Trinidad & Tobago (Republic of Trinidad and Tobago)

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

By Vexen Crabtree 2025

Trinidad & Tobago Republic of Trinidad and Tobago
Status	Independent State
Social and Moral Index	70th best
Capital	Port-of-Spain
Land Area	5 130km²₁
Location	North America, The Americas, The Caribbean
Groupings	Small Islands
Population	1.4m₂
Life Expectancy	72.97yrs (2017)₃
GNI	$23 392 (2017)₄
ISO3166-1 Codes	TT, TTO, 780₅
Internet Domain	.tt₆
Currency	Dollar (TTD)₇
Telephone	+₈

1. Overview

“First colonized by the Spanish, the islands came under British control in the early 19th century. The islands' sugar industry was hurt by the emancipation of the slaves in 1834. Manpower was replaced with the importation of contract laborers from India between 1845 and 1917, which boosted sugar production as well as the cocoa industry. The discovery of oil on Trinidad in 1910 added another important export. Independence was attained in 1962. The country is one of the most prosperous in the Caribbean thanks largely to petroleum and natural gas production and processing. Tourism, mostly in Tobago, is targeted for expansion and is growing. The government is coping with a rise in violent crime.”
CIA's The World Factbook (2013)₉

“Get ready for calypso, cricket and Carnival parties when you hit these twin Caribbean islands that are better known for birdwatching than beaches. Trinidad and Tobago are an exercise in beautiful contradiction. In Trinidad, pristine mangrove swamps and rainforested hills sit side by side with smoke-belching oil refineries and ugly industrial estates. Tobago has everything you´d expect from a Caribbean island, with palm trees and white sand aplenty, yet it´s relatively unchanged by the tourist industry. Combined, this twin-island republic offers unparalleled birdwatching; first-class diving; luxuriant rainforests prime for hiking, waterfall swimming and cycling; and electric nightlife, with the fabulous Carnival easily the biggest and best of the region´s annual blowouts.
Gritty capital Port of Spain is a great place to lime with the locals, catch up with the latest soca tunes, and see a game of cricket, and it´s only a short trip to the wildlife and waterfalls of the Northern Range of beaches of Maracas Bay. But don´t expect anyone to hold your hand. Tourism tends to be low on the priority list, so it´s up to you to take a deep breath, jump in and enjoy the mix.”
"The World" by Lonely Planet (2014)₁₀

2. Trinidad & Tobago 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
	...
54	Oman	0.816
55	Bahamas	0.812
56	Kazakhstan	0.811
57	Trinidad & Tobago	0.810
58=	Costa Rica	0.809
58=	Uruguay	0.809
60	Belarus	0.808
61	Panama	0.805
	The Americas Avg	0.75
	World Avg	0.72
q=191.

Gross National Income Per-Capita (2021)₁₁
Pos.		Higher is better PPP $₁₁
1	Liechtenstein	$146 830
2	Singapore	$90 919
3	Qatar	$87 134
	...
55	Seychelles	$25 831
56	Chile	$24 563
57	Kazakhstan	$23 943
58	Trinidad & Tobago	$23 392
59	St Kitts & Nevis	$23 358
60	Bulgaria	$23 079
61	Guyana	$22 465
62	Mauritius	$22 025
	The Americas Avg	$16 628
	World Avg	$20 136
q=193.

Social & Moral Development Index₁₂
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₁₂
1	Denmark	26.9
2	Norway	29.1
3	Sweden	29.9
	...
67	China	79.9
68	Panama	80.2
69	Ecuador	80.7
70	Trinidad & Tobago	80.7
71	Vietnam	80.9
72	Colombia	81.1
73	Bosnia & Herzegovina	81.5
74	El Salvador	81.9
	The Americas Avg	81.5
	World Avg	89.0
q=200.

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

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

3. Trinidad & Tobago's Demographics and Migration

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

Population Datasets:

Trinidad & Tobago's population is predicted to fall to 1 354 000 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 1.61. The fertility rate is, in simple terms, the average amount of children that each woman has. The higher the figure, the quicker the population will grow, although, to calculate the rate you also need to take into account morbidity - the rate at which people die. If people live healthy and long lives and morbidity is low, then, 2.0 approximates to the replacement rate (two new children for each set of parents who die), which would keep the population stable. If all countries had such a fertility rate, population growth would end. The actual replacement rate in most developed countries is around 2.1, once you take mortality into account₁₃. The highest fertility rate ever detected in a single year was in Yemen in 1985, at 8.86.₁₄

Population₂
Pos.		2018 Population₂
1	China	1.4b
2	India	1.4b
3	USA	327.1m
	...
148	Latvia	1.9m
149	Guinea-Bissau	1.9m
150	Bahrain	1.6m
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
	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
	...
80	Mauritius	73.6
81	Palestine	73.5
82	N. Korea	73.3
83	Trinidad & Tobago	73.0
84	Colombia	72.8
85	Dominica	72.8
86	Samoa	72.8
87	Brazil	72.8
	World Avg	71.28
q=195. Also scored for 1990s-2010s.

Fertility Rate 2.0 is best₁₅
Pos.		2022₁₅
1	US Virgin Islands	2.00
2	Ecuador	2.00
3	Nepal	2.01
	...
61	Brazil	1.63
62	Czechia	1.62
63	St Martin	2.39
64	Trinidad & Tobago	1.61
65	Saudi Arabia	2.39
66	Macedonia	1.60
67	Libya	2.40
68	Iceland	1.59
	World Avg	2.47
q=208. Also scored for 1960s-2010s.

