Russia (Russian Federation)

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

By Vexen Crabtree 2013

Russia Russian Federation
Status	Independent State
Social and Moral Index	98th 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	27.0
2	Norway	29.9
3	Sweden	31.8
	...
95	Belarus	87.7
96	Mongolia	87.8
97	Bolivia	88.4
98	Russia	88.7
99	Cape Verde	88.8
100	Jordan	88.8
101	Maldives	88.9
102	St Lucia	89.3
	Asia Avg	92.0
	World Avg	88.6
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. 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	6.1
2	Denmark	8.6
3	Norway	9.0
	...
109	Tunisia	95.2
110	Belarus	95.7
111	Kyrgyzstan	96.7
112	Russia	96.8
113	Nepal	96.9
114	Timor-Leste (E. Timor)	98.1
	Asia Avg	103.00
	World Avg	86.55
q=199.

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 in the rate of gender bias (from 7 indicators)₁₉, opposing gender inequality₂₀, its success in fighting anti-semitic prejudice₂₁ and in its nominal commitment to Human Rights₂₂. Russia doesn't do so well in other areas. Russia does worse than average in eliminating modern slavery₂₃, supporting personal, civil & economic freedoms₂₄, LGBT equality₂₅, freethought₂₆ and in its average Freedom in the World rating. And finally, it falls into the worst 20 in commentary in Human Rights Watch reports₂₇ and in supporting press freedom₂₈. 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 (2025)₃₃
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₃₃
1=	Japan	44.1
2	Hong Kong	48.2
3	Singapore	49.5
	...
20	Lebanon	76.8
21	Maldives	77.3
22	Turkey	78.6
23	Russia	81.8
24	Azerbaijan	86.0
25	Iran	88.6
26	Kazakhstan	90.7
27	Uzbekistan	92.2
28	Indonesia	93.4
	Asia Avg	80.90
q=50.

Health (2025)₃₃
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₃₃
1	Monaco	14.3
2	Liechtenstein	30.1
3	Isle of Man	32.1
	...
85	Turkey	78.6
86	British Virgin Islands	78.7
87	Trinidad & Tobago	79.4
88	Russia	81.8
89	Costa Rica	82.6
90	Bahamas	82.8
91	Bulgaria	82.8
92	Belarus	83.7
	World Avg	96.74
q=212.

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 Man₃₄. These countries are worth emulating. And, although often through no fault of the average citizen, the worst countries are S. Sudan, Angola and Nigeria₃₄.

21 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, its adolescent birth rate and its immunizations take-up. The regions with the best average results per country are Scandinavia, Europe and The Balkans₃₄, whereas the worst are Africa, Micronesia and Melanesia₃₄.

For more, see:

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

Health:

Russia has some poor policies and cultural issues which cause some public health problems. Russia does better than average for its immunizations take-up₃₅, its food aid and health contributions and WHO compliance₃₆, its adolescent birth rate₃₇ and in its fertility rate₁₄. But, things still need to improve in Russia. Russia does worse than average in terms of its average life expectancy₁₁. It falls into the worst-performing 20 when it comes to its alcohol consumption rate₃₈ (the highest in Asia) and in its smoking rate₃₉ (amongst the highest in Asia). And finally, it is the worst in its suicide rate₄₀. The number of overweight adults has increased by 14% during the last 40 years. 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 better₃₈
Pos.		2016 Per Capita₃₈
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 better₃₉
Pos.		2014₃₉
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 Rate₄₀
Pos.		2013 Per 100k₄₀
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 better₄₁
Pos.		2016 %₄₁
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 better₃₇
Pos.		2022 Per 1000₃₇
1	Hong Kong	1.6
2	Denmark	1.8
3	S. Korea	2.1
	...
56	New Zealand	11.8
57	Serbia	14.4
58	Albania	14.5
59	Russia	14.5
60	USA	15.1
61	Ukraine	15.2
62	Sri Lanka	15.4
63	Turkey	15.7
	Asia Avg	25.9
	World Avg	43.8
q=195.

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 #environmentalism #food #internationalism #meat #over-exploitation #russia #sustainability #the_environment #veganism #vegetarianism

Compared to Asia (2025)₄₂
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₄₂
1	Sri Lanka	34.9
2	Nepal	47.9
3	India	49.5
	...
30	Saudi Arabia	94.9
31	Israel	95.8
32=	Laos	97.0
33	Russia	99.2
34	Myanmar (Burma)	99.9
35	Kuwait	100.5
36	Azerbaijan	101.2
37	Oman	101.8
38	Iraq	102.8
	Asia Avg	86.44
q=51.

