Economy Characteristics

Doing Business uses a number of variables to characterize a country. Among them:

Gross national income (GNI) per capita
Doing Business 2009 reports 2007 income per capita as published in the World Bank’s World Development Indicators 2008. Income is calculated using the Atlas method (current US$). For cost indicators expressed as a percentage of income per capita, 2007 GNI in local currency units is used as the denominator. GNI data were not available from the World Bank for The Bahamas, Bahrain, Puerto Rico, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates. In these cases GDP or GNP per capita data and growth rates from the International Monetary Fund's World Economic Outlook database, the Economist Intelligence Unit 2008 country profiles and the U.S. State Department 2008 country profiles were used.

Region and income group

Doing Business uses the World Bank regional and income group classifications. Throughout the report the term rich economies refers to the high-income group, middle-income economies to the upper-middle-income group and poor economies to the lower-middle-income and low-income groups.

Population
Doing Business 2009 reports midyear 2007 population statistics as published in World Development Indicators 2008.

Additional development data and statistics are available from the World Bank. For main Doing Business indicators by economy, click on the economy name. Click excel version for a copy of the data in Microsoft Excel.
Region or EconomyRegionIncome categoryGNI per capita (US$)Population
East Asia & Pacific....6,891.5..
Eastern Europe & Central Asia....5,722..
Latin America & Caribbean....5,779.9..
Middle East & North Africa....9,825.6..
OECD....39,482.6..
South Asia....1,188.8..
Sub-Saharan Africa....1,641.7..
AfghanistanSouth AsiaLow income37024,800,000
AlbaniaEastern Europe & Central AsiaLower middle income3,2903,181,326
AlgeriaMiddle East & North AfricaLower middle income3,62033,852,676
AngolaSub-Saharan AfricaLower middle income2,56017,019,315
Antigua and BarbudaLatin America & CaribbeanHigh income11,52084,814
ArgentinaLatin America & CaribbeanUpper middle income6,05039,503,466
ArmeniaEastern Europe & Central AsiaLower middle income2,6403,000,874
AustraliaOECDHigh income35,96021,017,200
AustriaOECDHigh income42,7008,315,427
AzerbaijanEastern Europe & Central AsiaLower middle income2,5508,570,966
Bahamas, theLatin America & CaribbeanHigh income25,026331,140
BahrainMiddle East & North AfricaHigh income19,350752,789
BangladeshSouth AsiaLow income470158,571,814
BelarusEastern Europe & Central AsiaUpper middle income4,2209,701,870
BelgiumOECDHigh income40,71010,625,701
BelizeLatin America & CaribbeanUpper middle income3,800304,001
BeninSub-Saharan AfricaLow income5709,025,402
BhutanSouth AsiaLow income1,770657,401
BoliviaLatin America & CaribbeanLower middle income1,2609,517,537
Bosnia and HerzegovinaEastern Europe & Central AsiaLower middle income3,5803,926,554
BotswanaSub-Saharan AfricaUpper middle income5,8401,881,432
BrazilLatin America & CaribbeanLower middle income5,910191,601,284
BruneiEast Asia & PacificHigh income36,216389,252
BulgariaEastern Europe & Central AsiaLower middle income4,5907,642,177
Burkina FasoSub-Saharan AfricaLow income43014,777,431
BurundiSub-Saharan AfricaLow income1108,495,915
CambodiaEast Asia & PacificLow income54014,446,056
CameroonSub-Saharan AfricaLower middle income1,05018,532,799
CanadaOECDHigh income39,42032,976,000
Cape VerdeSub-Saharan AfricaLower middle income2,430530,269
Central African RepublicSub-Saharan AfricaLow income3804,343,405
ChadSub-Saharan AfricaLow income54010,763,638
ChileLatin America & CaribbeanUpper middle income8,35016,594,596
ChinaEast Asia & PacificLower middle income2,3601,319,982,596
ColombiaLatin America & CaribbeanLower middle income3,25046,117,464
ComorosSub-Saharan AfricaLow income680625,834
Congo, Dem. Rep.Sub-Saharan AfricaLow income14062,399,224
Congo, Rep.Sub-Saharan AfricaLower middle income1,5403,766,751
Costa RicaLatin America & CaribbeanUpper middle income5,5604,462,193
