Timor-Leste (East Timor) (Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste)

Timor-Leste (East Timor) Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste
Status	Independent State
Social and Moral Index	141st best
Capital	Dili
Land Area	14 870km21
Location	Asia
Groupings	Small Islands
Population	1.3m2
Life Expectancy	67.74yrs (2017)3
GNI	$4 461 (2017)4
ISO3166-1 Codes	TL, TLS, 6265
Internet Domain	.tp, .tl6
Currency	Dollar (USD)7
Telephone	+6708

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

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1. Overview

#indonesia #japan #portugal

“The Portuguese began to trade with the island of Timor in the early 16th century and colonized it in mid-century. Skirmishing with the Dutch in the region eventually resulted in an 1859 treaty in which Portugal ceded the western portion of the island. Imperial Japan occupied Portuguese Timor from 1942 to 1945, but Portugal resumed colonial authority after the Japanese defeat in World War II. East Timor declared itself independent from Portugal on 28 November 1975 and was invaded and occupied by Indonesian forces nine days later. It was incorporated into Indonesia in July 1976 as the province of Timor Timur (East Timor). An unsuccessful campaign of pacification followed over the next two decades, during which an estimated 100,000 to 250,000 individuals lost their lives. On 30 August 1999, in a UN-supervised popular referendum, an overwhelming majority of the people of Timor-Leste voted for independence from Indonesia. However, in the next three weeks, anti-independence Timorese militias - organized and supported by the Indonesian military - commenced a large-scale, scorched-earth campaign of retribution. The militias killed approximately 1,400 Timorese and forcibly pushed 300,000 people into western Timor as refugees. Most of the country's infrastructure, including homes, irrigation systems, water supply systems, and schools, and nearly 100% of the country's electrical grid were destroyed. On 20 September 1999, Australian-led peacekeeping troops deployed to the country and brought the violence to an end. On 20 May 2002, Timor-Leste was internationally recognized as an independent state. In 2006, internal tensions threatened the new nation's security when a military strike led to violence and a breakdown of law and order. At Dili's request, an Australian-led International Stabilization Force (ISF) deployed to Timor-Leste, and the UN Security Council established the UN Integrated Mission in Timor-Leste (UNMIT), which included an authorized police presence of over 1,600 personnel. The ISF and UNMIT restored stability, allowing for presidential and parliamentary elections in 2007 in a largely peaceful atmosphere. In February 2008, a rebel group staged an unsuccessful attack against the president and prime minister. The ringleader was killed in the attack, and most of the rebels surrendered in April 2008. Since the attack, the government has enjoyed one of its longest periods of post-independence stability, including successful 2012 elections for both the parliament and president. In late 2012, the UN Security Council voted to end its peacekeeping mission in Timor-Leste and both the ISF and UNMIT departed the country by the end of the year.”

CIA's The World Factbook (2013)₉

“With mountains to climb and untouched reefs to dive, Asia´s newest country, Timor-Leste, is a winner. It´s home to a youthful population and a diverse international presence that adds just the right amount of spice. Its capital, Dili, has all the bright lights, but venture out for wild cultural experiences. Stay in a grand Portuguese pousada on a misty hilltop, or at a quiet island ecolodge. Get rowdy dancing the night away, journey down roads alongside herds of buffalo, then wind up through rainforests dotted with coffee plants. Keep an eye out for whales as you hug the cliffs along the north-coast road. Photogenic white-sand beaches with aqua waters tempt swimmers and for those who want to delve deeper, Dili-based dive companies have spent the past decade discovering world-class dive sites.Timor-Leste richly rewards those who venture to its mountainous interior for trekking, hot springs, dense jungles and raging rivers. Getting there is a major part of the adventure, whether by vehicle, mountain bike, foot or even Timor pony - however, it is well worth the effort. Trailblaze your way through this amazing country: it´s adventure with a smile.”

