Turkmenistan

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

By Vexen Crabtree 2025

Turkmenistan
Status	Independent State
Social and Moral Index	137th best
Capital	Ashgabat
Land Area	469 930km²₁
Location	Asia
Population	5.9m₂
Life Expectancy	69.26yrs (2017)₃
GNI	$13 021 (2017)₄
ISO3166-1 Codes	TM, TKM, 795₅
Internet Domain	.tm₆
Currency	Manat (TMM)₇
Telephone	+993₈

1. Overview

“Present-day Turkmenistan covers territory that has been at the crossroads of civilizations for centuries. The area was ruled in antiquity by various Persian empires, and was conquered by Alexander the Great, Muslim crusaders, the Mongols, Turkic warriors, and eventually the Russians. In medieval times Merv (today known as Mary) was one of the great cities of the Islamic world and an important stop on the Silk Road. Annexed by Russia in the late 1800s, Turkmenistan later figured prominently in the anti-Bolshevik movement in Central Asia. In 1924, Turkmenistan became a Soviet republic; it achieved independence upon the dissolution of the USSR in 1991. Extensive hydrocarbon/natural gas reserves, which have yet to be fully exploited, have begun to transform the country. Turkmenistan is moving to expand its extraction and delivery projects. The Government of Turkmenistan is actively working to diversify its gas export routes beyond the still important Russian pipeline network. In 2010, new gas export pipelines that carry Turkmen gas to China and to northern Iran began operating, effectively ending the Russian monopoly on Turkmen gas exports. President for Life Saparmurat NYYAZOW died in December 2006, and Turkmenistan held its first multi-candidate presidential election in February 2007. Gurbanguly BERDIMUHAMEDOW, a deputy cabinet chairman under NYYAZOW, emerged as the country's new president; he was chosen as president again in February 2012, in an election that the OSCE said lacked the freedoms necessary to create a competitive environment.”
CIA's The World Factbook (2013)₉

“Isolated and long dominated by an eccentric president, Turkmenistan is one of the oddest corners of Central Asia yet boasts its own distinctive attractions. By far the most mysterious and unexplored of Central Asia´s ´stans, Turkmenistan became famous for the truly bizarre dictatorship of Saparmyrat Niyazov, who ruled as `Turkmenbashi´ (`leader of the Turkmen´) until his death in 2006 and covered this little-known desert republic with golden statues of himself.
The result is a fascinating fiefdom of oddball sights and quirky historical remains. But it is also far more than the totalitarian theme park it´s often portrayed as; Turkmenistan is an ancient land of great spirituality, tradition and natural beauty.
The fabled cities of Merv and Konye-Urgench inspire visions of caravans plodding along the ancient Silk Road, while the stark and haunting beauty of the Karakum desert and other quirky natural phenomena are less expected but equally mesmerising sights. The full Turkmen experience is ultimately about mingling with the warm and fascinating Turkmen themselves, whose hospitality is the stuff of legend.”
"The World" by Lonely Planet (2014)₁₀

2. Turkmenistan 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
	...
91=	Tonga	0.745
91=	Algeria	0.745
91=	Azerbaijan	0.745
91=	Turkmenistan	0.745
95	Ecuador	0.740
96	Mongolia	0.739
97=	Egypt	0.731
97=	Tunisia	0.731
	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
	...
88	Gabon	$13 367
89	Ukraine	$13 256
90	Armenia	$13 158
91	Turkmenistan	$13 021
92	Iran	$13 001
93	S. Africa	$12 948
94	Suriname	$12 672
95	Sri Lanka	$12 578
	Asia Avg	$22 215
	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
	...
134	Namibia	105.6
135	Lesotho	105.7
136	Rwanda	106.3
137	Turkmenistan	106.4
138	Bangladesh	106.6
139	N. Korea	106.9
140	Samoa	107.9
141	Saudi Arabia	108.1
	Asia Avg	92.0
	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. Turkmenistan's Demographics and Migration

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

Population Datasets:

Turkmenistan's population is predicted to rise to 6.165 million by 2030. This country has a fertility rate of 2.62. 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
	...
109	Nicaragua	6.5m
110	El Salvador	6.4m
111	Kyrgyzstan	6.3m
112	Turkmenistan	5.9m
113	Singapore	5.8m
114	Denmark	5.8m
115	Finland	5.5m
116	Slovakia	5.5m
	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
	...
125	Azerbaijan	69.4
126	Kazakhstan	69.4
127	Philippines	69.3
128	Turkmenistan	69.3
129	Guatemala	69.2
130	Moldova	68.8
131	Nepal	68.4
132	Laos	68.1
	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
	...
107	Bhutan	1.40
108	Switzerland	1.39
109	St Lucia	1.39
110	Turkmenistan	2.62
111	Bahamas	1.38
112	Albania	1.38
113	Bosnia & Herzegovina	1.35
114	Jamaica	1.34
	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
	...
77=	Bhutan	10.8
77=	Micronesia	10.8
79=	Honduras	11.0
79=	Turkmenistan	11.0
79=	Maldives	11.0
82	Mongolia	11.8
83=	Uzbekistan	11.9
83=	Tonga	11.9
	World Avg	18.3
q=185.

Migration Datasets:

Immigrants₁₇
Pos.		2017 %₁₇
1	UAE	88.4%
2	Kuwait	75.5%
3	Qatar	65.2%
	...
100	Rwanda	3.6%
101	Moldova	3.5%
102	Slovakia	3.4%
103	Turkmenistan	3.4%
104	Iran	3.3%
105	Kyrgyzstan	3.3%
106	Chad	3.3%
107	Tajikistan	3.1%
	World Avg	9.4%
q=195.

Emigrants₁₈
Pos.		2010 %₁₈
1	Dominica	104.8%
2	Palestine	68.4%
3	Samoa	67.3%
	...
107	Switzerland	5.4%
108	Malaysia	5.3%
109	Guinea	5.2%
110	Turkmenistan	5.0%
111	Mozambique	5.0%
112	Senegal	5.0%
113	Iraq	4.9%
114	Denmark	4.7%
	World Avg	11.5%
q=192.

4. Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance

#equality #freedom #gender_equality #human_rights #morals #politics #prejudice #tolerance #turkmenistan #turkmenistan_human_rights

Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance (2025)₁₉
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₁₉
1	Sweden	7.8
2	Netherlands	8.7
3	Denmark	8.8
	...
181	Yemen	136.9
182	Iraq	138.4
183	Cameroon	139.3
184	Turkmenistan	139.3
185	Myanmar	139.4
186	Congo, DR	141.0
	Asia Avg	103.00
	World Avg	89.80
q=199.

Turkmenistan is amongst the worst places in the world at ensuring human rights and freedom, and it has severe cultural issues when it comes to tolerance and equality. Turkmenistan does worse than average in freethought₂₀ (still low for Asia) and in LGBT equality in the 2020s₂₁. And finally, it sits amongst the bottom 20 in commentary in Human Rights Watch reports₂₂, combatting modern slavery₂₃, supporting press freedom₂₄ and in its average Freedom in the World rating (amongst the worst in Asia). Turkmenistan is one of the world´s most closed and oppressively governed countries; the government, led by President Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov controls all aspects of public life and "effectively bans all forms of religious and political expression not approved by authorities", tightly controls the media and disallows any human rights monitoring₂₅. Anyone who questions or criticizes government policies (or even simply tells outsiders about them) faces a "constant threat of reprisal"₂₅. Torture and ill-treatment of political prisoners is widespread and the justice system is so closed that the true scale of issues cannot be determined₂₅.

