Formula and Data Sources for Generating. The Sovereignty Index
The Sovereignty Index (Burke Index) is calculated by adding the parameters of the open statistics of national monitors and leading global international organizations (UN, UNESCO and their derivatives). An important component of the Index is an expert assessment based on general criteria. The separately studied indicators are accepted as components of the Sovereignty Index:
1. Political sovereignty
2. Economic sovereignty
3. Technological sovereignty
4. Information sovereignty
5. Cultural sovereignty
6. Cognitive sovereignty
7. Military sovereignty
Each of the 7 areas of sovereignty is calculated using equalization coefficients based on a maximum score of 100 points, which in turn is formed from official national and global data sources and expert assessments.
The sum of 7 indices in the range of 100-700 forms the final Cumulative Sovereignty Index.
Political sovereignty: data sources
Political sovereignty is measured through the stability of State institutions, the quality of governance, the level of real democracy and the absence of external political influence.
Open data sources:
1. UN global data on the effectiveness of public services, trust in institutions, and the quality of regulation UN E-Government Survey
- E-Government Development Index (EGDI)
- Online Service Index - evaluation of online services
- E-Participation Index - electronic citizen participation World Bank Worldwide Governance Indicators
- Government Effectiveness - government effectiveness
- Regulatory Quality - the quality of regulation
- Political Stability - political stability
2. UN data on current international sanctions UN Security Council Sanctions
• The number of existing sanctions regimes
• Types of sanctions (embargoes, asset freezes, bans)
• Sanctions committees by country (14 active)
3. UN data on the deployment of foreign military bases UN Peacekeeping Operations
• Deployment of UN peacekeeping missions
• Number of contingents
• Mandates and terms of presence
4. Data from national regulators and international sources on corruption and crime National anti-corruption authorities:
• Number of cases initiated
• Disclosure level
• The index of corruption perception by the population Ministries of Internal Affairs/Justice:
• Crime rate per 100,000 population
• Serious crimes
• Organized crime
• Crime detection rate (%) UNODC (UN Office on Drugs and Crime): • Murder rate per 100,000 • Corruption crimes
Economic sovereignty: data sources
Economic sovereignty is characterized by the ability of an economy to function autonomously: to generate income without critical external dependence, withstand external shocks, manage debt, and diversify production. Open data sources:
1.National data on GDP and reserves Central banks:
1. • Nominal and PPP GDP
2. • GDP per capita
3. • Gold and foreign exchange reserves (billion USD)
4. • Reserves in months of import
5. • The structure of reserves (gold, currency, SDR) Ministry of Finance/Economy:
6. • GDP growth rates
7. • State reserve funds
8. • Sovereign wealth funds
2. World Bank Global Data International Debt Statistics (IDS):
• External debt
• Debt service (% of GDP)
3. United Nations Global Indices (UNCTAD) UNCTAD Trade Dependence Index:
• Trade openness (exports+imports/GDP)
• Export Concentration Index (HHI)
4. FAO data on food security Food Security Indicators:
• The coefficient of self-sufficiency in basic products
• Food imports (% of total imports)
• Strategic grain reserves (days of consumption) Agricultural Trade Statistics:
• Net exports/imports of food • Dependence on imports for key products
• The share of imported food in consumption
5. Data from national regulators on macro stability Central banks:
• Annual inflation
• Inflation expectations
• Money supply (M0, M1, M2) Statistical services:
• Industrial production index
• Unemployment %
• Real incomes of the population Ministry of Finance:
• Budget deficit/surplus (%)
• Public debt (% of GDP)
Economic sovereignty: data sources
Economic sovereignty is characterized by the ability of an economy to function autonomously: to generate income without critical external dependence, withstand external shocks, manage debt, and diversify production. Open data sources:
1.National data on GDP and reserves Central banks:
• Nominal and PPP GDP
• GDP per capita
• Gold and foreign exchange reserves (billion USD)
• Reserves in months of import
• The structure of reserves (gold, currency, SDR) Ministry of Finance/Economy:
• GDP growth rates
• State reserve funds
• Sovereign wealth funds
2. World Bank Global Data International Debt Statistics (IDS):
• External debt
• Debt service (% of GDP)
3. United Nations Global Indices (UNCTAD) UNCTAD Trade Dependence Index:
• Trade openness (exports+imports/GDP)
• Export Concentration Index (HHI)
4. FAO data on food security Food Security Indicators:
• The coefficient of self-sufficiency in basic products
• Food imports (% of total imports)
• Strategic grain reserves (days of consumption) Agricultural Trade Statistics:
• Net exports/imports of food
• Dependence on imports for key products
• The share of imported food in consumption
5. Data from national regulators on macro stability Central banks:
• Annual inflation
• Inflation expectations
• Money supply (M0, M1, M2) Statistical services:
• Industrial production index
• Unemployment %
• Real incomes of the population Ministry of Finance:
• Budget deficit/surplus (%)
• Public debt (% of GDP)
Technological sovereignty: data sources
Technological sovereignty is determined by a country's ability to independently create, manufacture, and operate modern technologies. Open data sources:
1.UNESCO and OECD UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS) Global Indexes:
• GERD (Gross Expenditure on R&D) % OF GDP Higher education:
• Gross higher education coverage (%)
• STEM graduates per 1,000 population aged 20-29
• Proportion of international students
2. ITU - International Telecommunication Union ITU ICT Development Index:
• Fixed telephone service per 100 residents
• Mobile communication per 100 residents
• International Internet bandwidth per user
• Households with a computer (%)
• Households with Internet (%) Network quality:
• 3G coverage (% of the population) • 4G/LTE coverage (% of the population)
• 5G coverage (% of the population) • Average fixed Internet speed (Mbps)
• Average mobile Internet speed (Mbps)
3. National digital statistics Ministries of Digital Development/Communications:
• Internet penetration (% of the population)
• Smartphone penetration (%)
• E-commerce usage (% of the population)
• Use of electronic public services (%)
• Digital skills of the population Digital infrastructure:
• Number of data centers • Total capacity of data centers (MW)
• Number of traffic exchange points (IXPs)
• Length of fiber-optic networks (km)
• Connections to underwater cables
4. Import substitution statistics Ministries of Economy/Industry:
• Share of imports in high-tech sectors (%)
• Import substitution programs (quantity, financing)
• Localization of production (% of components)
• Critical imported technologies Import substitution results:
• Reduction of import dependence by year (%)
• Creation of domestic analogues (quantity)
• Export of high-tech products
• Patents for replacement technologies
Information sovereignty: data sources
Information sovereignty is assessed by a country's ability to control its information space, ensure freedom of speech for citizens, and protect itself from external information threats. Open data sources:
1.UN Global Indexes and ITU ITU ICT Data - Internet Infrastructure
• International bandwidth (bps per user)
• Number of IXPs (Internet Exchange Points)
• Number of autonomous systems (AS)
• IPv4 and IPv6 addressing
• Number of ccTLD and gTLD servers Cyber Incidents and Protection (ITU):
• Number of reported cyber incidents
• Availability of national CERT/CIRT • Incident response time • Number of vulnerabilities handled
• Participation in international cyber security exercises
2. Data from national media regulators Print media:
• Total circulation of the national press
• Number of registered print publications
• Circulation per capita
• Frequency of output (daily, weekly) Media market structure:
• Share of state-owned media (%)
• Share of private media (%) Television and radio broadcasting:
• Audience coverage by national channels (%)
• Audience reach per capita
• Number of broadcasters (TV, radio)
• Share of terrestrial/cable/satellite broadcasting
• Broadcast time in national languages (hours/day)
National content:
• Share of national content on TV (%)
• Share of national content on radio (%)
• Share of national content on online media (%)
• Production of own content (hours/year)
• Quotas for national content Language policy:
• Share of media in the state language (%)
• Share of media in national languages (%)
Cultural sovereignty: data sources
Cultural sovereignty is assessed through the preservation of cultural heritage, the dissemination of national culture and language. Open data sources:
1.UNESCO data Cultural financing:
• Government spending on culture (% of the state budget)
• Cultural expenditures per capita (% of the budget)
2. National regulators - cultural product production Ministries of Culture / National Film Centers:
• Share of national films at the box office (%)
• Government support for film production (share of the total film market) Book chambers /
Publishing associations:
• Number of published book titles
• Total circulation of books
• Books in the official language (%)
Music industry:
• Share of national music in the radio (%)
• Share of national music in streaming (%)
• Concert activities (number, attendance)
3. Domestic consumption of culture National attendance statistics:
• Theater attendance per capita
• Museum attendance per capita
• Concert attendance
• Cinema attendance
Library attendance Cultural engagement:
• Participation in traditional festivals (%)
• Folk art classes
• Membership in cultural organizations
• Volunteering in the cultural field
• Home cultural practices
Cognitive Sovereignty: Data sources
Cognitive sovereignty affects the value-worldview sphere and the ability of society to generate and critically comprehend knowledge. Open data sources:
1.UN Global Indexes UNDP Human Development Index (HDI):
• Human Development Index (composite)
• Life expectancy
• Average years of education (adult population)
• Expected years of education (children)
• GNI per capita by PPP HDI Educational Components:
• Adult literacy rate (%)
• Primary education coverage (%)
• Secondary education coverage (%)
• Higher education coverage (%)
• Gender parity in education
OECD PISA (Program for International Student Assessment):
• Reading literacy (average score)
• Mathematical literacy
• Natural science literacy
• Creative thinking (from 2022)
• Global competencies Media Literacy (PISA additional modules):
• Critical information assessment skills
• Recognition of fake news
• Understanding algorithms and data
• Digital literacy
• Information security
2. National education regulators Ministries of Education / National Statistical Agencies:
• Literacy rate of the population (%)
• Functional literacy
• Digital literacy
• Financial literacy
• Legal literacy Educational programs:
• Share of national educational programs (%)
• Share of international educational programs (%)
Textbooks and educational content:
• Share of national textbooks (%)
• Share of translated textbooks (%)
• National authors of educational literature
• Digital educational resources
• Open educational platforms
3. International and national sources
• Welcome Global Monitor - trust in science and scientists (140+ countries)
• The number of hours of history in the school curriculum
• Financing of science from GDP (%) - support for national science
Military sovereignty: data sources
Military sovereignty is measured by a country's ability to ensure its own security. Open data sources:
1.Global data from SIPRI and World Bank SIPRI Military Expenditure Database:
• Military expenditures in absolute terms (million USD)
• Military expenditures as % of GDP
• Military expenditures per capita
• Dynamics of military expenditures (annual % growth)
• Structure of military expenditures (personnel, procurement, R&D, infrastructure)
SIPRI Arms Transfers Database:
• Volume of arms imports (TIV - Trend Indicator Values)
• Volume of Arms exports (TIV)
• Major arms suppliers
• Types of imported weapons
• Share of imports in total arms purchases (%)
World Bank / IISS Military Balance:
• The number of personnel of the armed forces
• Number by type of armed forces (land, Air Force, Navy)
• Number of reservists
• Paramilitary groups
• The ratio of military personnel to the population (per 1,000 people)
The military-industrial complex:
• Number of defense enterprises
• Exports of military-industrial complex products (% of total exports)
2. UN Global Data
Military bases and presence:
• Number of national military bases abroad
The structure of armaments:
• Ratio of own-made weapons (%)
• Direct import (%)
UN Register of Conventional Arms:
• Procurement of major types of weapons:
1) Battle tanks
2) Armored fighting vehicles
3) Large-caliber artillery systems
4) Combat aircraft and drones
5) Combat helicopters
6) Warships and submarines
7) Missiles and rocket launchers
3. Data from national regulators
Ministry of Defense / General Staff:
• Participation in UN and OSCE peacekeeping operations Border security:
• Length of protected borders (km)
• Density of border troops (per km of border) • Number of border incidents