"The World" by Lonely Planet (2014)₁₀

2. Timor-Leste (East Timor) 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
	...
137	Honduras	0.621
138	Sao Tome & Principe	0.618
139	Namibia	0.615
140=	Timor-Leste (E. Timor)	0.607
140=	Laos	0.607
140=	Vanuatu	0.607
143	Nepal	0.602
144	Swaziland	0.597
	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
	...
145	Kyrgyzstan	$4 566
146	Tajikistan	$4 548
147	Kenya	$4 474
148	Timor-Leste (E. Timor)	$4 461
149	Syria	$4 192
150	Cambodia	$4 079
151	Kiribati	$4 063
152	Sao Tome & Principe	$4 021
	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
	...
138	Rwanda	107.5
139	Uganda	108.0
140	Madagascar	108.2
141	Timor-Leste (E. Timor)	108.3
142	Burkina Faso	108.5
143	Tuvalu	108.7
144	Tanzania	108.8
145	Sao Tome & Principe	109.3
	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. Timor-Leste (East Timor)'s Demographics and Migration

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

Population:

Timor-Leste (East Timor)'s population is predicted to rise to 1.989 million by 2030. This country has a fertility rate of 3.05. 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
	...
151	Trinidad & Tobago	1.4m
152	Estonia	1.3m
153	Equatorial Guinea	1.3m
154	Timor-Leste (E. Timor)	1.3m
155	Mauritius	1.3m
156	Cyprus	1.2m
157	Swaziland	1.1m
158	Djibouti	1.0m
	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
	...
130	Moldova	68.8
131	Nepal	68.4
132	Laos	68.1
133	Timor-Leste (E. Timor)	67.7
134	Sao Tome & Principe	67.6
135	Indonesia	67.6
136	Kiribati	67.4
137	India	67.2
	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
	...
146	Singapore	1.04
147	Lesotho	2.98
148	British Virgin Islands	1.02
149	Timor-Leste (E. Timor)	3.05
150	Kazakhstan	3.05
151	Puerto Rico	0.90
152	Tajikistan	3.14
153	Tuvalu	3.14
	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
	...
52	Oman	07.8
53	Jordan	08.0
54	Laos	08.1
55	Timor-Leste (E. Timor)	08.2
56	Belize	08.3
57	Gabon	08.5
58	Pakistan	08.6
59	Bahrain	08.7
	World Avg	18.3
q=185.

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

Migration:

Immigrants16
Pos.		2017 %16
1	UAE	88.4%
2	Kuwait	75.5%
3	Qatar	65.2%
	...
155	Guinea	1.0%
156	Iraq	1.0%
157	Mexico	0.9%
158	Timor-Leste (E. Timor)	0.9%
159	Zambia	0.9%
160	Bangladesh	0.9%
161	Tanzania	0.9%
162	Mozambique	0.8%
	World Avg	9.4%
q=195.

Emigrants17
Pos.		2010 %17
1	Dominica	104.8%
2	Palestine	68.4%
3	Samoa	67.3%
	...
161	Gabon	1.7%
162	Vanuatu	1.6%
163	Djibouti	1.5%
164	Timor-Leste (E. Timor)	1.4%
165	Zambia	1.4%
166	Cameroon	1.4%
167	Malawi	1.4%
168	Congo, DR	1.3%
	World Avg	11.5%
q=192.

4. Timor-Leste (East Timor)'s Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance

#equality #freedom #freethought #gender #gender_equality #homosexuality #human_rights #international_law #mass_media #misogyny #morals #politics #prejudice #religious_tolerance #slavery #tolerance #women

Compared to Asia (2025)18
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank18
1	Japan	34.5
2	Cyprus	40.5
3	Taiwan	43.7
	...
17	Kyrgyzstan	96.7
18	Russia	96.8
19	Nepal	96.9
20	Timor-Leste (E. Timor)	98.1
21	Azerbaijan	100.8
22	Lebanon	104.4
23	Kazakhstan	104.7
24	Malaysia	105.8
25	Tajikistan	106.4
	Asia Avg	103.00
q=52.

Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance (2025)18
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank18
1	Sweden	6.1
2	Denmark	8.6
3	Norway	9.0
	...
111	Kyrgyzstan	96.7
112	Russia	96.8
113	Nepal	96.9
114	Timor-Leste (E. Timor)	98.1
115	Vanuatu	98.7
116	Lesotho	100.4
117	Samoa	100.4
118	Azerbaijan	100.8
	World Avg	86.55
q=199.

