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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.
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World's most business-friendly countries
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.
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World's most business-friendly 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.
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World's most business-friendly countries
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.
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World's most business-friendly countries
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.
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World's most business-friendly countries
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.
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World's most business-friendly countries
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.
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World's most business-friendly countries
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.
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World's most business-friendly countries
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.
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World's most business-friendly countries
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.
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World's most business-friendly countries
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.
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World's most business-friendly countries
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.
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World's most business-friendly countries
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.
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World's most business-friendly countries
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.
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World's most business-friendly countries
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.
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World's most business-friendly countries
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.
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World's most business-friendly countries
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.
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World's most business-friendly countries
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.
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World's most business-friendly countries
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.
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World's most business-friendly countries
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.
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World's most business-friendly countries
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.
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World's most business-friendly countries
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.
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World's most business-friendly countries
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.
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World's most business-friendly countries
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.
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World's most business-friendly countries
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.
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World's most business-friendly countries
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.
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World's most business-friendly countries
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.
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World's most business-friendly countries
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.
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World's most business-friendly countries
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.
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World's most business-friendly countries
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.