IndicatorName: Time required to register property (days)

Longdefinition: Time required to register property is the number of calendar days needed for businesses to secure rights to property.

Statisticalconceptandmethodology:
Data are collected by the World Bank with a standardized survey that uses a simple business case to ensure comparability across economies and over time - with assumptions about the legal form of the business, its size, its location, and nature of its operation. Surveys are administered through more than 9,000 local experts, including lawyers, business consultants, accountants, freight forwarders, government officials, and other professionals who routinely administer or advise on legal and regulatory requirements.

The indicator records the procedures necessary for a business to purchase a property from another business and to formally transfer the property title to the buyer's name. The process starts with obtaining the necessary documents, such as a copy of the seller's title, and ends when the buyer is registered as the new owner of the property. Every procedure required by law or necessary in practice is included, whether it is the responsibility of the seller or the buyer and even if it must be completed by a third party on their behalf.

The Doing Business project of the World Bank encompasses two types of data: data from readings of laws and regulations and data on time and motion indicators that measure efficiency in achieving a regulatory goal. Within the time and motion indicators cost estimates are recorded from official fee schedules where applicable. The data from surveys are subjected to numerous tests for robustness, which lead to revision or expansion of the information collected.


Developmentrelevance:
The economic health of a country is measured not only in macroeconomic terms but also by other factors that shape daily economic activity such as laws, regulations, and institutional arrangements. The data measure business regulation, gauge regulatory outcomes, and measure the extent of legal protection of property, the flexibility of employment regulation, and the tax burden on businesses.

The fundamental premise of this data is that economic activity requires good rules and regulations that are efficient, accessible to all who need to use them, and simple to implement. Thus sometimes there is more emphasis on more regulation, such as stricter disclosure requirements in related-party transactions, and other times emphasis is on for simplified regulations, such as a one-stop shop for completing business startup formalities.

Entrepreneurs may not be aware of all required procedures or may avoid legally required procedures altogether. But where regulation is particularly onerous, levels of informality are higher, which comes at a cost: firms in the informal sector usually grow more slowly, have less access to credit, and employ fewer workers - and those workers remain outside the protections of labor law. The indicator can help policymakers understand the business environment in a country and - along with information from other sources such as the World Bank's Enterprise Surveys - provide insights into potential areas of reform.

Limitationsandexceptions: The Doing Business methodology has limitations that should be considered when interpreting the data. First, the data collected refer to businesses in the economy's largest city and may not represent regulations in other locations of the economy. To address this limitation, subnational indicators are being collected for selected economies. These subnational studies point to significant differences in the speed of reform and the ease of doing business across cities in the same economy. Second, the data often focus on a specific business form - generally a limited liability company of a specified size - and may not represent regulation for other types of businesses such as sole proprietorships. Third, transactions described in a standardized business case refer to a specific set of issues and may not represent the full set of issues a business encounters. Fourth, the time measures involve an element of judgment by the expert respondents. When sources indicate different estimates, the Doing Business time indicators represent the median values of several responses given under the assumptions of the standardized case. Fifth, the methodology assumes that a business has full information on what is required and does not waste time when completing procedures.

Periodicity: Annual

Source: World Bank, Doing Business project (http://www.doingbusiness.org/). NOTE: Doing Business has been discontinued as of 9/16/2021. For more information: https://bit.ly/3CLCbme

Topic: Private Sector & Trade: Business environment

Aggregationmethod: Unweighted average

License_Type: CC BY-4.0

Generalcomments: Data are presented for the survey year instead of publication year.

name: Time required to register property (days)

value: World Development Indicators

sourceNote: Time required to register property is the number of calendar days needed for businesses to secure rights to property.

value: Private Sector


sourceOrganization: World Bank, Doing Business project (http://www.doingbusiness.org/). NOTE: Doing Business has been discontinued as of 9/16/2021. For more information: https://bit.ly/3CLCbme


name: Fragile and conflict affected situations


name: Middle East & North Africa (excluding high income)


name: East Asia & Pacific (IDA & IBRD countries)


name: Latin America & Caribbean (excluding high income)


name: Least developed countries: UN classification


name: Middle East & North Africa (IDA & IBRD countries)


name: Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)


name: Europe & Central Asia (excluding high income)


name: East Asia & Pacific (excluding high income)


name: Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries)


name: Europe & Central Asia (IDA & IBRD countries)


name: Latin America & the Caribbean (IDA & IBRD countries)


IndicatorName: Procedures to register property (number)

Limitationsandexceptions: The Doing Business methodology has limitations that should be considered when interpreting the data. First, the data collected refer to businesses in the economy's largest city and may not represent regulations in other locations of the economy. To address this limitation, subnational indicators are being collected for selected economies. These subnational studies point to significant differences in the speed of reform and the ease of doing business across cities in the same economy. Second, the data often focus on a specific business form - generally a limited liability company of a specified size - and may not represent regulation for other types of businesses such as sole proprietorships. Third, transactions described in a standardized business case refer to a specific set of issues and may not represent the full set of issues a business encounters. Fourth, the time measures involve an element of judgment by the expert respondents. When sources indicate different estimates, the Doing Business time indicators represent the median values of several responses given under the assumptions of the standardized case. Fifth, the methodology assumes that a business has full information on what is required and does not waste time when completing procedures. Please also see: https://www.doingbusiness.org/en/about-us/faq

Longdefinition: Number of procedures to register property is the number of procedures required for a businesses to secure rights to property.

Statisticalconceptandmethodology:
Data are collected by the World Bank with a standardized survey that uses a simple business case to ensure comparability across economies and over time - with assumptions about the legal form of the business, its size, its location, and nature of its operation. Surveys are administered through more than 9,000 local experts, including lawyers, business consultants, accountants, freight forwarders, government officials, and other professionals who routinely administer or advise on legal and regulatory requirements.

The indicator records the procedures necessary for a business to purchase a property from another business and to formally transfer the property title to the buyer's name. The process starts with obtaining the necessary documents, such as a copy of the seller's title, and ends when the buyer is registered as the new owner of the property. Every procedure required by law or necessary in practice is included, whether it is the responsibility of the seller or the buyer and even if it must be completed by a third party on their behalf.

The Doing Business project of the World Bank encompasses two types of data: data from readings of laws and regulations and data on time and motion indicators that measure efficiency in achieving a regulatory goal. Within the time and motion indicators cost estimates are recorded from official fee schedules where applicable. The data from surveys are subjected to numerous tests for robustness, which lead to revision or expansion of the information collected. Data starting in 2015 reflect the DB15-17 methodology change. Please also see: https://www.doingbusiness.org/en/methodology/registering-property


name: Procedures to register property (number)

sourceNote: Number of procedures to register property is the number of procedures required for a businesses to secure rights to property.


IndicatorName: Cost of business start-up procedures, female (% of GNI per capita)

Longdefinition: Cost to register a business is normalized by presenting it as a percentage of gross national income (GNI) per capita.

Statisticalconceptandmethodology:
Data are collected by the World Bank with a standardized survey that uses a simple business case to ensure comparability across economies and over time - with assumptions about the legal form of the business, its size, its location, and nature of its operation. Surveys are administered through more than 9,000 local experts, including lawyers, business consultants, accountants, freight forwarders, government officials, and other professionals who routinely administer or advise on legal and regulatory requirements.

Entrepreneurs around the world face a range of challenges. One of them is inefficient regulation. This indicator measures the number of procedures, time, cost and paid-in minimum capital requirement for a small- to medium-size limited liability company to start up and formally operate in each economy’s largest business city. To make the data comparable across 190 economies, Doing Business uses a standardized business that is 100% domestically owned, has a start-up capital equivalent to 10 times the income per capita, engages in general industrial or commercial activities and employs between 10 and 50 people one month after the commencement of operations, all of whom are domestic nationals.  The starting a business indicators consider two cases of local limited liability companies that are identical in all aspects, except that one company is owned by five married women and the other by five married men.

The Doing Business project of the World Bank encompasses two types of data: data from readings of laws and regulations and data on time and motion indicators that measure efficiency in achieving a regulatory goal. Within the time and motion indicators cost estimates are recorded from official fee schedules where applicable. The data from surveys are subjected to numerous tests for robustness, which lead to revision or expansion of the information collected.


name: Cost of business start-up procedures, female (% of GNI per capita)

sourceNote: Cost to register a business is normalized by presenting it as a percentage of gross national income (GNI) per capita.


