World's most business-friendly countries

While some countries are business friendly, others are not. Here we rank countries based on how easy it is to launch and operate a business.

Regulations affecting 11 areas of the life of a business are covered: starting a business, dealing with construction permits, getting electricity, registering property, getting credit, protecting investors, paying taxes, trading across borders, enforcing contracts, resolving insolvency (formerly closing a business) and employing workers.

Let us have a look at 29 countries, including India, and see where they rank when it comes to doing business.

Click NEXT to see where India stands...

India

Doing business rank (2012): 132

Doing business rank (2011): 139

World ranking: 132

Following strong economic reforms from the post-independence socialist economy, the country's economic growth progressed at a rapid pace, as free market principles were initiated in 1991 for international competition and foreign investment.

Click NEXT to see rest of the countries...

Singapore

Doing business rank (2012): 1

Doing business rank (2011): 1

World ranking: 1

An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the Singapore Strait to its south.

...

Hong Kong

Doing business rank (2012): 2

Doing business rank (2011): 2

World ranking: 2

A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour.

...

New Zealand

Doing business rank (2012): 3

Doing business rank (2011): 3

World ranking: 3

The country is situated some 1,500 kilometres east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly 1,000 kilometres south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga.

Due to its remoteness, it was one of the last lands to be settled by humans.

...

The United States

Doing business rank (2012): 4

Doing business rank (2011): 4

World ranking: 4

The country is situated mostly in central North America, where its 48 contiguous states and Washington, DC, the capital district, lie between the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans, bordered by Canada to the north and Mexico to the south.

...

Denmark

Doing business rank (2012): 5

Doing business rank (2011): 5

World ranking: 5

It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany.

Denmark borders both the Baltic and the North Sea.

...

Norway

Doing business rank (2012): 6

Doing business rank (2011): 7

World ranking: 6

The majority of the country shares a border to the east with Sweden; its northernmost region is bordered by Finland to the south and Russia to the east; in its south Norway borders the Skagerrak Strait across from Denmark.

...

The United Kingdom

Doing business rank (2012): 7

Doing business rank (2011): 6

World ranking: 7

The country includes the island of Great Britain, the north-eastern part of the island of Ireland and many smaller islands.

...

South Korea

Doing business rank (2012): 8

Doing business rank (2011): 15

World ranking: 8

It is neighboured by China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north and the East China Sea and Taiwan to the south.

...

Iceland

Doing business rank (2012): 9

Doing business rank (2011): 13

World ranking: 9

The capital and the largest city is Reykjavik, with the surrounding areas in the southwestern region of the country being home to two-thirds of the country's population.

...

Ireland

Doing business rank (2012): 10

Doing business rank (2011): 8

World ranking: 10

It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth.

To its east is the larger island of Great Britain, from which it is separated by the Irish Sea.

...

Finland

Doing business rank (2012): 11

Doing business rank (2011): 14

World ranking: 11

It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.

...

Saudi Arabia

Doing business rank (2012): 12

Doing business rank (2011): 10

World ranking: 12

It is bordered by Jordan, and Iraq on the north and northeast, Kuwait, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates on the east, Oman on the southeast, and Yemen on the south.

It is also connected to Bahrain by the King Fahd Causeway.

...

Canada

Doing business rank (2012): 13

Doing business rank (2011): 12

World ranking: 13

Canada is the world's second-largest country by total area, and its common border with the United States is the longest land border in the world.

...

Sweden

Doing business rank (2012): 14

Doing business rank (2011): 9

World ranking: 14

Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Oresund.

...

Australia

Doing business rank (2012): 15

Doing business rank (2011): 11

World ranking: 15

Neighbouring countries include Indonesia, East Timor, and Papua New Guinea to the north; the Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, and New Caledonia to the north-east; and New Zealand to the south-east.

...

Georgia

Doing business rank (2012): 16

Doing business rank (2011): 17

World ranking: 16

It is bounded to the west by the Black Sea, to the north by Russia, to the southwest by Turkey, to the south by Armenia, and to the southeast by Azerbaijan.

...

Thailand

Doing business rank (2012): 17

Doing business rank (2011): 16

World ranking: 17

It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the west by the Andaman Sea and the southern extremity of Burma.

...

Malaysia

Doing business rank (2012): 18

Doing business rank (2011): 23

World ranking: 18

Land borders are shared with Thailand, Indonesia, and Brunei, and maritime borders exist with Singapore, Vietnam, and the Philippines.

...

Germany

Doing business rank (2012): 19

Doing business rank (2011): 19

World ranking: 19

With 81.8 million inhabitants, it is the most populous member state and the largest economy in the European Union.

It is one of the major political powers of the European continent and a technological leader in many fields.

...

Japan

Doing business rank (2012): 20

Doing business rank (2011): 20

World ranking: 20

It lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south.

...

Latvia

Doing business rank (2012): 21

Doing business rank (2011): 31

World ranking: 21

It is bordered to the north by Estonia, to the south by Lithuania, to the east by the Russian Federation, and to the southeast by Belarus.

Across the Baltic Sea to the west lies Sweden.

...

Macedonia

Doing business rank (2012): 22

Doing business rank (2011): 34

World ranking: 22

It is a country located in the central Balkan peninsula in Southeast Europe. It is one of the successor states of the former Yugoslavia, from which it declared independence in 1991.

It became a member of the United Nations in 1993.

...

Mauritius

Doing business rank (2012): 23

Doing business rank (2011): 21

World ranking: 23

In addition to the island of Mauritius, the Republic includes the islands of Cargados Carajos, Rodrigues and the Agalega Islands.

...

Estonia

Doing business rank (2012): 24

Doing business rank (2011): 18

World ranking: 24

It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland, to the west by the Baltic Sea, to the south by Latvia, and to the east by the Lake Peipsi and the Russian Federation.

Across the Baltic Sea lies Sweden in the west and Finland in the north.

...

Taiwan

Doing business rank (2012): 25

Doing business rank (2011): 24

World ranking: 25

It is an island of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China.

...

Switzerland

Doing business rank (2012): 26

Doing business rank (2011): 22

World ranking: 26

The country is situated in Western Europe,[note 4] where it is bordered by Germany to the north, France to the west, Italy to the south, and Austria and Liechtenstein to the east.

...

Lithuania

Doing business rank (2012): 27

Doing business rank (2011): 25

World ranking: 27

It shares borders with Latvia to the north, Belarus to the east and south, Poland to the south, and a Russian exclave (Kaliningrad Oblast) to the southwest.

...

Belgium

Doing business rank (2012): 28

Doing business rank (2011): 27

World ranking: 28

Belgium's two largest regions are the Dutch-speaking region of Flanders in the north and the French-speaking southern region of Wallonia.