Venezuela (Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela)

Venezuela Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela
Status	Independent State
Social and Moral Index	117th best
Capital	Caracas
Land Area	882 050km21
Location	South America, The Americas
Population	28.9m2
Life Expectancy	70.55yrs (2017)3
GNI	$4 811 (2017)4
ISO3166-1 Codes	VE, VEN, 8625
Internet Domain	.ve6
Currency	Bolivar (VEB)7
Telephone	+588

1. Overview
2. Venezuela National and Social Development
3. Venezuela's Demographics and Migration
4. Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance
5. Venezuela's Health
   1. Health Datasets
   2. Children's Health Datasets
6. Venezuela's Responsibility Towards The Environment
7. Venezuela's Modernity and Learning
   1. Modernity Datasets
   2. Education Datasets
   3. Technology and Information Datasets
8. Venezuela's Culture, Peace and Inequality
   1. National Culture Datasets
   2. Peace Versus Instability Datasets
   3. Economic Inequality and Poverty Datasets
9. Religion and Beliefs
10. Links

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1. Overview

#colombia #ecuador

“Venezuela was one of three countries that emerged from the collapse of Gran Colombia in 1830 (the others being Ecuador and New Granada, which became Colombia). For most of the first half of the 20th century, Venezuela was ruled by generally benevolent military strongmen, who promoted the oil industry and allowed for some social reforms. Democratically elected governments have held sway since 1959. Hugo CHAVEZ, president from 1999 to 2013, sought to implement his "21st Century Socialism," which purported to alleviate social ills while at the same time attacking capitalist globalization and existing democratic institutions. Current concerns include: a weakening of democratic institutions, political polarization, a politicized military, rampant violent crime, overdependence on the petroleum industry with its price fluctuations, and irresponsible mining operations that are endangering the rain forest and indigenous peoples.”

CIA's The World Factbook (2013)₉

“`La Tierra de Gracia´ (Land of Grace), as Christopher Columbus called Venezuela in 1498, is nothing if not strangely beautiful and beautifully strange. While other South American countries are romanticized for the tango, Machu Picchu or Carnaval, Venezuela´s international reputation swirls around oil and the next international beauty-pageant winner. But through the rhetorical looking glass lies a little-known secret: Venezuela can be shockingly gorgeous and, though criminally undervisited, offers more to travelers than even the most intrepid explorers are aware.

The sixth-largest country in South America boasts Andean peaks; the longest stretch of Caribbean coastline to be found in any single nation; tranquil offshore islands set amid turquoise seas; wetlands teeming with caimans, capybaras, piranhas and anacondas; the steamy Amazon; and rolling savanna punctuated by flat-topped mountains called tepuis. Those seeking adventure will find hiking, snorkeling, scuba diving, kitesurfing, windsurfing, paragliding and more. Even better, Venezuela is relatively compact - no thrill is discouragingly too far from the next.”

"The World" by Lonely Planet (2014)₁₀

2. Venezuela 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
	...
117	Botswana	0.693
118=	Bolivia	0.692
118=	Kyrgyzstan	0.692
120	Venezuela	0.691
121	Iraq	0.686
122	Tajikistan	0.685
123=	Belize	0.683
123=	Morocco	0.683
	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
	...
138	Ivory Coast	$5 217
139	Mauritania	$5 075
140	Djibouti	$5 025
141	Venezuela	$4 811
142	Nigeria	$4 790
143	Pakistan	$4 624
144	Marshall Islands	$4 620
145	Kyrgyzstan	$4 566
	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
	...
114	Ghana	95.2
115	Palau	95.3
116	Botswana	95.4
117	Venezuela	95.7
118	Tonga	96.1
119	Guyana	96.4
120	Uzbekistan	96.5
121	Oman	97.1
	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. Venezuela's Demographics and Migration

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

Population Datasets:

