Belarus in International Ratings and National Statistics

BELARUS
IN INTERNATIONAL RATINGS
AND DOMESTIC STATISTICS
April 2015
The
National
Statistics
Committee
reports
that
in
March 2015 as compared to the same period of the previous year Belarus recorded:
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January–
GDP decline of 2percent at constant prices;
industrial production accounted for 92,7 percent;
agricultural output growth of 5,1 percent at constant prices;
foreign trade of goods totaled 70,1 percent;
fixed investment spent on housing construction increase of 22,1 percent.
As of 1 April 2015 the population of Belarus totaled 9 481.1 thousand people, as
compared to the beginning of 2015 it increased by 280 people.
B
elarus is ranked 66th out of 133 countries on the Social
Progress Index published by the US-based Social Progress
Imperative supported by Deloitte. The index is calculated on the basis of more than 50 indicators which are divided into 3 groups:
 Basic Human Needs


Foundations of Wellbeing
Development Opportunity
Being at the 66th place, Belarus is ahead of Moldova (70th),
Russia (71st), Azerbaijan (76th), Uzbekistan (90th), Kyrgyzstan (93rd) and Tajikistan (96th).
This year's leader is Norway. Sweden, Switzerland, Iceland and New Zealand are also at
the top-5 of the ranking.
P.2
April 2015
The world’s largest economies are located at different places of the list: the UK is ranked
11 , Germany–14th , Japan–15th , the USA–16th , France–21st , Italy–31st, Brazil–42nd, China–
90th , India–101st.
th
B
elarus occupies the 59th place in the World Happiness
Report 2015 produced by Sustainable Development Solutions
Network (SDSN), a global initiative for the United Nations. The
report includes 158 countries.
The ranking is based on the Gallup World Poll measures key
figures such as wellbeing of the population, GDP per capita, life
expectancy, corruption level, the number of people out of work and social freedoms.
Belarus has the 59th position. Poland goes 60th, Russia–64th, Ukraine–111th
The report identifies Switzerland, Iceland, Denmark, Norway and Canada as the top-5
countries with the highest levels of happiness.
B
elarus is at the 25th place in the Save the Children
State of the World's Mothers Index. Belarus leaves behind all the
CIS countries. Russia is 56th, Kazakhstan–58th, Ukraine–69th and
Azerbaijan–90th. Belarus moved one spot up from the 26th place a
year ago.
The Save the Children compiles the statistics on the health of
mothers and children and uses them to produce rankings of more
than 179 countries showing where mothers fare best and where they
face the greatest hardships. The experts take into account such
parameters as maternal death, early mortality in children, the level
and access to education, women's incomes, female representation in
the government.
The UK is one spot ahead of Belarus in the 24th position. The USA is 33rd .
Norway tops the list.
I
n late February Globalfirepower (GFP) published its annual report on today’s world
military power. The Power index-2015 assessed 126 countries according to more than
50 indicators. The index is composed under the aegis of the University of St Andrews. As
the authors note, this ranking is as much objective as possible:
P.3
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April 2015
nuclear capability is not taken into account;
geographical characteristics and resources consumption are taken into account;
landlocked nations are not penalized for the lack of a standing naval force;
nations with a standing naval are penalized for lack of certain naval-assets.
The top-5 lines are occupied by the USA, Russia, China, India and the UK. As compared
to 2014 Belarus rose from the 52nd to 45thposition.
T
he Annual Report of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe
(UNECE) provided a summary of UNECE's main activities and achievements in 2014 (April,
2015).
In its report UNECE points out that Innovation Performance Reviews of Belarus carried
out in 2011 have significantly improved the innovation environment
in the country. Innovation Performance Reviews assessed
innovation policies and developed policy recommendations
according to international best practice. Based on UNECE’s
recommendations, Belarus has improved the legal protection of
intellectual property, the system of public financing for innovation,
and the transfer of foreign technology.
Antoine Nunes, the leader of the review program team of the United Nations Economic
Commission for Europe (UNECE) Secretariat, assessed Belarus activity in the field of ecology.
International experts are working now on the Third Environmental Performance Review of
Belarus (EPR) which will be discussed at the meeting of the UNECE Committee on
Environmental Policy in October 2015.
The Second Environmental Performance Review of Belarus was
performed almost ten years ago. Although an expert team has just
started its work, the team leader notes that according to the information
received by his team Belarus is coping with the task. Antoine Nunes
said, “In the Second Environmental Performance Review UNECE gave
Belarus some prescriptions for further development. Belarus has
already performed 80–90% of all recommendations”. He also pointed
out that other countries performed only 72%.
P.4
April 2015
Belarus is the most popular CIS destination for Russian tourists. The country is
followed by Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Uzbekistan, Moldova, Kyrgyzstan and
Tajikistan. Belarus accounts for 40% of all trips made by Russian tourists to the CIS member
states in 2015. Russian tourists come to Belarus independently, not through travel agencies, and
spend an average of three days in the country.
Minsk (number 1 in the rating), Brest and Vitebsk enter the top-10 most popular cities
among Russian tourists in 2015. The top-10 also includes Kiev, Baku, Almaty, Astana, Tashkent,
Yerevan, and Lvov.
Editors of American major entertainment website Thrillist included Belarus in their ranking
of European countries according to the culinary attractiveness.
Drawing up the list the editors took into account such parameters as variety of dishes and
culture of food and drink. They didn’t remit their attention to a wide variety of culinary traditions of
countries.
Italy, France, and Spain occupied the leading positions. Georgia, Germany, Belgium,
Croatia and Switzerland are also at the top-10.
Belarus is ranked 29th thanks to its abundance of national potato and meat dishes. Latvia is
one line above. Poland, Russia, Lithuania, and Ukraine take the 24th , 25th , 35th , 42nd places
respectively.
Belarusian national cuisine is considered to be very diverse and nutritious.
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