Responsibility Towards The Environment (2025)₄₂
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₄₂
1	Sri Lanka	34.9
2	Uruguay	43.2
3	Switzerland	45.0
	...
146	Montenegro	97.3
147	Sudan	97.8
148	Comoros	99.1
149	Russia	99.2
150	Myanmar (Burma)	99.9
151	Kuwait	100.5
152	Bahamas	100.9
153	Azerbaijan	101.2
	World Avg	84.93
q=199.

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).

Russia ranks 149th in the world when it comes to its responsibility towards the environment. This rank is derived from 7 data sets. Russia does better than average in its environmental performance₄₃, its forested percent change 2000-2020₄₄ and in its sign-up rate to major international accords on protecting the environment. Russia does not succeed in everything, however. Russia does worse than average in terms of the rate of rational beliefs on the environment in the population₄₅ and in reducing annual meat consumption per person₄₆. And finally, it falls into the worst-performing 20 in its score on the Green Future Index₄₇ (amongst the lowest in Asia) and in energy to GDP efficiency₄₈.

Forest Area Change 2000-2020 Higher is better₄₄
Pos.		Total₄₄
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 better₄₃
Pos.		2018₄₃
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 Lower is better₄₈
Pos.		2022 Avg₄₈
1	Rwanda	0.25
2	Chad	0.26
3	Tanzania	0.31
	...
151	Syria	2.12
152	Kyrgyzstan	2.20
153	Iran	2.24
154	Russia	2.25
155	Oman	2.28
156	Canada	2.29
157	Malta	2.36
158	Mozambique	2.38
	Asia Avg	1.50
	World Avg	1.23
q=165.

Historical data included for USSR in general in the 1960s and 1970s.

International Accords on the Environment Higher is better
Pos.		Total Avg Rate
1	Sweden	83%
2	Canada	82%
3	Norway	81%
	...
80	Philippines	62%
81	Seychelles	62%
82	Tanzania	62%
83	Russia	62%
84	Togo	61%
85	Thailand	61%
86	Zambia	61%
87	Indonesia	61%
	Asia Avg	55.4%
	World Avg	57.5%
q=197.

Russia was one of 8 countries who ratified the Vienna Convention on the ozone layer in 1986 and was also amongst the first batch of countries who signed the Montreal Protocol on protecting the ozone layer in 1988, whilst most others delayed both until subsequent years.

Rational Beliefs on the Environment Higher is better₄₅
Pos.		2011 %₄₅
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 better₄₆
Pos.		2021 kg₄₆
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.₄₆

Green Future Index Higher is better₄₇
Pos.		2023 Score₄₇
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

#capitalism #charity #corruption #economics #education #english #extremism #happiness #health #human_development #inequality #intelligence #it_security #life_expectancy #maths #modernity #morals #peace #politics #religion #religiosity #religious_violence #research #russia #science #secularisation #social_development #technology #terrorism #the_internet

Compared to Asia (2020)₄₉
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₄₉
1	S. Korea	22.2
2	Japan	24.7
3	Israel	29.5
4	Hong Kong	31.2
5	Singapore	34.1
6	Russia	44.3
7	Cyprus	55.6
8	Turkey	55.9
9	Malaysia	59.4
10	Kazakhstan	59.8
11=	Saudi Arabia	62.0
12	UAE	64.3
13	Georgia	65.6
	Asia Avg	78.26
q=49.

Modernity & Learning (2020)₄₉
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₄₉
1	Finland	7.1
2	Belgium	12.9
3	Denmark	13.6
	...
35	Argentina	38.2
36	Slovakia	42.9
37	Grenada	43.4
38	Russia	44.3
39	Malta	45.9
40	Barbados	47.4
41	Palau	47.4
42	Ukraine	47.7
	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 Denmark₅₀. The worst countries are Eritrea, S. Sudan and Sierra Leone₅₀. Despite improves in global education, access to tertiary (adult) education is becoming increasingly unequal between the rich haves and the poor have-nots₅₁.