The best countries in the world at ensuring human rights, fostering equality and promoting tolerance, are Sweden, Denmark and Norway₁₉. These countries are displaying the best traits that humanity has to offer. The worst countries are Somalia, N. Korea and Afghanistan₁₉.

21 datasets are used to calculate points for each country, including multiple decades of data on supporting press freedom, eliminating modern slavery, supporting personal, civil & economic freedoms, its average Freedom in the World rating, commentary in Human Rights Watch reports, its nominal commitment to Human Rights, speed of uptake of HR treaties, opposing gender inequality, the rate of gender bias (from 7 indicators), the year from which women could participate in democracy, its success in fighting anti-semitic prejudice, LGBT equality and freethought. The regions with the best average results per country are Scandinavia, Baltic States and Europe₁₉, whereas the worst are Africa, The Middle East and Asia₁₉.

For more, see:

• " Which are the Best Countries for Human Rights, Equality and Tolerance?" by Vexen Crabtree (2025).

Human Rights & Tolerance:

Press Freedom Higher is better20
Pos.		202520
1	Norway	92.31
2	Estonia	89.46
3	Netherlands	88.64
	...
36	Costa Rica	73.09
37	Montenegro	72.83
38	Slovakia	71.93
39	Timor-Leste (E. Timor)	71.79
40	Fiji	71.20
41	Gabon	70.65
42	Macedonia	70.44
43	Dominican Rep.	69.87
	Asia Avg	39.69
	World Avg	54.65
q=179.

Timor-Leste is one of only 19 countries who in 2025 had better press freedom than in the 2010s.

Slavery Lower is better21
Pos.		2018 % Victims21
1	Japan	0.03
2=	Canada	0.05
2=	Taiwan	0.05
	...
133	Madagascar	0.75
134=	Malawi	0.75
135	Uganda	0.76
136=	Timor-Leste (E. Timor)	0.77
136=	Philippines	0.77
136=	Libya	0.77
136=	Nigeria	0.77
140	Guinea	0.78
	Asia Avg	0.79
	World Avg	0.65
q=167.

Personal, Civil & Economic Freedom Lower is better22
Pos.		2014 Rank22
1	Hong Kong	1
2	Switzerland	2
3	New Zealand	3
	...
118=	UAE	118
118=	Guinea-Bissau	118
120	Oman	120
121=	Timor-Leste (E. Timor)	120
122	Burundi	122
123	Tunisia	123
124	Mali	124
125	Gambia	125
	Asia Avg	94.6
	World Avg	79.7
q=159.

Freedom in the World Lower is better
Pos.		2024 Score
1=	Norway	1.0
1=	Canada	1.0
1=	Cape Verde	1.0
	...
73	Monaco	2.0
74=	Poland	2.0
74=	Ghana	2.0
76	Timor-Leste (E. Timor)	2.5
77=	Senegal	2.5
77=	Israel	2.5
77=	Solomon Islands	2.5
77=	Colombia	2.5
	Asia Avg	5.0
	World Avg	3.7
q=205.

Nominal Commitment to HR Higher is better23
Pos.		2009 Treaties23
1	Argentina	24
2=	Chile	23
2=	Costa Rica	23
	...
73	Niger	18
74=	El Salvador	18
75	Mongolia	17
76=	Timor-Leste (E. Timor)	17
76=	Estonia	17
76=	Turkmenistan	17
76=	Turkey	17
76=	Morocco	17
	Asia Avg	12.7
	World Avg	15.1
q=194.

HR Treaties Lag Lower is better24
Pos.		2019 Avg Yrs/Treaty24
1	Ecuador	2.15
2	Uruguay	2.25
3	Tunisia	3.65
	...
163	Liberia	13.61
164	San Marino	13.63
165	Saudi Arabia	13.73
166	Timor-Leste (E. Timor)	13.73
167	Grenada	13.86
168	Bahamas	13.93
169	Zimbabwe	13.95
170	Djibouti	13.99
	Asia Avg	10.97
	World Avg	10.02
q=195.

Gender Equality:

Timor-Leste (E. Timor) has made some steps towards ending gender inequality but much more needs to be done.

