About the Doing Business project

Doing Business provides an objective assessment of business regulations and enforcement in 190 countries, as well as selected cities at the subnational and regional levels.


The Doing Business project, launched in 2002, focuses on the activities of national small and medium-sized enterprises and the assessment of the regulations that govern their activities throughout their life cycle. The Doing Business methodology and cost analysis reference model are the only generic tools used in a wide variety of countries to assess the impact of government rulemaking on business operations.


The study collects and analyzes comprehensive quantitative data to compare business regulation environments across countries and over time, thus Doing Business encourages countries to improve regulation, provides measurable benchmarks for reform, and serves as a resource for academics, journalists, private sector researchers and others interested in the business climate in each country.


In addition, the Doing Business project offers extensive sub-national reports that provide a comprehensive analysis of business regulation and reforms in different cities and regions of a particular country. These reports provide data on the ease of doing business, the ranking of each region, and the reforms that are recommended to improve the score for each of the thematic categories to which the indicators are compiled. Participating cities can compare their business regulations with other cities in the country or region, as well as cities in the 190 Doing Business rankings.


The first Doing Business report, published in 2003, covered 5 sets of indicators for 133 countries. This year's report covers 11 sets of indicators for 190 countries. The Doing Business project is being refined with feedback from government representatives, academics, practitioners and peer reviewers. The original purpose of the project remains unchanged: to provide an objective framework for understanding and improving business regulatory systems around the world.