“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)₅₂

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 Europe₅₀, whereas the worst are Melanesia, Africa and Micronesia₅₀.

For more, see:

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

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. ₅₃

Research & Development Higher is better
Pos.		2016 % RDP PPP
1	S. Korea	4.29₅₄
2	Israel	4.11₅₄
3	Japan	3.58₅₄
	...
27	Portugal	1.28₅₄
28	Luxembourg	1.26₅₄
29	Spain	1.22₅₄
30	Russia	1.19₅₄
31	New Zealand	1.17₅₅
32	Brazil	1.15₅₆
33	Malaysia	1.13₅₆
34	Turkey	1.01₅₄
	Asia Avg	0.75
	World Avg	0.84
q=126.

Secondary Education Higher is better₅₇
Pos.		2018₅₇
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 better₅₈
Pos.		2021 Years₅₈
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 better₅₉
Pos.		2015 Score₅₉
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 better₆₀
Pos.		2018 %₆₀
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 better₆₁
Pos.		2006₆₁
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 better₆₂
Pos.		2016₆₂
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 better₆₃
Pos.		2012₆₃
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 better₆₄
Pos.		2013₆₄
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 better₆₅
Pos.		2017 Ratio₆₅
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 better₆₆
Pos.		2024₆₆
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.

National Culture:

World Giving Index Higher is better₆₇
Pos.		2022 %₆₇
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 better₆₈
Pos.		2022 Points₆₈
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 better₆₉
Pos.		2024 Score₆₉
1	Finland	7.7
2	Denmark	7.5
3	Iceland	7.5
	...
63	Honduras	6.0
64	Malaysia	6.0
65	Peru	5.9
66	Russia	5.9
67	Cyprus	5.9
68	China	5.9
69	Hungary	5.9
70	Trinidad & Tobago	5.9
	Asia Avg	5.41
	World Avg	5.58
q=147.

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.

Peace Versus Instability:

Global Peace Index Lower is better₇₀
Pos.		2023 Score₇₀
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 better₇₁
Pos.		2019 Score₇₁
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.

Economic Inequality and Poverty:

Inequality in Life Expectancy Lower is better₇₂
Pos.		2019₇₂
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 better₇₃
Pos.		2023 %₇₃
1	Slovakia	24.1%₇₄
2	Slovenia	24.3%₇₄
3	Belarus	24.4%₇₅
	...
81=	Italy	34.8%₇₄
82	Thailand	34.9%₇₄
83	Ethiopia	35.0%₇₆
84=	Russia	35.1%₇₄
84=	Nigeria	35.1%₇₇
84=	Qatar	35.1%₇₈
87	Liberia	35.3%₇₉
88=	Ivory Coast	35.3%₇₄
	Asia Avg	33.0%
	World Avg	36.5%
q=167.

8. Religion and Beliefs

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

Religiosity (2018)₆₀
Pos.		Lower is better %₆₀
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)₈₀
Pos.		Higher is better %₈₀
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 below₈₁:

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 (2009)

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 rule₈₂.

The Afterlife: Ipsos-NA in 2011 gathered some statistics on Russia₈₃. 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 purposes₈₄. The Russian Orthodox Church has run long-term and officially supported campaigns to restrict other religious groups₈₅_,₃₁, especially since the religious liberalisation of Russia in 1990₈₅: "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 world₈₆.

Links:

8.1. The Russian Orthodox Church as an Organ of the State₈₇

#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 religion₈₈_,₈₉, 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"₉₀. 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)₉₀

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.₉₁.

See:

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

9. 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-time₉₂_,₉₃. Aside from direct and easily recognizable propaganda found in Russia Today and Sputnik₉₃, 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 news₉₄. Operation Overload seeks to overwhelm news and fact-checkers with false material₉₅_,₉₆. 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 countries₉₇ and influenced elections₉₃_,₉₈.

For more, see:

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

10. 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 Europe₉₉_,₉₃, on a scale and sophistication that dwarves anything that NATO or Europe is doing in response₁₀₀. "Senior Russian political figures have long cultivated relationships with nationalist and often anti-EU parties in Europe"₁₀₁ (e.g. in the UK, France, Germany)₉₃. They also fund and encourage mainstream parties (such as the UK's Conservatives₁₀₂), if they are doing enough damage to the EU.₉₇. 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)₉₇_,₁₀₃_,₁₀₄.

For more, see:

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