Old-Age Dependency Ratio Lower is better₁₆
Pos.		2016 Per 100₁₆
1	Uganda	04.3
2	Mali	04.5
3=	Chad	04.7
	...
121	Argentina	20.3
122	Jamaica	21.0
123	Lebanon	21.1
124	Trinidad & Tobago	21.9
125	Bahamas	22.4
126	Costa Rica	22.6
127	Israel	22.9
128	Sri Lanka	23.7
	World Avg	18.3
q=185.

Migration Datasets:

Immigrants₁₇
Pos.		2017 %₁₇
1	UAE	88.4%
2	Kuwait	75.5%
3	Qatar	65.2%
	...
94	Mauritania	3.8%
95	Namibia	3.8%
96	Burkina Faso	3.7%
97	Trinidad & Tobago	3.7%
98	Togo	3.6%
99	Uzbekistan	3.6%
100	Rwanda	3.6%
101	Moldova	3.5%
	World Avg	9.4%
q=195.

Emigrants₁₈
Pos.		2010 %₁₈
1	Dominica	104.8%
2	Palestine	68.4%
3	Samoa	67.3%
	...
16	Cape Verde	37.6%
17	Jamaica	36.1%
18	Armenia	28.2%
19	Trinidad & Tobago	26.7%
20	Malta	26.2%
21	Georgia	25.1%
22	Kazakhstan	23.6%
23	St Lucia	23.3%
	World Avg	11.5%
q=192.

4. Trinidad & Tobago's Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance

#antisemitism #equality #freedom #freethought #gender #gender_equality #homosexuality #human_rights #international_law #mass_media #misogyny #morals #politics #prejudice #religious_tolerance #slavery #tolerance #trinidad_&_tobago #venezuela #women

Compared to The Americas (2025)₁₉
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₁₉
1	Canada	16.7
2	Uruguay	31.2
3	Costa Rica	38.8
	...
9	Mexico	66.7
10	Peru	67.9
11	Bahamas	69.2
12	Trinidad & Tobago	69.3
13	El Salvador	69.8
14	Barbados	73.2
15	Panama	75.3
16	Ecuador	75.4
17	Suriname	75.5
	The Americas Avg	71.80
q=35.

Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance (2025)₁₉
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₁₉
1	Sweden	7.8
2	Netherlands	8.7
3	Denmark	8.8
	...
53	Bulgaria	67.8
54	Peru	67.9
55	Bahamas	69.2
56	Trinidad & Tobago	69.3
57	El Salvador	69.8
58	S. Africa	70.7
59	Barbados	73.2
60	Mauritius	74.9
	World Avg	89.80
q=199.

The best countries in the world at ensuring human rights, fostering equality and promoting tolerance, are Sweden, The Netherlands and Denmark₂₀. These countries are displaying the best traits that humanity has to offer. The worst countries are Somalia, Eritrea and Saudi Arabia₂₀.

31 datasets are used to calculate points for each country, including multiple decades of data on supporting press freedom, combatting 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 Europe₂₀, whereas the worst are The Middle East, Africa and Asia₂₀.

For more, see:

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

4.1. Human Rights & Tolerance Datasets

#freedom #human_rights #international_law #mass_media #politics #slavery #trinidad_&_tobago

Press Freedom Higher is better₂₁
Pos.		2025₂₁
1	Norway	92.31
2	Estonia	89.46
3	Netherlands	88.64
	...
16	New Zealand	81.37
17	Iceland	81.36
18	Belgium	80.12
19	Trinidad & Tobago	79.71
20	UK	78.89
21	Canada	78.75
22	Austria	78.12
23	Spain	77.35
	The Americas Avg	55.99
	World Avg	54.65
q=179. Also scored for 2000s-2010s.

Trinidad and Tobago is one of only 19 countries who in 2025 had better press freedom than in the 2010s.

Slavery in the 2020s Lower is better₂₂
Pos.		Total Per 1000₂₂
1=	Switzerland	0.50
1=	Norway	0.50
3=	Germany	0.60
	...
64=	Congo, DR	4.50
65=	Madagascar	4.60
65=	Niger	4.60
67=	Trinidad & Tobago	4.70
67=	Panama	4.70
69	Malawi	4.90
70=	Zimbabwe	5.00
70=	Cambodia	5.00
	The Americas Avg	5.84
	World Avg	7.15
q=160. Also scored for 2010s-2020s.

Personal, Civil & Economic Freedom Lower is better₂₃
Pos.		2014 Rank₂₃
1	Hong Kong	1
2	Switzerland	2
3	New Zealand	3
	...
76	Nicaragua	76
77=	Paraguay	77
77=	Mexico	77
79=	Trinidad & Tobago	79
79=	Bhutan	79
79=	Benin	79
82	Brazil	82
83	Tajikistan	83
	The Americas Avg	72.4
	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
	...
69=	Samoa	2.0
69=	Botswana	2.0
69=	Romania	2.0
69=	Trinidad & Tobago	2.0
69=	Monaco	2.0
69=	Poland	2.0
69=	Ghana	2.0
76=	Timor-Leste (E. Timor)	2.5
	The Americas Avg	2.7
	World Avg	3.7
q=205. Also scored for 1970s-2010s.

Nominal Commitment to HR Higher is better₂₄
Pos.		2009 Treaties₂₄
1	Argentina	24
2=	Chile	23
2=	Costa Rica	23
	...
143=	Angola	12
143=	Suriname	12
143=	Kuwait	12
143=	Trinidad & Tobago	12
143=	Lebanon	12
148=	Thailand	11
148=	Barbados	11
148=	Bahamas	11
	The Americas Avg	16.5
	World Avg	15.1
q=194.