Côte d'IvoireSub-Saharan AfricaLow income91019,268,303
CroatiaEastern Europe & Central AsiaUpper middle income10,4604,438,310
Czech RepublicOECDUpper middle income14,45010,334,160
DenmarkOECDHigh income54,9105,460,017
DjiboutiMiddle East & North AfricaLower middle income1,090832,992
DominicaLatin America & CaribbeanUpper middle income4,25072,793
Dominican RepublicLatin America & CaribbeanLower middle income3,5509,752,270
EcuadorLatin America & CaribbeanLower middle income3,08013,339,580
EgyptMiddle East & North AfricaLower middle income1,58075,466,539
El SalvadorLatin America & CaribbeanLower middle income2,8506,853,143
Equatorial GuineaSub-Saharan AfricaHigh income12,860507,542
EritreaSub-Saharan AfricaLow income2304,841,773
EstoniaEastern Europe & Central AsiaUpper middle income13,2001,341,673
EthiopiaSub-Saharan AfricaLow income22079,086,894
FijiEast Asia & PacificUpper middle income3,800838,205
FinlandOECDHigh income44,4005,288,720
FranceOECDHigh income38,50061,707,073
GabonSub-Saharan AfricaUpper middle income6,6701,330,182
Gambia, theSub-Saharan AfricaLow income3201,706,767
GeorgiaEastern Europe & Central AsiaLower middle income2,1204,395,770
GermanyOECDHigh income38,86082,268,358
GhanaSub-Saharan AfricaLow income59023,461,523
GreeceOECDHigh income29,63011,193,367
GrenadaLatin America & CaribbeanUpper middle income4,670108,111
GuatemalaLatin America & CaribbeanLower middle income2,44013,348,222
GuineaSub-Saharan AfricaLow income4009,380,197
Guinea-BissauSub-Saharan AfricaLow income2001,694,653
GuyanaLatin America & CaribbeanLower middle income1,300738,548
HaitiLatin America & CaribbeanLow income5609,611,554
HondurasLatin America & CaribbeanLower middle income1,6007,091,481
Hong Kong, ChinaEast Asia & PacificHigh income31,6106,925,900
HungaryOECDHigh income11,57010,055,580
IcelandOECDHigh income54,100310,997
IndiaSouth AsiaLower middle income9501,123,318,991
IndonesiaEast Asia & PacificLower middle income1,650225,630,065
IranMiddle East & North AfricaLower middle income3,47071,021,039
IraqMiddle East & North AfricaLower middle income1,22428,505,843
IrelandOECDHigh income48,1404,366,193
IsraelMiddle East & North AfricaHigh income21,9007,172,300
ItalyOECDHigh income33,54059,374,701
JamaicaLatin America & CaribbeanUpper middle income3,7102,677,170
JapanOECDHigh income37,670127,770,750
JordanMiddle East & North AfricaLower middle income2,8505,718,855
KazakhstanEastern Europe & Central AsiaLower middle income5,06015,481,263
KenyaSub-Saharan AfricaLow income68037,530,726
KiribatiEast Asia & PacificLower middle income1,170101,860
KoreaOECDHigh income19,69048,530,416
KuwaitMiddle East & North AfricaHigh income31,6402,662,966
Kyrgyz RepublicEastern Europe & Central AsiaLow income5905,242,827
Lao PDREast Asia & PacificLow income5805,859,891
LatviaEastern Europe & Central AsiaUpper middle income9,9302,276,100
LebanonMiddle East & North AfricaUpper middle income5,7704,097,076
LesothoSub-Saharan AfricaLower middle income1,0002,005,826
LiberiaSub-Saharan AfricaLow income1503,753,067
LithuaniaEastern Europe & Central AsiaUpper middle income9,9203,375,619
LuxembourgOECDHigh income75,880479,994
Macedonia, FYREastern Europe & Central AsiaLower middle income3,4602,037,032
MadagascarSub-Saharan AfricaLow income32019,669,953
MalawiSub-Saharan AfricaLow income25013,920,062
MalaysiaEast Asia & PacificUpper middle income6,54026,549,518
MaldivesSouth AsiaLower middle income3,200305,340
MaliSub-Saharan AfricaLow income50012,334,168
Marshall IslandsEast Asia & PacificLower middle income3,07066,508
MauritaniaSub-Saharan AfricaLow income8403,120,981
MauritiusSub-Saharan AfricaUpper middle income5,4501,262,722
MexicoLatin America & CaribbeanUpper middle income8,340105,280,515
MicronesiaEast Asia & PacificLower middle income2,470110,961
MoldovaEastern Europe & Central AsiaLower middle income1,2603,792,142
MongoliaEast Asia & PacificLower middle income1,2902,612,295
MontenegroEastern Europe & Central AsiaLower middle income5,180600,265
MoroccoMiddle East & North AfricaLower middle income2,25030,860,595
MozambiqueSub-Saharan AfricaLow income32021,372,202