For tables, charts and commentary, see:

Human Rights and Freedom in Turkmenistan

5. Turkmenistan's Health

#alcohol #birth_control #demographics #health #life_expectancy #longevity #obesity #overpopulation #parenting #population #smoking #turkmenistan #vaccines

Compared to Asia (2025)₂₆
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₂₆
1	Japan	37.3
2	Singapore	41.1
3	S. Korea	50.5
	...
21	Russia	84.2
22	Armenia	86.5
23	Kazakhstan	88.3
24	Turkmenistan	89.3
25	Saudi Arabia	90.6
26	Uzbekistan	90.9
27	Lebanon	94.5
28	Turkey	96.1
29	Georgia	96.7
	Asia Avg	80.90
q=50.

Health (2025)₂₆
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₂₆
1	Monaco	10.3
2	Liechtenstein	30.1
3	Japan	37.3
	...
84	Morocco	86.8
85	Jamaica	87.5
86	Kazakhstan	88.3
87	Turkmenistan	89.3
88	Bosnia & Herzegovina	89.8
89	St Kitts & Nevis	89.9
90	Brazil	89.9
91	Colombia	90.2
	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 Japan₂₇. These countries are worth emulating. And, although often through no fault of the average citizen, the worst countries are Angola, Somalia and S. Sudan₂₇.

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 Mediterranean₂₇, whereas the worst are Africa, Micronesia and Melanesia₂₇.

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 #obesity #overpopulation #smoking #turkmenistan

Turkmenistan does relatively well in encouraging good health, compared to many other countries. Turkmenistan comes in the best 20 in terms of its smoking rate₂₈ and in delivery rate of infant DTP immunizations in the 2020s₂₉. It does better than average in delivery rate of 7x Infant Immunizations 2011-2015₃₀, its adolescent birth rate₃₁ and in its alcohol consumption rate₃₂ (but high for Asia). Turkmenistan doesn't do so well in other areas. Turkmenistan does worse than average in the prevalence of overweight adults₃₃, its fertility rate₁₅, its average life expectancy₁₁ and in childhood mortality in the 2020s₃₄. The prevalence of overweight adults has increased by 14% over the last 40 years. Life expectancy in Turkmenistan improved by +5.1yrs in the 30 years from 1990, less than the global average of +7.9yrs. Turkmenistan's peak fertility rate was 6.79 in 1963.

Life Expectancy Higher is better₁₁
Pos.		2021 Years₁₁
1	Monaco	85.9
2	Hong Kong	85.5
3	Japan	84.8
	...
125	Azerbaijan	69.4
126	Kazakhstan	69.4
127	Philippines	69.3
128	Turkmenistan	69.3
129	Guatemala	69.2
130	Moldova	68.8
131	Nepal	68.4
132	Laos	68.1
	Asia Avg	73.48
	World Avg	71.28
q=195. Also scored for 1990s-2010s.

Alcohol Consumption Lower is better₃₂
Pos.		2016 Per Capita₃₂
1	Bangladesh	0.0
2	Kuwait	0.0
3	Libya	0.0
	...
80	Lesotho	5.0
81	Suriname	5.1
82	Nicaragua	5.2
83	Turkmenistan	5.4
84	Armenia	5.5
85	Venezuela	5.6
86=	Sierra Leone	5.7
86=	India	5.7
	Asia Avg	3.9
	World Avg	6.2
q=189.

Fertility Rate 2.0 is best₁₅
Pos.		2022₁₅
1	US Virgin Islands	2.00
2	Ecuador	2.00
3	Nepal	2.01
	...
107	Bhutan	1.40
108	Switzerland	1.39
109	St Lucia	1.39
110	Turkmenistan	2.62
111	Bahamas	1.38
112	Albania	1.38
113	Bosnia & Herzegovina	1.35
114	Jamaica	1.34
	Asia Avg	2.17
	World Avg	2.47
q=208. Also scored for 1960s-2010s.

Smoking in the 2020s Lower is better₂₈
Pos.		Total %₂₈
1	Nigeria	3.3%
2	Ghana	3.4%
3	Panama	5.2%
4	Ethiopia	5.2%
5	Turkmenistan	5.6%
6	Benin	6.3%
7	Togo	6.4%
8=	Cameroon	6.5%
8=	Senegal	6.5%
10	Barbados	7.0%
11	Peru	7.2%
12	Chad	7.4%
	Asia Avg	22.8%
	World Avg	20.0%
q=165. Also scored for 2000s-2020s.