HR Treaties Lag Lower is better₂₅
Pos.		2019 Avg Yrs/Treaty₂₅
1	Ecuador	2.15
2	Uruguay	2.25
3	Tunisia	3.65
	...
137	Estonia	12.06
138	Gambia	12.12
139	Ivory Coast	12.14
140	Trinidad & Tobago	12.26
141	Turkmenistan	12.35
142	Serbia	12.44
143	Indonesia	12.45
144	S. Africa	12.51
	The Americas Avg	8.45
	World Avg	10.02
q=195.

Amnesty International's 2023-23 report had little to say about Trinidad & Tobago, except to note the country's poor acceptance of asylum seekers, "in violation of international human rights law"₂₆.

4.2. Gender Equality Datasets

#gender #gender_equality #human_rights #misogyny #politics #prejudice #venezuela #women

Trinidad & Tobago is on the way towards ending gender inequality but women are still in an unfavourable position much of the time.

See:

"Religion Versus Womankind" by Vexen Crabtree (2007)

Venezuelan women in particular in Trinidad & Tobago are at "at risk of gender-based violence", according to Amnesty International₂₆.

Gender Inequality Lower is better₂₇
Pos.		2022₂₇
1	Denmark	0.01
2	Norway	0.01
3	Switzerland	0.02
	...
61	Uzbekistan	0.24
62	Cyprus	0.25
63	Oman	0.27
64	Trinidad & Tobago	0.27
65	Libya	0.27
66	Turkey	0.27
67	Tajikistan	0.28
68=	Brunei	0.28
	The Americas Avg	0.36
	World Avg	0.34
q=166. Also scored for 1990s-2010s.

Gender Biases Lower is better₂₈
Pos.		2022 %₂₈
1	Sweden	31.8₂₉
2	New Zealand	34.4₃₀
3	Australia	37.0₃₀
	...
30	Ukraine	86.1₃₀
31	Brazil	86.3₃₀
32	Romania	86.6₃₀
33	Trinidad & Tobago	87.4₂₉
34	Peru	89.1₃₀
35	Guatemala	89.6₃₀
36	S. Korea	89.9₃₀
37	Mexico	90.2₃₀
	The Americas Avg	82.90
	World Avg	83.93
q=88.

Year Women Can Vote Lower is better
Pos.		Total Year
1	New Zealand	1893
2	Australia	1902
3	Finland	1906
	...
64=	Venezuela	1946
64=	Guatemala	1946
64=	Vietnam	1946
64=	Trinidad & Tobago	1946
68=	Singapore	1947
68=	Pakistan	1947
68=	Malta	1947
68=	Argentina	1947
	The Americas Avg	1947
	World Avg	1930
q=189.

4.3. Prejudice Datasets

#antisemitism #freethought #homosexuality #religious_tolerance

Anti-Semite Opinions Lower is better₃₁
Pos.		2014 %₃₁
1	Laos	0
2	Philippines	3
3	Sweden	4
	...
29=	Ivory Coast	22
29=	Estonia	22
31	Japan	23
32=	Trinidad & Tobago	24
32=	Argentina	24
32=	Mexico	24
35=	Haiti	26
35=	Mongolia	26
	The Americas Avg	29.7
	World Avg	36.8
q=101.

LGBT Equality in the 2020s Higher is better₃₂
Pos.		Total Score₃₂
1=	Germany	4.88
1=	Spain	4.88
3	Portugal	4.81
	...
101	Nauru	-0.10
102	Cambodia	-0.12
103	Laos	-0.13
104	Trinidad & Tobago	-0.19
105	Albania	-0.40
106	Macedonia	-0.43
107	Bahamas	-0.45
108	Mongolia	-0.48
	The Americas Avg	0.41
	World Avg	-1.21
q=215. Also scored for 1970s-2020s.

Trinidad and Tobago inherited British anti-male-homosexuality laws. Although discriminatory law was struck down by High Court in 2018, it was illegal again in 2025.

ILGA researchers in 2017 found that Trinidad and Tobago had no legal protections against anti-LGBT discrimination.

Freedom of Thought Lower is better₃₃
Pos.		2021₃₃
1=	Belgium	1.0
1=	Taiwan	1.0
1=	Netherlands	1.0
	...
112=	Vanuatu	3.3
112=	Tajikistan	3.3
112=	Zambia	3.3
112=	Trinidad & Tobago	3.3
112=	St Lucia	3.3
112=	Dominican Rep.	3.3
112=	Armenia	3.3
112=	Bosnia & Herzegovina	3.3
	The Americas Avg	2.7
	World Avg	3.0
q=196.

5. Trinidad & Tobago's Health

#alcohol #birth_control #demographics #health #life_expectancy #longevity #mental_health #obesity #overpopulation #parenting #population #suicide #trinidad_&_tobago #vaccines

Compared to The Americas (2025)₃₄
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₃₄
1	Canada	62.0
2	Cuba	62.5
3	Antigua & Barbuda	63.9
	...
18	St Kitts & Nevis	89.9
19	Brazil	89.9
20	Colombia	90.2
21	Trinidad & Tobago	90.9
22	St Lucia	91.2
23	Panama	93.0
24	Argentina	96.1
25	El Salvador	98.2
26	Ecuador	98.7
	The Americas Avg	92.66
q=41.

Health (2025)₃₄
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₃₄
1	Monaco	10.3
2	Liechtenstein	30.1
3	Japan	37.3
	...
91	Colombia	90.2
92	Saudi Arabia	90.6
93	Uzbekistan	90.9
94	Trinidad & Tobago	90.9
95	St Lucia	91.2
96	Panama	93.0
97	French Polynesia	93.1
98	Fiji	93.8
	World Avg	97.57
q=207.

The countries with the best overall approach to public health, in terms of both public policy and individual lifestyle choices, are Monaco, Liechtenstein and Japan₃₅. These countries are worth emulating. And, although often through no fault of the average citizen, the worst countries are Angola, Somalia and S. Sudan₃₅.

