https://www.humantruth.info/uruguay.html
By Vexen Crabtree 2025
Uruguay Oriental Republic of Uruguay | ![]() |
---|---|
Status | Independent State |
Social and Moral Index | 26th best |
Capital | Montevideo |
Land Area | 175 020km21 |
Location | South America, The Americas |
Population | 3.4m2 |
Life Expectancy | 75.44yrs (2017)3 |
GNI | $21 269 (2017)4 |
ISO3166-1 Codes | UY, URY, 8585 |
Internet Domain | .uy6 |
Currency | Peso (UYU)7 |
Telephone | +5988 |
“Montevideo, founded by the Spanish in 1726 as a military stronghold, soon took advantage of its natural harbor to become an important commercial center. Claimed by Argentina but annexed by Brazil in 1821, Uruguay declared its independence four years later and secured its freedom in 1828 after a three-year struggle. The administrations of President Jose BATLLE in the early 20th century established widespread political, social, and economic reforms that established a statist tradition. A violent Marxist urban guerrilla movement named the Tupamaros, launched in the late 1960s, led Uruguay's president to cede control of the government to the military in 1973. By yearend, the rebels had been crushed, but the military continued to expand its hold over the government. Civilian rule was not restored until 1985. In 2004, the left-of-center Frente Amplio Coalition won national elections that effectively ended 170 years of political control previously held by the Colorado and Blanco parties. Uruguay's political and labor conditions are among the freest on the continent.”
CIA's The World Factbook (2013)9
“Uruguay is a backpacker´s dream. Travelers come for the wild, surf-pounded beaches, for celeb-spotting at Punta and the history-soaked smugglers´ port of Colonia. Wedged like a grape between Brazil´s gargantuan thumb and Argentina´s long forefinger, South America´s smallest Spanish-speaking country has always been an underdog. Bypassed by the Spanish for its lack of mineral wealth, batted about like a ping-pong ball at the whim of its more powerful neighbors and neglected by many modern-day travelers, Uruguay remains a delightfully low-key, hospitable place where visitors can melt into the background - whether caught in a cow-and-gaucho traffic jam on a dirt road to nowhere or strolling with mate-toting locals along Montevideo´s beachfront.
Short-term visitors will find plenty to keep them busy in cosmopolitan Montevideo, picturesque Colonia and party-till-you-drop Punta del Este. But if you've got time, dig a little deeper. Go wildlife-watching along the Atlantic coast, hot-spring-hopping up the Río Uruguay, or horseback riding under the big sky of Uruguay's vast interior, where fields spread out like oceans dotted with little cow and eucalyptus islands.”
#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 |
... | ||
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 |
62 | Malaysia | 0.803 |
63= | Mauritius | 0.802 |
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 |
... | ||
60 | Bulgaria | $23 079 |
61 | Guyana | $22 465 |
62 | Mauritius | $22 025 |
63 | Uruguay | $21 269 |
64 | Argentina | $20 925 |
65 | Montenegro | $20 839 |
66 | Costa Rica | $19 974 |
67 | Serbia | $19 123 |
The Americas Avg | $16 628 | |
World Avg | $20 136 | |
q=193. |
Social & Moral Development Index12 | ||
---|---|---|
Pos. | Lower is better Avg Rank12 | |
1 | Denmark | 29.1 |
2 | Norway | 32.3 |
3 | Sweden | 34.1 |
... | ||
23 | Taiwan | 50.3 |
24 | Portugal | 50.5 |
25 | S. Korea | 52.5 |
26 | Uruguay | 56.4 |
27 | Estonia | 56.6 |
28 | Cyprus | 56.8 |
29 | Czechia | 57.2 |
30 | Costa Rica | 57.5 |
The Americas Avg | 81.5 | |
World Avg | 88.9 | |
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.
