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Starting a business - Country Score

8 min read R, World Development
code source
Photo by Unsplash

Starting a business - Country Score

8 min read R, World Development
code source

The Doing Business Report is an annual report published by The World Bank which provides objective measures of business regulations for local firms in 190 economies.

New Zealand ranks number one in “starting a business” with a total of 99.98 in 2020. New Zealand made a few reforms which have helped with their score:

  • DB2019: New Zealand made starting a business less expensive by reducing the fees for name search and company incorporation.

  • DB2009: New Zealand made starting a business easier by making it possible to complete the process in one simple online registration in less than a day.

The below anlaysis examines the Starting a Business score for all countries from 2010 to 2020.

  • Definition of the index - Link

  • The latest report could be found here - Link

  • For the latest data - Link

  • For historical data - Link

For more details of the key actions taken by the different countries which influenced their score, please visit link.


Top 10 countries in 2020


Analysis from 2016 to 2020 of the Top 10 countries to start a business in 2020 according to the Doing Business Report.


Analysis from 2016 to 2020 of the Top 10 countries to start a business in 2020 according to the Doing Business Report.


Economy 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020
Afghanistan 90.47 90.35 82.55 92.04 91.99
Albania 91.69 91.43 91.49 91.7 91.76
Algeria 76.59 78.04 77.86 77.95 78.01
Angola 77.48 79.67 78.62 79.05 79.4
Antigua and Barbuda 81.66 81.67 81.7 81.75 82.59
Argentina 73.28 73.51 73.55 81.99 80.43
Armenia 94.34 94.35 94.35 96.08 96.09
Australia 96.47 96.47 96.47 96.47 96.6
Austria 82.82 83.1 83.13 83.21 83.25
Azerbaijan 96.09 96.07 96.11 96.14 96.16
Bahamas, The 81.32 82.71 84.18 84.47 87.03
Bahrain 76.23 89.54 89.59 89.57 89.59
Bangladesh 81.71 81.51 80.6 80.82 82.37
Bangladesh Chittagong 81.71 81.51 80.6 80.82 82.37
Bangladesh Dhaka 81.71 81.51 80.6 80.82 82.37
Barbados 85.65 86.32 86.33 86.37 86.37
Belarus 91.87 91.9 91.91 93.39 93.52
Belgium 91.41 91.42 91.36 91.43 92.32
Belize 73.28 73.23 71.98 71.97 72.01
Benin 81.37 90.56 90.58 90.6 90.62
Bhutan 85.57 85.59 86.33 86.38 86.35
Bolivia 62.31 63.49 67.82 69.12 69.36
Bosnia and Herzegovina 57.14 58.68 59.62 59.82 60.03
Botswana 76.21 76.21 76.22 76.22 76.23
Brazil 63.90 64.75 64.79 80.34 81.29
Brazil Rio de Janeiro 70.28 72.51 72.61 80.24 80.84