42 datasets are used to calculate points for each country, including multiple decades of data on its average life expectancy, its alcohol consumption rate, its fertility rate, its smoking rate, its suicide rate, its food aid and health contributions and WHO compliance, the prevalence of overweight adults, obesity rate, its adolescent birth rate, delivery rate of infant DTP immunizations, delivery rate of 7x Infant Immunizations 2011-2015 and childhood mortality. The regions with the best average results per country are Scandinavia, Europe and The Mediterranean₃₅, whereas the worst are Africa, Micronesia and Melanesia₃₅.

For more, see:

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

5.1. Health Datasets

#alcohol #birth_control #demographics #health #life_expectancy #longevity #mental_health #obesity #overpopulation #suicide #trinidad_&_tobago

Trinidad & Tobago has some poor policies and cultural issues which cause some public health problems. Trinidad & Tobago does better than average in its fertility rate₁₅, the prevalence of overweight adults₃₆ (amongst the lowest in The Americas), its average life expectancy₁₁ and in delivery rate of infant DTP immunizations in the 2020s₃₇. But, there's bad news too. Trinidad & Tobago does worse than average in its suicide rate₃₈, its adolescent birth rate₃₉ (still good for The Americas), childhood mortality in the 2020s₄₀, delivery rate of 7x Infant Immunizations 2011-2015₄₁ and in its alcohol consumption rate₄₂. And finally, it falls into the worst-performing 20 when it comes to its food aid and health contributions and WHO compliance₄₃ (amongst the worst in The Americas). The prevalence of overweight adults has increased by 14% during the past 40 years. Life expectancy in Trinidad and Tobago improved by +6yrs in the 30 years from 1990, less than the global average of +7.9yrs. Trinidad and Tobago's peak fertility rate was 5.35 in 1960.

Life Expectancy Higher is better₁₁
Pos.		2021 Years₁₁
1	Monaco	85.9
2	Hong Kong	85.5
3	Japan	84.8
	...
80	Mauritius	73.6
81	Palestine	73.5
82	N. Korea	73.3
83	Trinidad & Tobago	73.0
84	Colombia	72.8
85	Dominica	72.8
86	Samoa	72.8
87	Brazil	72.8
	The Americas Avg	72.58
	World Avg	71.28
q=195. Also scored for 1990s-2010s.

Alcohol Consumption Lower is better₄₂
Pos.		2016 Per Capita₄₂
1	Bangladesh	0.0
2	Kuwait	0.0
3	Libya	0.0
	...
125	Thailand	8.3
126=	Ivory Coast	8.4
126=	Botswana	8.4
126=	Trinidad & Tobago	8.4
126=	Vietnam	8.4
130	Ukraine	8.6
131	Netherlands	8.7
132=	Croatia	8.9
	The Americas Avg	6.9
	World Avg	6.2
q=189.

Fertility Rate 2.0 is best₁₅
Pos.		2022₁₅
1	US Virgin Islands	2.00
2	Ecuador	2.00
3	Nepal	2.01
	...
61	Brazil	1.63
62	Czechia	1.62
63	St Martin	2.39
64	Trinidad & Tobago	1.61
65	Saudi Arabia	2.39
66	Macedonia	1.60
67	Libya	2.40
68	Iceland	1.59
	The Americas Avg	1.80
	World Avg	2.47
q=208. Also scored for 1960s-2010s.

Suicide Rate₃₈
Pos.		2013 Per 100k₃₈
1	Haiti	0
2	Grenada	0
3	Egypt	0.1
	...
49	Portugal	19.6
50	Singapore	20.6
51	India	20.8
52	Trinidad & Tobago	21.7
53	USA	22.2
54	Chile	22.4
55	Canada	22.7
56	Iceland	23.5
	The Americas Avg	13.57
	World Avg	20.93
q=91.

Food Aid, Health Contributions & WHO Compliance Lower is better₄₃
Pos.		2017 Rank₄₃
1	Sweden	1
2	Ireland	2
3	Denmark	3
	...
149	Tonga	149
150	Nigeria	150
151	St Lucia	151
152	Trinidad & Tobago	152
153	Mozambique	153
154	Cape Verde	154
155	Bahamas	155
156	Libya	156
	The Americas Avg	94.3
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Overweight Adults Lower is better₃₆
Pos.		1976 %₃₆
1	Bangladesh	4.7
2	Vietnam	5.1
3	Nepal	5.4
	...
69=	Haiti	20.2
69=	Yemen	20.2
71	Djibouti	20.5
72	Trinidad & Tobago	20.6
73	Singapore	22.8
74	St Lucia	24.0
75	Guyana	24.3
76	Paraguay	25.1
	The Americas Avg	30.7
	World Avg	27.1
q=191.

Adult Obesity Lower is better₄₄
Pos.		2022 %₄₄
1	Vietnam	2.1%
2	Timor-Leste (E. Timor)	2.2%
3	Ethiopia	2.4%
	...
127	Brazil	28.8%
128	Suriname	29.0%
129	Dominican Rep.	29.1%
130	Trinidad & Tobago	29.2%
131	Ukraine	29.2%
132	Latvia	29.8%
133	El Salvador	29.9%
134	S. Africa	30.0%
	The Americas Avg	32.0%
	World Avg	24.7%
q=199. Also scored for 1990s-2010s.

5.2. Children's Health Datasets

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

Adolescent Birth Rate Lower is better₃₉
Pos.		2022 Per 1000₃₉
1	Hong Kong	1.6
2	Denmark	1.8
3	S. Korea	2.1
	...
100	Costa Rica	35.7
101	St Lucia	36.3
102	St Kitts & Nevis	36.8
103	Trinidad & Tobago	37.7
104	Argentina	37.9
105	Dominica	37.9
106	Syria	38.1
107	Bulgaria	38.2
	The Americas Avg	48.1
	World Avg	43.8
q=195. Also scored for 1990s-2010s.