#birth_control #demographics #fertility #health #immigration #life_expectancy #longevity #migration #overpopulation #population #yemen
Population Datasets:
Uruguay's population is predicted to rise to 3.601 million by 2030. This rise is despite a low fertility rate, meaning, that this country is helping to alleviate problems with growing population in neighbouring countries by accepting immigrants, very likely as a requirement of maintaining an active workforce. This country has a fertility rate of 1.48. 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 8.86.13Population2 | ||
---|---|---|
Pos. | 2018 Population2 | |
1 | China | 1.4b |
2 | India | 1.4b |
3 | USA | 327.1m |
... | ||
130 | Moldova | 4.1m |
131 | Georgia | 4.0m |
132 | Eritrea | 3.5m |
133 | Uruguay | 3.4m |
134 | Bosnia & Herzegovina | 3.3m |
135 | Mongolia | 3.2m |
136 | Armenia | 3.0m |
137 | Jamaica | 2.9m |
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 |
... | ||
54 | Montenegro | 76.3 |
55 | Panama | 76.2 |
56 | Turkey | 76.0 |
57 | Uruguay | 75.4 |
58 | Argentina | 75.4 |
59 | Bosnia & Herzegovina | 75.3 |
60 | Lebanon | 75.0 |
61 | Grenada | 74.9 |
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 |
... | ||
88 | Kosovo | 1.51 |
89 | Belarus | 1.50 |
90 | Netherlands | 1.49 |
91 | Uruguay | 1.48 |
92= | Latvia | 1.47 |
92= | Liechtenstein | 1.47 |
94 | Channel Islands | 1.47 |
95 | Germany | 1.46 |
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 |
... | ||
129 | Moldova | 24.7 |
130 | China | 25.3 |
131 | Mauritius | 25.9 |
132 | Uruguay | 26.8 |
133 | Cyprus | 26.9 |
134 | Chile | 27.0 |
135 | Macedonia | 27.7 |
136 | Luxembourg | 28.3 |
World Avg | 18.3 | |
q=185. |
Migration Datasets:
Immigrants16 | ||
---|---|---|
Pos. | 2017 %16 | |
1 | UAE | 88.4% |
2 | Kuwait | 75.5% |
3 | Qatar | 65.2% |
... | ||
116 | Swaziland | 2.4% |
117 | Ecuador | 2.4% |
118 | Paraguay | 2.4% |
119 | Uruguay | 2.3% |
120 | Mauritius | 2.3% |
121 | Benin | 2.3% |
122 | S. Korea | 2.3% |
123 | Cameroon | 2.2% |
World Avg | 9.4% | |
q=195. |
Emigrants17 | ||
---|---|---|
Pos. | 2010 %17 | |
1 | Dominica | 104.8% |
2 | Palestine | 68.4% |
3 | Samoa | 67.3% |
... | ||
63 | Mexico | 10.7% |
64 | Andorra | 10.7% |
65 | Liberia | 10.5% |
66 | Uruguay | 10.5% |
67 | Hong Kong | 10.2% |
68 | Dominican Rep. | 10.1% |
69 | Zimbabwe | 9.9% |
70 | Haiti | 9.9% |
World Avg | 11.5% | |
q=192. |
#canada #equality #freedom #gender_equality #human_rights #morals #politics #prejudice #tolerance #Uruguay #uruguay_freedom
Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance (2025)18 | ||
---|---|---|
Pos. | Lower is better Avg Rank18 | |
1 | Sweden | 6.1 |
2 | Denmark | 8.6 |
3 | Norway | 9.0 |
... | ||
21 | Portugal | 31.3 |
22 | Costa Rica | 31.8 |
23 | Japan | 34.5 |
24 | Uruguay | 35.5 |
25 | Estonia | 36.9 |
26 | USA | 38.6 |
The Americas Avg | 71.80 | |
World Avg | 86.55 | |
q=199. |
For tables, charts and commentary, see:
#alcohol #birth_control #demographics #health #life_expectancy #longevity #mental_health #obesity #overpopulation #parenting #population #public_health #smoking #suicide #uruguay #vaccines
Compared to The Americas (2025)29 | ||
---|---|---|
Pos. | Lower is better Avg Rank29 | |
1 | Curaço | 49.7 |
2 | Aruba | 49.9 |
3 | US Virgin Islands | 51.9 |
... | ||
12 | Grenada | 85.8 |
13 | Brazil | 86.5 |
14 | Barbados | 88.3 |
15 | Uruguay | 88.4 |
16 | Costa Rica | 88.8 |
17= | Trinidad & Tobago | 89.8 |
18 | Chile | 90.2 |
19 | Bermuda | 91.5 |
20 | Dominica | 91.9 |
The Americas Avg | 92.66 | |
q=44. |
Health (2025)29 | ||
---|---|---|
Pos. | Lower is better Avg Rank29 | |
1 | Monaco | 14.3 |
2 | Liechtenstein | 30.1 |
3 | Isle of Man | 32.1 |
... | ||
80 | Hungary | 87.8 |
81 | Morocco | 88.2 |
82 | Barbados | 88.3 |
83 | Uruguay | 88.4 |
84 | Costa Rica | 88.8 |
85 | Iran | 88.8 |
86 | Qatar | 89.1 |
87= | Bangladesh | 89.8 |
World Avg | 97.60 | |
q=213. |
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 Man30. These countries are worth emulating. And, although often through no fault of the average citizen, the worst countries are The Cook Islands, The Marshall Islands and Niue30.
25 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 and its immunizations take-up. The regions with the best average results per country are Scandinavia, Europe and The Balkans30, whereas the worst are Micronesia, Africa and Australasia30.