See:

• "Religion Versus Womankind" by Vexen Crabtree (2007)
• "Christianity and Women: Biblical Misogyny and Male Dominance" by Vexen Crabtree (2019)

Gender Inequality Lower is better25
Pos.		202225
1	Denmark	0.01
2	Norway	0.01
3	Switzerland	0.02
	...
99	Suriname	0.41
100	Colombia	0.41
101	Honduras	0.42
102	Timor-Leste (E. Timor)	0.42
103	Guyana	0.42
104	Samoa	0.42
105	Bolivia	0.42
106	Paraguay	0.43
	Asia Avg	0.33
	World Avg	0.34
q=166.

Prejudice:

LGBT Equality Higher is better26
Pos.		2017 Score26
1	Netherlands	103
2	Belgium	90
3	Sweden	86
	...
58	Bulgaria	33
59	Fiji	32
60=	S. Korea	30
60=	Timor-Leste (E. Timor)	30
60=	Costa Rica	30
60=	Suriname	30
60=	Venezuela	30
60=	Lithuania	30
	Asia Avg	-02.1
	World Avg	12.6
q=196.

Freedom of Thought Lower is better27
Pos.		202127
1=	Belgium	1.0
1=	Taiwan	1.0
1=	Netherlands	1.0
	...
51	Mali	2.5
52=	Bhutan	2.5
52=	Tonga	2.5
52=	Timor-Leste (E. Timor)	2.5
52=	Bulgaria	2.5
52=	Ukraine	2.5
52=	Bahamas	2.5
52=	Central African Rep.	2.5
	Asia Avg	3.7
	World Avg	3.0
q=196.

5. Timor-Leste (East Timor)'s Health

#alcohol #birth_control #demographics #health #life_expectancy #longevity #obesity #overpopulation #parenting #population #timor-leste_(east_timor) #vaccines

Compared to Asia (2025)28
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank28
1=	Japan	44.1
2	Hong Kong	48.2
3	Singapore	49.5
	...
42	Philippines	116.9
43	Tajikistan	118.2
44	Syria	122.2
45	Timor-Leste (E. Timor)	124.4
46	Pakistan	127.9
47	Laos	135.6
48	Iraq	139.7
49=	Yemen	148.2
50	Afghanistan	155.0
	Asia Avg	80.90
q=50.

Health (2025)28
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank28
1	Monaco	14.3
2	Liechtenstein	30.1
3	Isle of Man	32.1
	...
153	Micronesia	122.8
154	Guatemala	123.6
155	Samoa	124.2
156	Timor-Leste (E. Timor)	124.4
157	Honduras	125.3
158	Vanuatu	125.3
159	Solomon Islands	125.5
160	Pakistan	127.9
	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 Man₂₉. These countries are worth emulating. And, although often through no fault of the average citizen, the worst countries are S. Sudan, Angola and Nigeria₂₉.

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 Balkans₂₉, whereas the worst are Africa, Micronesia and Melanesia₂₉.

For more, see:

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

Health:

Timor-Leste (East Timor) is a pretty unhealthy country. Timor-Leste (E. Timor) does better than average in its alcohol consumption rate₃₀ and in its adolescent birth rate₃₁ (but bad for Asia). However Timor-Leste (E. Timor) performs less well in most areas. It does worse than average for its food aid and health contributions and WHO compliance₃₂, its average life expectancy₁₁, its fertility rate₁₄ and in its immunizations take-up₃₃. The prevalence of overweight adults has increased by 14% during the last 40 years. Life expectancy in Timor-Leste in 1990 was 45yrs, much lower than the global average of 64.6. But it improved greatly, by +23.3yrs, in the 30 years from then, the third best long-term improvement in the world, and triple the global average improvement of +7.9yrs. Timor-Leste's peak fertility rate was 6.32 in 1960.

Life Expectancy Higher is better11
Pos.		2021 Years11
1	Monaco	85.9
2	Hong Kong	85.5
3	Japan	84.8
	...
130	Moldova	68.8
131	Nepal	68.4
132	Laos	68.1
133	Timor-Leste (E. Timor)	67.7
134	Sao Tome & Principe	67.6
135	Indonesia	67.6
136	Kiribati	67.4
137	India	67.2
	Asia Avg	73.48
	World Avg	71.28
q=195.