Infant DTP Immunizations (2020s) Higher is better₃₇
Pos.		Total Avg %₃₇
1=	Luxembourg	99.0
1=	Oman	99.0
1=	Niue	99.0
	...
83=	Rwanda	94.8
83=	UAE	94.8
85=	Thailand	94.6
85=	Trinidad & Tobago	94.6
85=	Armenia	94.6
88	Kiribati	94.5
89=	Iceland	94.4
89=	Italy	94.4
	The Americas Avg	87.5
	World Avg	88.5
q=211. Also scored for 1980s-2020s.

7x Infant Immunizations (2011-2015) Higher is better₄₁
Pos.		2015 Avg %₄₁
1=	Hungary	99.0
1=	China	99.0
3	Uzbekistan	98.9
	...
113	Mexico	91.6
114	Moldova	91.5
115	Iceland	91.5
116	Trinidad & Tobago	91.4
117	Jamaica	90.9
118	Burkina Faso	90.6
119	Nepal	90.1
120	Montenegro	89.9
	The Americas Avg	91.3
	World Avg	88.3
q=194.

Infant Mortality (2020s) Lower is better₄₀
Pos.		Total Per 1000₄₀
1	San Marino	2.11
2	Finland	2.59
3	Luxembourg	2.60
	...
112	Fiji	22.11
113	N. Korea	22.55
114	Paraguay	22.61
115	Trinidad & Tobago	22.83
116	Kyrgyzstan	23.23
117	Egypt	23.97
118	Morocco	24.53
119	Solomon Islands	25.13
	The Americas Avg	18.99
	World Avg	32.19
q=195. Also scored for 1960s-2020s.

6. Trinidad & Tobago's Responsibility Towards The Environment

#biodiversity #climate_change #deforestation #environmentalism #food #internationalism #meat #over-exploitation #the_environment #trinidad_&_tobago #veganism #vegetarianism

Compared to The Americas (2025)₄₅
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₄₅
1	Uruguay	43.2
2	Puerto Rico	47.1
3	Costa Rica	49.7
	...
24	Paraguay	91.0
25	Belize	91.3
26	St Vincent & Grenadines	92.0
27	Trinidad & Tobago	94.5
28=	St Kitts & Nevis	96.9
29	Bahamas	100.9
30	Antigua & Barbuda	103.2
31	St Lucia	103.6
32	USA	103.8
	The Americas Avg	92.66
q=36.

Responsibility Towards The Environment (2025)₄₅
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₄₅
1	Sri Lanka	34.9
2	Uruguay	43.2
3	Switzerland	45.0
	...
134	Mozambique	93.9
135	Qatar	94.1
136	Liberia	94.2
137	Trinidad & Tobago	94.5
138	Ukraine	94.8
139	Saudi Arabia	94.9
140	Israel	95.8
141	Tonga	96.1
	World Avg	84.93
q=199.

We have known for a long term that we must protect the environment from habitation destruction, over-exploitation, pollution, and the emissions that cause climate change. In 1998, Greenpeace wrote that "Environment can no longer be meaningfully separated from health, quality of life, democracy, education, economy or trade"₄₆. What countries have been doing the right thing, via legislation and national culture? All countries' current and historical approach towards the environment is gauged via 21 datasets, including multiple decades of data on its forested percent change 2000-2020, its environmental performance, energy to GDP efficiency, its sign-up rate to major international accords on protecting the environment, the rate of rational beliefs on the environment in the population, reducing annual meat consumption per person and its score on the Green Future Index.

The countries that do the best (Sri Lanka, Uruguay and Switzerland) tend to have avoided the excesses of early industrial countries, and have not yet repeated the same mistakes of environmental destruction - at least, not on the same scale. The regions with the best average results per country are Central America, South America and Scandinavia. The worst are Eritrea, The Vatican City and Timor-Leste (E. Timor), and the worst regions Micronesia, Australasia and Melanesia.

For more, see:

"Countries With the Best Environmental Records" by Vexen Crabtree (2025).

Trinidad & Tobago comes 137th in the world regarding its responsibility towards the environment. This rank is computed using 21 data sets. Trinidad & Tobago comes in the best 20 in the rate of rational beliefs on the environment in the population₄₇ (amongst the highest in The Americas). It does better than average in its environmental performance₄₈ and in its sign-up rate to major international accords on protecting the environment. Trinidad & Tobago does not succeed in everything, however. Trinidad & Tobago does worse than average for reducing annual meat consumption per person₄₉ (still good for The Americas) and in its forested percent change 2000-2020₅₀. And finally, it is second-from-the-bottom for energy to GDP efficiency₅₁.

Forest Area Change 2000-2020 Higher is better₅₀
Pos.		Total₅₀
1	Guernsey	82.6%
2	Bahrain	75.2%
3	Iceland	64.7%
	...
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%
167	Peru	-4.0%
168	S. Africa	-4.1%
169	Brunei	-4.3%
	The Americas Avg	-2.1%
	World Avg	-0.1%
q=234.

Environmental Performance Higher is better₄₈
Pos.		2018₄₈
1	Switzerland	87.4
2	France	84.0
3	Denmark	81.6
	...
32	Qatar	67.8
33	Czechia	67.7
34	Slovenia	67.6
35	Trinidad & Tobago	67.4
36	St Vincent & Grenadines	66.5
37	Latvia	66.1
38	Turkmenistan	66.1
39	Seychelles	66.0
	The Americas Avg	58.8
	World Avg	56.4
q=180.

