| A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | country | beautiful thing | category | note | alternatives | source | source URL | other sources | |
2 | Afghanistan | Biggest drop in teen pregnancies | HEALTH | Decline in births per 1,000 women aged 15-19 from 163/1000 in 1990 to 69/1000 in 2017 . | World Bank | https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SP.ADO.TFRT | https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1FEeV6Fw-xEm0x0WR3eLjN9EHkKJKbln3nBo82h65Sps/edit#gid=1850790227 | ||
3 | Albania | Most improved democracy | FREEDOM & RIGHTS | Most improved rating, going from 1/10 in 1990 to 9/10 in 2017. | Systemic Peace | http://www.systemicpeace.org/inscrdata.html | |||
4 | Algeria | First to recognise Palestine | FREEDOM & RIGHTS | Deloitte | need link | ||||
5 | Angola | Biggest drop in hunger | HEALTH | Prevalence of undernourishment in the population fell from 72% in 2000 to 25% in 2017. | World Bank | https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SN.ITK.DEFC.ZS | https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1zolTt0KFh0RFuwBy8pb3Hw0BrRteH0sCabyLhNJolT4/edit#gid=643010833 | ||
6 | Argentina | Most pets per capita | NICE! | 80% of people have pets | best transgender rights?, best labour protections, in adoption of GM crops? | Myanimal.com | https://myanimals.com/animals/argentina-the-country-with-the-most-pets-per-capita/ | ||
7 | Armenia | Most chess grand masters | SKILLZ | Most chess grand masters per capita | Chess.com | https://www.chess.com/forum/view/general/gm-s-per-capita-worldwide-1-iceland2 | |||
8 | Australia | Most natural parks | NATURE | leader in organic agriculture | The Lancet | https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanpub/article/PIIS2468-2667(18)30183-X/fulltext | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agriculture_in_Argentina | ||
9 | Austria | Invented postcards! | NICE! | • first biodynamic wines • first to invent postcards • first green roofs • world leader in prosthetics? • biggest solar thermal market? | Advantage Austria | https://www.camping.info/magazin/en/10-facts-about-austria-for-campers https://livingroofs.org/hamburg-buries-autobahn/ https://www.advantageaustria.org/jo/en/search/partners?industry[]=B.55 | |||
10 | Azerbaijan | Earliest Christian state | NICE! | First to adopt Christianity as a state religion. | Radio Free Europe | https://www.rferl.org/a/1341934.html | |||
11 | Bahrain | Use of AI in goverment | COOL TECH | First to shape guidelines for using AI In goverment | first to merge Islamic Finance with modern banking? | CBME | https://www.cbnme.com/logistics-news/bahrain-and-uk-first-in-the-world-to-pilot-new-ai-procurement-guidelines/ https://www.zawya.com/mena/en/press-releases/story/Bahrain_UAE_and_Saudi_Arabia_ranked_in_worlds_top_five_Islamic_finance_economies_by_the_Islamic_Development_Bank-ZAWYA20201216123319/ | ||
12 | Bangladesh | First to ban plastic bags | NATURE | In 2002. | most vegetarians | New Scientist | https://www.newscientist.com/article/2176417-new-zealand-becomes-the-latest-country-to-ban-plastic-bags/ | https://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/maps-and-graphics/world-according-to-meat-consumption/ | |
13 | Belarus | First to legalize crypto | COOL TECH | https://twitter.com/AlexKokcharov/status/1029451715970514944 | |||||
14 | Belgium | First to appoint female ambassador to Saudi Arabia | WOMEN & GIRLS | 2017: Belgium wanted to send a clear message to a country known for women's rights abuses. | Reuters | https://www.reuters.com/article/us-belgium-saudi-envoy/belgium-becomes-first-country-to-appoint-female-ambassador-to-saudi-arabia-idUSKBN1ED2AP | |||
15 | Belize | ||||||||
16 | Benin | Least diabetes | HEALTH | Lowest diabetes prevalence. Just 1% of the population were living with diabetes in 2019 compared with a world average of 9%. | biggest improvement in happiness | World Bank | https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SH.STA.DIAB.ZS?most_recent_value_desc=false&view=chart | https://s3.amazonaws.com/happiness-report/2019/WHR19.pdf | |