For more, see:
Health Datasets:
Uruguay has some poor policies and cultural issues which cause some public health problems. Uruguay does better than average in its average life expectancy11, its immunizations take-up31, its food aid and health contributions and WHO compliance32, its fertility rate14 (but high for The Americas) and in its adolescent birth rate33. But, things still need to improve in Uruguay. Uruguay does worse than average in terms of its smoking rate34 (one of the highest in The Americas), the prevalence of overweight adults35 (amongst the highest in The Americas) and in its alcohol consumption rate36 (one of the worst in The Americas). And finally, it falls into the worst 20 when it comes to its suicide rate37 (one of the highest in The Americas). The prevalence of overweight adults has increased by 14% between 1976 and 2016. Life expectancy in Uruguay improved by +4.3yrs in the 30 years from 1990, less than the global average of +7.9yrs. Uruguay's peak fertility rate was 3.02 in 1975.Life Expectancy Higher is better11 | ||
---|---|---|
Pos. | 2021 Years11 | |
1 | Monaco | 85.9 |
2 | Hong Kong | 85.5 |
3 | Japan | 84.8 |
... | ||
54 | Montenegro | 76.3 |
55 | Panama | 76.2 |
56 | Turkey | 76.0 |
57 | Uruguay | 75.4 |
58 | Argentina | 75.4 |
59 | Bosnia & Herzegovina | 75.3 |
60 | Lebanon | 75.0 |
61 | Grenada | 74.9 |
The Americas Avg | 72.58 | |
World Avg | 71.28 | |
q=195. |
Alcohol Consumption Lower is better36 | ||
---|---|---|
Pos. | 2016 Per Capita36 | |
1 | Bangladesh | 0.0 |
2 | Kuwait | 0.0 |
3 | Libya | 0.0 |
... | ||
157= | Australia | 10.6 |
158 | New Zealand | 10.7 |
159= | Finland | 10.7 |
160 | Uruguay | 10.8 |
161= | Cyprus | 10.8 |
162 | Serbia | 11.1 |
163 | Belarus | 11.2 |
164= | Andorra | 11.3 |
The Americas Avg | 6.9 | |
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 |
... | ||
88 | Kosovo | 1.51 |
89 | Belarus | 1.50 |
90 | Netherlands | 1.49 |
91 | Uruguay | 1.48 |
92= | Latvia | 1.47 |
92= | Liechtenstein | 1.47 |
94 | Channel Islands | 1.47 |
95 | Germany | 1.46 |
The Americas Avg | 1.80 | |
World Avg | 2.47 | |
q=208. |
Smoking Rates Lower is better34 | ||
---|---|---|
Pos. | 201434 | |
1 | Guinea | 15 |
2 | Solomon Islands | 26 |
3 | Kiribati | 28 |
... | ||
127 | Portugal | 1 113 |
128 | Moldova | 1 114 |
129 | Lithuania | 1 124 |
130 | Uruguay | 1 135 |
131 | Canada | 1 154 |
132 | Albania | 1 177 |
133 | Egypt | 1 188 |
134 | Vietnam | 1 215 |
The Americas Avg | 457 | |
World Avg | 819 | |
q=182. |
In Uruguay in 2014, tobacco producer Phillip Morris was suing the government for having to display massive health warnings on packets, 'claiming the warnings infringed its intellectual property rights and commercial freedom'. Their legal battles amounted to an 'onslaught' against Uruguay, taking the small country to international courts, to try to warn other countries not to follow suit with anti-tobacco laws.38
Suicide Rate37 | ||
---|---|---|
Pos. | 2013 Per 100k37 | |
1 | Haiti | 0 |
2 | Grenada | 0 |
3 | Egypt | 0.1 |
... | ||
69 | Hong Kong | 29.7 |
70 | Poland | 30.5 |
71 | Austria | 30.9 |
72 | Uruguay | 32.3 |
73 | France | 33.2 |
74 | Moldova | 35.7 |
75 | Switzerland | 36.2 |
76 | Croatia | 36.4 |
The Americas Avg | 13.57 | |
World Avg | 20.93 | |
q=91. |
Food Aid, Health Contributions & WHO Compliance Lower is better32 | ||
---|---|---|
Pos. | 2017 Rank32 | |
1 | Sweden | 1 |
2 | Ireland | 2 |
3 | Denmark | 3 |
... | ||
77 | Guatemala | 77 |
78 | Sri Lanka | 78 |
79 | Poland | 79 |
80 | Uruguay | 80 |
81 | Dominican Rep. | 81 |
82 | Zambia | 82 |
83 | Croatia | 83 |
84 | Indonesia | 84 |
The Americas Avg | 94.3 | |
World Avg | 82.0 | |
q=163. |
Overweight Adults Lower is better35 | ||
---|---|---|
Pos. | 1976 %35 | |
1 | Bangladesh | 4.7 |
2 | Vietnam | 5.1 |
3 | Nepal | 5.4 |
... | ||
151= | France | 40.4 |
151= | Argentina | 40.4 |
151= | Chile | 40.4 |
154 | Uruguay | 40.5 |
155= | UK | 40.6 |
155= | Iceland | 40.6 |
155= | Canada | 40.6 |
158 | Poland | 40.8 |
The Americas Avg | 30.7 | |
World Avg | 27.1 | |
q=191. |
Adult Obesity Lower is better39 | ||
---|---|---|
Pos. | 2022 %39 | |
1 | Vietnam | 2.1% |
2 | Timor-Leste (E. Timor) | 2.2% |
3 | Ethiopia | 2.4% |
... | ||
161 | New Zealand | 34.2% |
162 | Turkey | 34.3% |
163 | Malta | 34.6% |
164 | Uruguay | 34.7% |
165 | Jordan | 35.6% |
166 | Croatia | 35.7% |
167 | Argentina | 36.0% |
168 | Panama | 36.1% |
The Americas Avg | 32.0% | |
World Avg | 24.7% | |
q=199. |
Children's Health Datasets:
Adolescent Birth Rate Lower is better33 | ||
---|---|---|
Pos. | 2022 Per 100033 | |
1 | Hong Kong | 1.6 |
2 | Denmark | 1.8 |
3 | S. Korea | 2.1 |
... | ||
94 | Timor-Leste (E. Timor) | 33.3 |
95 | Kyrgyzstan | 33.8 |
96 | Vietnam | 35.0 |
97 | Uruguay | 35.2 |
98 | Romania | 35.4 |
99 | Micronesia | 35.7 |
100 | Costa Rica | 35.7 |
101 | St Lucia | 36.3 |
The Americas Avg | 48.1 | |
World Avg | 43.8 | |
q=195. |
Infant Immunizations 2011-2015 Higher is better31 | ||
---|---|---|
Pos. | 2015 Avg %31 | |
1= | Hungary | 99.0 |
1= | China | 99.0 |
3 | Uzbekistan | 98.9 |
... | ||
55 | Portugal | 95.7 |
56= | Qatar | 95.6 |
56= | Armenia | 95.6 |
58 | Uruguay | 95.6 |
59 | Bhutan | 95.6 |
60 | Turkey | 95.5 |
61 | Malta | 95.5 |
62 | Botswana | 95.4 |
The Americas Avg | 91.3 | |
World Avg | 88.3 | |
q=194. |
#biodiversity #china #climate_change #deforestation #energy #environmentalism #food #internationalism #meat #over-exploitation #sustainability #the_environment #uruguay #USA #veganism #vegetarianism
Compared to The Americas (2025)40 | ||
---|---|---|
Pos. | Lower is better Avg Rank40 | |
1 | Uruguay | 43.2 |
2 | Puerto Rico | 47.1 |
3 | Costa Rica | 49.7 |
4 | Chile | 56.4 |
5 | Peru | 56.7 |
6 | Dominican Rep. | 65.0 |
7 | Ecuador | 65.6 |
8 | Guatemala | 66.1 |
9 | Mexico | 66.3 |
10 | El Salvador | 67.4 |
11 | Brazil | 70.2 |
12 | Colombia | 70.9 |
13 | Argentina | 78.5 |
The Americas Avg | 92.66 | |
q=36. |
Responsibility Towards The Environment (2025)40 | ||
---|---|---|
Pos. | Lower is better Avg Rank40 | |
1 | Sri Lanka | 34.9 |
2 | Uruguay | 43.2 |
3 | Switzerland | 45.0 |
4 | Morocco | 46.5 |
5 | Puerto Rico | 47.1 |
6 | Burundi | 47.8 |
7 | Nepal | 47.9 |
8 | India | 49.5 |
9 | Philippines | 49.6 |
10 | Costa Rica | 49.7 |
11 | Denmark | 50.4 |
12 | Mali | 51.0 |
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"41. 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:
Uruguay comes 2nd-best in the world with regard to its responsibility towards the environment - only Sri Lanka does better. This rank is calculated from 21 data sets. Uruguay comes in the best 20 in its forested percent change 2000-202042 and in its sign-up rate to major international accords on protecting the environment. It does better than average in terms of the rate of rational beliefs on the environment in the population43 (but low for The Americas), its score on the Green Future Index44, its environmental performance45 and in energy to GDP efficiency46. But, things could still be better. Uruguay does worse than average for reducing annual meat consumption per person47.Forest Area Change 2000-2020 Higher is better42 | ||
---|---|---|
Pos. | Total42 | |
1 | Guernsey | 82.6% |
2 | Bahrain | 75.2% |
3 | Iceland | 64.7% |
4 | Burundi | 44.2% |
5 | Uruguay | 43.8% |
6 | Montenegro | 32.1% |
7 | Malta | 31.4% |
8 | Cuba | 31.0% |
9 | Kuwait | 28.9% |
10 | Uzbekistan | 23.3% |
11 | Algeria | 23.1% |
12 | China | 23.0% |
The Americas Avg | -2.1% | |
World Avg | -0.1% | |
q=234. |
From 2000 to 2010, Uruguay restored its forest cover by 26%, from 1369 thousand hectares to 1731 thousand. By 2020, it added a further 17%, setting an important example for the rest of the world.
