Innovation
The most entrepreneurial countries in the world
The United States tops this index looking at entrepreneurial ecosystems around the world.
The United States might be lagging in global education rankings, but it seems to make up for it in entrepreneurial spirit.
According to the Global Entrepreneurship and Development Index, a new study measuring and ranking the entrepreneurial ecosystems for 120 countries around the world, the United States tops the list. The researchers looked at data on "entrepreneurial activities and aspirations," as well as how each country supports entrepreneurial activity.
"While the United States has faltered on the Index of Economic freedom and some other measures it has continued to outperform all other countries on entrepreneurship," said Zoltan Acs, a co-author of the study from George Mason University and the London School of Economics and Political Science, in a press release. "And the gulf between the United States and other countries is large and appears to be widening and not narrowing. What explains this is an ecosystem that is both deep and wide at the same time."
The study was conducted by researchers at Imperial College Business School, along with the London School of Economics and Political Science, University of Pécs, and George Mason University.
- United States
- Canada
- Australia
- Sweden
- Denmark
- Switzerland
- Taiwan
- Finland
- Netherlands
- United Kingdom
Some areas where the U.S. excels, include:
- financing new businesses through venture capital
- producing innovative products and services
- having top students choosing entrepreneurial careers, instead of safer careers
- enacting policy that make it easier for women to start their own business
But there are some spots where the U.S. lags. For example, the U.S. has a lower rate of internet users than other countries and has a relatively high cost for broadband services, which could hold back some entrepreneurs.
Still, with an increasing number of classes in the U.S. aimed at providing young kids with entrepreneurial skills, don't expect a entrepreneurial lag in the years to come.
Photo: Flickr/Dell's Official Flickr Page
This post was originally published on Smartplanet.com