17 | Bhutan | Frst carbon-negative nation | NATURE | ||||||
18 | Bolivia | Most sustainable forests | NATURE | FSC-certified tropical forest, sustainable tropical forestry, certified wood production | WWF | https://forestsforward.panda.org/?2517/Bolivia-becomes-world-leader-in-FSC-certified-tropical-forest | |||
19 | Bosnia & Herzegovina | ||||||||
20 | Botswana | First to protect sexual orientations in constitution | FREEDOM & RIGHTS | The Conversation | https://theconversation.com/botswana-recognizes-lgbtq-rights-leading-the-way-in-southern-africa-119277 | ||||
21 | Brazil | Most plant species | NATURE | With 56,215 known plant species | Mongabay | https://rainforests.mongabay.com/03highest_biodiversity.htm | https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1rr_hQ9W16LGKy1r5hiYMC_z2n8XPL_o_HQLor8yha0Y/edit#gid=495079259 | ||
22 | Bulgaria | Lowest female cancer rate | HEALTH | At 212/100k population, Bulgaria has the lowest rates of cancer among women in the world. | World Cancer Research Fund | https://www.wcrf.org/dietandcancer/cancer-trends/data-cancer-frequency-country | |||
23 | Burkina Faso | First to adopt National Adaption plan for Climate Change | NATURE | ||||||
24 | Burundi | Lowest CO2 emissions | NATURE | Per capita - 0.04 metric tons CO2 in 2014 (latest global-level data) | World Bank | https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/EN.ATM.CO2E.PC?most_recent_value_desc=false | https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1idd7XlvcKvz9Dws-26hBfen7si6Zh631hvZ3y47RlK8/edit#gid=849391413 | ||
25 | Cambodia | Lowest unemployment | NICE! | 0.3% of the labour force is unemployed. 2020 | Greatest increase in electricity - Between 2010 and 2017 the proportion of the population with access to electricity increased from 31% to 89%. | Worldbank | https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SL.UEM.TOTL.ZS?most_recent_value_desc=false | https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1zolTt0KFh0RFuwBy8pb3Hw0BrRteH0sCabyLhNJolT4/edit#gid=1034876426 | |
26 | Cameroon | Best Peppercorns | SKILLZ | Quartz | https://qz.com/africa/690362/the-worlds-best-peppercorn-comes-from-a-volcanic-valley-in-central-africa/ | ||||
27 | Canada | Box office hit production | SKILLZ | Highest proportion of top 100 US blockbusters were filmed in Canada. | FilmLA | https://www.filmla.com/filml-a-issues-fifth-annual-feature-film-study/ | |||
28 | Central African Republic | Lowest fertilizer use | NATURE | 0.3 kg per hectare of arable land in 2015. | lowest prison population rate https://www.prisonstudies.org/highest-to-lowest/prison_population_rate?field_region_taxonomy_tid=All | World Bank | https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/AG.CON.FERT.ZS?most_recent_value_desc=false | ||
29 | Chad | Best Camel Racers | SKILLZ | https://www.onhisowntrip.com/most-interesting-facts-about-chad/ | |||||
30 | Chile | Best for Green Tourism | NATURE | World's Best Green Tourist Destination | IFFA | https://www.iffaschile2020.com/chile-worlds-leading-adventure-tourism-destination-and-best-green-destination-2019/ https://chilereports.cl/en/news/2020/12/02/chile-firms-up-its-position-as-the-world-s-leading-adventure-tourism-destination https://www.heritage.org/index/country/chile https://www.statista.com/statistics/264626/copper-production-by-country/ https://blogs.worldbank.org/latinamerica/green-hydrogen-solution-chiles-climate-emergency-and-economic-recovery | |||
31 | China | Solar panels | RENEWABLES | Highest solar PV capacity - Over 205k MW installed capacity in 2019, over 3x the next-highest, Japan (62k MW). | IRENA | https://www.irena.org/Statistics/View-Data-by-Topic/Capacity-and-Generation/Country-Rankings | |||
