Economics

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Micro loans are increasingly common in Latin America, giving better access to working capital to small business owners.

Bank Financing Of Working Capital Varies Around The World

Caribbean companies are around 2.5 times as likely to source working capital from bank financing than East Asian firms.

April 25, 2017 12:31

Business owners in Barbados meet with a bank's lending office to secure investment financing.

Bank Financing For Business Investment In Different Parts Of The World

In East Asia and the Pacific, only around 1 in 7 firms use banks to finance investment, while almost half in the Caribbean do so.

April 25, 2017 12:31

A South Sudanese baker uses a biomass-fueled stove financed in part by a nongovernmental organization.

Most Expensive Countries To Start A Business Relative To Per Capita GNI

In these nations, entrepreneurs are often faced with business startup and registration fees greater than annual incomes.

April 25, 2017 12:31

An employee receives on the job training in this Japanese automotive factory.

Employee Training Prevalence Worldwide

The Middle East exhibits low rates of formal employee training, while more than half of East Asian companies formally train their workers.

April 25, 2017 12:31

This vendor sell his wares directly from his small boat in this "floating market" in Bangkok, Thailand.

Competition From The Informal Sector In The Global Marketplace

Around two-thirds of firms in Sub-Saharan Africa face competition from unregistered businesses.

April 25, 2017 12:31

Monte Bello vineyard in Santa Cruz Mountain AVA of the California winery.

Countries With The Most Wine Grape Vineyards

Spain is the only country to have more than 10,000 square kilometers of land area devoted to growing wine grapes.

April 25, 2017 12:31

Entrepreneurial women in India and other parts of South Asia face unique challenges in growing their businesses.

Female Business Ownership - Global Differences In Opportunity

Longstanding cultural practices give more opportunity for women in Caribbean and Pacific island nations than those in South Asia and many other parts of the world.

April 25, 2017 12:31

Both traditional handcrafted and mass-produced rugs and carpets comprise large shares of Nepal's export revenues.

Exporting Nations Who Depend Most On Developing South Asian Economies

Several developing export economies in Sub-Saharan Africa and the Middle East benefit significantly from the demand in South Asian import markets.

April 25, 2017 12:31

Zambian Parliament members convene during a 2015 budget meeting to discuss navigating out of a prospective debt crisis.

Countries With The Highest Interest Rates On Official Foreign Credit Lines

Zambia sees average interest rates of 6.4% on new external debt commitments, followed by Belarus and Cape Verde.

April 25, 2017 12:31

New technologies help minimize import paperwork and make trade processes more efficient in developed countries.

Countries Requiring The Least Paperwork To Import Goods

Several nations with world-leading economies require 3 or fewer documents to import goods into their countries' borders.

April 25, 2017 12:31

Infrastructure development, such as improvement of antiquated hospitals, drive much of Zambia's foreign borrowing.

Countries With The Highest Interest Rates On New Foreign Loans

Countries in the developing world often see interest rates in excess of 5% on external debt.

April 25, 2017 12:31

Rescheduling of interest on Afghanistan's debt will hopefully foster economic development and ease its debt crisis.

Major Interest Rescheduling Of National Debts In Recent Years

Multilateral organizations and other governments have given these countries a chance to have their large interest debts rescheduled.

April 25, 2017 12:31

The value of the Mexican peso has been erratic at times in recent years due to changes in the country's debt status.

Major International Debt Buyback In The Last Decade

Several countries have bought back hundreds of millions of US Dollars worth of their own debt in the last decade.

April 25, 2017 12:31

Lacking domestic financing resources, small businesses in South Sudan often turn to foreign NGOs for microloans.

Countries With The Lowest Amount In Private Loans Relative To GDP

Developing economies such as those in South Sudan and Afghanistan proffer few private credit opportunities.

April 25, 2017 12:31

Following the recent European and Cypriot financial crises, Cyprus and its residents have taken on large amounts of debt.

Countries With The Most Private Loans Relative To GDP

Credit to the private sector in Cyprus and Hong Kong exceed their Gross Domestic Products by more than two-fold.

April 25, 2017 12:31

Complicated import filings and foreign sanctions hinder development in the war-torn Central African Republic.

Countries Requiring The Most Paperwork To Import Goods

With internal strife and 17 required documents to import goods, receiving foreign merchandise into the Central African Republic can prove quite cumbersome.

April 25, 2017 12:31