Brazil São Paulo 59.83 59.78 59.79 80.4 81.58
Brunei Darussalam 86.77 86.73 90.23 94.92 94.93
Bulgaria 84.84 85.35 85.37 85.38 85.4
Burkina Faso 86.69 88.06 88.17 88.09 88.17
Burundi 94.51 94.45 91.94 93.11 92.92
Cabo Verde 81.98 82.01 81.91 82.04 84.47
Cambodia 54.50 50.91 51.91 52.8 52.42
Cameroon 74.80 75.27 82.39 86.26 86.27
Canada 98.23 98.23 98.23 98.23 98.24
Central African Republic 33.70 33.11 37.02 60.9 63.19
Chad 41.92 51.91 50.26 52.09 52.52
Chile 87.21 87.21 87.21 89.08 91.43
China 80.77 84.34 85.36 93.42 94.09
China Beijing 80.35 84.06 85.08 93.6 95.08
China Shanghai 81.12 84.57 85.59 93.27 93.28
Colombia 83.55 85.31 85.32 85.31 87.02
Comoros 71.17 69.87 72.01 72.25 76.49
Congo, Dem. Rep.  84.83 84.84 89.78 90.24 91.63
Congo, Rep.  60.53 58.58 63.83 64.1 65.8
Costa Rica 81.20 81.57 81.63 79.92 79.91
Côte d’Ivoire 89.97 89.91 90 93.7 93.69
Croatia 82.92 82.46 82.49 82.62 85.28
Cyprus 89.19 91.21 91.19 91.24 92.04
Czech Republic 81.34 82.96 83.55 82.09 82.06
Denmark 92.45 92.47 92.5 92.52 92.7
Djibouti 63.20 68.29 80.43 84.01 84.3
Dominica 89.35 89.26 89.29 89.39 89.32
Dominican Republic 83.26 82.52 83.23 83.44 85.44
Ecuador 68.51 69.19 68.99 69.07 69.11
Egypt, Arab Rep.  80.58 80.65 80.7 83.83 87.84
El Salvador 78.62 78.88 78.88 78.41 78.64
Equatorial Guinea 36.59 36.9 54.96 55.74 60.96
Eritrea 46.16 46.36 50.6 51.91 52.86
Estonia 95.06 95.13 95.15 95.25 95.36
Eswatini 73.46 74.32 74.35 74.12 77.2
Ethiopia 53.64 55.96 68.43 70.79 71.7
Fiji 68.18 73.13 73.26 73.39 73.56
Finland 92.37 92.39 92.41 92.43 93.47
France 93.14 93.27 93.28 93.27 93.15
Gabon 73.95 74.09 80.48 82.59 86.97
Gambia, The 67.32 69.37 69 69.91 84.58
Georgia 97.73 97.83 97.84 99.34 99.62
Germany 82.75 83.46 83.47 83.59 83.67
Ghana 83.73 83.73 84.02 84.29 84.96
Greece 90.69 90.68 92.37 92.37 96
Grenada 86.84 87.02 87.09 87.26 87.96
Guatemala 77.43 77.61 77.83 86.71 86.8
Guinea 77.40 77.58 79.15 83.9 84.46
Guinea-Bissau 50.58 73.3 74.04 75.22 75.5
Guyana 85.42 85.45 85.55 85.61 85.6
Haiti 33.53 33.61 33.7 33.8 36.43
Honduras 70.07 69.93 69.91 69.98 71.36
Hong Kong SAR, China 98.12 98.2 98.14 98.15 98.22
Hungary 87.10 87.28 87.6 87.89 88.19
Iceland 90.43 90.63 90.71 90.72 90.65
India 71.74 72.19 73.9 80.96 81.6
India Delhi 73.44 73.99 74.85 81.35 81.96
India Mumbai 69.83 70.16 72.84 80.51 81.2
Indonesia 65.67 74.59 76.09 79.38 81.21
Indonesia Jakarta 66.17 75.77 76.8 79.38 82.2
Indonesia Surabaya 63.87 70.39 73.57 79.38 77.71
Iran, Islamic Rep.  67.59 67.79 67.77 67.79 67.8
Iraq 73.45 71.32 75.87 76.55 77.25
Ireland 92.67 94.4 94.4 94.4 94.4
Israel 90.80 92.53 92.55 92.6 94.08
Italy 86.73 86.75 86.77 86.78 86.81
