Malaysia has emerged as the front-runner in the 2017 ranking for best countries to invest in by BAV Consulting and Wharton School

Malaysia ranks top in best countries to invest in

Kuala Lumpur.

PETALING JAYA: Malaysia has emerged as the front-runner in the 2017 ranking for best countries to invest in, scoring at least 30 points more than any other country on a 100-point scale.

The ranking is based on scores from over 6,000 business decision makers compiled on eight equally-weighted country attributes - corruption, dynamic, economically stable, entrepreneurial, favourable tax environment, innovative, skilled labor force and technological expertise.

Countries that the decision makers favoured more than all other survey participants did in these factors are placed higher in the ranking, undertaken by BAV Consulting, a firm of global marketing communications company Y&R brand strategy, and the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.

More than 21,000 participants from four regions were asked to associate 80 countries (up from 60 last year) with specific attributes.

The study and model used to score and rank countries were developed by BAV Consulting, specifically John Gerzema and Anna Blender, and The Wharton School, specifically Professor David J. Reibstein, in consultation with U.S. News & World Report.

According to the U.S. News & World Report, Malaysia "is the clear front-runner in this ranking," ahead of second placed Singapore, India (6th), Thailand (7th) and Indonesia (10th).

It said Malaysia "is one of the top recipients of foreign direct investment, and its pro-business government offers a wide range of incentives to investors."

The report said more than $1 trillion is pumped around the world in foreign direct investment each year and a country's share of which is sometimes thought to signify its value and potential to the world.

"Investors are drawn to what they don't have.

"The things that make a country unique – its people, environment, relationships, framework and teachings – create four distinct factors identified in a report by the World Bank Group that motivate an individual or corporation to invest in that country: natural resources, markets, efficiency and strategic assets like technologies or brands," it said.

Other countries at the top of the list, like Singapore and India, typically have a younger, educated population.

The majority of their citizens can provide the type of skilled work that the labor market demands at competitive wages and continue the cycle by contributing to the country's consumer market.

Read more at http://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2017/03/13/malaysia-tops-in-best-countries-to-invest-in/#i49UDxK7mZxx2HWi.99

https://www.usnews.com/news/best-countries/invest-in-full-list

More than $1 trillion is pumped around the world in foreign direct investment each year, a country's share of which is sometimes thought to signify its value and potential to the world.

Investors are drawn to what they don't have. The things that make a country unique – its people, environment, relationships, framework and teachings – create four distinct factors identified in a report by the World Bank Group that motivate an individual or corporation to invest in that country: natural resources, markets, efficiency and strategic assets like technologies or brands.

The 2017 Best Countries rankings, formed in partnership with global marketing communications company Y&R's brand strategy firm, BAV Consulting, and the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, asked more than 21,000 survey participants from four regions to associate 80 countries – up from 60 last year – with specific attributes.

The Best Countries to Invest In are ranked based on scores primarily from more than 6,000 business decision makers on a compilation of eight equally weighted country attributes: corrupt, dynamic, economically stable, entrepreneurial, favorable tax environment, innovative, skilled labor force and technological expertise. Countries that business decision makers favored more heavily than all other survey participants did in these factors placed higher in this ranking.

Malaysia

#1 in Best Countries to Invest In

#35 in Best Countries

Located in two separate regions in the South China Sea, Malaysia is a small country with a fast-growing economy. Once a British colony, the country is home to about 29 million people, many of whom live in or near the capital city of Kuala Lumpur.

Located on an ocean trade route, Malaysia came under the influence of China, India, the Middle East and eventually Great Britain in the late 18th century. The Federation of Malaysia was formed in 1948 by the unification of former British-ruled territories along the Malay Peninsula. In 1963, the former British colonies of Singapore, Sabah and Sarawak, joined the Federation, thereafter known simply as Malaysia. The first few years were marked by a communist uprising, confrontation with Indonesia and the withdrawal of Singapore in 1965.

$338.1 billion: GDP
30.3 million: POPULATION
$26,211: GDP PER CAPITA, PPP

Singapore

#2 in Best Countries to Invest In

#15 in Best Countries

Founded as a British trading colony in the 19th century, Singapore is a bustling metropolis in Southeast Asia and home to one of the world’s busiest ports. The vast majority of its 5.7 million citizens live on the eponymous capital island, and dozens of surrounding islands complete the city state.

Singapore gained self governance in 1959, and in 1963 joined the Federation of Malaysia. In 1965 it left the federation and became independent as the Republic of Singapore. Today, it operates under a conservative parliamentary republic that is world-renowned for its strict laws and tight regulation. While safety and security serve as a major point of pride, residents and visitors are subject to harsh penalties for chewing gum, littering and more.

One of Asia’s four economic tigers, Singapore has seen impressive growth in recent years as efficient manufacturing and production practices have made way for free-market innovation in the booming electronics and pharmaceutical industries. Gross domestic product per capita is high and unemployment is low, making Singapore one of the wealthiest nations in the world.

Singapore is densely populated, with most citizens living in urban high-rises. The Singaporean government has forecasted exponential population growth in the coming decades, with immigrants expected to account for more than half of the population by 2030.

[Explore the top universities in Singapore.]

Space constraints coupled with rapid population growth contribute to concerns about the rising cost of living and income inequality. Conservation, land reclamation efforts and improved environment-friendly practices amid the urbanization and industrial pollution are also a focus.

Four official languages - Mandarin, English, Malay and Tamil - cater to the diverse population of a nation that has been an important gateway for international trade. Many also speak Singlish, a slang dialect. Local cuisine blends elements of Chinese, Indian and Western traditions, among others, as do the architecture and local festivals.

Singapore headquarters the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation and is a member of a number of additional international organizations, including the ASEAN Regional Forum, the United Nations and the World Trade Organization.

$307.9 billion: GDP
5.5 million: POPULATION
$85,382: GDP PER CAPITA, PPP

Czech Republic

#3 in Best Countries to Invest In

#37 in Best Countries

The Czech Republic may have been born in 1993, but the nation’s history goes back more than 1,000 years. Its location in the heart of Central Europe has nurtured a rich culture yet provided its people with a reserve born from interference and invasions from larger powers. Perhaps due to the country’s history, the people are among the least religious in the world.

The Czech Republic’s modern history began at the end of World War I, when Czechs and Slovaks, formerly part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, created Czechoslovakia. Nazi Germany occupied the Czech lands during World War II, and following the war, the newly reformed Czechoslovakia fell under the Soviet Union’s sphere of influence. The “Velvet Revolution” of 1989 pushed the Communist Party from power and returned democracy to the country. On Jan. 1, 1993, Czechoslovakia dissolved and two separate nations formed, the Czech Republic and Slovakia. The Czech Republic today is a parliamentary democracy.

The Czech Republic is considered an advanced economy with high living standards. The country compares favorably to the rest of the world for inequality-adjusted human development, according to the United Nations. Machinery, engineering, electronics, automobile manufacturing and brewing are major industries while tourism and agriculture are also industrially significant.

[Explore the top universities in the Czech Republic.]

Czechs are the country’s largest ethnic group, and Moravians, Slovaks and Poles are other significant groups. While Czechs don't tend to be particularly religious, Roman Catholicism is the most popular faith among religious citizens. Like other developed societies, the Czech Republic has an aging population. A significant proportion of children are born outside of marriage, according to the government’s Statistical Office.

Culturally, the Czech Republic has a rich history in music, literature, visual arts and decorative glass and crystal. Notable classical composers include Antonin Dvorak and Bedrich Smetana, while notable writers have included Franz Kafka and the late Vaclav Havel – the author and political dissident who served as the country’s first president following the downfall of communism.

The Czech Republic is a member of major international organizations such as the United Nations, and regional groupings such as the European Union, NATO and the Council of Europe.

$205.3 billion: GDP
10.6 million: POPULATION
$32,076: GDP PER CAPITA, PPP

Denmark

#4 in Best Countries to Invest In

#12 in Best Countries

The Kingdom of Denmark emerged in the 10th century and includes two North Atlantic island nations, the Faroe Islands and Greenland. Along with Sweden and Norway, it forms Scandinavia, a cultural region in Northern Europe.

Copenhagen, Denmark’s capital, also serves as the country’s cultural and industrial hub. With a population of more than 1 million, Copenhagen is home to notable institutions such as the Copenhagen Stock Exchange. Copenhagen also serves as a hub connecting Northern Europe with the rest of the world, with the largest international airport in Scandinavia, an active port, a subway system and the Oresund Bridge, connecting the city with Malmo, Sweden.

$342.4 billion: GDP
5.7 million: POPULATION
$45,723: GDP PER CAPITA, PPP

Poland

#5 in Best Countries to Invest In

#31 in Best Countries

Poland is a medium-sized nation located in central Europe with a history and culture shaped by a millennium of conflict across the European continent.

The Christian Kingdom of Poland was formally created in 1025 and by the mid-16th century the Polish-Lithuanian commonwealth was one of the largest countries on the continent. Partitioned by neighboring countries in the late 18th century, Poland briefly regained its independence following World War I. Nazi Germany and the former Soviet Union invaded the country in 1939, marking the beginning of World War II.

$545.0 billion: GDP
38.0 million: POPULATION
$26,499: GDP PER CAPITA, PPP

India

#6 in Best Countries to Invest In

#25 in Best Countries

Located in Southeast Asia, India sits on a peninsula that extends between the Bay of Bengal and the Arabian Sea. The country, the birthplace of Hinduism and Buddhism, is the world’s second most-populous nation after China, and has roughly one-sixth of the world’s population

For many years of its long history, India faced incursions from the north by Turks, Arabs, Persians and others. By the 19th century, Great Britain became the dominant power on the subcontinent. After years of nonviolent struggle against British rule, India gained its independence in 1947.

$2.0 trillion: GDP
1.3 billion: POPULATION
$6,187: GDP PER CAPITA, PPP

Thailand

#7 in Best Countries to Invest In

#26 in Best Countries

Thailand, which translates to “land of the free,” is the only Southeast Asian nation that did not encounter European colonization. Located just above the equator, the nation is wedged into the Indochina peninsula with neighbors Myanmar, Laos and Cambodia and has an arm that extends out to Malaysia.

Originally known as Siam, the kingdom was unified in the mid-14th century and became a constitutional monarchy in 1932 after a nonviolent revolution. Recurring coups have since escalated into large-scale political turmoil spurred by party division and grievances against leaders, and in 2014, the government was throw into interim military rule.

$404.8 billion: GDP
68.0 million: POPULATION
$16,130: GDP PER CAPITA, PPP

Israel

#8 in Best Countries to Invest In

#30 in Best Countries

Israel, the only Jewish nation in the world, is a small country on the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea. For its relatively small size, the country has played a large role in global affairs. The country has a strong economy, landmarks of significance to several religions and strained relationships with many of its Arab neighbors.

$305.7 billion: GDP
8.4 million: POPULATION
$34,054: GDP PER CAPITA, PPP

Qatar

#9 in Best Countries to Invest In

#34 in Best Countries

Qatar is located on a small desert peninsula that extends northward into the Persian Gulf from the Arabian Peninsula.

Qatar became subject to the Islamic caliphate after the rise of Islam in 628 A.D. and was subsequently ruled by a number of local and foreign powers. Since the mid-1800s, the country has been ruled by the Al Thani family.

$210.1 billion: GDP
2.2 million: POPULATION
$132,870: GDP PER CAPITA, PPP

Indonesia

#10 in Best Countries to Invest In

#39 in Best Countries

Made up of a chain of thousands of islands between Asia and Australia, Indonesia is the world's largest archipelagic state and the world’s biggest Muslim-majority nation. Indonesia’s people are diverse, speaking more than 300 languages and ranging from cosmopolitan urbanites to rural villagers. There are hundreds of volcanoes in Indonesia, the most famous of which is Krakatoa, whose explosion in 1883 was one of the most catastrophic in history.

Hindu-Buddhist and Muslim kingdoms existed before the arrival of the Dutch, who colonized the archipelago but ceded independence to the country after an occasionally violent struggle in 1949. From 1967 until 1988, President Suharto ruled Indonesia with an iron hand. Free and fair elections took place in 1999, after rioting toppled his dictatorship.

$888.5 billion: GDP
257.6 million: POPULATION
$11,149: GDP PER CAPITA, PPP

Oman

#11 in Best Countries to Invest In

#66 in Best Countries

The oldest independent state in the Arab world, Oman is located on the southeast corner of the Arabian Peninsula at the confluence of the Persian Gulf and Arabian Sea.

The country was always of interest to foreign powers due to its strategic position for Indian Ocean trade. Controlled by the Portuguese in the 1500s and later the Persians, the country eventually formed close ties with Britain in the late 19th century, though it never became a colony. During the 1800s, Oman profited greatly from the slave trade, cultivating colonies in modern-day Kenya, Tanzania and Pakistan.

$81.8 billion: GDP
4.5 million: POPULATION
$43,707: GDP PER CAPITA, PPP

South Korea

#12 in Best Countries to Invest In

#23 in Best Countries

South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea, is a nation in eastern Asia with a long history of conflict that occupies the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula.

Liberated from Japan in 1945 at the end of World War II, South Korea was invaded by communist forces in North Korea a few years later. Aid requested by the United Nations helped end the three-year war and support the south on its way to democracy. A critical divide between the two nations along the center of the peninsula remains.

$1.4 trillion: GDP
50.6 million: POPULATION
$36,612: GDP PER CAPITA, PPP

Philippines

#13 in Best Countries to Invest In

#43 in Best Countries

Thousands of islands in the South China Sea comprise the tropical nation of the Philippines. The land of beautiful beaches and abundant biodiversity has long been plagued by political instability, but its resilient economy continues to improve and push ahead of others in the region.

The Republic of the Philippines claimed independence from Japan after World War II in 1946 with assistance from the United States, which had exercised colonial rule over the nation earlier in the century. American influence and ties remain prevalent in the Filipino society, although the relationship has become more strained since the 2016 election of President Rodrigo Duterte.

Citizens have led two revolutionary movements - in 1986, and again in 2001 - against corrupt leadership, leading to the exile and impeachment of two presidents. Though shaky, republican ideals have again taken hold. Recent government actions have boosted social spending in an effort to battle high unemployment and manage a rapidly growing population, a quarter of which lives below the poverty line.

Threats to national order also come from separatist groups primarily based in the southern part of the country.

$284.8 billion: GDP
100.7 million: POPULATION
$7,282: GDP PER CAPITA, PPP

Norway

#14 in Best Countries to Invest In

#10 in Best Countries

The Kingdom of Norway is the westernmost country in the Scandinavian peninsula, made up mostly of mountainous terrain. Nearly all of its population lives in the south, surrounding the capital, Oslo. Norway’s coastline is made up of thousands of miles of fjords, bays and island shores.

The Norwegians developed a maritime culture, and were active throughout the Viking era, establishing settlements in Iceland and Greenland. For many years, Norway’s fate was tied to Denmark and Sweden. In 1905, Norway gained independence from Sweden through a referendum. The country was neutral during both World Wars but was nonetheless occupied by Nazi Germany for five years.

$499.8 billion: GDP
5.2 million: POPULATION
$68,592: GDP PER CAPITA, PPP

South Africa

#15 in Best Countries to Invest In

#38 in Best Countries

South Africa is located on the southern tip of Africa, with coastlines on both the Atlantic and Indian oceans. Africa’s second-largest economy behind Nigeria, South Africa draws hundreds of thousands of visitors each year eager to see its impressive terrain, wildlife and cultural diversity.

Although South Africa has come a long way since the end of apartheid in 1994, it remains a country of vast inequality and high crime. While the country is dotted with world-class dining, trendy shops, sprawling vineyards and upscale safari lodges, townships lacking basic infrastructure are often only a short distance away.

$350.1 billion: GDP
55.0 million: POPULATION
$13,209: GDP PER CAPITA, PPP

Hungary

#16 in Best Countries to Invest In

#46 in Best Countries

Hungary is a landlocked central European country with Christian roots, which for centuries served as a barrier for Ottoman Turkish expansion in Europe.

While Hungary enjoys the relative economic prosperity typical of many European countries, it is linguistically isolated from its European peers. Over a beer and goulash, most of Hungary’s 9.9 million citizens speak Hungarian, or Magyar. Like Finnish and Estonian, the language is one of the few non-Indo-European languages in Europe.

$138.3 billion: GDP
9.8 million: POPULATION
$26,275: GDP PER CAPITA, PPP

Dominican Republic

#17 in Best Countries to Invest In

#51 in Best Countries

The Dominican Republic, the land of merengue and baseball, occupies two-thirds of the island Hispaniola in the Caribbean Sea. It was the site of Christopher Columbus’s arrival in the Americas, as well the first toehold for European settlement. The country’s history reflects many of the historical challenges that the rest of Latin America has faced: civil disorder, ethnic tensions, authoritarian rule and economic upheaval.

The Dominican Republic is a representative democracy, with a multi-party political system and traditional separations of government power falling on executive, legislative and judicial branches.

$64.1 billion: GDP
10.5 million: POPULATION
$15,023: GDP PER CAPITA, PPP

Slovenia

#18 in Best Countries to Invest In

#53 in Best Countries

Slovenia is a small country located in southern Central Europe, bordered by Croatia, Hungary, Austria, Italy and the Adriatic Sea.

Slovenia had been ruled by many larger states dating to the Roman Empire and later the Habsburgs of Austria. Following World War I and the collapse of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, Slovenia achieved self-determination, eventually merging with Croatia and Serbia to first form a Kingdom of Yugoslavia. After World War II, Slovenia was part of a reformed socialist Republic of Yugoslavia. It declared independence in 1991 from the former Yugoslavia and today the country has a parliamentary democracy form of government.

$49.5 billion: GDP
2.1 million: POPULATION
$30,918: GDP PER CAPITA, PPP

Chile

#19 in Best Countries to Invest In

#52 in Best Countries

Distance is one way to define Chile, a long, narrow country on South America’s western coastline whose dramatic landscapes may play a part in the country’s history of producing great poets.

A trip from the country’s northern border with Peru to its southern tip at Cape Horn covers 2,700 miles. Chile is narrow – its widest point is just 150 miles – as its eastern border with Argentina backs up against the Andes, the longest continental mountain range in the world.

$258.1 billion: GDP
17.9 million: POPULATION
$23,507: GDP PER CAPITA, PPP

Portugal

#20 in Best Countries to Invest In

#24 in Best Countries

Jutting into the Atlantic Ocean on the edge of the Iberian Peninsula and flanked by Spain to the east, Portugal is a nation with its gaze turned outward. Its history is steeped in discovery and exploration, beginning with early leaders that, after ousting Celtic and Moorish settlers in the 12th century, focused on building their kingdom beyond continental borders.

The westernmost nation of continental Europe used its maritime strength to colonize and forge trade routes to India, China, Japan and the coasts of Africa. Such legendary explorers as Bartholomeu Dias, Vasco da Gama, Christopher Columbus and Ferdinand Magellan sailed under Portuguese masts throughout the 15th and 16th centuries, their journeys blessed by ambitious monarchs. Eighty percent of Portugal’s current population is Roman Catholic.

The Discovery Age giant was thrown into economic turmoil after an earthquake ravaged the capital, Lisbon, in 1755, a fall that Portugal has never quite recovered from. Largely dependent on the success of its colonies, the nation’s strained economy was pushed into steeper decline with the independence of Brazil, its wealthiest colony, in 1822 and the flood of emigrants returning home as other African and Asian colonies were relinquished through the next century.

Financial strife continues to haunt Portugal. The nation’s budget deficit, while decreasing, is well above the European Union’s accepted rate, and financial assistance received from the European Commission and International Monetary Fund in 2011 is still being repaid. The country’s gross domestic product per capita is one of the lowest among wealthy nations, and unemployment rates are high in this heavily service-based economy. Long stretches of beach, a mild climate and 15 UNESCO Heritage Sites make Portugal an increasingly popular place to visit.

Militaristic dictatorships that had taken advantage of a nation in crisis were finally overturned in 1974, and a democracy was established. Portugal released its last-standing colony, Macau, to China in 1999, and the once vast global empire has been reduced to a nation of about 10 million residents, heavily concentrated around Lisbon and the nearby coastal region.

[Explore the top universities in Portugal.]

Portugal is a founding member of NATO, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development and the European Free Trade Association. It is also a member of the World Bank and World Trade Organization.

$230.1 billion: GDP
10.3 million: POPULATION
$27,885: GDP PER CAPITA, PPP

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13 March 2017