Compliance & Regulation

The regimes, from first to last

The World Bank's fifth annual report on regulatory regimes compares business regulations and property rights protections across the world, with Singapore coming out on top in 2008.

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Rankings on the ease of doing business

1. Singapore 38. Spain 74. Poland 110. Belarus 147. Comoros
2. New Zealand 39. Armenia 75. Macedonia, FYR 111. Nepal 148. Haiti
3. United States 40. Kuwait 76. Pakistan 112. Micronesia 149. Madagascar
4. Hong Kong, China 41. Antigua and Barbuda 77. Dominica 113. Yemen 150. Rwanda
5. Denmark 42. Luxembourg 78. Brunei 114. Guatemala 151. Benin
6. United Kingdom 43. Namibia 79. Solomon Islands 115. Costa Rica 152. Zimbabwe
7. Canada 44. Mexico 80. Jordan 116. Zambia 153. Tajikistan
8. Ireland 45. Hungary 81. Montenegro 117. West Bank and Gaza 154. Cameroon
9. Australia 46. Bulgaria 82. Palau 118. Uganda 155. Côte d'lvoire
10. Iceland 47. Tonga 83. China 119. Bhutan 156. Togo
11. Norway 48. Romania 84. Papua New Guinea 120. India 157. Mauritania
12. Japan 49. Oman 85. Lebanon 121. Honduras 158. Mali
13. Finland 50. Taiwan, China 86. Serbia 122. Brazil 159. Afghanistan
14. Sweden 51. Botswana 87. Ghana 123. Indonesia 160. Sierra
15. Thailand 52. Mongolia 88. Tunisia 124. Lesotho 161. Burkina Faso
16. Switzerland 53. Italy 89. Marshall Islands 125. Algeria 162. Senegal
17. Estonia 54. St. Vincent and the 90. Seychelles 126. Egypt 163. São Tomé and
18. Georgia Grenadines 91. Vietnam 127. Malawi Principe
19. Belgium 55 . Slovenia 92. Moldova 128. Ecuador 164. Lao PDR
20. Germany 56. Czech Republic 93. Nicaragua 129. Morocco 165. Equatorial Guinea
21. Netherlands 57. Turkey 94. Kyrgyz Republic 130. Tanzania 166. Guinea
22. Latvia 58. Peru 95. Swaziland 131. Gambia 167. Angola
23. Saudi Arabia 59. Belize 96. Azerbaijan 132. Cape Verde 168. Timor-Leste
24. Malaysia 60. Maldives 97. Croatia 133. Philippines 169. Niger
25. Austria 61. Samoa 98. Uruguay 134. Mozambique 170. Liberia
26. Lithuania 62. Vanuatu 99. Dominican Republic 135. Iran 171. Eritrea
27. Mauritius 63. Jamaica 100. Greece 136. Albania 172. Venezuela
28. Puerto Rico 64. St. Kitts and Nevis 101. Sri Lanka 137. Syria 173. Chad
29. Israel 65. Panama 102. Ethiopia 138. Uzbekistan 174. Burundi
30. Korea 66. Colombia 103. Paraguay 139. Ukraine 175. Congo,
31. France 67. Trinidad and Tobago 104. Guyana 140. Bolivia 176. Guinea-Bissau
32. Slovakia 68. United Arab Emirates 105. Bosnia and 141. Iraq 177. Central African
33. Chile 69. El Salvador Herzegovina 142. Suriname Republic
34. St. Lucia 70. Grenada 106. Russia 143. Sudan 178. Congo, Dem. Rep.
35. South Africa 71. Kazakhstan 107. Bangladesh 144. Gabon
36. Fiji 72. Kenya 108. Nigeria 168 145. Cambodia
37. Portugal 73. Kiribati 109. Argentina 146. Djibouti

200 reforms made business easier-27 made it more difficult

39
Australia
Azerbaijan
Belarus
Belgium
Bhutan
Burkina Faso
Croatia
Czech Republic
Dominican Republic
Egypt
Estonia
Finland 27
Georgia Afghanistan
Germany Benin
Ghana Bhutan
Guatemala Burkina Faso
Honduras Burundi 22
Hungary Croatia Armenia
Jordan Djibouti China
Kenya Dominican Republic Croatia
Lao PDR Egypt Egypt
Macedonia, FYR France France
Madagascar Georgia Georgia
Malaysia 15 Ghana Ghana
Mali Bulgaria Guatemala Honduras
Mauritania China Guinea-Bissau India
Mauritius Czech Republic Haiti Indonesia
Moldova Egypt Honduras Kenya
Mozambique Georgia Hungary Kuwait
Niger Guatemala Kenya Micronesia
Nigeria Honduras 8 Lesotho Pakistan
Paraguay Indonesia Bhutan Mali Romania
Portugal Kenya Czech Republic Mauritius Russia
Saudi Arabia Kuwait Latvia Mexico Saudi Arabia
Sri Lanka Macedonia, FYR Netherlands Niger South Africa
Tajikistan Mauritius Pakistan Poland Trinidad and Tobago
Tanzania Morocco Spain Portugal Tunisia
Timor-Leste Nigeria Switzerland Tunisia Vietnam
Positive reforms Uzbekistan Rwanda Uganda Uzbekistan West Bank and Gaza
Starting a business Dealing with licenses Employing workers Registering property Getting credit
Bangladesh Russia Moldova Germany Slovenia
Indonesia Zimbabwe Slovenia Kyrgyz Republic Sri Lanka
Romania Togo Morocco
Syria Venezuela Paraguay
Vanuatu
Negative reforms Zimbabwe

200 reforms made business easier (cont.)

31
Albania
Azerbaijan
Bulgaria
Colombia
Côte d'Ivoire
Greece
Israel 24
Kazakhstan Armenia
Kyrgyz Republic Austria
Lesotho Bosnia and Herzegovina
Macedonia, FYR Brazil
Malaysia Colombia
Mauritius Costa Rica
Mexico Djibouti
Moldova Dominican Republic
Mongolia Egypt
Netherlands El Salvador 14
Portugal Gambia Brazil
Romania Ghana Bulgaria
Seychelles Guatemala Burkina Faso
10 Sierra Leone India Congo, Dem. Rep. 10
Belarus Slovenia Lao PDR Fiji Armenia
Colombia South Africa Madagascar Ghana China
Georgia Spain Mauritius Guatemala Croatia
Iceland Syria Morocco Malawi Denmark
Indonesia Trinidad and Tobago Rwanda Mauritania Georgia
Mozambique Tunisia Saudi Arabia Moldova Hungary
Norway Turkey Sri Lanka Mozambique Italy
Portugal Uruguay Thailand Poland Mauritius
Slovenia Uzbekistan Turkey Portugal Portugal
Positive reforms Vietnam West Bank and Gaza Uganda Tonga Uzbekistan
Protecting investors Paying taxes Trading across borders Enforcing contracts Closing a business
Bangladesh Algeria Argentina
Dominican Republic Venezuela Botswana
Hungary
Venezuela
Negative reforms Zimbabwe