
118	Russia	23.5%
119	Algeria	23.5%
120	Pakistan	23.2%
121	Liberia	23.1%
122	Netherlands	23.0%
	Asia Avg	37.9%
	World Avg	39.9%
q=145.

Meat Consumption Lower is better₄₅
Pos.		2021 kg₄₅
1	Congo, DR	03.0
2	Burundi	03.5
3	Bangladesh	04.3
	...
138	Germany	76.6
139	Greece	76.8
140	Serbia	77.6
141	Russia	78.4
142	Bolivia	78.4
143	Grenada	78.6
144	Ireland	80.2
145	Kuwait	81.3
	Asia Avg	46.7
	World Avg	52.5
q=185.

In the 2010s, meat consumption per person in Russian Federation was well above the global average (of 49kgs per year), putting unnecessary strain on water supplies and the environment.₄₅

Green Future Index Higher is better₄₆
Pos.		2023 Score₄₆
1	Iceland	6.7
2	Finland	6.7
3	Norway	6.4
	...
67	Pakistan	3.7
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
	Asia Avg	4.3
	World Avg	4.8
q=76.

7. Russia's Modernity and Learning

#education #english #intelligence #it_security #maths #modernity #politics #religion #religiosity #research #russia #science #secularisation #technology #the_internet

Compared to Asia (2020)₄₈
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₄₈
1	Taiwan	10.0
2	Japan	21.0
3	S. Korea	23.6
4	Singapore	26.1
5	Israel	31.3
6	Hong Kong	32.6
7	Russia	41.5
8	Malaysia	49.3
9	Turkey	50.0
10	Macau	50.8
11	Cyprus	51.1
12	UAE	54.4
13	Saudi Arabia	58.1
	Asia Avg	78.3
q=51.

Modernity & Learning (2020)₄₈
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₄₈
1	Finland	7.7
2	Taiwan	10.0
3	Switzerland	14.7
	...
35	Portugal	38.9
36	Slovakia	39.0
37	Greece	40.6
38	Russia	41.5
39	Croatia	43.0
40	Argentina	43.6
41	Bulgaria	44.0
42	Romania	45.8
	World Avg	82.7
q=205.

Modernity and Education:

In the 1990s, the expected duration of education in Russia fell by over half a year, whereas most of the rest of the world's increased. ₄₉

Research & Development Higher is better
Pos.		2016 % RDP PPP
1	S. Korea	4.29₅₀
2	Israel	4.11₅₀
3	Japan	3.58₅₀
	...
27	Portugal	1.28₅₀
28	Luxembourg	1.26₅₀
29	Spain	1.22₅₀
30	Russia	1.19₅₀
31	New Zealand	1.17₅₁
32	Brazil	1.15₅₂
33	Malaysia	1.13₅₂
34	Turkey	1.01₅₀
	Asia Avg	0.75
	World Avg	0.84
q=126.

Secondary Education Higher is better₅₃
Pos.		2018₅₃
1=	Luxembourg	100.0%
1=	Estonia	100.0%
1=	Austria	100.0%
	...
19	Switzerland	96.5%
20	Moldova	96.4%
21	Germany	96.3%
22	Russia	95.9%
23	Croatia	95.7%
24	Azerbaijan	95.6%
25	USA	95.6%
26	Norway	95.4%
	Asia Avg	66.0%
	World Avg	63.0%
q=169.

Length of Schooling Higher is better₅₄
Pos.		2021 Years₅₄
1	Australia	21.1
2	New Zealand	20.3
3	Greece	20.0
	...
41	Thailand	15.9
42	France	15.8
43	Palau	15.8
44	Russia	15.8
45	Kazakhstan	15.8
46	UAE	15.7
47	Barbados	15.7
48	Cyprus	15.6
	Asia Avg	13.5
	World Avg	13.5
q=193.