Venezuela's population is predicted to rise to 37.04 million by 2030. These millions of extra people will all need space to live, food to eat, energy to consume, and will increase the burden on the planet's resources. This country has a fertility rate of 2.19. 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
	...
45	Angola	30.8m
46	Ghana	29.8m
47	Mozambique	29.5m
48	Venezuela	28.9m
49	Yemen	28.5m
50	Nepal	28.1m
51	Madagascar	26.3m
52	N. Korea	25.5m
	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
	...
107	Uzbekistan	70.9
108	El Salvador	70.7
109	Micronesia	70.7
110	Venezuela	70.6
111	Jamaica	70.5
112	Belize	70.5
113	Vanuatu	70.4
114	Iraq	70.4
	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
	...
21	Greenland	1.84
22	Gibraltar	1.84
23	Peru	2.16
24	Venezuela	2.19
25	Romania	1.81
26	Mexico	1.80
27=	Montenegro	1.80
27=	Moldova	1.80
	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
	...
98	Mexico	15.4
99	Peru	15.5
100=	Dominican Rep.	15.6
100=	Venezuela	15.6
100=	Kazakhstan	15.6
103	Ecuador	16.0
104	Morocco	16.1
105=	Suriname	16.2
	World Avg	18.3
q=185.

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

Migration Datasets:

Immigrants17
Pos.		2017 %17
1	UAE	88.4%
2	Kuwait	75.5%
3	Qatar	65.2%
	...
85	Argentina	4.9%
86	Panama	4.7%
87	Tonga	4.6%
88	Venezuela	4.5%
89	Lithuania	4.3%
90	St Vincent & Grenadines	4.2%
91	Czechia	4.1%
92	Uganda	3.9%
	World Avg	9.4%
q=195.

Emigrants18
Pos.		2010 %18
1	Dominica	104.8%
2	Palestine	68.4%
3	Samoa	67.3%
	...
154	Chad	2.1%
155	Australia	2.1%
156	Serbia	2.0%
157	Venezuela	1.8%
158	S. Africa	1.7%
159	Iran	1.7%
160	Libya	1.7%
161	Gabon	1.7%
	World Avg	11.5%
q=192.

4. Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance

#antisemitism #canada #equality #freedom #gender_equality #human_rights #morals #politics #prejudice #tolerance #venezuela #venezuela_antisemitism

Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance (2025)19
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank19
1	Sweden	7.8
2	Netherlands	8.7
3	Denmark	8.8
	...
102	Senegal	95.2
103	Singapore	95.8
104	Kosovo	96.1
105	Venezuela	96.2
106	Bhutan	97.2
107	Samoa	98.2
	The Americas Avg	71.80
	World Avg	89.80
q=199.

Venezuela is very poor at ensuring human rights and freedom compared to the rest of the world, and it has cultural issues when it comes to tolerance and equality. Venezuela does better than average for its success in fighting anti-semitic prejudice₂₀, its nominal commitment to Human Rights₂₁ and in freethought₂₂. When it comes to most other metrics, Venezuela does not do well. It does worse than average in the rate of gender bias (from 7 indicators)₂₃ (amongst the highest in The Americas), commentary in Human Rights Watch reports₂₄ (one of the lowest in The Americas), LGBT equality in the 2020s₂₅, opposing gender inequality₂₆ (amongst the highest in The Americas), combatting modern slavery₂₇, supporting press freedom₂₈ (amongst the lowest in The Americas) and in its average Freedom in the World rating (amongst the highest in The Americas). And finally, it falls into the worst-performing 20 in supporting personal, civil & economic freedoms₂₉ (the highest in The Americas). President Nicolás Maduro has been increasingly dictatorial, damaging and dismantling Venezuela's democratic institutions₃₀. Security forces are increasingly abusive₃₀. The justice system is no longer independent of government₃₀. Harassment of critics continues, with arbitrary arrests of opponents "as his rule became more brutal and autocratic" at the expense of good governance - food and medicine shortages have come to affect many₃₀. The United Nations reported in 2017 that rights abuses have been extensive₃₀. Eleven Latin American states (and Canada) signed the Lima Declaration in 2017, condemning "the assault on democratic order and the systematic violation of human rights in Venezuela"₃₀. By 2021, the Global Peace Index categorized Political Terror in this country to be in the worst possible category (5/5), and rated it as one of the most disturbed countries in the world₃₁.