Energy to GDP Efficiency Lower is better₅₁
Pos.		2022 Avg₅₁
1	Rwanda	0.25
2	Chad	0.26
3	Tanzania	0.31
	...
158	Mozambique	2.38
159	N. Korea	2.46
160	Laos	2.75
161	Iceland	4.01
162	Venezuela	4.18
163	Bahrain	4.19
164	Trinidad & Tobago	4.64
165	Turkmenistan	4.69
	The Americas Avg	1.42
	World Avg	1.23
q=165. Also scored for 1960s-2010s.

Trinidad and Tobago's energy-to-GDP efficiency rate has been stable for several decades, however, as the worst-performing countries across the world improved, it became slightly less efficient. The overall result was that in the 2010s, Trinidad and Tobago found itself as the least efficient country in the world on this metric.

International Accords on the Environment Higher is better
Pos.		Total Avg Rate
1	Sweden	83%
2	Canada	82%
3	Norway	81%
	...
68	Iran	64%
69	Argentina	64%
70	Nicaragua	64%
71	Trinidad & Tobago	63%
72	Egypt	63%
73	Guyana	63%
74	Uganda	62%
75	Singapore	62%
	The Americas Avg	60.7%
	World Avg	57.5%
q=197. Also scored for 1970s-2020s.

Trinidad and Tobago is particularly vulnerable to the effects of climate change and was one of the early adopters of the Kyoto Protocol in 1999.

Rational Beliefs on the Environment Higher is better₄₇
Pos.		2011 %₄₇
1	Argentina	78.3%
2	Greece	77.6%
3	Brazil	77.1%
4	Trinidad & Tobago	74.5%
5	Costa Rica	74.2%
6	Cyprus	71.0%
7	Guatemala	70.9%
8	Philippines	70.8%
9	S. Korea	70.7%
10	Colombia	70.3%
11	Bolivia	69.3%
12	Paraguay	68.9%
	The Americas Avg	58.6%
	World Avg	39.9%
q=145.

Meat Consumption Lower is better₄₉
Pos.		2021 kg₄₉
1	Congo, DR	03.0
2	Burundi	03.5
3	Bangladesh	04.3
	...
100	Japan	57.2
101	Turkmenistan	57.4
102	Papua New Guinea	58.5
103	Trinidad & Tobago	58.5
104	Armenia	60.0
105	Suriname	60.8
106	Colombia	60.9
107	Slovenia	61.2
	The Americas Avg	70.3
	World Avg	52.5
q=185. Also scored for 2010s.

In the 2010s, meat consumption per person in Trinidad and Tobago was well above the global average (of 49kgs per year), putting unnecessary strain on water supplies and the environment. It managed to reduce this by over 10kgs per year (only 17 countries managed the same).₄₉

7. Trinidad & Tobago's Modernity and Learning

#education #english #intelligence #maths #metric #modernity #research #science #technology #the_internet

Compared to The Americas (2025)₅₂
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₅₂
1	Canada	30.9
2	Argentina	34.3
3	Chile	41.0
	...
21	USA	79.3
22	Nicaragua	82.3
23	St Kitts & Nevis	84.2
24	Trinidad & Tobago	86.2
25	Guatemala	86.7
26	Antigua & Barbuda	92.9
27	Honduras	93.2
28	St Vincent & Grenadines	97.3
29	St Lucia	99.5
	The Americas Avg	77.96
q=36.

Modernity & Learning (2025)₅₂
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₅₂
1	Vatican City	1.0
2	Finland	4.8
3	Belgium	8.5
	...
108=	Qatar	85.0
109	Iran	85.1
110	Kuwait	85.5
111	Trinidad & Tobago	86.2
112	Guatemala	86.7
113	Sri Lanka	88.5
114	Libya	88.6
115	Brunei	89.6
	World Avg	80.33
q=194.

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 The Vatican City, Finland and Belgium₅₃. The worst countries are S. Sudan, Eritrea and Somalia₅₃. Despite improves in global education, access to tertiary (adult) education is becoming increasingly unequal between the rich haves and the poor have-nots₅₄.

“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)₅₅

23 datasets are used to calculate points for each country, including multiple decades of data on Research and Development, Intellectual Endeavours, metric system adoption rate, Religiosity, IQ, Secondary Education, Length of Schooling, Maths, Science & Reading, the percent of citizens with access to the internet, Freedom On The Internet, IT Security, IPv6 Uptake and digital quality of life. The regions with the best average results per country are Scandinavia, Baltic States and Europe₅₃, whereas the worst are Melanesia, Africa and Micronesia₅₃.

For more, see:

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

7.1. Modernity Datasets

#intelligence #metric #research #science

Research & Development Higher is better
Pos.		2016 % RDP PPP
1	S. Korea	4.29₅₆
2	Israel	4.11₅₆
3	Japan	3.58₅₆
	...
114=	Saudi Arabia	0.07₅₇
114=	Algeria	0.07₅₈
114=	Cape Verde	0.07₅₉
117=	Trinidad & Tobago	0.05₆₀
117=	Macau	0.05₆₁
119=	Honduras	0.04₆₂
119=	Guatemala	0.04₆₀
119=	Bahrain	0.04₆₁
	The Americas Avg	0.47
	World Avg	0.84
q=126.

Intellectual Endeavours Lower is better₄₃
Pos.		2017 Rank₄₃
1	Ukraine	1
2	Czechia	2
3	Hungary	3
	...
90	Iran	90
91	Antigua & Barbuda	91
92	Burkina Faso	92
93	Trinidad & Tobago	93
94	Malawi	94
95	Mexico	95
96	Guinea	96
97	St Vincent & Grenadines	97
	The Americas Avg	99.8
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Metric System Adoption Rate Higher is better₆₃
Pos.		2025 %₆₃
1=	Slovakia	100
1=	Poland	100
1=	Portugal	100
	...
152=	Mongolia	90
152=	Saudi Arabia	90
152=	Antigua & Barbuda	90
152=	Trinidad & Tobago	90
152=	Burkina Faso	90
152=	Burundi	90
152=	Benin	90
152=	Cambodia	90
	The Americas Avg	90
	World Avg	92
q=187. Also scored for 1960s-2020s.

Adopted metric in 1970. Progression:

1960 (40%): Imperial dominant; metric in science.
1970 (65%): Metrication via standards; dual use common.
1980 (85%): Commerce/education largely metric; everyday imperial persists.
2000 (90%): Metric dominant officially.
2025 (90%).

IQ Higher is better₆₄
Pos.		2006₆₄
1=	Hong Kong	108
1=	Singapore	108
3	S. Korea	106
	...
70=	Kuwait	86
70=	Philippines	86
72=	Yemen	85
72=	Trinidad & Tobago	85
72=	Peru	85
72=	Cuba	85
76=	Venezuela	84
76=	Colombia	84
	The Americas Avg	85.3
	World Avg	85.6
q=138.

7.2. Education Datasets

#education #english #maths #science

Secondary Education Higher is better₆₅
Pos.		2018₆₅
1=	Luxembourg	100.0%
1=	Estonia	100.0%
1=	Austria	100.0%
	...
68	S. Africa	76.5%
69	Spain	75.8%
70	Samoa	74.5%
71	Trinidad & Tobago	73.4%
72	Philippines	73.2%
73	Saudi Arabia	72.8%
74	Andorra	72.3%
75	Panama	72.2%
	The Americas Avg	63.0%
	World Avg	63.0%
q=169.

Length of Schooling Higher is better₆₆
Pos.		2021 Years₆₆
1	Australia	21.1
2	New Zealand	20.3
3	Greece	20.0
	...
69	Ecuador	14.6
70	Iran	14.6
71	Oman	14.6
72	Trinidad & Tobago	14.5
73	Slovakia	14.5
74	Dominican Rep.	14.5
75	Albania	14.4
76	Cuba	14.4
	The Americas Avg	14.2
	World Avg	13.5
q=193. Also scored for 1990s-2010s.

Maths, Science & Reading Higher is better₆₇
Pos.		2015 Score₆₇
1	Singapore	1655
2	Hong Kong	1598
3	Japan	1586
	...
48	UAE	1298
49	Uruguay	1290
50	Turkey	1273
51	Trinidad & Tobago	1269
52	Moldova	1264
53	Montenegro	1256
54=	Costa Rica	1247
54=	Mexico	1247
	The Americas Avg	1287
	World Avg	1389
q=70.

7.3. Technology and Information Datasets

#modernity #technology #the_internet

Internet Users Higher is better₆₈
Pos.		2016₆₈
1	Iceland	100%
2	Faroe Islands	99%
3	Norway	98%
	...
57	New Caledonia	70%
58=	Macedonia	69%
58=	Argentina	69%
60	Trinidad & Tobago	69%
61	Malaysia	69%
62	Greenland	67%
63	Portugal	67%
64	Brazil	66%
	The Americas Avg	56.4%
	World Avg	48.1%
q=201.

IPv6 Uptake Higher is better₆₉
Pos.		2017 Ratio₆₉
1	Belgium	55.4
2	Germany	41.8
3	Switzerland	35.1
	...
17	Malaysia	16.5
18	Norway	14.7
19	Australia	14.6
20	Trinidad & Tobago	14.5
21	Finland	14.1
22	Brazil	13.9
23	Netherlands	10.5
24	Czechia	10.1
	The Americas Avg	3.36
	World Avg	3.82
q=176.

Digital Quality of Life Higher is better₇₀
Pos.		2024₇₀
1	Germany	77.9%
2	Finland	76.9%
3	France	73.9%
	...
84	Kyrgyzstan	39.5%
85	Jamaica	38.9%
86	Bosnia & Herzegovina	38.8%
87	Trinidad & Tobago	38.1%
88	Ghana	37.9%
89	Kenya	37.4%
90	Sri Lanka	36.3%
91	Angola	34.9%
	The Americas Avg	44.7%
	World Avg	48.4%
q=121.

8. Trinidad & Tobago's Culture, Peace and Inequality

#capitalism #corruption #economics #extremism #happiness #health #human_development #inequality #internationalism #life_expectancy #peace #politics #poverty #religious_violence #social_development #terrorism #trinidad_&_tobago

8.1. National Culture Datasets

#corruption #happiness #internationalism #politics #trinidad_&_tobago

Corruption Higher is better₇₁
Pos.		2022 Points₇₁
1	Denmark	90.0
2=	Finland	87.0
2=	New Zealand	87.0
	...
76=	Ghana	43.0
77=	Timor-Leste (E. Timor)	42.0
77=	Vietnam	42.0
77=	Trinidad & Tobago	42.0
77=	Burkina Faso	42.0
77=	Solomon Islands	42.0
77=	Kuwait	42.0
77=	Hungary	42.0
	The Americas Avg	42.97
	World Avg	42.98
q=180. Also scored for 1990s-2010s.

Throughout the 2000s, Trinidad & Tobago's score on the Corruption Perception Index declined more than any other country; it plummetted from 36th to 79th place.

Happiness Higher is better₇₂
Pos.		2024 Score₇₂
1	Finland	7.7
2	Denmark	7.5
3	Iceland	7.5
	...
67	Cyprus	5.9
68	China	5.9
69	Hungary	5.9
70	Trinidad & Tobago	5.9
71	Montenegro	5.9
72=	Croatia	5.9
72=	Jamaica	5.9
74	Bolivia	5.9
	The Americas Avg	6.31
	World Avg	5.58
q=147. Also scored for 2010s.