Intellectual Endeavours Lower is better₃₆
Pos.		2017 Rank₃₆
1	Ukraine	1
2	Czechia	2
3	Hungary	3
	...
50	Fiji	50
51	Dominica	51
52	Malaysia	52
53	Russia	53
54	St Lucia	54
55	Turkey	55
56	Armenia	56
57	Guinea-Bissau	57
	Asia Avg	97.1
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Maths, Science & Reading Higher is better₅₅
Pos.		2015 Score₅₅
1	Singapore	1655
2	Hong Kong	1598
3	Japan	1586
	...
25=	France	1487
25=	Sweden	1487
27	Austria	1477
28	Russia	1476
29	Spain	1475
30	Czechia	1472
31	USA	1463
32	Latvia	1460
	Asia Avg	1398
	World Avg	1389
q=70.

Religiosity Lower is better₅₆
Pos.		2018 %₅₆
1	China	3
2	Estonia	6
3	Czechia	7
	...
16	Albania	15
17=	Lithuania	16
17=	S. Korea	16
17=	Russia	16
20	Australia	18
21=	Vietnam	18
22	Bulgaria	19
23=	Norway	19
	Asia Avg	55.8
	World Avg	54.3
q=106.

IQ Higher is better₅₇
Pos.		2006₅₇
1=	Hong Kong	108
1=	Singapore	108
3	S. Korea	106
	...
30=	Latvia	98
30=	Hungary	98
32	Ukraine	97
33=	Russia	97
33=	Belarus	97
35	Moldova	96
36=	Uruguay	96
36=	Slovenia	96
	Asia Avg	90.4
	World Avg	85.6
q=138.

Technology and Information:

Internet Users Higher is better₅₈
Pos.		2016₅₈
1	Iceland	100%
2	Faroe Islands	99%
3	Norway	98%
	...
52	Brunei	72%
53	Slovenia	72%
54	Cyprus	72%
55	Russia	71%
56	Oman	71%
57	New Caledonia	70%
58=	Macedonia	69%
58=	Argentina	69%
	Asia Avg	48.7%
	World Avg	48.1%
q=201.

Freedom On The Internet Lower is better₅₉
Pos.		2012₅₉
1	Estonia	10
2	USA	12
3	Germany	15
	...
27	Venezuela	48
28	Azerbaijan	50
29	Rwanda	51
30	Russia	52
31	Zimbabwe	54
32	Sri Lanka	55
33	Kazakhstan	58
34	Egypt	59
	Asia Avg	56.6
	World Avg	46.7
q=47.

IT Security Lower is better₆₀
Pos.		2013₆₀
1=	Ireland	0.11
1=	Luxembourg	0.11
1=	Belize	0.11
	...
74	Sri Lanka	1.67
75	Oman	1.72
76	Iraq	1.84
77	Bangladesh	1.87
78	Sudan	1.98
79	India	2.10
80	Russia	2.42
81	USA	3.68
	Asia Avg	1.08
	World Avg	0.98

IPv6 Uptake Higher is better₆₁
Pos.		2017 Ratio₆₁
1	Belgium	55.4
2	Germany	41.8
3	Switzerland	35.1
	...
44	Italy	1.7
45	Argentina	1.4
46	Faroe Islands	1.4
47	Russia	1.3
48	Bulgaria	1.3
49	S. Korea	1.2
50	Dominican Rep.	1.1
51	Slovakia	0.8
	Asia Avg	2.11
	World Avg	3.82
q=176.

Digital Quality of Life Higher is better₆₂
Pos.		2024₆₂
1	Germany	77.9%
2	Finland	76.9%
3	France	73.9%
	...
47	Ukraine	54.4%
48	Serbia	53.5%
49	Turkey	52.2%
50	Russia	52.1%
51	Thailand	51.4%
52	Bahrain	51.1%
53	Brazil	50.9%
54	Peru	49.9%
	Asia Avg	46.4%
	World Avg	48.4%
q=121.

8. National Culture

#charity #corruption #happiness #morals #politics #russia

World Giving Index Higher is better₆₃
Pos.		2022 %₆₃
1	Indonesia	68.0
2	Kenya	61.0
3	USA	59.0
	...
22=	Serbia	46.0
22=	Netherlands	46.0
22=	Jamaica	46.0
22=	Russia	46.0
22=	Iceland	46.0
22=	Honduras	46.0
22=	Mongolia	46.0
22=	Denmark	46.0
	Asia Avg	37.9
	World Avg	39.6
q=125.

