Business
Ranked: The 20 Easiest Countries for Doing Business
Ranked: The 20 Easiest Countries for Doing Business
Contrary to popular belief, the hardest part about running a business may not be finding customers, it’s getting one started.
Depending on the public policies and application processes of your country, you might struggle or succeed in opening and operating a business.
If you live in New Zealand, for example, you can get a new enterprise up and running in half a day. If you live in Luxembourg or Argentina, however, it’s a different story─with the process sometimes taking over a year.
Today’s chart uses data from the World Bank’s annual Doing Business 2020 report, which delves into the ease of doing business in countries around the world.
Measuring the Ease of Doing Business
Now in its 17th year, the Doing Business (DB) report measures how easy it is for someone to start and run a company in an economy, using 12 key factors throughout a business lifecycle:
- Starting a business
- Employing workers
- Dealing with construction permits
- Getting electricity
- Registering property
- Getting credit
- Protecting minority investors
- Paying taxes
- Trading across borders
- Contracting with the government
- Enforcing contracts
- Resolving insolvency
Of the 190 countries reviewed last year, only 115 made it easier for entrepreneurs to do business.
Note to readers: this year’s DB score did not factor in Employing Workers or Contracting with the Government when ranking economies.
Top 20 Easiest Countries to Run a Business
Rank | Country | DB Score |
---|---|---|
#1 | 🇳🇿 New Zealand | 86.8 |
#2 | 🇸🇬 Singapore | 86.2 |
#3 | ðŸ‡ðŸ‡° Hong Kong | 85.3 |
#4 | 🇩🇰 Denmark | 85.3 |
#5 | 🇰🇷 South Korea | 84 |
#6 | 🇺🇸 United States | 84 |
#7 | 🇬🇪 Georgia | 83.7 |
#8 | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | 83.5 |
#9 | 🇳🇴 Norway | 82.6 |
#10 | 🇸🇪 Sweden | 82 |
#11 | 🇱🇹 Lithuania | 81.6 |
#12 | 🇲🇾 Malaysia | 81.5 |
#13 | 🇲🇺 Mauritius | 81.5 |
#14 | 🇦🇺 Australia | 81.2 |
#15 | 🇹🇼 Taiwan | 80.9 |
#16 | 🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates | 80.9 |
#17 | 🇲🇰 North Macedonia | 80.7 |
#18 | 🇪🇪 Estonia | 80.6 |
#19 | 🇱🇻 Latvia | 80.3 |
#20 | 🇫🇮 Finland | 80.2 |
In the top spot for the fourth year in a row, New Zealand only requires half a day to start a business. Singapore also stands out for having the shortest timeframe when it comes to paying business taxes and enforcing business contracts.
Only two African nations─Rwanda and Mauritius─are listed in the top 50 countries, with Mauritius being the only one to crack the top 20 list.
Latin American economies are noticeably missing from the rankings, as many countries in this region are fraught with bureaucracy and prolonged processes.
Most Improved Scores
Several developed and developing economies made significant strides in 2019 to implement reforms that opened doors for new business owners.
The Doing Business 2020 report shows that the cost of starting a business has fallen over time, particularly in developing economies.
Top 10 Most Improved Economies, 2018-2019
Saudi Arabia made the greatest improvement overall, adding 7.7 points to its score.
Bahrain also made improvements over the most number of factors (9). While Jordan showed improvement in the fewest factors (3), it showed the second highest jump in DB Score.
Gains Among Low-Income Countries
The DB 2020 study also shows that developing economies are making progress: it’s now cheaper than ever before to run a business in developing economies.
However, a significant disparity still remains when we consider the difference in business costs between high-income and low-income economies.
An entrepreneur starting a company in a low-income economy will spend about 50% of per capita income (PCI) to launch a venture, whereas an entrepreneur in a high-income economy spends only 4% PCI to accomplish the same task.
Put another way, entrepreneurs located in the bottom 50 economies spend an average six times more to open a new company as those in a high-income economy.
Entrepreneurship and Economic Growth
Generally, more entrepreneurs will enter a market where they can easily conduct business─adding more value to local economies.
While the rankings clearly illustrate the link between ease of doing business and economic growth, there are still significant barriers in place that not only deter entrepreneurship but also inhibit a relatively simple strategy for growth.
United States
Charted: U.S. Median House Prices vs. Income
We chart the ever-widening gap between median incomes and the median price of houses in America, using data from the Federal Reserve from 1984 to 2022.
Houses in America Now Cost Six Times the Median Income
This was originally posted on our Voronoi app. Download the app for free on iOS or Android and discover incredible data-driven charts from a variety of trusted sources.
As of 2023, an American household hoping to buy a median-priced home, needs to make at least $100,000 a year. In some cities, they need to make nearly 3–4x that amount.
The median household income in the country is currently well below that $100,000 threshold. To look at the trends between median incomes and median house prices through the years, we charted their movement using the following datasets data from the Federal Reserve:
- Median household income (1984–2022).
- Median Sales Price of Houses Sold (1963–2023).
Importantly this graphic does not make allowances for actual household disposable income, nor how monthly mortgage payments change depending on the interest rates at the time. Finally, both datasets are in current U.S. dollars, meaning they are not adjusted for inflation.
Timeline: Median House Prices vs. Income in America
In 1984, the median annual income for an American household stood at $22,420, and the median house sales price for the first quarter of the year came in at $78,200. The house sales price-to-income ratio stood at 3.49.
By pure arithmetic, this is the most affordable houses have been in the U.S. since the Federal Reserve began tracking this data, as seen in the table below.
A hidden caveat of course, was inflation: running rampant towards the end of the 70s and the start of the 80s. While it fell significantly in the next five years, in 1984 the 30-year fixed rate was close to 14%, meaning a significant chunk of household income went to interest payments.
Date | Median House Sales Price | Median Household Income | Price-to-Income Ratio |
---|---|---|---|
1984-01-01 | $78,200 | $22,420 | 3.49 |
1985-01-01 | $82,800 | $23,620 | 3.51 |
1986-01-01 | $88,000 | $24,900 | 3.53 |
1987-01-01 | $97,900 | $26,060 | 3.76 |
1988-01-01 | $110,000 | $27,230 | 4.04 |
1989-01-01 | $118,000 | $28,910 | 4.08 |
1990-01-01 | $123,900 | $29,940 | 4.14 |
1991-01-01 | $120,000 | $30,130 | 3.98 |
1992-01-01 | $119,500 | $30,640 | 3.90 |
1993-01-01 | $125,000 | $31,240 | 4.00 |
1994-01-01 | $130,000 | $32,260 | 4.03 |
1995-01-01 | $130,000 | $34,080 | 3.81 |
1996-01-01 | $137,000 | $35,490 | 3.86 |
1997-01-01 | $145,000 | $37,010 | 3.92 |
1998-01-01 | $152,200 | $38,890 | 3.91 |
1999-01-01 | $157,400 | $40,700 | 3.87 |
2000-01-01 | $165,300 | $41,990 | 3.94 |
2001-01-01 | $169,800 | $42,230 | 4.02 |
2002-01-01 | $188,700 | $42,410 | 4.45 |
2003-01-01 | $186,000 | $43,320 | 4.29 |
2004-01-01 | $212,700 | $44,330 | 4.80 |
2005-01-01 | $232,500 | $46,330 | 5.02 |
2006-01-01 | $247,700 | $48,200 | 5.14 |
2007-01-01 | $257,400 | $50,230 | 5.12 |
2008-01-01 | $233,900 | $50,300 | 4.65 |
2009-01-01 | $208,400 | $49,780 | 4.19 |
2010-01-01 | $222,900 | $49,280 | 4.52 |
2011-01-01 | $226,900 | $50,050 | 4.53 |
2012-01-01 | $238,400 | $51,020 | 4.67 |
2013-01-01 | $258,400 | $53,590 | 4.82 |
2014-01-01 | $275,200 | $53,660 | 5.13 |
2015-01-01 | $289,200 | $56,520 | 5.12 |
2016-01-01 | $299,800 | $59,040 | 5.08 |
2017-01-01 | $313,100 | $61,140 | 5.12 |
2018-01-01 | $331,800 | $63,180 | 5.25 |
2019-01-01 | $313,000 | $68,700 | 4.56 |
2020-01-01 | $329,000 | $68,010 | 4.84 |
2021-01-01 | $369,800 | $70,780 | 5.22 |
2022-01-01 | $433,100 | $74,580 | 5.81 |
Note: The median house sale price listed in this table and in the chart is from the first quarter of each year. As a result the ratio can vary between quarters of each year.
The mid-2000s witnessed an explosive surge in home prices, eventually culminating in a housing bubble and subsequent crash—an influential factor in the 2008 recession. Subprime mortgages played a pivotal role in this scenario, as they were issued to buyers with poor credit and then bundled into seemingly more attractive securities for financial institutions. However, these loans eventually faltered as economic circumstances changed.
In response to the recession and to stimulate economic demand, the Federal Reserve reduced interest rates, consequently lowering mortgage rates.
While this measure aimed to make homeownership more accessible, it also contributed to a significant increase in housing prices in the following years. Additionally, a new generation entering the home-buying market heightened demand. Simultaneously, a scarcity of new construction and a surge in investors and corporations converting housing units into rental properties led to a shortage in supply, exerting upward pressure on prices.
As a result, median house prices are now nearly 6x the median household income in America.
How Does Unaffordable Housing Affect the U.S. Economy?
When housing costs exceed a significant portion of household income, families are forced to cut back on other essential expenditures, dampening consumer spending. Given how expanding housing supply helped drive U.S. economic growth in the 20th century, the current constraints in the country are especially ironic.
Unaffordable housing also stifles mobility, as individuals may be reluctant to relocate for better job opportunities due to housing constraints. On the flip side, many cities are seeing severe labor shortages as many lower-wage workers simply cannot afford to live in the city. Both phenomena affect market efficiency and productivity growth.
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