32 | Colombia | Most bird species | NATURE | 1878 known bird species | Mongabay | https://rainforests.mongabay.com/03highest_biodiversity.htm | https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1rr_hQ9W16LGKy1r5hiYMC_z2n8XPL_o_HQLor8yha0Y/edit#gid=495079259 | ||
33 | Congo | 100% renewable energy | RENEWABLES | ||||||
34 | Costa Rica | Fewest people in slums | FREEDOM & RIGHTS | At 6%, it has the lowest % of urban population living in slums, : "a group of individuals living under the same roof lacking one or more of the following conditions: access to improved water, access to improved sanitation, sufficient living area, and durability of housing". | World Bank | https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/EN.POP.SLUM.UR.ZS | |||
35 | Cote d'Ivoire | Best chocolate | SKILLZ | ||||||
36 | Croatia | Kidney transplants | HEALTH | Per capita | Croatia Week | https://www.croatiaweek.com/what-is-croatia-the-world-leader-in/ https://www.godubrovnik.com/news/croatia-first-country-world-become-free-reading-zone | |||
37 | Cuba | Most doctors | HEALTH | Highest number of physicians per 1,000 people, at 8.2 in 2017. | World Bank | https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SH.MED.PHYS.ZS?most_recent_value_desc=true&view=chart | |||
38 | Cyprus | Most improved in IMD World Competitiveness Centre Report, rising 11 places in a year to rank 30 of 63 countries. | Financial Mirror | https://www.financialmirror.com/2020/06/16/cyprus-most-improved-country-in-competitiveness-report/#:~:text=Cyprus%20is%20the%20best%2Dimproved,rank%2030%20among%2063%20nations. | |||||
39 | Czechia | First ever blond beer | NICE! | Pilsner Urquell | Most beer drinkers (per capita) | Wikipedia | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Czech_Republic | ||
40 | Denmark | Highest freedom of expression | FREEDOM & RIGHTS | Scored 0.98 on the freedom of expression scale, where 1=full freedom and 0=no freedom. | safest for motorcyclists http://www.fema-online.eu/website/wp-content/uploads/motorcycle_safety_and_accidents_europe_hdb_050816.pdf | Deloitte | https://www.socialprogress.org/?tab=7 | https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1idd7XlvcKvz9Dws-26hBfen7si6Zh631hvZ3y47RlK8/edit#gid=849391413 | |
41 | Djibouti | First to launch program to end FGM | HEALTH | ||||||
42 | Dominican Republic | Organic bananas | SKILLZ | Sweet coconut cream (2017) Hand rolled cigars (2020) | Business Wire | https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200818005419/en/World-Organic-Bananas-Market-2020-2025-Production-Consumption-Imports-Exports-Volume-Value-and-Price-Trend-Analysis---ResearchAndMarkets.com http://www.fao.org/in-action/agronoticias/detail/fr/c/1054370/ https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-12-29/world-s-top-cigar-producer-enjoys-boom-amid-covid-lockdowns | |||
43 | DRC Congo | ||||||||
44 | Ecuador | Greatest nature rights | NATURE | First to grant nature constitutional rights. In 2008 a new constitution gave nature legally-enforceable rights to "exist, flourish and evolve". | Capitalism Nature Socialism | https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/10455750802575828?needAccess=true&journalCode=rcns20 | |||
45 | Egypt | Invented hummus | NICE! | BBC | https://www.bbc.com/travel/article/20171211-who-invented-hummus | ||||
46 | El Salvador | First to ban metal mining | NATURE | NY Times | https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/29/world/americas/el-salvador-prizing-water-over-gold-bans-all-metal-mining.html#:~:text=SAN%20SALVADOR%20%E2%80%94%20Lawmakers%20in%20El,metal%20mining%2C%20environmental%20activists%20said. | ||||
47 | Equatorial Guinea | Improved pedestrian safety | FREEDOM & RIGHTS | The rate of pedestrian deaths per 100k population fell from 31 to 6 between 1990 and 2017. | GHDx | http://ghdx.healthdata.org/gbd-results-tool?params=gbd-api-2017-permalink/dd322630382be9eff0742136db97fef5 | https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1zolTt0KFh0RFuwBy8pb3Hw0BrRteH0sCabyLhNJolT4/edit#gid=943218726 | ||
