Ease of Doing Business
The World Bank ranks 183 countries around world on their ease of doing business. The rankings take into account 46 countries in Sub-Saharan Africa, 24 in East Asia and Pacific, 27 in Eastern Europe and Central Asia, 32 in Latin America and The Caribbean, 19 in the Middle East and North Africa and 8 in South Asia. Costa Rica received an overall Doing Business 2012 rank of 121.
read more closeTo calculate the ease of doing business in each country, the World Bank ranked several individual factors important to opening, sustaining and closing a business. These include requirements for starting a business, requesting an electricity hookup, obtaining credit, paying taxes, enforcing contracts, and resolving insolvency. Import data included the number of steps or procedures required to complete each task, as well as length of time required and relative cost.
Rank for Doing Business 2012
Ranking out of 183 economies |
2012 |
Starting a Business |
122 |
Dealing with Construction Permits |
141 |
Getting Electricity |
43 |
Registering Property |
46 |
Getting Credit |
98 |
Protecting Investors |
166 |
Paying Taxes |
138 |
Trading Across Borders |
73 |
Enforcing Contracts |
129 |
Resolving Insolvency |
121 |
Summary of Indicators
Starting a Business
Procedures (number) |
12 |
Time (days) |
60 |
Cost (% of income per capita) |
11.1 |
Min. capital (% of income per capita) |
0 |
Dealing with Construction Permits
Procedures (number) |
20 |
Time (days) |
188 |
Cost (% of income per capita) |
164.5 |
Getting Electricity
Procedures (number) |
6 |
Time (days) |
62 |
Cost (% of income per capita) |
299.5 |
Registering Property
Procedures (number) |
5 |
Time (days) |
20 |
Cost (% of income per capita) |
3.4 |
Getting Credit
Strength of legal rights index (0-10) |
3 |
Depth of credit information index (0-6) |
5 |
Public registry coverage (% of adults) |
25.5 |
Private bureau coverage (% of adults) |
78.9 |
Protecting Investors
Extent of disclosure index (0-10) |
2 |
Extent of director liability index (0-10) |
5 |
Ease of shareholder suits index (0-10) |
2 |
Strength of investor protection index (0-10) |
3.0 |
Paying Taxes
Payments (number per year) |
31 |
Time (hours per year) |
246 |
Profit tax (%) |
18.9 |
Labor tax and contributions (%) |
29.5 |
Other taxes (%) |
6.6 |
Total tax rate (% profit) |
55.0 |
Trading Across Borders
Documents to export (number) |
6 |
Time to export (days) |
13 |
Cost to export (US$ per container) |
1190 |
Documents to import (number) |
7 |
Time to import (days) |
15 |
Cost to import (US$ per container) |
1190 |
Enforcing Contracts
Procedures (number) |
40 |
Time (days) |
852 |
Cost (% of income per capita) |
24.3 |
Resolving Insolvency
Recovery rate (cents on the dollar) |
22.2 |
Time (years) |
3.5 |
Cost (% of estate) |
15 |
Source: The World Bank