Environmental Performance Higher is better45 | ||
---|---|---|
Pos. | 201845 | |
1 | Switzerland | 87.4 |
2 | France | 84.0 |
3 | Denmark | 81.6 |
... | ||
44 | Belarus | 65.0 |
45 | Romania | 64.8 |
46 | Dominican Rep. | 64.7 |
47 | Uruguay | 64.7 |
48 | Estonia | 64.3 |
49 | Singapore | 64.2 |
50 | Poland | 64.1 |
51 | Venezuela | 63.9 |
The Americas Avg | 58.8 | |
World Avg | 56.4 | |
q=180. |
Energy to GDP Efficiency Lower is better46 | ||
---|---|---|
Pos. | 2022 Avg46 | |
1 | Rwanda | 0.25 |
2 | Chad | 0.26 |
3 | Tanzania | 0.31 |
... | ||
65 | Djibouti | 0.94 |
66 | France | 0.95 |
67 | Portugal | 0.95 |
68 | Uruguay | 0.96 |
69 | Nicaragua | 0.96 |
70 | Zambia | 0.97 |
71 | Equatorial Guinea | 0.98 |
72 | India | 0.98 |
The Americas Avg | 1.42 | |
World Avg | 1.23 | |
q=165. |
International Accords on the Environment Higher is better | ||
---|---|---|
Pos. | Total Avg Rate | |
1 | Sweden | 83% |
2 | Canada | 82% |
3 | Norway | 81% |
... | ||
12 | Belarus | 76% |
13 | Lithuania | 75% |
14 | Australia | 74% |
15 | Uruguay | 74% |
16 | Macedonia | 74% |
17 | Panama | 74% |
18 | Denmark | 73% |
19 | Ecuador | 72% |
The Americas Avg | 60.7% | |
World Avg | 57.5% | |
q=197. |
Rational Beliefs on the Environment Higher is better43 | ||
---|---|---|
Pos. | 2011 %43 | |
1 | Argentina | 78.3% |
2 | Greece | 77.6% |
3 | Brazil | 77.1% |
... | ||
20 | Chile | 63.8% |
21 | Ivory Coast | 63.7% |
22 | Madagascar | 62.8% |
23 | Uruguay | 62.4% |
24 | Angola | 62.4% |
25 | Bangladesh | 61.5% |
26 | Mali | 60.7% |
27 | Venezuela | 60.1% |
The Americas Avg | 58.6% | |
World Avg | 39.9% | |
q=145. |
Meat Consumption Lower is better47 | ||
---|---|---|
Pos. | 2021 kg47 | |
1 | Congo, DR | 03.0 |
2 | Burundi | 03.5 |
3 | Bangladesh | 04.3 |
... | ||
109 | Moldova | 61.9 |
110 | Costa Rica | 62.2 |
111 | China | 63.6 |
112 | Uruguay | 62.8 |
113 | Jamaica | 63.4 |
114 | Slovakia | 63.5 |
115 | China | 63.6 |
116 | Netherlands | 63.8 |
The Americas Avg | 70.3 | |
World Avg | 52.5 | |
q=185. |
In the 2010s, meat consumption per person in Uruguay was reducing.47
Green Future Index Higher is better44 | ||
---|---|---|
Pos. | 2023 Score44 | |
1 | Iceland | 6.7 |
2 | Finland | 6.7 |
3 | Norway | 6.4 |
... | ||
23 | Bulgaria | 5.3 |
24 | Costa Rica | 5.3 |
25 | S. Africa | 5.2 |
26 | Uruguay | 5.1 |
27 | China | 5.1 |
28 | Japan | 5.1 |
29 | Hungary | 5.1 |
30 | Chile | 5.1 |
The Americas Avg | 4.6 | |
World Avg | 4.8 | |
q=76. |
#education #english #intelligence #it_security #maths #modernity #politics #religion #religiosity #research #science #secularisation #technology #the_internet
Compared to The Americas (2020)48 | ||
---|---|---|
Pos. | Lower is better Avg Rank48 | |
1= | Canada | 21.8 |
2 | USA | 26.4 |
3 | Argentina | 38.2 |
4 | Grenada | 43.4 |
5 | Barbados | 47.4 |
6 | St Kitts & Nevis | 48.8 |
7 | Chile | 48.8 |
8 | Brazil | 52.8 |
9 | Uruguay | 57.6 |
10 | Mexico | 64.5 |
11 | Peru | 68.2 |
12 | Costa Rica | 69.8 |
13 | Cuba | 72.8 |
The Americas Avg | 81.34 | |
q=35. |
Modernity & Learning (2020)48 | ||
---|---|---|
Pos. | Lower is better Avg Rank48 | |
1 | Finland | 7.1 |
2 | Belgium | 12.9 |
3 | Denmark | 13.6 |
... | ||
52 | Turkey | 55.9 |
53 | S. Africa | 56.9 |
54 | Serbia | 57.1 |
55 | Uruguay | 57.6 |
56 | Malaysia | 59.4 |
57 | Kazakhstan | 59.8 |
58= | Saudi Arabia | 62.0 |
58= | Tonga | 62.0 |
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 Denmark49. The worst countries are Eritrea, S. Sudan and Sierra Leone49. Despite improves in global education, access to tertiary (adult) education is becoming increasingly unequal between the rich haves and the poor have-nots50.
“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)51
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 Europe49, whereas the worst are Melanesia, Africa and Micronesia49.