48 | Eritrea | Entire coastline protected | NATURE | First country to turn its entire coastline into an evironmentally protected zone | biggest decline in open defecation - People practicing open defecation fell from 83% of the population in 1990 to 67% in 2016. | World Bank | https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SH.STA.ODFC.ZS?most_recent_value_desc=false | https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1zolTt0KFh0RFuwBy8pb3Hw0BrRteH0sCabyLhNJolT4/edit#gid=1285309056 | |
49 | Estonia | Best online user rights | FREEDOM & RIGHTS | Highest score for freedom from violation of user rights | best maternity leave https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/jan/27/maternity-leave-us-policy-worst-worlds-richest-countries | Freedom House | https://freedomhouse.org/countries/freedom-net/scores?sort=desc&order=Violations%20of%20User%20Rights https://www.visitestonia.com/en/why-estonia/estonia-does-best#:~:text=Did%20you%20know%20that%20Estonia,models%20per%20one%20million%20people%3F | ||
50 | Eswatini | Biggest improvement in nutrition & basic medical care | HEALTH | Aggregate score covering mortality rate before age 65; infant mortality; unmet medical needs; insufficient food. | Deloitte | https://www.socialprogress.org/?tab=7 | https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1idd7XlvcKvz9Dws-26hBfen7si6Zh631hvZ3y47RlK8/edit#gid=849391413 | ||
51 | Ethiopia | Kaizen' | HEALTH | First to create a gov agency for 'kaizen' - Japanese principle of continuous improvement in business | Kimiaki Jin, 2020 | https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-981-15-0364-1_5 | |||
52 | Finland | Most inclusive | FREEDOM & RIGHTS | Highest inclusiveness score (82.28). Covers impartiality of government services; tolerance for immigrants, minorities, and homosexuals; attitudes to people with disabilities; gender gap; community safety net | happiest https://www.forbes.com/sites/laurabegleybloom/2020/03/20/ranked-20-happiest-countries-2020/#cb3af8478503 | Deloitte | https://www.socialprogress.org/?tab=7 | https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1idd7XlvcKvz9Dws-26hBfen7si6Zh631hvZ3y47RlK8/edit#gid=849391413 | |
53 | France | Best overall environmental quality | NATURE | Aggregate score covers air pollution, protected land, & other environmental problems. | most michelin starred restaurants https://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/maps-and-graphics/map-michelin-star-restaurants-countries-with-the-most/ | Deloitte | https://www.socialprogress.org/?tab=7 | https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1idd7XlvcKvz9Dws-26hBfen7si6Zh631hvZ3y47RlK8/edit#gid=849391413 | |
54 | Gabon | Online government participation | FREEDOM & RIGHTS | Most improved participation in online governance - Defined as the process of engaging citizens through ICTs in policy, decision-making, and service design and delivery in order to make it participatory, inclusive, and deliberative. | Deloitte | https://www.socialprogress.org/?tab=7 | https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1idd7XlvcKvz9Dws-26hBfen7si6Zh631hvZ3y47RlK8/edit#gid=849391413 | ||
55 | Gambia | Biggest improvement in personal rights | FREEDOM & RIGHTS | Covers distrust in the political system, legal system and police; quality and accountability of government services. | Deloitte | https://www.socialprogress.org/?tab=7 | https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1idd7XlvcKvz9Dws-26hBfen7si6Zh631hvZ3y47RlK8/edit#gid=849391413 | ||
56 | Georgia | Most contactless payments | COOL TECH | VISA | https://www.strategeast.org/visa-names-georgia-world-leader-in-terms-of-contactless-payments-in-domestic-transactions/ | ||||
57 | Germany | Biogas | RENEWABLES | Highest installed capacity of - Over 7k MW in 2019, almost 3x the next-highest, USA (2.4k MW) | IRENA | https://www.irena.org/Statistics/View-Data-by-Topic/Capacity-and-Generation/Country-Rankings | |||
58 | Ghana | Fastest growing economy | NICE! | 8.8% annual GDP growth rate in 2019. | DW | https://www.dw.com/en/imf-world-economic-outlook-puts-ghana-in-the-lead/a-48356052 | |||
59 | Greece | Best travel destination | NICE! | Voted best place to visit thanks to its weather, landscape, history, culture, nightlife, and food. | Business Insider | https://www.insider.com/greece-number-one-country-to-visit-2020 | |||
60 | Guatemala | Cardamons | SKILLZ | Mordor Intelligence | https://www.mordorintelligence.com/industry-reports/cardamom-market | ||||
61 | Guinea | Angola African Mineral | https://www.angloafricanmineralsplc.com/ | ||||||
62 | Guinea-Bissau | ||||||||
63 | Guyana | ||||||||
64 | Haiti | First modern black republic | FREEDOM & RIGHTS | Freed from slavery | Reuters | https://www.reuters.com/article/uk-factcheck-us-first-abolish-slavery-idUSKBN2481YA https://peacenews.info/blog/7088/haiti-history-shadow | |||
65 | Honduras | Fewest smokers | HEALTH | Lowest number of smokers. Just 2% of the adult population smoke, the lowest % worldwide. | Our World in Data | https://ourworldindata.org/which-countries-smoke-most | https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1FEeV6Fw-xEm0x0WR3eLjN9EHkKJKbln3nBo82h65Sps/edit#gid=392465323 | ||
66 | Hong Kong | Best healthcare | HEALTH | highest life expectancy | Knoema | https://knoema.com/atlas/topics/World-Rankings/World-Rankings/Health-care-efficiency-index | |||
67 | Hungary | First to ban dolphin captivity | NATURE | After a long-running campaign, the ban in the trade of Black Sea dolphins resulted in the end of keeping dolphins in captivity in Hungary in 2002. | WDC | http://uk.whales.org/captivity-in-eu-hungary | |||
68 | Iceland | Safest country in the world | FREEDOM & RIGHTS | Forbes | https://www.forbes.com/sites/alexledsom/2020/11/21/the-10-safest-countries-in-the-world-to-visit/?sh=2d2cd1cf1f74 | ||||
69 | India | Biggest reforestation project | NATURE | 21million hectares committed via Bonn Challenge. | cheapest mobile internet https://www.cable.co.uk/mobiles/worldwide-data-pricing/#:~:text=Five%20cheapest%20packages%20in%20the,and%20Ukraine%20(%240.46). most tigers most bank holidays https://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/maps-and-graphics/mapped-the-countries-that-have-the-most-bank-holidays/ | Bonn Challenge | https://www.bonnchallenge.org/about-the-goal#commitments | https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1ZeGBJ-L0MlHzF3XkPxQExci-KrXrO_gbh7MMevkEQTg/edit#gid=388200288 | |
70 | Indonesia | Most mammal species | NATURE | 670 known species | most orangutans | Mongabay | https://rainforests.mongabay.com/03highest_biodiversity.htm | https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1rr_hQ9W16LGKy1r5hiYMC_z2n8XPL_o_HQLor8yha0Y/edit#gid=495079259 | |
71 | Iran | Pistachios | SKILLZ | Iran increased its university score by 600% 2014-2018 (from 3 to 21). | most paid time off https://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-7344143/Which-countries-Paid-Time-year.html | Deloitte | https://www.socialprogress.org/?tab=7 https://www.google.com/search?q=who+makes+the+most+pistachios&oq=who+makes+the+most+pistachios&aqs=chrome..69i57j0i22i30j0i390l3.4570j1j7&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8 | https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1idd7XlvcKvz9Dws-26hBfen7si6Zh631hvZ3y47RlK8/edit#gid=849391413 | |
72 | Iraq | Increasing internet users | DEVELOPMENT | Proportion of population using the internet grew from 1% in 2008 to 75% in 2018. | World Bank | https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/IT.NET.USER.ZS?most_recent_value_desc=true | https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1zolTt0KFh0RFuwBy8pb3Hw0BrRteH0sCabyLhNJolT4/edit#gid=1242150681 | ||
73 | Ireland | Highest GDP growth rate | DEVELOPMENT | Per person - 7.1% annual growth in 2018. | World Bank | https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/NY.GDP.PCAP.KD.ZG?most_recent_value_desc=true | |||
74 | Israel | Most startups | SKILLZ | Highest number of startups per capita worldwide (1 per 1400 people) | Apex | https://apex.aero/2019/05/22/startup-nation-israel-become-silicon-valley | |||
75 | Italy | Access to Justice | FREEDOM & RIGHTS | Highest access to justice score - Score of 0.99/1.00 in 2018. | healthiest country https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-03-20/italy-s-struggling-economy-has-world-s-healthiest-people most UNESCO sites | Deloitte | https://www.socialprogress.org/?tab=7 | https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1idd7XlvcKvz9Dws-26hBfen7si6Zh631hvZ3y47RlK8/edit#gid=849391413 | |
76 | Jamaica | Strongest stock exchange | DEVELOPMENT | "Exemplary" implementation of an International Monetary Fund program turned the economy around. | Financial Times | https://www.ft.com/content/14c7a494-e9c5-11e9-a240-3b065ef5fc55 | |||
77 | Japan | Lowest disease death rate | FREEDOM & RIGHTS | Lowest rate of deaths from non-communicable diseases (e.g. stroke, heart disease, cancer), at 169/100k population. | most powerful passport (191 countries) Paternity leave https://www.unicef.org/media/55696/file/Family-friendly%20policies%20research%202019.pdf | Deloitte | https://www.socialprogress.org/?tab=7 https://edition.cnn.com/travel/article/henley-index-world-best-passport-2021/index.html https://www.forbes.com/sites/duncanmadden/2020/01/10/the-most-powerful-passports-in-the-world-in-2020/#2bc709814c41 | https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1idd7XlvcKvz9Dws-26hBfen7si6Zh631hvZ3y47RlK8/edit#gid=849391413 | |
78 | Jordan | Mental health support | NICE! | First country to implement WHO's mental health action program | first country to vaccination refugees for COVID-19 for free first country to open a solar power plant in a refugee camp | WHO | https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20210118-for-syrian-refugees-in-jordan-covid-19-vaccine-a-gift-from-god http://www.emro.who.int/jor/jordan-news/mental-health-in-jordan.html https://twitter.com/UNHCRJordan/status/1337023139285512194 | ||
79 | Kazakhstan | Most kids completing secondary school | DEVELOPMENT | Highest proportion of kids completing lower secondary school in 2019, at 118% (rate can exceed 100% for various reasons, e.g. late entrants, kids repeating etc). | World Bank | https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SE.SEC.CMPT.LO.ZS?most_recent_value_desc=true | |||
80 | Kenya | Best runners | SKILLZ | first completely mobile bank accounts | Financial Times | https://www.ft.com/content/0846ab76-8c8d-11e2-8ee0-00144feabdc0 | |||
81 | Kosovo | Lowest methane emissions | NATURE | Zero (kt CO2 equivalent) methane emissions according to latest data (2010), tied with Montenegro. | World Bank | https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/en.atm.meth.kt.ce?most_recent_value_desc=false | |||
82 | Kuwait | Most mobile phones | COOL TECH | 100% of the population have access to safely managed sanitation services. Tied with Singapore. | World Bank | https://knoema.com/atlas/topics/Telecommunication/Telecomm-Services/Mobile-cellular-subscriptions-per-100-inhabitants | |||
83 | Kyrgyzstan | First to eradicate statelessness | FREEDOM & RIGHTS | 2019 - identified over 13,700 stateless people living in the country and gave them citizenship. | UN Refugee Agency | https://www.unhcr.org/centralasia/en/10768-kyrgyzstan-to-become-the-first-stateless-free-country-in-the-world.html | |||
84 | Laos | Biggest increase in vegetable intake | HEALTH | From 14.6kg per person per year in 1990, to 207kg in 2017. | biggest improvement in rural sanitation https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1zolTt0KFh0RFuwBy8pb3Hw0BrRteH0sCabyLhNJolT4/edit#gid=330105418 | Our World in Data | https://ourworldindata.org/diet-compositions#vegetable-consumption-across-the-world | https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1zolTt0KFh0RFuwBy8pb3Hw0BrRteH0sCabyLhNJolT4/edit#gid=2072651616 | |