Overweight Adults Lower is better₃₃
Pos.		1976 %₃₃
1	Bangladesh	4.7
2	Vietnam	5.1
3	Nepal	5.4
	...
99	Barbados	29.5
100	El Salvador	29.7
101=	Morocco	30.4
101=	Turkmenistan	30.4
103	Algeria	30.6
104	Suriname	31.0
105=	Switzerland	31.1
105=	Iran	31.1
	Asia Avg	23.1
	World Avg	27.1
q=191.

Adult Obesity Lower is better₃₅
Pos.		2022 %₃₅
1	Vietnam	2.1%
2	Timor-Leste (E. Timor)	2.2%
3	Ethiopia	2.4%
	...
76	Vanuatu	19.9%
77	Gabon	20.0%
78	Papua New Guinea	20.1%
79	Turkmenistan	20.2%
80	Luxembourg	20.2%
81	Andorra	20.5%
82	Tajikistan	20.8%
83	Mauritania	20.8%
	Asia Avg	21.1%
	World Avg	24.7%
q=199. Also scored for 1990s-2010s.

5.2. Children's Health Datasets

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

Adolescent Birth Rate Lower is better₃₁
Pos.		2022 Per 1000₃₁
1	Hong Kong	1.6
2	Denmark	1.8
3	S. Korea	2.1
	...
69	Tonga	19.2
70	Lebanon	20.0
71	Kazakhstan	20.9
72	Turkmenistan	21.2
73	Hungary	21.9
74	Djibouti	22.7
75	Chile	22.8
76	Mauritius	24.0
	Asia Avg	25.9
	World Avg	43.8
q=195. Also scored for 1990s-2010s.

Infant DTP Immunizations (2020s) Higher is better₂₉
Pos.		Total Avg %₂₉
1=	Luxembourg	99.0
1=	Oman	99.0
1=	Niue	99.0
	...
16=	Nauru	98.5
16=	Guyana	98.5
16=	New Caledonia	98.5
19=	Turkmenistan	98.4
19=	Andorra	98.4
21	Japan	98.2
22=	Singapore	98.1
22=	China	98.1
	Asia Avg	90.6
	World Avg	88.5
q=211. Also scored for 1980s-2020s.

7x Infant Immunizations (2011-2015) Higher is better₃₀
Pos.		2015 Avg %₃₀
1=	Hungary	99.0
1=	China	99.0
3	Uzbekistan	98.9
	...
25=	Monaco	97.3
25=	Cook Islands	97.3
27	Greece	97.3
28=	Turkmenistan	97.2
28=	St Vincent & Grenadines	97.2
30=	Dominica	97.1
30=	Kazakhstan	97.1
32	Albania	97.1
	Asia Avg	90.5
	World Avg	88.3
q=194.

Infant Mortality (2020s) Lower is better₃₄
Pos.		Total Per 1000₃₄
1	San Marino	2.11
2	Finland	2.59
3	Luxembourg	2.60
	...
138	Nepal	39.44
139	S. Africa	39.83
140	Bangladesh	40.07
141	Turkmenistan	43.08
142	Gabon	45.25
143	India	45.47
144	Eritrea	47.24
145	Kenya	48.20
	Asia Avg	23.58
	World Avg	32.19
q=195. Also scored for 1960s-2020s.

6. Turkmenistan's Responsibility Towards The Environment

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

Compared to Asia (2025)₃₆
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₃₆
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)₃₆
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₃₆
1	Sri Lanka	34.9
2	Uruguay	43.2
3	Switzerland	45.0
	...
190	Brunei	130.2
191	Somalia	131.0
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
	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"₃₇. 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).