For more, see:
Modernity and Education Datasets:
Research & Development Higher is better | ||
---|---|---|
Pos. | 2016 % RDP PPP | |
1 | S. Korea | 4.2952 |
2 | Israel | 4.1152 |
3 | Japan | 3.5852 |
... | ||
83 | Botswana | 0.2553 |
84 | Armenia | 0.2454 |
85= | Sudan | 0.2355 |
85= | Uruguay | 0.2353 |
85= | Mongolia | 0.2354 |
85= | Bermuda | 0.2354 |
89 | Togo | 0.2253 |
90= | Nigeria | 0.2255 |
The Americas Avg | 0.47 | |
World Avg | 0.84 | |
q=126. |
Secondary Education Higher is better56 | ||
---|---|---|
Pos. | 201856 | |
1= | Luxembourg | 100.0% |
1= | Estonia | 100.0% |
1= | Austria | 100.0% |
... | ||
98 | Gabon | 57.6% |
99 | Libya | 57.4% |
100 | Dominican Rep. | 56.6% |
101 | Uruguay | 56.0% |
102 | Lebanon | 54.9% |
103 | Portugal | 54.2% |
104 | Turkey | 53.1% |
105 | Costa Rica | 52.9% |
The Americas Avg | 63.0% | |
World Avg | 63.0% | |
q=169. |
Length of Schooling Higher is better57 | ||
---|---|---|
Pos. | 2021 Years57 | |
1 | Australia | 21.1 |
2 | New Zealand | 20.3 |
3 | Greece | 20.0 |
... | ||
19 | Germany | 17.0 |
20 | Portugal | 16.9 |
21 | Malta | 16.8 |
22 | Uruguay | 16.8 |
23 | Chile | 16.7 |
24 | Costa Rica | 16.5 |
25 | Singapore | 16.5 |
26 | S. Korea | 16.5 |
The Americas Avg | 14.2 | |
World Avg | 13.5 | |
q=193. |
Intellectual Endeavours Lower is better32 | ||
---|---|---|
Pos. | 2017 Rank32 | |
1 | Ukraine | 1 |
2 | Czechia | 2 |
3 | Hungary | 3 |
... | ||
132 | Haiti | 132 |
133 | Botswana | 133 |
134 | Suriname | 134 |
135 | Uruguay | 135 |
136 | Honduras | 136 |
137 | Papua New Guinea | 137 |
138 | Congo, DR | 138 |
139 | Ecuador | 139 |
The Americas Avg | 99.8 | |
World Avg | 82.0 | |
q=163. |
Maths, Science & Reading Higher is better58 | ||
---|---|---|
Pos. | 2015 Score58 | |
1 | Singapore | 1655 |
2 | Hong Kong | 1598 |
3 | Japan | 1586 |
... | ||
46= | Romania | 1313 |
46= | Cyprus | 1313 |
48 | UAE | 1298 |
49 | Uruguay | 1290 |
50 | Turkey | 1273 |
51 | Trinidad & Tobago | 1269 |
52 | Moldova | 1264 |
53 | Montenegro | 1256 |
The Americas Avg | 1287 | |
World Avg | 1389 | |
q=70. |
Religiosity Lower is better59 | ||
---|---|---|
Pos. | 2018 %59 | |
1 | China | 3 |
2 | Estonia | 6 |
3 | Czechia | 7 |
... | ||
31= | Ukraine | 23 |
32 | Canada | 27 |
33= | Uzbekistan | 29 |
33= | Uruguay | 29 |
35 | Poland | 30 |
36 | Serbia | 34 |
37= | Israel | 36 |
37= | Portugal | 36 |
The Americas Avg | 65.4 | |
World Avg | 54.3 | |
q=106. |
IQ Higher is better60 | ||
---|---|---|
Pos. | 200660 | |
1= | Hong Kong | 108 |
1= | Singapore | 108 |
3 | S. Korea | 106 |
... | ||
33= | Russia | 97 |
33= | Belarus | 97 |
35 | Moldova | 96 |
36= | Uruguay | 96 |
36= | Slovenia | 96 |
36= | Slovakia | 96 |
39 | Portugal | 95 |
40= | Israel | 95 |
The Americas Avg | 85.3 | |
World Avg | 85.6 | |
q=138. |
Technology and Information Datasets:
Internet Users Higher is better61 | ||
---|---|---|
Pos. | 201661 | |
1 | Iceland | 100% |
2 | Faroe Islands | 99% |
3 | Norway | 98% |
... | ||
65 | St Kitts & Nevis | 66% |
66 | Dominica | 66% |
67 | Italy | 66% |
68= | Uruguay | 65% |
68= | Antigua & Barbuda | 65% |
70 | Greece | 65% |
71 | Saudi Arabia | 65% |
72 | French Polynesia | 64% |
The Americas Avg | 56.4% | |
World Avg | 48.1% | |
q=201. |
IPv6 Uptake Higher is better62 | ||
---|---|---|
Pos. | 2017 Ratio62 | |
1 | Belgium | 55.4 |
2 | Germany | 41.8 |
3 | Switzerland | 35.1 |
... | ||
59 | China | 0.3 |
60 | Iceland | 0.3 |
61 | Turkey | 0.3 |
62= | Uruguay | 0.3 |
62= | Moldova | 0.3 |
64 | UAE | 0.3 |
65 | Seychelles | 0.2 |
66 | Puerto Rico | 0.2 |
The Americas Avg | 3.36 | |
World Avg | 3.82 | |
q=176. |
