Big-business loving Americans unhappy with election results may want to consider relocating to New Zealand. The island nation scores the top spot when it comes to the world’s best countries for business.
The nation came in first place this year on Forbes’s annual list of the Best Countries for Business, followed closely behind by Denmark, Hong Kong and Singapore. The United States, which came in second place in 2009, didn’t crack the top 10 this time around, instead coming in at the number 12 spot.
The publication compiled its list by rating 141 nations on 11 different metrics: property rights, innovation, taxes, technology, corruption, freedom (personal, trade and monetary), red tape, investor protection and stock market performance.
New Zealand, which has a GDP of $162 billion, earns the highest marks thanks to a “transparent and stable business climate” as well as what the magazine cites as a lack of red tape and corruption.
Here are Forbes’s top 10 best countries for business:
- New Zealand
- Denmark
- Hong Kong
- Singapore
- Canada
- Ireland
- Sweden
- Norway
- Finland
- United Kingdom
In examining each country, the publication drew upon information from multiple sources including the Central Intelligence Agency, the World Bank and the World Economic Forum. To see the complete list of countries, click here.
[via Forbes]
Image: Virginia McMillan/Flickr