Corruption Higher is better₆₄
Pos.		2022 Points₆₄
1	Denmark	90.0
2=	Finland	87.0
2=	New Zealand	87.0
	...
135	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
141=	Kyrgyzstan	27.0
142	Liberia	26.0
	Asia Avg	39.98
	World Avg	42.98
q=180.

In 1997, Russia began to be included in the Corruption Perception Index data, and entered at the 4th-worst in the world.

Happiness Higher is better₆₅
Pos.		2018 Score₆₅
1	Finland	7.6
2	Norway	7.6
3	Denmark	7.6
	...
56	Jamaica	5.9
57	S. Korea	5.9
58	Northern Cyprus	5.8
59	Russia	5.8
60	Kazakhstan	5.8
61	Cyprus	5.8
62	Bolivia	5.8
63	Estonia	5.7
	Asia Avg	5.29
	World Avg	5.38
q=156.

Creativity & Culture Lower is better₃₆
Pos.		2017 Rank₃₆
1	Belgium	1
2	Netherlands	2
3	Estonia	3
	...
98	Bolivia	98
99	El Salvador	99
100	Nicaragua	100
101	Russia	101
102	Vietnam	102
103	Armenia	103
104	Ghana	104
105	Bahrain	105
	Asia Avg	99.0
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Open Trading, Aid & Development Lower is better₃₆
Pos.		2017 Rank₃₆
1	Ireland	1
2	Denmark	2
3	Sweden	3
	...
113	China	113
114	S. Africa	114
115	Cape Verde	115
116	Russia	116
117	Angola	117
118	Guyana	118
119	Colombia	119
120	Congo, (Brazzaville)	120
	Asia Avg	86.3
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

9. Peace Versus Instability

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

Global Peace Index Lower is better₆₆
Pos.		2023 Score₆₆
1	Iceland	1.12
2	Denmark	1.31
3	Ireland	1.31
	...
155	Sudan	3.02
156	Somalia	3.04
157	Ukraine	3.04
158	Russia	3.14
159	Congo, DR	3.21
160	S. Sudan	3.22
161	Syria	3.29
162	Yemen	3.35
	Asia Avg	2.17
	World Avg	2.07
q=163.

Peacekeeping & Security Lower is better₃₆
Pos.		2017 Rank₃₆
1	Samoa	1
2	S. Africa	2
3	Tunisia	3
	...
79	Georgia	79
80	Albania	80
81	Gabon	81
82	Russia	82
83	Iran	83
84	Serbia	84
85	Mexico	85
86	Cambodia	86
	Asia Avg	76.0
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Refugees & UN Treaties Lower is better₃₆
Pos.		2017 Rank₃₆
1	Austria	1
2	Germany	2
3	Netherlands	3
	...
94	Qatar	94
95	Peru	95
96	Gabon	96
97	Russia	97
98	Papua New Guinea	98
99	Mexico	99
100	Senegal	100
101	Georgia	101
	Asia Avg	92.2
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Impact of Terrorism Lower is better₆₇
Pos.		2019 Score₆₇
1	Togo	0.00
2	Mongolia	0.00
3	Swaziland	0.00
	...
111	Israel	4.53
112	Iran	4.72
113	Chad	4.76
114	Russia	4.90
115	France	5.01
116	Indonesia	5.07
117	Nepal	5.09
118	Burundi	5.10
	Asia Avg	3.60
	World Avg	2.78
q=150.

10. Economic Inequality and Poverty

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

Inequality in Life Expectancy Lower is better₆₈
Pos.		2019₆₈
1	Iceland	2.40
2=	Singapore	2.50
2=	Hong Kong	2.50
	...
55	Bahamas	6.80
56	Sri Lanka	7.00
57=	Costa Rica	7.10
57=	Russia	7.10
59	Albania	7.20
60=	Lebanon	7.40
60=	Ukraine	7.40
62	Brunei	7.60
	Asia Avg	11.80
	World Avg	14.59
q=184.

Income Inequality (Gini Coefficient) Lower is better₆₉
Pos.		2023 %₆₉
1	Slovakia	24.1%₇₀
2	Slovenia	24.3%₇₀
3	Belarus	24.4%₇₁
	...
82	Thailand	34.9%₇₀
83	Ethiopia	35.0%₇₂
84=	Nigeria	35.1%₇₃
84=	Russia	35.1%₇₀
84=	Qatar	35.1%₇₄
87	Liberia	35.3%₇₅
88=	Ivory Coast	35.3%₇₀
89	Marshall Islands	35.5%₇₆
	Asia Avg	33.0%
	World Avg	36.5%
q=167.