Digital Quality of Life Higher is better63 | ||
---|---|---|
Pos. | 202463 | |
1 | Germany | 77.9% |
2 | Finland | 76.9% |
3 | France | 73.9% |
... | ||
43 | UAE | 55.8% |
44 | Chile | 55.0% |
45 | China | 54.8% |
46 | Uruguay | 54.8% |
47 | Ukraine | 54.4% |
48 | Serbia | 53.5% |
49 | Turkey | 52.2% |
50 | Russia | 52.1% |
The Americas Avg | 44.7% | |
World Avg | 48.4% | |
q=121. |
#capitalism #charitability #charity #corruption #culture #economics #equality #extremism #happiness #health #human_development #inequality #life_expectancy #morals #peace #politics #poverty #religious_violence #social_development #terrorism #uruguay
Compared to The Americas (2020)64 | ||
---|---|---|
Pos. | Lower is better Avg Rank64 | |
1 | Canada | 23.1 |
2 | Barbados | 46.9 |
3 | Costa Rica | 47.3 |
4 | Uruguay | 52.6 |
5 | USA | 54.1 |
6 | Chile | 57.4 |
7 | Trinidad & Tobago | 62.1 |
8 | Jamaica | 69.5 |
9 | Argentina | 73.6 |
10 | Cuba | 73.8 |
11 | Panama | 78.4 |
12 | Belize | 78.8 |
13 | Dominica | 79.6 |
The Americas Avg | 79.19 | |
q=33. |
Culture, Peace & Inequality (2020)64 | ||
---|---|---|
Pos. | Lower is better Avg Rank64 | |
1 | Denmark | 11.2 |
2 | Norway | 13.9 |
3 | Netherlands | 14.4 |
... | ||
37 | Slovakia | 48.8 |
38 | Bhutan | 49.2 |
39 | S. Korea | 49.5 |
40 | Uruguay | 52.6 |
41 | Croatia | 52.9 |
42 | USA | 54.1 |
43 | Romania | 54.4 |
44 | Malaysia | 55.4 |
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:
National Culture Datasets:
World Giving Index Higher is better65 | ||
---|---|---|
Pos. | 2022 %65 | |
1 | Indonesia | 68.0 |
2 | Kenya | 61.0 |
3 | USA | 59.0 |
... | ||
60= | Nicaragua | 40.0 |
60= | Senegal | 40.0 |
60= | Estonia | 40.0 |
60= | Uruguay | 40.0 |
60= | Turkey | 40.0 |
60= | Hungary | 40.0 |
60= | India | 40.0 |
60= | Cyprus | 40.0 |
The Americas Avg | 43.7 | |
World Avg | 39.6 | |
q=125. |
Corruption Higher is better66 | ||
---|---|---|
Pos. | 2022 Points66 | |
1 | Denmark | 90.0 |
2= | Finland | 87.0 |
2= | New Zealand | 87.0 |
... | ||
12 | Hong Kong | 76.0 |
13 | Australia | 75.0 |
14= | Estonia | 74.0 |
14= | Uruguay | 74.0 |
14= | Iceland | 74.0 |
14= | Canada | 74.0 |
18 | UK | 73.0 |
19= | Japan | 73.0 |
The Americas Avg | 42.97 | |
World Avg | 42.98 | |
q=180. |
Of all countries throughout the 2000s, Uruguay improved its Corruption Perception Index score at joint-3rd best rate.
Happiness Higher is better67 | ||
---|---|---|
Pos. | 2024 Score67 | |
1 | Finland | 7.7 |
2 | Denmark | 7.5 |
3 | Iceland | 7.5 |
... | ||
25 | Belize | 6.7 |
26 | Poland | 6.7 |
27 | Taiwan | 6.7 |
28 | Uruguay | 6.7 |
29 | Kosovo | 6.7 |
30 | Kuwait | 6.6 |
31 | Serbia | 6.6 |
32 | Saudi Arabia | 6.6 |
The Americas Avg | 6.31 | |
World Avg | 5.58 | |
q=147. |
Creativity & Culture Lower is better32 | ||
---|---|---|
Pos. | 2017 Rank32 | |
1 | Belgium | 1 |
2 | Netherlands | 2 |
3 | Estonia | 3 |
... | ||
56 | Mauritania | 56 |
57 | India | 57 |
58 | Philippines | 58 |
59 | Uruguay | 59 |
60 | Samoa | 60 |
61 | Montenegro | 61 |
62 | Ukraine | 62 |
63 | Israel | 63 |
The Americas Avg | 80.2 | |
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 |
... | ||
132 | Bangladesh | 132 |
133 | Indonesia | 133 |
134 | Egypt | 134 |
135 | Uruguay | 135 |
136 | Namibia | 136 |
137 | Yemen | 137 |
138 | Cambodia | 138 |
139 | Antigua & Barbuda | 139 |
The Americas Avg | 100.5 | |
World Avg | 82.0 | |
q=163. |
Peace Versus Instability Datasets:
Uruguay is the most peaceful country in South America, but has been deteriorating since at least 2008, "driven by increasing political instability, violent crime, and violent demonstrations"68.
Global Peace Index Lower is better69 | ||
---|---|---|
Pos. | 2023 Score69 | |
1 | Iceland | 1.12 |
2 | Denmark | 1.31 |
3 | Ireland | 1.31 |
... | ||
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 |
54 | Argentina | 1.84 |
The Americas Avg | 2.13 | |
World Avg | 2.07 | |
q=163. |
Peacekeeping & Security Lower is better32 | ||
---|---|---|
Pos. | 2017 Rank32 | |
1 | Samoa | 1 |
2 | S. Africa | 2 |
3 | Tunisia | 3 |
4 | Egypt | 4 |
5 | Nigeria | 5 |
6 | Uruguay | 6 |
7 | Indonesia | 7 |
8 | Brunei | 8 |
9 | Moldova | 9 |
10 | Morocco | 10 |
11 | Oman | 11 |
12 | Tanzania | 12 |
The Americas Avg | 82.3 | |
World Avg | 82.0 | |
q=163. |
Refugees & UN Treaties Lower is better32 | ||
---|---|---|
Pos. | 2017 Rank32 | |
1 | Austria | 1 |
2 | Germany | 2 |
3 | Netherlands | 3 |
... | ||
34 | Mauritius | 34 |
35 | Bosnia & Herzegovina | 35 |
36 | Romania | 36 |
37 | Uruguay | 37 |
38 | Liberia | 38 |
39 | Turkey | 39 |
40 | Malaysia | 40 |
41 | Montenegro | 41 |
The Americas Avg | 91.5 | |
World Avg | 82.0 | |
q=163. |
Impact of Terrorism Lower is better70 | ||
---|---|---|
Pos. | 2019 Score70 | |
1 | Togo | 0.00 |
2 | Mongolia | 0.00 |
3 | Swaziland | 0.00 |
... | ||
27= | Serbia | 0.12 |
27= | Estonia | 0.12 |
29 | New Zealand | 0.14 |
30 | Uruguay | 0.17 |
31 | Dominican Rep. | 0.18 |
32 | Hungary | 0.18 |
33 | Switzerland | 0.19 |
34 | Latvia | 0.23 |
The Americas Avg | 2.16 | |
World Avg | 2.78 | |
q=150. |
Economic Inequality and Poverty Datasets:
Inequality in Life Expectancy Lower is better71 | ||
---|---|---|
Pos. | 201971 | |
1 | Iceland | 2.40 |
2= | Singapore | 2.50 |
2= | Hong Kong | 2.50 |
... | ||
62 | Brunei | 7.60 |
63 | Kazakhstan | 7.70 |
64= | Macedonia | 7.90 |
64= | Uruguay | 7.90 |
64= | Thailand | 7.90 |
64= | Georgia | 7.90 |
64= | China | 7.90 |
69 | Argentina | 8.60 |
The Americas Avg | 12.03 | |
World Avg | 14.59 | |
q=184. |
Income Inequality (Gini Coefficient) Lower is better72 | ||
---|---|---|
Pos. | 2023 %72 | |
1 | Slovakia | 24.1%73 |
2 | Slovenia | 24.3%73 |
3 | Belarus | 24.4%74 |
... | ||
119 | Jamaica | 40.2%73 |
120 | Peru | 40.3%75 |
121 | Tanzania | 40.5%76 |
122 | Uruguay | 40.6%75 |
123= | Argentina | 40.7%75 |
123= | Sao Tome & Principe | 40.7%77 |
123= | Philippines | 40.7%73 |
123= | Malaysia | 40.7%73 |
The Americas Avg | 44.0% | |
World Avg | 36.5% | |
q=167. |
From 1981 to 2005, income inequality statistics were for urban areas only, but the figures were not widely divergent from the overall values thereafter.
#belief #buddhism #christianity #god #hinduism #islam #judaism #religion #religion_in_uruguay #religiosity #secularisation #Uruguay
Religiosity (2018)59 | ||
---|---|---|
Pos. | Lower is better %59 | |
1 | China | 3 |
2 | Estonia | 6 |
3 | Czechia | 7 |
... | ||
31= | Ukraine | 23 |
32 | Canada | 27 |
33= | Uzbekistan | 29 |
33= | Uruguay | 29 |
35 | Poland | 30 |
36 | Serbia | 34 |
37= | Israel | 36 |
37= | Portugal | 36 |
39 | Azerbaijan | 38 |
40 | Chile | 41 |
41= | Croatia | 42 |
41= | Moldova | 42 |
43 | Argentina | 43 |
44 | Mexico | 45 |
45 | Kyrgyzstan | 47 |
46 | Kosovo | 48 |
World Avg | 54.3 | |
q=106. |
Disbelief In God (2007)78 | ||
---|---|---|
Pos. | Higher is better %78 | |
1 | Vietnam | 81 |
2 | Japan | 65 |
3 | Sweden | 64 |
... | ||
37= | Singapore | 13 |
38 | Kazakhstan | 12 |
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 |
49= | Italy | 6 |
50 | Laos | 5 |
51= | Ireland | 5 |
51= | Mozambique | 5 |
World Avg | 9.9 | |
q=137. |
Data from the Pew Forum, a professional polling outfit, states that in 2010 the religious makeup of this country was as follows in the table below79:
Christian | 57.9% |
Muslim | 0.1% |
Hindu | 0.1% |
Buddhist | 0.1% |
Folk Religion | 0.8% |
Jewish | 0.3% |
Unaffiliated | 40.7% |
It appears that when asked "What religion are you" many give pollsters the 'correct' answer despite how they actually feel, and despite what they actually believe. Although 59.3% of the populace say they belong to a religion, only 29% say that they are religious when the question is phrased as "Is religion an important part of your daily life?".
For more on this phenomenon, see:
"Institutionalized Religions Have Their Numbers Inflated by National Polls" by Vexen Crabtree (2009)
The CIA World Factbook has slightly different data, and states: Roman Catholic 47.1%, non-Catholic Christians 11.1%, nondenominational 23.2%, Jewish 0.3%, atheist or agnostic 17.2%, other 1.1% (2006)80.
Freedom of Religion and Belief: Uruguay has several laws that take seriously the democratic principle of separation of church and state, and the Constitution prohibits discrimination based on religion.81
"Uruguay is among the most secular countries in Latin America. A Pew Research Center study on the global religious landscape as of 2010 found that roughly four-in-ten Uruguayans are unaffiliated with a particular religion. About 58 percent of Uruguayans are Christian; in the Latin America-Caribbean region as a whole, 90 percent of the population is Christian".82
Links: