The best countries for doing business: Behind the numbers

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Sweden (yes, sweden!) headlines Forbes’s annual rundown of the most business-friendly places on earth, with New Zealand, Hong Kong, Ireland and the United Kingdom close behind.

Sweden hasn’t let its historic commitment to social democracy get in the way of its entrepreneurs: It finished first, thanks to a top-ten ranking in seven of the 11 categories that are tracked, which include taxes, red tape, innovation and personal and trade freedom. (Chad ranks last, with Gambia and Haiti a notch above.)

This chart tracks the current ranking of countries and GDP, with the size of the bubble representing a country’s change in rank over the last decade. The US has the biggest economy ($17.9 trillion), but it has slipped 19 spots to No 23 since 2006. Will Washington’s bold new regime help make America great (for business) again? Over to you, Mr President.