For tables, charts and commentary, see:

• Human Rights and Freedom in Venezuela

5. Venezuela's Health

#alcohol #birth_control #demographics #health #life_expectancy #longevity #mental_health #obesity #overpopulation #parenting #population #suicide #vaccines #venezuela

Compared to The Americas (2025)32
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank32
1	Canada	62.0
2	Cuba	62.5
3	Antigua & Barbuda	63.9
	...
33	Puerto Rico	109.9
34	Paraguay	110.0
35	Honduras	110.3
36	Venezuela	111.1
37	Nicaragua	112.0
38	Suriname	116.2
39	Guatemala	116.8
40=	Bolivia	125.4
41=	Haiti	126.8
	The Americas Avg	92.66
q=41.

Health (2025)32
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank32
1	Monaco	10.3
2	Liechtenstein	30.1
3	Japan	37.3
	...
131	Paraguay	110.0
132	Honduras	110.3
133	India	110.5
134	Venezuela	111.1
135	Sao Tome & Principe	111.4
136	Cambodia	111.7
137	Nicaragua	112.0
138	Myanmar	112.2
	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 Japan₃₃. These countries are worth emulating. And, although often through no fault of the average citizen, the worst countries are Angola, Somalia and S. Sudan₃₃.

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 Mediterranean₃₃, whereas the worst are Africa, Micronesia and Melanesia₃₃.

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 #venezuela

Venezuela has some poor policies and cultural issues which cause some public health problems. Venezuela comes in the best 20 for its suicide rate₃₄. It does better than average in its fertility rate₁₅ and in its alcohol consumption rate₃₅. But unfortunately Venezuela gets most other things wrong. It does worse than average in terms of its food aid and health contributions and WHO compliance₃₆, childhood mortality in the 2020s₃₇, its average life expectancy₁₁, the prevalence of overweight adults₃₈, delivery rate of 7x Infant Immunizations 2011-2015₃₉ (one of the lowest in The Americas) and in its adolescent birth rate₄₀ (amongst the highest in The Americas). And finally, it sits amongst the bottom 20 for delivery rate of infant DTP immunizations in the 2020s₄₁. The prevalence of overweight adults has increased by 14% between 1976 and 2016. Life expectancy in Venezuela was static between 1990 and 2019, whereas almost all of the rest of the world improved. In the 2010s, Venezuela was one of only 12 countries that saw their life expectancy drop, although only by a small amount. Venezuela's peak fertility rate was 6.36 in 1960.

Life Expectancy Higher is better11
Pos.		2021 Years11
1	Monaco	85.9
2	Hong Kong	85.5
3	Japan	84.8
	...
107	Uzbekistan	70.9
108	El Salvador	70.7
109	Micronesia	70.7
110	Venezuela	70.6
111	Jamaica	70.5
112	Belize	70.5
113	Vanuatu	70.4
114	Iraq	70.4
	The Americas Avg	72.58
	World Avg	71.28
q=195. Also scored for 1990s-2010s.

Alcohol Consumption Lower is better35
Pos.		2016 Per Capita35
1	Bangladesh	0.0
2	Kuwait	0.0
3	Libya	0.0
	...
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
86=	Cape Verde	5.7
89=	Liberia	5.8
	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
	...
21	Greenland	1.84
22	Gibraltar	1.84
23	Peru	2.16
24	Venezuela	2.19
25	Romania	1.81
26	Mexico	1.80
27=	Montenegro	1.80
27=	Moldova	1.80
	The Americas Avg	1.80
	World Avg	2.47
q=208. Also scored for 1960s-2010s.

Suicide Rate34
Pos.		2013 Per 100k34
1	Haiti	0
2	Grenada	0
3	Egypt	0.1
	...
12	Dominican Rep.	4.6
13	St Lucia	4.9
14	Tajikistan	5.2
15	Venezuela	6.5
16	Malta	6.9
17	Greece	7
18	Paraguay	7.1
19=	St Vincent & Grenadines	7.3
	The Americas Avg	13.57
	World Avg	20.93
q=91.