Turkmenistan is positioned 7th-worst in the world with regard to its responsibility towards the environment (one of the highest in Asia). This rank is formulated from 21 data sets. Turkmenistan does better than average in its environmental performance₃₈, its forested percent change 2000-2020₃₉ and in its sign-up rate to major international accords on protecting the environment. Turkmenistan still has work to do. Turkmenistan does worse than average in reducing annual meat consumption per person₄₀. And finally, it is the worst in the rate of rational beliefs on the environment in the population₄₁ and in energy to GDP efficiency₄₂.

Forest Area Change 2000-2020 Higher is better₃₉
Pos.		Total₃₉
1	Guernsey	82.6%
2	Bahrain	75.2%
3	Iceland	64.7%
	...
92=	Yemen	0.0%
92=	Tonga	0.0%
92=	Barbados	0.0%
92=	Turkmenistan	0.0%
92=	Bahamas	0.0%
92=	San Marino	0.0%
92=	Afghanistan	0.0%
92=	Vatican City	0.0%
	Asia Avg	3.2%
	World Avg	-0.1%
q=234.

Environmental Performance Higher is better₃₈
Pos.		2018₃₈
1	Switzerland	87.4
2	France	84.0
3	Denmark	81.6
	...
35	Trinidad & Tobago	67.4
36	St Vincent & Grenadines	66.5
37	Latvia	66.1
38	Turkmenistan	66.1
39	Seychelles	66.0
40	Albania	65.5
41	Croatia	65.5
42	Colombia	65.2
	Asia Avg	54.5
	World Avg	56.4
q=180.

Energy to GDP Efficiency Lower is better₄₂
Pos.		2022 Avg₄₂
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
	Asia Avg	1.50
	World Avg	1.23
q=165. Also scored for 1960s-2010s.

From the 1990s to the 2000s, Turkmenistan was amongst the 10 countries who improved their energy-to-GDP efficiency the most, as it was also into the 2010s.

International Accords on the Environment Higher is better
Pos.		Total Avg Rate
1	Sweden	83%
2	Canada	82%
3	Norway	81%
	...
93	Benin	59%
94	Ireland	59%
95	Colombia	58%
96	Turkmenistan	58%
97	Czechia	58%
98	Antigua & Barbuda	57%
99	Bangladesh	57%
100	UAE	57%
	Asia Avg	55.4%
	World Avg	57.5%
q=197. Also scored for 1970s-2020s.

Turkmenistan was one of the early adopters of the Kyoto Protocol in 1999.

Rational Beliefs on the Environment Higher is better₄₁
Pos.		2011 %₄₁
1	Argentina	78.3%
2	Greece	77.6%
3	Brazil	77.1%
	...
138	Denmark	14.9%
139	Libya	14.6%
140	Iceland	13.1%
141	Uzbekistan	11.3%
142	Tajikistan	11.1%
143	Haiti	10.0%
144	Albania	9.4%
145	Turkmenistan	8.6%
	Asia Avg	37.9%
	World Avg	39.9%
q=145.

Meat Consumption Lower is better₄₀
Pos.		2021 kg₄₀
1	Congo, DR	03.0
2	Burundi	03.5
3	Bangladesh	04.3
	...
98	Zimbabwe	56.0
99	Belize	56.6
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
	Asia Avg	46.7
	World Avg	52.5
q=185. Also scored for 2010s.

7. Turkmenistan's Modernity and Learning

#education #intelligence #it_security #metric #modernity #technology #the_internet

Compared to Asia (2025)₄₃
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₄₃
1	Taiwan	25.4
2	S. Korea	25.5
3	Japan	26.8
	...
17	Azerbaijan	60.6
18	China	64.1
19	Thailand	66.0
20	Turkmenistan	66.8
21	Vietnam	68.1
22	Lebanon	68.7
23	Tajikistan	70.5
24	Philippines	74.5
25	India	76.3
	Asia Avg	83.04
q=51.

Modernity & Learning (2025)₄₃
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₄₃
1	Vatican City	1.0
2	Finland	4.8
3	Belgium	8.5
	...
82	Albania	65.8
83	Thailand	66.0
84	Venezuela	66.3
85	Turkmenistan	66.8
86	Mauritius	67.2
87	Vietnam	68.1
88	Lebanon	68.7
89	Egypt	69.1
	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 Belgium₄₄. The worst countries are S. Sudan, Eritrea and Somalia₄₄. Despite improves in global education, access to tertiary (adult) education is becoming increasingly unequal between the rich haves and the poor have-nots₄₅.

“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)₄₆

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 Europe₄₄, whereas the worst are Melanesia, Africa and Micronesia₄₄.

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

Metric System Adoption Rate Higher is better₄₇
Pos.		2025 %₄₇
1=	Slovakia	100
1=	Poland	100
1=	Portugal	100
	...
51=	Bosnia & Herzegovina	95
51=	Bolivia	95
51=	Djibouti	95
51=	Turkmenistan	95
51=	Armenia	95
51=	Belarus	95
51=	Georgia	95
51=	Mauritius	95
	Asia Avg	90
	World Avg	92
q=187. Also scored for 1960s-2020s.

Officially adopted metric in 1922, as part of the USSR. Progression:

1960 (90%): USSR metric standards in official sectors.
1970 (95%): Further standardization.
1980 (95%): High completeness.
2000 (95%): Post-independence continuity.
2025 (95%).

IQ Higher is better₄₈
Pos.		2006₄₈
1=	Hong Kong	108
1=	Singapore	108
3	S. Korea	106
	...
65=	Iraq	87
65=	Azerbaijan	87
65=	Indonesia	87
65=	Turkmenistan	87
65=	Uzbekistan	87
70=	Kuwait	86
70=	Philippines	86
72=	Yemen	85
	Asia Avg	90.4
	World Avg	85.6
q=138.

7.2. Education Datasets

#education

Length of Schooling Higher is better₄₉
Pos.		2021 Years₄₉
1	Australia	21.1
2	New Zealand	20.3
3	Greece	20.0
	...
100	Dominica	13.3
101	Andorra	13.3
102	Bhutan	13.2
103	Turkmenistan	13.2
104	Kyrgyzstan	13.2
105	Philippines	13.1
106	Armenia	13.1
107	Cameroon	13.1
	Asia Avg	13.5
	World Avg	13.5
q=193. Also scored for 1990s-2010s.

7.3. Technology and Information Datasets

#it_security #the_internet

Internet Users Higher is better₅₀
Pos.		2016₅₀
1	Iceland	100%
2	Faroe Islands	99%
3	Norway	98%
	...
163	Gambia	17%
164	Laos	16%
165	Namibia	16%
166	Turkmenistan	15%
167	Bangladesh	13%
168	Iraq	13%
169	Kiribati	13%
170	Rwanda	12%
	Asia Avg	48.7%
	World Avg	48.1%
q=201.

IT Security Lower is better₅₁
Pos.		2013₅₁
1=	Ireland	0.11
1=	Luxembourg	0.11
1=	Belize	0.11
	...
55	Belarus	1.22
56	Armenia	1.22
57	Malawi	1.23
58	Turkmenistan	1.23
59	Kazakhstan	1.23
60	Djibouti	1.29
61	UK	1.34
62	Mongolia	1.42
	Asia Avg	1.08
	World Avg	0.98

IPv6 Uptake Higher is better₅₂
Pos.		2017 Ratio₅₂
1	Belgium	55.4
2	Germany	41.8
3	Switzerland	35.1
	...
104=	Yemen	0.0
104=	Laos	0.0
104=	Malta	0.0
104=	Turkmenistan	0.0
104=	Bangladesh	0.0
104=	Qatar	0.0
104=	Kuwait	0.0
104=	Guernsey	0.0
	Asia Avg	2.11
	World Avg	3.82
q=176.

8. Turkmenistan's Culture, Peace and Inequality

#capitalism #corruption #economics #health #human_development #inequality #internationalism #life_expectancy #peace #politics #poverty #social_development #turkmenistan

8.1. National Culture Datasets

#corruption #internationalism #politics #turkmenistan

Corruption Higher is better₅₃
Pos.		2022 Points₅₃
1	Denmark	90.0
2=	Finland	87.0
2=	New Zealand	87.0
	...
166	Congo, DR	20.0
167=	Nicaragua	19.0
167=	Comoros	19.0
167=	Turkmenistan	19.0
167=	Chad	19.0
171=	Equatorial Guinea	17.0
171=	N. Korea	17.0
171=	Libya	17.0
	Asia Avg	39.98
	World Avg	42.98
q=180. Also scored for 1990s-2010s.

Turkmenistan has a poor long-term record on corruption. In 2012, became the 6th-worst country in terms of perception of corruption.

Passport Reach (2020s) Higher is better₅₄
Pos.		Total Q₅₄
1	Singapore	192.2
2	Japan	192.0
3	S. Korea	190.7
	...
163	Bhutan	52.8
164	Central African Rep.	52.5
165	Jordan	52.2
166=	Turkmenistan	51.8
166=	Egypt	51.8
168	Angola	50.5
169=	Burundi	50.3
169=	Cameroon	50.3
	Asia Avg	85.1
	World Avg	108.8
q=195. Also scored for 2000s-2020s.

8.2. Peace Versus Instability Datasets

#human_development #peace #politics

Global Peace Index Lower is better₅₅
Pos.		2023 Score₅₅
1	Iceland	1.12
2	Denmark	1.31
3	Ireland	1.31
	...
97=	Azerbaijan	2.10
98	Ecuador	2.10
99	Cuba	2.10
100	Turkmenistan	2.11
101	Tajikistan	2.11
102	Kyrgyzstan	2.12
103=	Peru	2.13
103=	Guatemala	2.13
	Asia Avg	2.17
	World Avg	2.07
q=163. Also scored for 2010s.

8.3. Economic Inequality and Poverty Datasets

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

Inequality in Life Expectancy Lower is better₅₆
Pos.		2019₅₆
1	Iceland	2.40
2=	Singapore	2.50
2=	Hong Kong	2.50
	...
140=	Congo, (Brazzaville)	22.80
140=	Myanmar	22.80
140=	Gabon	22.80
143=	Turkmenistan	23.40
143=	Djibouti	23.40
145	Papua New Guinea	24.10
146=	Zimbabwe	24.20
146=	Ghana	24.20
	Asia Avg	11.80
	World Avg	14.59
q=184.

Multidimensional Poverty Lower is better₅₇
Pos.		2018 Severity₅₇
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
	Asia Avg	.084
	World Avg	.154
q=101.

9. Religion and Beliefs

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

Disbelief In God (2007)₅₈
Pos.		Higher is better %₅₈
1	Vietnam	81
2	Japan	65
3	Sweden	64
	...
68=	Chile	2
68=	Central African Rep.	2
68=	Tajikistan	2
68=	Turkmenistan	2
68=	Indonesia	2
73=	Paraguay	1
73=	Nicaragua	1
73=	Bolivia	1
73=	Colombia	1
73=	Costa Rica	1
73=	Honduras	1
73=	Brazil	1
73=	Ecuador	1
73=	S. Africa	1
73=	Venezuela	1
73=	Peru	1
	World Avg	9.9
q=137.

Pew Forum polling over the decades has found the following adherency rates:₅₉:

	2010	2020
Muslim	93%	94.3%
Christian	6.37%	5.62%
Unaffiliated	0.508%	<0.1%
Other	<0.1%	<0.1%
Buddhist	<0.1%	<0.1%
Jewish	<0.1%	<0.1%
Hindu	<0.1%	<0.1%

The CIA World Factbook has slightly different data, and states simply: Muslim 89%, Eastern Orthodox 9%, unknown 2%₆₀.

Freedom of Religion and Belief: The government "effectively bans all forms of religious and political expression not approved by authorities" and severely punishes any gathering or activity that seems religious in nature but is not pre-approved by the state₂₅.

Links: