EIU report: Taiwan ranks 3rd in Asia for business environment, 3rd globally for macroeconomic environment

November 3, 2004

- Taiwan ranks 3rd in the Asia Pacific region for 2004-08.
- Taiwan's business environment grade has risen from 'good' to 'very good' for 2004-08.
- Taiwan is ranked 3rd globally on the 'macroeconomic environment' index for 2004-08.

The London-based Economist Information Unit (EIU) released its latest assessment ratings report, Country Forecast Taiwan, in September. The report, which evaluates the business environment of 60 countries, ranked Taiwan 5th out of 16 countries in the Australasia region on the 5 year business environment outlook (2004-8). Of the 60 countries evaluated in the EIU report, Taiwan ranked 18th worldwide, up two places from 1999-2003. Taiwan's score rose to 8.05 from 7.36 in the 1999-2003 period.

In the EIU Country Forecast Global Outlook report, Taiwan ranked 3rd once again in the Asia-Pacific Region for its business environment, trailing behind Singapore, and Hong Kong, and placing ahead of South Korea, Japan, Malaysia, Thailand, and China. This ranking reaffirms Taiwan's stable, high-quality investment environment. While Taiwan's business environment score remained the same from the last ranking, its business environment grade has risen from 'good' to 'very good.' In comparison, other countries have remained at 'good' or below.

The top ten ranking countries of the report included Canada, the Netherlands, the U.S., Finland, Singapore, Hong Kong, England, Switzerland, Denmark, and Ireland.

Taiwan made headway on the EIU report's ten indicators. Taiwan's gained its highest score on the 'macroeconomic environment' indicator, ranking 3rd globally (rising 8 places); 9th for 'foreign trade and exchange controls' (rising 21 places); 9th for 'labor market' (rising 4 places); 7th for 'Taxes' (falling 5 places); 16th for 'market opportunities' (rising 4 places); 17th for 'infrastructure' (rising 6 places); 18th for 'policy towards private enterprise and competition' (climbing 1 place); 20th for 'policy towards foreign investment' (rising 7 places); 20th for 'financing' (rising 2 places); and 22nd for political environment.

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