Food Aid, Health Contributions & WHO Compliance Lower is better36
Pos.		2017 Rank36
1	Sweden	1
2	Ireland	2
3	Denmark	3
	...
101	Tanzania	101
102	Equatorial Guinea	102
103	Barbados	103
104	Venezuela	104
105	Timor-Leste (E. Timor)	105
106	Serbia	106
107	Zimbabwe	107
108	Central African Rep.	108
	The Americas Avg	94.3
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Overweight Adults Lower is better38
Pos.		1976 %38
1	Bangladesh	4.7
2	Vietnam	5.1
3	Nepal	5.4
	...
146	Macedonia	39.2
147	Saudi Arabia	39.4
148=	Iraq	40.0
148=	Venezuela	40.0
148=	Italy	40.0
151=	France	40.4
151=	Argentina	40.4
151=	Chile	40.4
	The Americas Avg	30.7
	World Avg	27.1
q=191.

Adult Obesity Lower is better42
Pos.		2022 %42
1	Vietnam	2.1%
2	Timor-Leste (E. Timor)	2.2%
3	Ethiopia	2.4%
	...
90	Slovenia	22.2%
91	Malaysia	22.4%
92	Iceland	22.6%
93	Venezuela	22.8%
94	Israel	23.4%
95	Cuba	23.5%
96	Finland	23.7%
97	Colombia	23.9%
	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 better40
Pos.		2022 Per 100040
1	Hong Kong	1.6
2	Denmark	1.8
3	S. Korea	2.1
	...
163	Sao Tome & Principe	77.4
164	Sudan	77.6
165	Afghanistan	79.7
166	Venezuela	82.0
167	Nicaragua	84.0
168	Guinea-Bissau	85.8
169	Lesotho	89.1
170	Gabon	89.8
	The Americas Avg	48.1
	World Avg	43.8
q=195. Also scored for 1990s-2010s.

Infant DTP Immunizations (2020s) Higher is better41
Pos.		Total Avg %41
1=	Luxembourg	99.0
1=	Oman	99.0
1=	Niue	99.0
	...
203	Haiti	64.5
204	Angola	64.2
205	Afghanistan	62.7
206	Venezuela	60.3
207	Azerbaijan	58.0
208	Yemen	57.0
209	Central African Rep.	42.6
210	Papua New Guinea	41.8
	The Americas Avg	87.5
	World Avg	88.5
q=211. Also scored for 1980s-2020s.

7x Infant Immunizations (2011-2015) Higher is better39
Pos.		2015 Avg %39
1=	Hungary	99.0
1=	China	99.0
3	Uzbekistan	98.9
	...
151	Comoros	81.8
152	Marshall Islands	81.8
153	Mozambique	81.4
154	Venezuela	80.6
155	Myanmar	80.3
156=	Benin	80.1
156=	Guinea-Bissau	80.1
158	Tonga	80.0
	The Americas Avg	91.3
	World Avg	88.3
q=194.

Infant Mortality (2020s) Lower is better37
Pos.		Total Per 100037
1	San Marino	2.11
2	Finland	2.59
3	Luxembourg	2.60
	...
103	Nicaragua	19.21
104	Cape Verde	20.21
105	Mongolia	20.26
106	Venezuela	20.47
107	Suriname	20.80
108	Honduras	20.99
109	Palau	21.33
110	Uzbekistan	21.50
	The Americas Avg	18.99
	World Avg	32.19
q=195. Also scored for 1960s-2020s.

6. Venezuela's Responsibility Towards The Environment

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

Compared to The Americas (2025)43
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank43
1	Uruguay	43.2
2	Puerto Rico	47.1
3	Costa Rica	49.7
	...
17	Bolivia	81.8
18	Panama	82.5
19	Honduras	84.6
20	Venezuela	86.1
21	Canada	87.2
22	Guyana	87.4
23	Jamaica	88.6
24	Paraguay	91.0
25	Belize	91.3
	The Americas Avg	92.66
q=36.

Responsibility Towards The Environment (2025)43
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank43
1	Sri Lanka	34.9
2	Uruguay	43.2
3	Switzerland	45.0
	...
107	Djibouti	84.5
108	Honduras	84.6
109	Zambia	85.4
110	Venezuela	86.1
111	Taiwan	86.1
112	Macedonia	86.9
113	Canada	87.2
114	Guyana	87.4
	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"₄₄. 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).

Venezuela comes 110th in the world in terms of its responsibility towards the environment. This rank is calculated from 21 data sets. Venezuela does better than average in the rate of rational beliefs on the environment in the population₄₅ (but bad for The Americas), its sign-up rate to major international accords on protecting the environment, its environmental performance₄₆ and in reducing annual meat consumption per person₄₇ (one of the best in The Americas). But, things still need to improve in Venezuela. Venezuela does worse than average in its forested percent change 2000-2020₄₈. And finally, it falls into the worst-performing 20 in terms of energy to GDP efficiency₄₉ (amongst the highest in The Americas).

Environmental Performance Higher is better46
Pos.		201846
1	Switzerland	87.4
2	France	84.0
3	Denmark	81.6
	...
48	Estonia	64.3
49	Singapore	64.2
50	Poland	64.1
51	Venezuela	63.9
52	Russia	63.8
53	Brunei	63.6
54	Morocco	63.5
55	Cuba	63.4
	The Americas Avg	58.8
	World Avg	56.4
q=180.

Energy to GDP Efficiency Lower is better49
Pos.		2022 Avg49
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.

International Accords on the Environment Higher is better
Pos.		Total Avg Rate
1	Sweden	83%
2	Canada	82%
3	Norway	81%
	...
29	UK	70%
30	Tunisia	70%
31	Austria	70%
32	Venezuela	70%
33	Kazakhstan	70%
34	Jordan	69%
35	Portugal	69%
36	Costa Rica	69%
	The Americas Avg	60.7%
	World Avg	57.5%
q=197. Also scored for 1970s-2020s.

Rational Beliefs on the Environment Higher is better45
Pos.		2011 %45
1	Argentina	78.3%
2	Greece	77.6%
3	Brazil	77.1%
	...
24	Angola	62.4%
25	Bangladesh	61.5%
26	Mali	60.7%
27	Venezuela	60.1%
28	Morocco	60.0%
29	Malta	57.3%
30	Ecuador	57.2%
31	Portugal	55.8%
	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
	...
63	Burkina Faso	33.3
64	Central African Rep.	34.4
65	Comoros	34.5
66	Venezuela	35.6
67	Jordan	36.0
68	Lebanon	36.3
69	Paraguay	36.4
70	Azerbaijan	37.1
	The Americas Avg	70.3
	World Avg	52.5
q=185. Also scored for 2010s.

In the 2010s, Venezuela decreased its meat consumption more than any other country, its population coming to eat half as much meat (34.3kg) as they used to (72.2kg) per year.₄₇

7. Venezuela's Modernity and Learning

#bolivia #education #intelligence #metric #modernity #politics #religion #religiosity #secularisation #technology #the_internet #venezuela #yemen

Compared to The Americas (2025)50
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank50
1	Canada	30.9
2	Argentina	34.3
3	Chile	41.0
	...
12	Colombia	61.0
13=	Dominican Rep.	65.7
13=	Panama	65.7
15	Venezuela	66.3
16	Suriname	71.1
17	Paraguay	74.9
18	Barbados	78.7
19	Grenada	79.0
20	El Salvador	79.2
	The Americas Avg	77.96
q=36.

Modernity & Learning (2025)50
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank50
1	Vatican City	1.0
2	Finland	4.8
3	Belgium	8.5
	...
81=	Dominican Rep.	65.7
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
	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 Belgium₅₁. The worst countries are S. Sudan, Eritrea and Somalia₅₁. Despite improves in global education, access to tertiary (adult) education is becoming increasingly unequal between the rich haves and the poor have-nots₅₂.

“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)₅₃

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 Europe₅₁, whereas the worst are Melanesia, Africa and Micronesia₅₁.

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 #religion #religiosity #secularisation

Intellectual Endeavours Lower is better36
Pos.		2017 Rank36
1	Ukraine	1
2	Czechia	2
3	Hungary	3
	...
146	Philippines	146
147	Mozambique	147
148	Lesotho	148
149	Venezuela	149
150	Libya	150
151	Gabon	151
152	Sierra Leone	152
153	Cambodia	153
	The Americas Avg	99.8
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Metric System Adoption Rate Higher is better54
Pos.		2025 %54
1=	Slovakia	100
1=	Poland	100
1=	Portugal	100
	...
35=	Taiwan	95
35=	Honduras	95
35=	Vietnam	95
35=	Venezuela	95
35=	Cyprus	95
35=	Uzbekistan	95
35=	Uruguay	95
35=	Croatia	95
	The Americas Avg	90
	World Avg	92
q=187. Also scored for 1960s-2020s.

Venezuela officially adopted metric in 1915₅₅. Progression:

• 1960 (80%): Metric established; traditional units in markets.
• 1970 (90%): Commerce/education standardized metric.
• 1980 (95%): Metric dominant across sectors.
• 2000 (95%).
• 2025 (95%).

Religiosity Lower is better56
Pos.		2018 %56
1	China	3
2	Estonia	6
3	Czechia	7
	...
54=	Paraguay	56
55	Lebanon	57
56	Panama	61
57	Venezuela	67
58	Turkey	68
59=	Bolivia	71
59=	Botswana	71
61=	Brazil	72
	The Americas Avg	65.4
	World Avg	54.3
q=106.

IQ Higher is better57
Pos.		200657
1=	Hong Kong	108
1=	Singapore	108
3	S. Korea	106
	...
73=	Trinidad & Tobago	85
73=	Peru	85
73=	Cuba	85
76=	Venezuela	84
76=	Colombia	84
76=	Jordan	84
76=	Afghanistan	84
76=	UAE	84
	The Americas Avg	85.3
	World Avg	85.6
q=138.

7.2. Education Datasets

#education #venezuela

In the 2000s, Venezuela increased its expected duration of education by almost 4 years, the seventh-highest rise of any country in that decade, although it fell back by 0.8 years in the 2010s. ₅₈

Secondary Education Higher is better59
Pos.		201859
1=	Luxembourg	100.0%
1=	Estonia	100.0%
1=	Austria	100.0%
	...
77	Brunei	70.1%
78	Iran	69.8%
79	Vietnam	69.4%
80	Venezuela	69.2%
81	Qatar	67.5%
82	Mauritius	66.9%
83	Oman	66.4%
84	Jamaica	66.3%
	The Americas Avg	63.0%
	World Avg	63.0%
q=169.

Length of Schooling Higher is better60
Pos.		2021 Years60
1	Australia	21.1
2	New Zealand	20.3
3	Greece	20.0
	...
116	Nepal	12.9
117	St Lucia	12.9
118	Libya	12.9
119	Venezuela	12.8
120	Malawi	12.7
121	El Salvador	12.7
122	Nicaragua	12.6
123	Qatar	12.6
	The Americas Avg	14.2
	World Avg	13.5
q=193. Also scored for 1990s-2010s.

7.3. Technology and Information Datasets

#bolivia #modernity #politics #technology #the_internet #venezuela #yemen

Internet Users Higher is better61
Pos.		201661
1	Iceland	100%
2	Faroe Islands	99%
3	Norway	98%
	...
81	Bulgaria	59%
82=	Turkey	58%
82=	Romania	58%
84=	Venezuela	58%
84=	Seychelles	58%
86	Morocco	58%
87	Colombia	57%
88	Costa Rica	56%
	The Americas Avg	56.4%
	World Avg	48.1%
q=201.

Freedom On The Internet Lower is better62
Pos.		201262
1	Estonia	10
2	USA	12
3	Germany	15
	...
24	Jordan	45
25=	Turkey	46
25=	Tunisia	46
27	Venezuela	48
28	Azerbaijan	50
29	Rwanda	51
30	Russia	52
31	Zimbabwe	54
	The Americas Avg	39.3
	World Avg	46.7
q=47.

IPv6 Uptake Higher is better63
Pos.		2017 Ratio63
1	Belgium	55.4
2	Germany	41.8
3	Switzerland	35.1
	...
111=	Guernsey	0.0
111=	Bahamas	0.0
111=	Antigua & Barbuda	0.0
111=	Venezuela	0.0
111=	Kazakhstan	0.0
111=	New Caledonia	0.0
111=	Maldives	0.0
118=	Tunisia	0.0
	The Americas Avg	3.36
	World Avg	3.82
q=176.

Digital Quality of Life Higher is better64
Pos.		202464
1	Germany	77.9%
2	Finland	76.9%
3	France	73.9%
	...
103	Laos	31.5%
104	Guatemala	31.0%
105	Nepal	30.3%
106	Venezuela	30.1%
107	Zambia	30.1%
108	El Salvador	30.0%
109	Cambodia	29.4%
110	Honduras	28.5%
	The Americas Avg	44.7%
	World Avg	48.4%
q=121.

Venezuela has notorious problems with mobile internet access speeds, measuring the 3rd-worst of 121 countries (after Yemen and Bolivia)₆₅.

8. Venezuela's Culture, Peace and Inequality

#capitalism #charity #corruption #economics #extremism #happiness #health #human_development #inequality #internationalism #life_expectancy #morals #peace #politics #religious_violence #social_development #terrorism #venezuela

8.1. National Culture Datasets

#charity #corruption #happiness #internationalism #morals #politics #venezuela

World Giving Index Higher is better66
Pos.		2022 %66
1	Indonesia	68.0
2	Kenya	61.0
3	USA	59.0
	...
32=	Malta	45.0
32=	Singapore	45.0
32=	Macedonia	45.0
32=	Venezuela	45.0
32=	Norway	45.0
32=	Austria	45.0
38=	Sri Lanka	44.0
38=	Ethiopia	44.0
	The Americas Avg	43.7
	World Avg	39.6
q=125. Also scored for 2010s.

Corruption Higher is better67
Pos.		2022 Points67
1	Denmark	90.0
2=	Finland	87.0
2=	New Zealand	87.0
	...
173=	Libya	17.0
173=	Haiti	17.0
173=	Burundi	17.0
176	Yemen	16.0
177	Venezuela	14.0
178=	S. Sudan	13.0
178=	Syria	13.0
180	Somalia	12.0
	The Americas Avg	42.97
	World Avg	42.98
q=180. Also scored for 1990s-2010s.

When the Corruption Perception Index was launched in 1995, Venezuela had the 4th-worst score of the 50-or-so countries for which they initially gathered data.

Happiness Higher is better68
Pos.		2024 Score68
1	Finland	7.7
2	Denmark	7.5
3	Iceland	7.5
	...
79	Libya	5.8
80	Moldova	5.8
81	Greece	5.8
82	Venezuela	5.7
83	Indonesia	5.6
84	Algeria	5.6
85	Bulgaria	5.6
86	Macedonia	5.5
	The Americas Avg	6.31
	World Avg	5.58
q=147. Also scored for 2010s.

Creativity & Culture Lower is better36
Pos.		2017 Rank36
1	Belgium	1
2	Netherlands	2
3	Estonia	3
	...
151	Guinea-Bissau	151
152	Syria	152
153	Liberia	153
154	Venezuela	154
155	Yemen	155
156	Iraq	156
157	Iran	157
158	Gabon	158
	The Americas Avg	80.2
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Passport Reach (2020s) Higher is better69
Pos.		Total Q69
1	Singapore	192.2
2	Japan	192.0
3	S. Korea	190.7
	...
77	Tonga	128.8
78	Nicaragua	127.8
79	Tuvalu	127.5
80	Venezuela	126.8
81	Macedonia	125.8
82	Montenegro	124.8
83	Marshall Islands	124.3
84	Kiribati	123.5
	The Americas Avg	132.4
	World Avg	108.8
q=195. Also scored for 2000s-2020s.

Open Trading, Aid & Development Lower is better36
Pos.		2017 Rank36
1	Ireland	1
2	Denmark	2
3	Sweden	3
	...
153	Iraq	153
154	Paraguay	154
155	Grenada	155
156	Venezuela	156
157	Bahrain	157
158	Mauritania	158
159	Brunei	159
160	Algeria	160
	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 better70
Pos.		2023 Score70
1	Iceland	1.12
2	Denmark	1.31
3	Ireland	1.31
	...
138	Niger	2.63
139	Cameroon	2.66
140=	Colombia	2.69
140=	Venezuela	2.69
142	Chad	2.70
143	Israel	2.71
144	Nigeria	2.71
145	Myanmar	2.74
	The Americas Avg	2.13
	World Avg	2.07
q=163. Also scored for 2010s.