Alcohol Consumption Lower is better30
Pos.		2016 Per Capita30
1	Bangladesh	0.0
2	Kuwait	0.0
3	Libya	0.0
	...
43=	Nepal	2.0
43=	Singapore	2.0
43=	Turkey	2.0
46	Timor-Leste (E. Timor)	2.1
47	Mozambique	2.4
48=	Samoa	2.5
48=	Micronesia	2.5
48=	Guatemala	2.5
	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
	...
146	Singapore	1.04
147	Lesotho	2.98
148	British Virgin Islands	1.02
149	Timor-Leste (E. Timor)	3.05
150	Kazakhstan	3.05
151	Puerto Rico	0.90
152	Tajikistan	3.14
153	Tuvalu	3.14
	Asia Avg	2.17
	World Avg	2.47
q=208.

Food Aid, Health Contributions & WHO Compliance Lower is better32
Pos.		2017 Rank32
1	Sweden	1
2	Ireland	2
3	Denmark	3
	...
102	Equatorial Guinea	102
103	Barbados	103
104	Venezuela	104
105	Timor-Leste (E. Timor)	105
106	Serbia	106
107	Zimbabwe	107
108	Central African Rep.	108
109	Benin	109
	Asia Avg	64.4
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Overweight Adults Lower is better34
Pos.		2016 %34
1	Vietnam	18.3
2	India	19.7
3	Bangladesh	20.0
4	Ethiopia	20.9
5	Nepal	21.0
6	Timor-Leste (E. Timor)	21.6
7	Cambodia	21.7
8=	Niger	22.0
8=	Eritrea	22.0
10	Burundi	22.2
11	Uganda	22.4
12	Afghanistan	23.0
	Asia Avg	44.3
	World Avg	49.0
q=191.

Children's Health:

Adolescent Birth Rate Lower is better31
Pos.		2022 Per 100031
1	Hong Kong	1.6
2	Denmark	1.8
3	S. Korea	2.1
	...
91	Antigua & Barbuda	32.3
92	Myanmar (Burma)	32.8
93	Indonesia	32.9
94	Timor-Leste (E. Timor)	33.3
95	Kyrgyzstan	33.8
96	Vietnam	35.0
97	Uruguay	35.2
98	Romania	35.4
	Asia Avg	25.9
	World Avg	43.8
q=195.

Infant Immunizations 2011-2015 Higher is better33
Pos.		2015 Avg %33
1=	Hungary	99.0
1=	China	99.0
3	Uzbekistan	98.9
	...
165	Sweden	77.8
166	Ivory Coast	76.9
167	Congo, DR	76.5
168	Timor-Leste (E. Timor)	76.5
169	Indonesia	76.4
170	Mali	76.0
171	India	75.1
172	Ethiopia	73.9
	Asia Avg	90.5
	World Avg	88.3
q=194.

6. Timor-Leste (East Timor)'s Responsibility Towards The Environment

#biodiversity #climate_change #deforestation #environmentalism #fiji #food #haiti #internationalism #meat #over-exploitation #south_sudan #the_environment #timor-leste_(east_timor) #USA #vatican_city #veganism #vegetarianism

Compared to Asia (2025)35
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank35
1	Sri Lanka	34.9
2	Nepal	47.9
3	India	49.5
	...
43	Kyrgyzstan	108.7
44	Kazakhstan	109.8
45	Bhutan	115.3
46	Uzbekistan	116.1
47	Tajikistan	128.6
48	Brunei	130.2
49	N. Korea	132.3
50	Turkmenistan	134.1
51	Timor-Leste (E. Timor)	137.5
	Asia Avg	86.44
q=51.

Responsibility Towards The Environment (2025)35
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank35
1	Sri Lanka	34.9
2	Uruguay	43.2
3	Switzerland	45.0
	...
192	N. Korea	132.3
193	Turkmenistan	134.1
194	Nauru	134.4
195	San Marino	134.9
196	Andorra	136.3
197	Timor-Leste (E. Timor)	137.5
198	Vatican City	138.3
199	Eritrea	146.2
	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).