11. Religion and Beliefs

#afterlife #belief #buddhism #christianity #god #heaven #hell #hinduism #islam #judaism #religion #religion_in_russia #religiosity #russia #secularisation #ukraine #universalism

Religiosity (2018)₅₆
Pos.		Lower is better %₅₆
1	China	3
2	Estonia	6
3	Czechia	7
	...
16	Albania	15
17=	Lithuania	16
17=	S. Korea	16
17=	Russia	16
20	Australia	18
21=	Vietnam	18
22	Bulgaria	19
23=	Norway	19
24	Netherlands	20
25=	Italy	21
25=	Belarus	21
27	Ireland	22
28=	Kazakhstan	22
28=	Spain	22
30	Slovakia	23
31=	Ukraine	23
	World Avg	54.3
q=106.

Disbelief In God (2007)₇₇
Pos.		Higher is better %₇₇
1	Vietnam	81
2	Japan	65
3	Sweden	64
	...
16	Norway	31
17	S. Korea	30
18	Finland	28
19	Russia	27
20	Australia	25
21	Taiwan	24
22=	New Zealand	22
22=	Canada	22
24	Latvia	20
25=	Ukraine	20
25=	Mongolia	20
27	Austria	18
28=	Slovakia	17
28=	Switzerland	17
28=	Belarus	17
31	Greece	16
	World Avg	9.9
q=137.

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 below₇₈:

Christian	73.3%
Muslim	10%
Hindu	0.1%
Buddhist	0.1%
Folk Religion	0.2%
Jewish	0.2%
Unaffiliated	16.2%

By adding up the Pew Forum data for the major monotheistic religions we can see that these make up 83.5% of the population. Yet there are simply too many who disbelieve in God for this to be true (27%). This is due to the so-called 'Census Effect', whereby many put down a religion for cultural reasons rather than because it reflects their beliefs. In highly Christian countries, as many as half of those who say they're a Christian lack any connection to a Church, and do not hold Christian beliefs (such as believing in God!).

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 83.9% of the populace say they belong to a religion, only 16% 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

The CIA World Factbook has slightly different data, and states: Russian Orthodox 15-20%, Muslim 10-15%, other Christian 2% (2006 est.). note: estimates are of practicing worshipers; Russia has large populations of non-practicing believers and non-believers, a legacy of over seven decades of Soviet rule₇₉.

The Afterlife: Ipsos-NA in 2011 gathered some statistics on Russia₈₀. Despite the large numbers of Christians, not many have traditional beliefs in the afterlife - just 12%. More people don't know what to believe (36%). Some believe that upon death, you simply cease to exist (12%). Also, 2% specifically believe in heaven but not in hell (which is nice - making them possible "universalists"). 5% believe in reincarnation.

Freedom of Religion and Belief: Freedom of religion and belief is protected in law and in the constitution, however, Article 282 of the Criminal Code bans "Inciting religious hatred" which is sometimes over-used, or misused for political purposes₈₁. The Russian Orthodox Church has run long-term and officially supported campaigns to restrict other religious groups₈₂_,₃₁, especially since the religious liberalisation of Russia in 1990₈₂: "Since July 2016, when the “Yarovaya Law” entered into force, authorities fined over 100 religious activists, mainly evangelist Christians" for various minor oversights and The Jehovah's Witnesses were outlawed in 2017₃₀. The Russian Orthodox Church in conjunction with the State have been blocking the UN Human Rights Council and also putting obstacles in the way of Human Rights elsewhere₃₁. They were the only mainstream religious body to condone Russia's invasion of Ukraine, much to the horror of other Christians and followers around the world₈₃.

Links:

11.1. The Russian Orthodox Church as an Organ of the State₈₄

#christianity #religion_and_politics #Russia #secularisation #ukraine

Post-Communist Russia dropped its rugged opposition to organized religion, and allowed religious groups to operate again. The result was a revival of interest in religion₈₅_,₈₆, causing a statistical tick in a world that is otherwise generally undergoing a process of secularisation (loss of religion). The Russian state pushes Orthodox Christianity, which has proven itself useful as "a tool for reconstructing political and geopolitical identity in a post-Soviet era"₈₇. Without the ideology of the USSR to hold people together, Russia finds that Orthodox Christianity is a rather similar tool, so much so, that all of its traditional battles against human rights, conducted in the name of communism, are now handily conducted in the name of Christian identity, as are other political aims.

“Agadjanian (2006) underscores that 'religion was revived from Soviet oblivion, by both religious and secular camps, as a grand narrative believed to be full of strong symbolic content available for collective identity quests' [and] the same was true in other Eastern Orthodox countries Borowik (2006) underscores that 'in all the Eastern European cases, religion has probably become more important because it offers a tool for reconstructing political and geopolitical identity in a post-Soviet era.”
"The Meaning and Scope of Secularization" by Karel Dobbelaere (2011)₈₇

Christian leaders around the world despaired in horror when in 2022 the Patriarch Kirill, head of the Russian Orthodox church, backed by his high-ranking Christian clergy, preached that the war against Ukraine was a righteous war being fought by that good man Putin for the future of Christianity in Ukraine, repeating official Russian excuses for the invasion.₈₈.

See:

"Political Power Struggles and Identity Reinforcement: Why are People Religious?" by Vexen Crabtree (2022)

12. Russian Disinformation Warfare and Internet Trolling

#democracy_challenges #disinformation #Elon_Musk #facebook #information_warfare #russia #tiktok #twitter

Information warfare is an explicit part of Russian doctrine, deemed suitable for peace-time₈₉_,₉₀. Aside from direct and easily recognizable propaganda found in Russia Today and Sputnik₉₀, the internet has seen 'web brigades' of Russian-paid actors trawling for content on selected topics, who then make destructive, abusive, aggressive, untrue and confusing comments, for the purpose of spreading doubt and disrupting conversations. This occurs on news sites' comments sections and on social media, in particular, on poorly-moderated platforms such as TikTok, Twitter and Facebook. Twitter in particular has become a swamp of such lies and misinformation since Elon Musk dismissed its content moderation teams. They often spread popularist and divisive content and as such, tend to be reposted by far-right activists; Donald Trump himself sometimes shares misinformation invented by Russian troll accounts.

The actors are often paid per comment, and specifically, for the amount of replies they generate, which means they often say things that are untrue and contentious; the quantity of replies boost the trolls' comments to the top of the list below the article. Because it is paid, those who participate are from around the world, not just from inside Russia. One of the first well-known troll farms was the "Internet Research Agency" owned by Yevgeny Prigozhin, who also ran the mercenary Wagner Group for Russia. Another is Operation Doppleganger which saw two companies, Structura National Technology and Social Design Agency, produce a range of slick websites that mimicked other news sites, but with fake news₉₁. Operation Overload seeks to overwhelm news and fact-checkers with false material₉₂_,₉₃. There is almost no counter to these trolls; they successfully disrupt conversations especially when several of them act together against a particular outlet, and, concerted campaigns can, and have, increase instability in Western countries₉₄ and influenced elections₉₀_,₉₅.

For more, see:

" Russian Disinformation Warfare and Internet Trolling" by Vexen Crabtree (2024).

13. Russia Against Europe

#estonia #EU #europe #france #georgia #germany #politics #russia #UK #ukraine

NATO has been warning for some time that Russia has been conducting long-term information warfare operations in Europe₉₆_,₉₀, on a scale and sophistication that dwarves anything that NATO or Europe is doing in response₉₇. "Senior Russian political figures have long cultivated relationships with nationalist and often anti-EU parties in Europe"₉₈ (e.g. in the UK, France, Germany)₉₀. They also fund and encourage mainstream parties (such as the UK's Conservatives₉₉), if they are doing enough damage to the EU.₉₄. On top of this, cyber-attacks and military operations have been used to subdue and intimidate several Baltic and Eastern-European countries (Estonia, Ukraine, Georgia)₉₄_,₁₀₀_,₁₀₁.

For more, see:

"Russia Against Europe" by Vexen Crabtree (2018).