Peacekeeping & Security Lower is better36
Pos.		2017 Rank36
1	Samoa	1
2	S. Africa	2
3	Tunisia	3
	...
115	Greece	115
116	Trinidad & Tobago	116
117	Benin	117
118	Venezuela	118
119	Angola	119
120	Ivory Coast	120
121	Kyrgyzstan	121
122	Guinea	122
	The Americas Avg	82.3
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Refugees & UN Treaties Lower is better36
Pos.		2017 Rank36
1	Austria	1
2	Germany	2
3	Netherlands	3
	...
88	Niger	88
89	India	89
90	Cameroon	90
91	Venezuela	91
92	Belarus	92
93	Ghana	93
94	Qatar	94
95	Peru	95
	The Americas Avg	91.5
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Impact of Terrorism Lower is better71
Pos.		2019 Score71
1	Togo	0.00
2	Mongolia	0.00
3	Swaziland	0.00
	...
101	Tajikistan	3.95
102	Uganda	3.96
103	Mexico	4.08
104	Venezuela	4.10
105	Chile	4.12
106	Greece	4.17
107	Germany	4.25
108	Lebanon	4.40
	The Americas Avg	2.16
	World Avg	2.78
q=150.

8.3. Economic Inequality and Poverty Datasets

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

Inequality in Life Expectancy Lower is better72
Pos.		201972
1	Iceland	2.40
2=	Singapore	2.50
2=	Hong Kong	2.50
	...
120=	Dominican Rep.	17.00
120=	Sao Tome & Principe	17.00
122=	Bhutan	17.10
122=	Venezuela	17.10
124	Bangladesh	17.30
125	Nepal	17.50
126	Cambodia	18.10
127	Guyana	19.00
	The Americas Avg	12.03
	World Avg	14.59
q=184.

Income Inequality (Gini Coefficient) Lower is better73
Pos.		2023 %73
1	Slovakia	24.1%74
2	Slovenia	24.3%74
3	Belarus	24.4%75
	...
144	Turkey	44.4%74
145	Ecuador	44.6%76
146=	Congo, DR	44.7%75
146=	Venezuela	44.7%77
148	Lesotho	44.9%78
149	Paraguay	45.1%79
150	Comoros	45.3%80
151	Nicaragua	46.2%80
	The Americas Avg	44.0%
	World Avg	36.5%
q=167. Also scored for 1980s-2010s.

9. Religion and Beliefs

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

Religiosity (2018)56
Pos.		Lower is better %56
1	China	3
2	Estonia	6
3	Czechia	7
	...
54=	Paraguay	56
55	Lebanon	57
56	Panama	61
57	Venezuela	67
58	Turkey	68
59=	Bolivia	71
59=	Botswana	71
61=	Brazil	72
61=	Egypt	72
63=	Algeria	73
63=	Peru	73
65	S. Africa	75
66=	Ecuador	76
66=	Costa Rica	76
68=	Puerto Rico	77
68=	Malaysia	77
	World Avg	54.3
q=106.

Disbelief In God (2007)81
Pos.		Higher is better %81
1	Vietnam	81
2	Japan	65
3	Sweden	64
	...
79=	Brazil	1
79=	Ecuador	1
79=	S. Africa	1
79=	Venezuela	1
79=	Peru	1
79=	Guatemala	1
79=	El Salvador	1
79=	Panama	1
87=	Somalia	0
87=	Sri Lanka	0
87=	Burundi	0
87=	Burkina Faso	0
87=	Brunei	0
87=	Botswana	0
87=	Syria	0
87=	Sierra Leone	0
	World Avg	9.9
q=137.

Pew Forum polling over the decades has found the following adherency rates:₈₂:

	2010	2020
Christian	89.4%	88.1%
Unaffiliated	8.43%	9.73%
Other	2.1%	2.07%
Muslim	<0.1%	<0.1%
Buddhist	<0.1%	<0.1%
Jewish	<0.1%	<0.1%
Hindu	None	None

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 90.3% of the populace say they belong to a religion, only 67% 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: nominally Roman Catholic 96%, Protestant 2%, other 2%₈₃.

Links:

• A List of All Religions and Belief Systems
• Secularisation Theory: Will Modern Society Reject Religion? What is Secularism?