Singapore, Hong Kong Top World As Business Havens
By wchung | 06 Sep, 2025

Business Heaven: Singapore has topped the list of the best places to do business for the 7th straight year.

Singapore is the world’s most business-friendly regulatory environment for the seventh consecutive year, according to a report by the World Bank and the International Finance Corporation.

Singapore received the highest marks for cross-border trading regulations, securing construction permits, bankruptcy regulations and protection of investors. It scored lower for registering property, enforcing contracts and getting credit.

Hong Kong ranked second for ease of doing business on the strength of its highest marks for dealing with construction permits, cross-border trading, investor protection, paying taxes and getting electricity. It ranked a startling 60th in the world in registering property, however. Had it scored better in that respect, it might have challenged Singapore from the top spot.

The next best regulatory environments for business are New Zealand, the US, Denmark, Norway and the UK. The US had high marks for getting credit and protecting investors but ranked only 19th in getting electricity. Its worst mark was a 69th place in paying taxes.

South Korea moved up to 8th place thanks to major regulatory reforms that produced high marks in enforcing contracts, getting electricity and cross-border trading. It also scored near the top of the 185 nations in getting credit and resolving insolvency, but fared poorly in registering property.

Korea is followed by Georgia, Australia, Finland and Malaysia in 12th place.

Taiwan is ranked 16th, Thailand 18th and Japan 24th. Japan fared abysmally in paying taxes and starting a business. It also received poor marks for construction permits and registering property. It received the top mark in resolving insolvency and high marks for cross-border trading and protecting investors.

China is ranked 91st, with among the lowest marks in dealing with construction permits and starting a business. It also scored poorly in getting electricity, protecting investors and taxes. The only area in which it scored far above average is enforcing contracts. It also received above-average marks for registering property.

Mongolia was among the top 10 economies to improve their ease of doing business, moving up to 76th place.

Vietnam was the only East Asian economy to slip in the rankings, moving down a notch to 99th.