NamibiaSub-Saharan AfricaLower middle income3,3602,073,624
NepalSouth AsiaLow income34028,107,592
NetherlandsOECDHigh income45,82016,381,138
New ZealandOECDHigh income28,7804,228,300
NicaraguaLatin America & CaribbeanLower middle income9805,604,596
NigerSub-Saharan AfricaLow income28014,195,085
NigeriaSub-Saharan AfricaLow income930147,982,941
NorwayOECDHigh income76,4504,709,153
OmanMiddle East & North AfricaHigh income11,1202,599,551
PakistanSouth AsiaLow income870162,389,013
PalauEast Asia & PacificUpper middle income8,21020,300
PanamaLatin America & CaribbeanUpper middle income5,5103,340,605
Papua New GuineaEast Asia & PacificLow income8506,324,097
ParaguayLatin America & CaribbeanLower middle income1,6706,120,496
PeruLatin America & CaribbeanLower middle income3,45027,898,182
PhilippinesEast Asia & PacificLower middle income1,62087,892,094
PolandEastern Europe & Central AsiaUpper middle income9,84038,060,823
PortugalOECDHigh income18,95010,608,336
Puerto RicoLatin America & CaribbeanHigh income14,3713,943,229
QatarMiddle East & North AfricaHigh income32,112836,082
RomaniaEastern Europe & Central AsiaUpper middle income6,15021,546,874
Russian FederationEastern Europe & Central AsiaUpper middle income7,560141,636,177
RwandaSub-Saharan AfricaLow income3209,735,541
SamoaEast Asia & PacificLower middle income2,430186,759
São Tomé and PrincipeSub-Saharan AfricaLow income870158,013
Saudi ArabiaMiddle East & North AfricaHigh income15,44024,195,950
SenegalSub-Saharan AfricaLow income82012,411,094
SerbiaEastern Europe & Central AsiaLower middle income4,7307,385,826
SeychellesSub-Saharan AfricaUpper middle income8,96085,032
Sierra LeoneSub-Saharan AfricaLow income2605,848,320
SingaporeEast Asia & PacificHigh income32,4704,588,600
SlovakiaOECDHigh income11,7305,396,198
SloveniaEastern Europe & Central AsiaHigh income20,9602,018,122
Solomon IslandsEast Asia & PacificLow income730495,362
South AfricaSub-Saharan AfricaUpper middle income5,76047,587,543
SpainOECDHigh income29,45044,878,946
Sri LankaSouth AsiaLower middle income1,54019,944,739
St. Kitts and NevisLatin America & CaribbeanUpper middle income9,63048,790
St. LuciaLatin America & CaribbeanUpper middle income5,530167,975
St. Vincent and the GrenadinesLatin America & CaribbeanUpper middle income4,210120,325
SudanSub-Saharan AfricaLower middle income96038,555,569
SurinameLatin America & CaribbeanUpper middle income4,730457,686
SwazilandSub-Saharan AfricaLower middle income2,5801,144,872
SwedenOECDHigh income46,0609,148,093
SwitzerlandOECDHigh income59,8807,550,077
SyriaMiddle East & North AfricaLower middle income1,76019,890,585
Taiwan, ChinaEast Asia & PacificHigh income17,93022,917,444
TajikistanEastern Europe & Central AsiaLow income4606,740,085
TanzaniaSub-Saharan AfricaLow income40040,432,163
ThailandEast Asia & PacificLower middle income3,40063,832,135
Timor-LesteEast Asia & PacificLower middle income1,5101,065,887
TogoSub-Saharan AfricaLow income3606,580,669
TongaEast Asia & PacificLower middle income2,320100,599
Trinidad and TobagoLatin America & CaribbeanUpper middle income14,1001,333,050
TunisiaMiddle East & North AfricaLower middle income3,20010,248,173
TurkeyEastern Europe & Central AsiaUpper middle income8,02073,887,733
UgandaSub-Saharan AfricaLow income34030,930,082
UkraineEastern Europe & Central AsiaLower middle income2,55046,382,836
United Arab EmiratesMiddle East & North AfricaHigh income26,2104,364,746
United KingdomOECDHigh income42,74061,034,361
United StatesOECDHigh income46,040301,621,000
UruguayLatin America & CaribbeanUpper middle income6,3803,318,592
UzbekistanEastern Europe & Central AsiaLow income73026,867,800
VanuatuEast Asia & PacificLower middle income1,840225,898
VenezuelaLatin America & CaribbeanUpper middle income7,32027,467,021
VietnamEast Asia & PacificLow income79085,140,414
West Bank and GazaMiddle East & North AfricaLower middle income1,2303,868,915
YemenMiddle East & North AfricaLow income87022,383,108
ZambiaSub-Saharan AfricaLow income80011,919,870
ZimbabweSub-Saharan AfricaLow income34013,402,661