Jamaica 97.28 95.61 97.3 97.35 97.37
Japan 86.09 86.09 86.1 86.1 86.1
Japan Osaka 86.25 86.26 86.26 86.26 86.26
Japan Tokyo 86.00 86 86.01 86.01 86.01
Jordan 85.04 84.84 84.4 84.43 84.5
Kazakhstan 89.95 91.94 91.95 92.96 94.43
Kenya 70.00 79.31 82.23 82.41 82.73
Kiribati 76.46 78.17 77.47 78.2 78.4
Korea, Rep.  91.89 93.35 93.35 93.36 93.36
Kosovo 93.06 95.54 95.67 95.68 95.88
Kuwait 74.51 66.77 77.21 81.4 88.4
Kyrgyz Republic 92.94 92.92 92.94 92.97 93.02
Lao PDR 60.52 60.61 60.88 60.93 62.66
Latvia 94.11 94.11 94.11 94.12 94.14
Lebanon 79.72 78.45 78.17 78.63 78.18
Lesotho 82.85 83 83.06 83.13 88.24
Liberia 90.64 90.64 90.77 88.14 88.94
Libya 72.58 71.48 71.72 73.56 73.15
Liechtenstein NA NA NA 73.04 73.01
Lithuania 92.93 92.98 93.05 93.18 93.27
Luxembourg 88.43 88.66 88.76 88.73 88.83
Madagascar 78.16 81.76 87.78 88.1 88.46
Malawi 69.71 76.73 76.43 77.18 77.93
Malaysia 89.31 80 80.14 82.78 83.32
Maldives 89.03 88.98 89.06 89.17 89.16
Mali 66.05 84.12 83.83 84.05 84.27
Malta 78.01 80.21 84.82 84.86 88.19
Marshall Islands 88.38 88.41 88.49 88.44 88.36
Mauritania 86.87 86.87 91.8 92.18 92.24
Mauritius 91.63 91.65 92 94.34 94.48
Mexico 86.92 85.74 85.84 85.94 86.07
Mexico Mexico City 86.74 85.31 85.42 85.52 85.66
Mexico Monterrey 87.81 87.86 87.92 87.97 88.04
Micronesia, Fed. Sts. 69.64 69.73 69.56 69.56 69.61
Moldova 92.19 91.96 93.76 95.55 95.68
Mongolia 86.63 86.63 86.64 86.65 86.67
Montenegro 86.61 86.62 86.63 86.65 86.66
Morocco 90.47 90.75 92.46 92.99 93.01
Mozambique 74.39 73.54 71 67.56 69.26
Myanmar 64.74 75.29 75.42 77.33 89.35
Namibia 68.92 68.87 71.9 72.07 72.2
Nepal 83.48 83.77 81.76 82.13 81.66
Netherlands 94.26 94.27 94.28 94.31 94.34
New Zealand 99.96 99.96 99.96 99.98 99.98
Nicaragua 78.77 79.28 79.61 79.84 79.57
Niger 75.90 84.44 91.93 91.46 91.51
Nigeria 77.64 78.99 80.75 82.97 86.22
Nigeria Kano 73.42 76.02 77.72 79.94 86.03
Nigeria Lagos 78.90 79.87 81.66 83.87 86.27
North Macedonia 88.98 88.99 88.58 88.59 88.62
Norway 94.29 94.3 94.3 94.31 94.34
Oman 70.66 91.12 93.45 93.43 93.46
Pakistan 75.67 75.85 76.6 81.89 89.27
Pakistan Karachi 75.67 75.85 76.6 81.89 89.24
Pakistan Lahore 75.67 75.85 76.6 81.89 89.31
Palau 81.85 81.95 81.96 81.95 82.15
Panama 91.89 91.91 91.92 91.97 92.01
Papua New Guinea 77.29 80.53 79.93 79.91 80.15
Paraguay 75.26 75.25 75.23 75.2 75.98
Peru 78.20 78.6 78.59 82.36 82.13
Philippines 67.55 67.63 64.15 69.3 71.28
Poland 82.71 82.75 82.78 82.85 82.91
Portugal 90.99 91 90.88 90.89 90.9
Puerto Rico (U.S.) 91.11 91.23 91.29 91.23 91.24
Qatar 80.64 84.39 84.33 86 86.05
Romania 90.46 89.48 89.67 83.9 87.68
Russian Federation 91.80 93.02 93.03 93.04 93.06
Russian Federation Moscow 91.06 92.8 92.81 92.82 92.83
Russian Federation Saint Petersburg 93.53 93.55 93.56 93.57 93.58
Rwanda 82.92 87.17 87.66 90.15 93.24
Samoa 92.46 92.49 92.54 92.56 92.59
San Marino 83.71 83.75 83.65 83.71 87.31
São Tomé and Príncipe 73.76 75.28 77.33 78.32 78.24
Saudi Arabia 74.39 75.36 80.04 80.07 93.14
Senegal 85.99 86.07 89.7 89.94 91.19
Serbia 89.06 91.8 92.57 92.59 89.25
Seychelles 78.55 78.64 78.68 78.65 78.76
Sierra Leone 84.73 91.15 90.94 91.18 91.29
Singapore 96.49 96.49 96.49 98.23 98.23
Slovak Republic 81.83 81.92 81.96 82.02 84.81
Slovenia 94.53 94.61 94.67 92.88 93.03
Solomon Islands 85.11 85.48 85.42 85.52 85.62
Somalia 48.27 48.71 45.77 46.37 46
South Africa 79.71 79.96 79.97 81.22 81.22
South Sudan 53.96 53.96 55.68 65.36 71.01
Spain 86.40 86.7 86.74 86.91 86.95
Sri Lanka 84.98 87.52 87.74 87.87 88.2
St. Kitts and Nevis 85.66 85.75 85.76 85.78 85.88
St. Lucia 88.68 88.8 88.79 89.18 89.35
St. Vincent and the Grenadines 86.72 86.78 86.82 86.87 87.05
Sudan 75.14 73.17 73.51 76.35 76.73
Suriname 48.76 61.19 61.5 61.57 61.56
Sweden 94.61 94.64 94.67 93.09 93.11
Switzerland 88.44 88.39 88.38 88.41 88.44
Syrian Arab Republic 78.91 78.93 80.43 80.99 80.14
Taiwan, China 94.41 94.42 94.43 94.43 94.44
Tajikistan 90.26 86.86 90.79 90.95 93.24
Tanzania 68.47 71.38 72.12 74.28 74.4
Thailand 82.68 84.66 91.97 92.34 92.36
Timor-Leste 80.90 74.41 72.65 89.41 89.41
Togo 78.37 81.71 82.51 88.7 95.13
Tonga 90.75 90.85 90.81 90.88 90.95
Trinidad and Tobago 88.33 88.59 88.57 88.57 88.58
Tunisia 81.67 81.57 81.58 88.51 94.56
Turkey 79.20 81.02 81.91 88.21 88.79
Uganda 68.15 70.19 71.12 71.12 71.38
Ukraine 92.09 91.03 91.05 91.07 91.08
United Arab Emirates 88.50 91.21 91.16 94.06 94.76
United Kingdom 94.57 94.58 94.58 94.58 94.58
United States 91.22 91.23 91.23 91.23 91.59
United States Los Angeles 90.66 90.66 90.67 90.67 91.55
United States New York City 91.60 91.6 91.61 91.61 91.62
Uruguay 89.90 89.79 89.8 89.78 89.6
Uzbekistan 93.91 93.93 95.54 96.04 96.16
Vanuatu 75.51 81.24 81.23 81.52 81.47
Venezuela, RB 38.88 32.9 25 25 25
Vietnam 82.72 81.76 82.02 84.8 85.11
West Bank and Gaza 64.82 69.37 69.6 69.37 70.19
Yemen, Rep.  73.36 71.59 72.68 67.01 76.84
Zambia 84.88 84.83 84.89 85.07 84.91
Zimbabwe 49.22 48.84 59.28 66.48 72

Color-code

  • Red (lower than previous year)

  • Green (higher than previous year)

Code, questions and feedback

The code for this article is published in my github account.

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Juanma MN
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