April 2015 en1

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:

    

January–

GDP decline of 2 percent 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 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 th th 11 , Germany–14 , Japan–15 , the USA–16th , France–21st , Italy–31st, Brazil–42nd, China– 90th , India–101st. th

B

elarus occupies 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 takes 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 at 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

   

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 24th , 25th , 35th , 42nd places respectively.

Belarusian national cuisine is considered to be very diverse and nutritious.

Управление информации Министерства иностранных дел Республики Беларусь Минск, 220030, ул.Ленина, 19. Тел.: (+375-17) 289-15-48. Факс: (+375-17) 210-42-51. Е-mail: info@mfa.gov.by