Creativity & Culture Lower is better₄₃
Pos.		2017 Rank₄₃
1	Belgium	1
2	Netherlands	2
3	Estonia	3
	...
68	Guyana	68
69	Bosnia & Herzegovina	69
70	Tonga	70
71	Trinidad & Tobago	71
72	Botswana	72
73	Dominica	73
74	Antigua & Barbuda	74
75	Turkey	75
	The Americas Avg	80.2
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Passport Reach (2020s) Higher is better₇₃
Pos.		Total Q₇₃
1	Singapore	192.2
2	Japan	192.0
3	S. Korea	190.7
	...
56	Seychelles	153.2
57	St Vincent & Grenadines	152.5
58	Antigua & Barbuda	151.3
59	Trinidad & Tobago	150.3
60	Costa Rica	150.0
61	Mauritius	147.8
62	St Lucia	146.5
63	Grenada	145.5
	The Americas Avg	132.4
	World Avg	108.8
q=195. Also scored for 2000s-2020s.

Open Trading, Aid & Development Lower is better₄₃
Pos.		2017 Rank₄₃
1	Ireland	1
2	Denmark	2
3	Sweden	3
	...
25	Mauritius	25
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
	The Americas Avg	100.5
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

8.2. Peace Versus Instability Datasets

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

Global Peace Index Lower is better₇₄
Pos.		2023 Score₇₄
1	Iceland	1.12
2	Denmark	1.31
3	Ireland	1.31
	...
68	Panama	1.94
69	Paraguay	1.94
70=	Liberia	1.95
70=	Trinidad & Tobago	1.95
70=	Kosovo	1.95
73	Cambodia	1.95
74	Malawi	1.97
75	UAE	1.98
	The Americas Avg	2.13
	World Avg	2.07
q=163. Also scored for 2010s.

Peacekeeping & Security Lower is better₄₃
Pos.		2017 Rank₄₃
1	Samoa	1
2	S. Africa	2
3	Tunisia	3
	...
113	Slovakia	113
114	Suriname	114
115	Greece	115
116	Trinidad & Tobago	116
117	Benin	117
118	Venezuela	118
119	Angola	119
120	Ivory Coast	120
	The Americas Avg	82.3
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Refugees & UN Treaties Lower is better₄₃
Pos.		2017 Rank₄₃
1	Austria	1
2	Germany	2
3	Netherlands	3
	...
133	Togo	133
134	St Vincent & Grenadines	134
135	Afghanistan	135
136	Trinidad & Tobago	136
137	Nigeria	137
138	Cambodia	138
139	Mali	139
140	Haiti	140
	The Americas Avg	91.5
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Impact of Terrorism Lower is better₇₅
Pos.		2019 Score₇₅
1	Togo	0.00
2	Mongolia	0.00
3	Swaziland	0.00
	...
12	Romania	0.00
13	El Salvador	0.00
14	Bhutan	0.01
15=	Trinidad & Tobago	0.02
15=	Uzbekistan	0.02
17=	Qatar	0.03
17=	Iceland	0.03
19=	Panama	0.04
	The Americas Avg	2.16
	World Avg	2.78
q=150.

8.3. Economic Inequality and Poverty Datasets

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

Inequality in Life Expectancy Lower is better₇₆
Pos.		2019₇₆
1	Iceland	2.40
2=	Singapore	2.50
2=	Hong Kong	2.50
	...
112	Vanuatu	14.40
113	Guatemala	14.60
114=	Fiji	14.90
114=	Trinidad & Tobago	14.90
116	Philippines	15.30
117	Iraq	15.90
118	Micronesia	16.10
119	Tajikistan	16.70
	The Americas Avg	12.03
	World Avg	14.59
q=184.

Multidimensional Poverty Lower is better₇₇
Pos.		2018 Severity₇₇
1	Armenia	.001
2	Ukraine	.001
3	Serbia	.001
4	Turkmenistan	.001
5	Jordan	.002
6	Kazakhstan	.002
7	Montenegro	.002
8	Trinidad & Tobago	.002
9	Maldives	.003
10	Albania	.003
11	Thailand	.003
12	Moldova	.004
	The Americas Avg	.045
	World Avg	.154
q=101.

9. Religion and Beliefs

#belief #buddhism #christianity #god #hinduism #islam #judaism #religion

Disbelief In God (2007)₇₈
Pos.		Higher is better %₇₈
1	Vietnam	81
2	Japan	65
3	Sweden	64
	...
39=	China	12
39=	Uruguay	12
41	USA	10
42	Trinidad & Tobago	9
43	Albania	8
44=	Dominican Rep.	7
44=	Croatia	7
44=	Kyrgyzstan	7
44=	Cambodia	7
48=	Moldova	6
48=	Italy	6
50=	Laos	5
50=	Ireland	5
50=	Mozambique	5
53=	Zimbabwe	4
53=	Namibia	4
	World Avg	9.9
q=137.

Pew Forum polling over the decades has found the following adherency rates:₇₉:

	2010	2020
Christian	69.6%	70%
Hindu	20.9%	20.6%
Muslim	5.54%	5.46%
Unaffiliated	2.55%	2.45%
Other	1.41%	1.4%
Buddhist	<0.1%	<0.1%
Jewish	<0.1%	<0.1%

The CIA World Factbook has slightly different data, and states: Roman Catholic 26%, Protestant 25.8% (Anglican 7.8%, Baptist 7.2%, Pentecostal 6.8%, Seventh-Day Adventist 4%), Hindu 22.5%, Muslim 5.8%, other Christian 5.8%, other 10.8%, unspecified 1.4%, none 1.9% (2000 census)₈₀.

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