85 | Latvia | Most women | WOMEN & GIRLS | Relative to men. 100 women to 84.8 men | |||||
86 | Lebanon | ||||||||
87 | Lesotho | Highest education spending | DEVELOPMENT | Highest government expenditure on education as % of GDP, at 7.4% in 2017. | World Bank | https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SE.XPD.TOTL.GD.ZS?end=2018&most_recent_value_desc=true&start=2018&view=chart | https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1zolTt0KFh0RFuwBy8pb3Hw0BrRteH0sCabyLhNJolT4/edit#gid=1089257067 | ||
88 | Liberia | Most improved contraceptive access | HEALTH | Biggest improvement in % of women accessing the contraception they need, from 38% to 50% 2014-2018. | Deloitte | https://www.socialprogress.org/?tab=7 | https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1idd7XlvcKvz9Dws-26hBfen7si6Zh631hvZ3y47RlK8/edit#gid=849391413 | ||
89 | Libya | ||||||||
90 | Lithuania | Least kidnapping | FREEDOM & RIGHTS | Kidnapping rate of zero. | UNODC | https://www.unodc.org/gsh/en/data.html | https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1OOcHPJ0a_95KDEzXXK4VSSaNX2flri0taX1t5UucbCA/edit#gid=1205631908 | ||
91 | Luxembourg | First for free public transport | NICE! | https://www.businessinsider.com/luxembourg-first-country-offer-free-public-transport-2020-3?r=US&IR=T#:~:text=Luxembourg%20is%20the%20world's%20first%20country%20to%20offer%20entirely%20free%20public%20transport&text=As%20of%20March%201%2C%20all,problems%20the%20country%20is%20experiencing. | |||||
92 | Madagascar | Most / Best vanilla | SKILLZ | Produces more vanilla than any other country. | BBC | https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/resources/idt-sh/madagascar_vanillla | |||
93 | Malawi | First to vaccinate against malaria | HEALTH | in 2019 Malawi was the first country to launch the world's first malaria vaccine in a landmark pilot program. | WHO | https://www.who.int/news-room/detail/23-04-2019-malaria-vaccine-pilot-launched-in-malawi | |||
94 | Malaysia | First biometric passport | COOL TECH | Most disposable gloves | Wikipedia | https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/global-disposable-gloves-and-materials-markets-analysis-and-forecasts-2020-2025-malaysia-is-the-worlds-leading-producer-and-fulfilling-orders-globally-due-to-spike-in-demand-amid-covid-19-crisis-301143803.html https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malaysian_passport | |||
95 | Mali | First country to train health workers to diagnose and treat malnutrition | HEALTH | Innocent Foundation | https://www.innocentfoundation.org/projects/action-against-hunger/ | ||||
96 | Mauritania | Fewest drinkers | HEALTH | Lowest estimated alcohol consumption per person (liters) in 2016, at zero. Tied with Bangladesh, Somalia, Kuwait, and Libya. | World Bank | https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SH.ALC.PCAP.LI?most_recent_value_desc=false&view=chart | |||
97 | Mauritius | ||||||||
98 | Mexico | Strawberries | SKILLZ | •silver •strawberries • first to eliminate rabies (from dogs) | Gro Intelligence | https://gro-intelligence.com/insights/articles/where-are-mexicos-strawberries-going-to-go | https://www.paho.org/hq/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=15585:mexico-is-free-from-human-rabies-transmitted-by-dogs&Itemid=1926&lang=en | ||
99 | Moldova | Exports of apples | SKILLZ | per capita | world's largest wine cellar - Mileștii Mici | East Fruit | https://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/destinations/europe/articles/amazing-facts-about-moldova/ https://east-fruit.com/en/news/eastfruits-first-virtual-trade-mission-moldovan-apple-exporters/ | ||
100 | Mongolia | Best social safety net | HEALTH | Highest % of population covered by social safety net programs, at 100% | World Bank | https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/per_sa_allsa.cov_pop_tot?most_recent_value_desc=true |