Timor-Leste (E. Timor) comes 3rd-worst in the world regarding its responsibility towards the environment. This rank is derived from 4 data sets. Timor-Leste (E. Timor) does better than average in terms of reducing annual meat consumption per person₃₆. But that's it. Timor-Leste (E. Timor) has problems. It does worse than average in its environmental performance₃₇ and in its forested percent change 2000-2020₃₈. And finally, it falls into the worst-performing 20 in its sign-up rate to major international accords on protecting the environment.

Forest Area Change 2000-2020 Higher is better38
Pos.		Total38
1	Guernsey	82.6%
2	Bahrain	75.2%
3	Iceland	64.7%
	...
159	Central African Rep.	-2.6%
160	Malaysia	-2.9%
161	S. Korea	-2.9%
162	Timor-Leste (E. Timor)	-3.0%
163	American Samoa	-3.4%
164	Rwanda	-3.5%
165	Trinidad & Tobago	-3.6%
166	Mexico	-4.0%
	Asia Avg	3.2%
	World Avg	-0.1%
q=234.

Environmental Performance Higher is better37
Pos.		201837
1	Switzerland	87.4
2	France	84.0
3	Denmark	81.6
	...
122	Micronesia	49.8
123	Libya	49.8
124	Ghana	49.7
125	Timor-Leste (E. Timor)	49.5
126	Senegal	49.5
127	Malawi	49.2
128	Guyana	47.9
129	Tajikistan	47.9
	Asia Avg	54.5
	World Avg	56.4
q=180.

International Accords on the Environment Higher is better
Pos.		Total Avg Rate
1	Sweden	83%
2	Canada	82%
3	Norway	81%
	...
185	Brunei	39%
186	Nauru	39%
187	S. Sudan	37%
188	Timor-Leste (E. Timor)	36%
189	Bhutan	35%
190	Palau	34%
191	Angola	33%
192	Iraq	28%
	Asia Avg	55.4%
	World Avg	57.5%
q=197.

Timor-Leste would benefit from its protections, yet it sits alongside the USA, Haiti, the Vatican, Fiji and South Sudan as the few countries who, after 30 years, have still not not signed the Basel Convention on transporting and dumping hazardous waste.

Meat Consumption Lower is better36
Pos.		2021 kg36
1	Congo, DR	03.0
2	Burundi	03.5
3	Bangladesh	04.3
	...
26	Benin	15.6
27	Guinea	16.7
28	Gambia	16.7
29	Timor-Leste (E. Timor)	17.2
30	Nepal	17.3
31	Solomon Islands	17.4
32	Syria	17.8
33	Yemen	17.8
	Asia Avg	46.7
	World Avg	52.5
q=185.

7. Timor-Leste (East Timor)'s Modernity and Learning

#capitalism #corruption #economics #education #health #human_development #inequality #life_expectancy #modernity #peace #politics #poverty #social_development #technology #the_internet

Compared to Asia (2020)39
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank39
1	S. Korea	22.2
2	Japan	24.7
3	Israel	29.5
	...
41	Bhutan	123.9
42	Laos	124.4
43	Iraq	124.6
44	Timor-Leste (E. Timor)	125.5
45	Syria	126.9
46	Myanmar (Burma)	137.3
47	Cambodia	140.0
48	Yemen	141.2
49	Afghanistan	147.7
	Asia Avg	78.26
q=49.

Modernity & Learning (2020)39
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank39
1	Finland	7.1
2	Belgium	12.9
3	Denmark	13.6
	...
144	Laos	124.4
145	Iraq	124.6
146	Malawi	125.4
147	Timor-Leste (E. Timor)	125.5
148	Vanuatu	125.6
149	Togo	125.8
150	Sao Tome & Principe	126.0
151	Syria	126.9
	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 Denmark₄₀. The worst countries are Eritrea, S. Sudan and Sierra Leone₄₀. Despite improves in global education, access to tertiary (adult) education is becoming increasingly unequal between the rich haves and the poor have-nots₄₁.

“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)₄₂

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 Europe₄₀, whereas the worst are Melanesia, Africa and Micronesia₄₀.

For more, see:

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

Modernity and Education:

Length of Schooling Higher is better43
Pos.		2021 Years43
1	Australia	21.1
2	New Zealand	20.3
3	Greece	20.0
	...
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
128	Uzbekistan	12.5
129	Bangladesh	12.4
	Asia Avg	13.5
	World Avg	13.5
q=193.

Intellectual Endeavours Lower is better32
Pos.		2017 Rank32
1	Ukraine	1
2	Czechia	2
3	Hungary	3
	...
70	China	70
71	Burundi	71
72	Tunisia	72
73	Timor-Leste (E. Timor)	73
74	Chile	74
75	Argentina	75
76	Costa Rica	76
77	Jamaica	77
	Asia Avg	97.1
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Technology and Information:

Internet Users Higher is better44
Pos.		201644
1	Iceland	100%
2	Faroe Islands	99%
3	Norway	98%
	...
194	Myanmar (Burma)	3%
195	Sierra Leone	2%
196	Niger	2%
197	Guinea	2%
198	Somalia	2%
199	Burundi	2%
200	Timor-Leste (E. Timor)	1%
201	Eritrea	1%
	Asia Avg	48.7%
	World Avg	48.1%
q=201.

IPv6 Uptake Higher is better45
Pos.		2017 Ratio45
1	Belgium	55.4
2	Germany	41.8
3	Switzerland	35.1
	...
131=	Tonga	0.0
131=	Myanmar (Burma)	0.0
131=	Morocco	0.0
131=	Timor-Leste (E. Timor)	0.0
131=	Honduras	0.0
131=	Syria	0.0
131=	Nicaragua	0.0
131=	Solomon Islands	0.0
	Asia Avg	2.11
	World Avg	3.82
q=176.

8. Timor-Leste (East Timor)'s Culture, Peace and Inequality

#capitalism #charitability #corruption #culture #economics #equality #health #human_development #inequality #life_expectancy #peace #politics #poverty #social_development

Compared to Asia (2020)46
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank46
1	Singapore	20.2
2	Taiwan	37.2
3	Hong Kong	40.5
	...
15	Kuwait	66.3
16	Thailand	67.3
17	Israel	68.6
18	Timor-Leste (E. Timor)	71.5
19	Maldives	75.1
20	Kazakhstan	75.8
21	Vietnam	76.6
22	Philippines	76.8
23	Sri Lanka	79.8
	Asia Avg	79.59
q=49.

Culture, Peace & Inequality (2020)46
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank46
1	Denmark	11.2
2	Norway	13.9
3	Netherlands	14.4
	...
62	Bosnia & Herzegovina	68.9
63	Jamaica	69.5
64	Greece	70.9
65	Timor-Leste (E. Timor)	71.5
66	Montenegro	73.2
67	Argentina	73.6
68	Cuba	73.8
69	Tunisia	74.9
	World Avg	78.12
q=180.

This is the final pillar of the Social and Moral Development Index; it has 22 datasets, including multiple decades of data on World Giving Index, resisting corruption, overall happiness, Creativity and Culture, Open Trading, Aid and Development, its Global Peace Index rating, Peacekeeping and Security, Refugees and UN Treaties, the impact of terrorism, Inequality in Life Expectancy, Income Inequality (Gini Coefficient) and Multidimensional Poverty.

For more, see:

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

National Culture:

On the Corruption Index, Timor-Leste scored on average 30.8 over the 2012-2016 period. Over the 10 years since then, it improved by 11.2 points.

Corruption Higher is better47
Pos.		2022 Points47
1	Denmark	90.0
2=	Finland	87.0
2=	New Zealand	87.0
	...
74	Bulgaria	43.0
75=	Benin	43.0
75=	Ghana	43.0
77	Timor-Leste (E. Timor)	42.0
78=	Vietnam	42.0
78=	Trinidad & Tobago	42.0
78=	Burkina Faso	42.0
78=	Solomon Islands	42.0
	Asia Avg	39.98
	World Avg	42.98
q=180.

Creativity & Culture Lower is better32
Pos.		2017 Rank32
1	Belgium	1
2	Netherlands	2
3	Estonia	3
	...
130	Bangladesh	130
131	Kazakhstan	131
132	Guinea	132
133	Timor-Leste (E. Timor)	133
134	Mali	134
135	Chad	135
136	Saudi Arabia	136
137	Congo, (Brazzaville)	137
	Asia Avg	99.0
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Open Trading, Aid & Development Lower is better32
Pos.		2017 Rank32
1	Ireland	1
2	Denmark	2
3	Sweden	3
	...
26	Zimbabwe	26
27	Canada	27
28	Trinidad & Tobago	28
29	Timor-Leste (E. Timor)	29
30	Burkina Faso	30
31	Lebanon	31
32	Barbados	32
33	Mongolia	33
	Asia Avg	86.3
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Peace Versus Instability:

Global Peace Index Lower is better48
Pos.		2023 Score48
1	Iceland	1.12
2	Denmark	1.31
3	Ireland	1.31
	...
46	Laos	1.78
47	Sierra Leone	1.79
48	Oman	1.79
49	Timor-Leste (E. Timor)	1.80
50	Uruguay	1.80
51	Ghana	1.80
52	Senegal	1.83
53	Indonesia	1.83
	Asia Avg	2.17
	World Avg	2.07
q=163.

Peacekeeping & Security Lower is better32
Pos.		2017 Rank32
1	Samoa	1
2	S. Africa	2
3	Tunisia	3
	...
46	Burkina Faso	46
47	Philippines	47
48	UK	48
49	Timor-Leste (E. Timor)	49
50	Ireland	50
51	Norway	51
52	Finland	52
53	France	53
	Asia Avg	76.0
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Refugees & UN Treaties Lower is better32
Pos.		2017 Rank32
1	Austria	1
2	Germany	2
3	Netherlands	3
	...
99	Mexico	99
100	Senegal	100
101	Georgia	101
102	Timor-Leste (E. Timor)	102
103	Barbados	103
104	Armenia	104
105	Suriname	105
106	Namibia	106
	Asia Avg	92.2
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Economic Inequality and Poverty:

Inequality in Life Expectancy Lower is better49
Pos.		201949
1	Iceland	2.40
2=	Singapore	2.50
2=	Hong Kong	2.50
	...
132	Madagascar	21.10
133	Senegal	21.20
134	Eritrea	21.40
135	Timor-Leste (E. Timor)	21.70
136	Namibia	22.10
137=	Kenya	22.50
137=	Bolivia	22.50
139	Laos	22.60
	Asia Avg	11.80
	World Avg	14.59
q=184.

Income Inequality (Gini Coefficient) Lower is better50
Pos.		2023 %50
1	Slovakia	24.1%51
2	Slovenia	24.3%51
3	Belarus	24.4%52
	...
20	Denmark	28.3%51
21=	Poland	28.5%51
21=	Bhutan	28.5%53
23	Timor-Leste (E. Timor)	28.7%54
24	Croatia	28.9%51
25	Kosovo	29.0%55
26=	Hungary	29.2%51
26=	Kazakhstan	29.2%51
	Asia Avg	33.0%
	World Avg	36.5%
q=167.

Income inequality data is rarely available for East Timor - only for 3 years between 1980 and 2019.

Multidimensional Poverty Lower is better56
Pos.		2018 Severity56
1	Armenia	.001
2	Ukraine	.001
3	Serbia	.001
	...
66	Bangladesh	.198
67	Pakistan	.198
68	Haiti	.200
69	Timor-Leste (E. Timor)	.210
70	Ivory Coast	.236
71	Yemen	.241
72	Cameroon	.243
73	Malawi	.243
	Asia Avg	.084
	World Avg	.154
q=101.

9. Religion and Beliefs

#buddhism #christianity #hinduism #islam #judaism

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 below₅₇:

Christian	99%
Muslim	0.1%
Hindu	0.1%
Buddhist	0.1%
Folk Religion	0.1%
Jewish	0.1%
Unaffiliated	0.1%

The CIA World Factbook has slightly different data, and states: Roman Catholic 98%, Muslim 1%, Protestant 1% (2005)₅₈.

Links:

• A List of All Religions and Belief Systems