IndicatorName: Cost of business start-up procedures, male (% of GNI per capita)

Statisticalconceptandmethodology:
Data are collected by the World Bank with a standardized survey that uses a simple business case to ensure comparability across economies and over time - with assumptions about the legal form of the business, its size, its location, and nature of its operation. Surveys are administered through more than 9,000 local experts, including lawyers, business consultants, accountants, freight forwarders, government officials, and other professionals who routinely administer or advise on legal and regulatory requirements.

Entrepreneurs around the world face a range of challenges. One of them is inefficient regulation. This indicator measures the paid-in minimum capital requirement for a small- to medium-size limited liability company to start up and formally operate in each economy’s largest business city.  To make the data comparable across 190 economies, Doing Business uses a standardized business that is 100% domestically owned, has a start-up capital equivalent to 10 times the income per capita, engages in general industrial or commercial activities and employs between 10 and 50 people one month after the commencement of operations, all of whom are domestic nationals.  The starting a business indicators consider two cases of local limited liability companies that are identical in all aspects, except that one company is owned by five married women and the other by five married men.

The Doing Business project of the World Bank encompasses two types of data: data from readings of laws and regulations and data on time and motion indicators that measure efficiency in achieving a regulatory goal. Within the time and motion indicators cost estimates are recorded from official fee schedules where applicable. The data from surveys are subjected to numerous tests for robustness, which lead to revision or expansion of the information collected.


name: Cost of business start-up procedures, male (% of GNI per capita)


IndicatorName: Cost of business start-up procedures (% of GNI per capita)

Statisticalconceptandmethodology:
Data are collected by the World Bank with a standardized survey that uses a simple business case to ensure comparability across economies and over time - with assumptions about the legal form of the business, its size, its location, and nature of its operation. Surveys are administered through more than 9,000 local experts, including lawyers, business consultants, accountants, freight forwarders, government officials, and other professionals who routinely administer or advise on legal and regulatory requirements.

Entrepreneurs around the world face a range of challenges. One of them is inefficient regulation. The indicator measures the procedures, time, cost and paid-in minimum capital required for a small or medium-size limited liability company to start up and formally operate.

The Doing Business project of the World Bank encompasses two types of data: data from readings of laws and regulations and data on time and motion indicators that measure efficiency in achieving a regulatory goal. Within the time and motion indicators cost estimates are recorded from official fee schedules where applicable. The data from surveys are subjected to numerous tests for robustness, which lead to revision or expansion of the information collected.


name: Cost of business start-up procedures (% of GNI per capita)


IndicatorName: Time required to start a business (days)

Longdefinition: Time required to start a business is the number of calendar days needed to complete the procedures to legally operate a business. If a procedure can be speeded up at additional cost, the fastest procedure, independent of cost, is chosen.


name: Time required to start a business (days)

sourceNote: Time required to start a business is the number of calendar days needed to complete the procedures to legally operate a business. If a procedure can be speeded up at additional cost, the fastest procedure, independent of cost, is chosen.


name: Fragile and conflict affected situations


name: Middle East & North Africa (excluding high income)


name: East Asia & Pacific (IDA & IBRD countries)


IndicatorName: Time required to start a business, female (days)

Statisticalconceptandmethodology:
Data are collected by the World Bank with a standardized survey that uses a simple business case to ensure comparability across economies and over time - with assumptions about the legal form of the business, its size, its location, and nature of its operation. Surveys are administered through more than 9,000 local experts, including lawyers, business consultants, accountants, freight forwarders, government officials, and other professionals who routinely administer or advise on legal and regulatory requirements.

Entrepreneurs around the world face a range of challenges. One of them is inefficient regulation. This indicator measures the time for a small- to medium-size limited liability company to start up and formally operate in each economy’s largest business city.  To make the data comparable across 190 economies, Doing Business uses a standardized business that is 100% domestically owned, has a start-up capital equivalent to 10 times the income per capita, engages in general industrial or commercial activities and employs between 10 and 50 people one month after the commencement of operations, all of whom are domestic nationals.  The starting a business indicators consider two cases of local limited liability companies that are identical in all aspects, except that one company is owned by five married women and the other by five married men.

The Doing Business project of the World Bank encompasses two types of data: data from readings of laws and regulations and data on time and motion indicators that measure efficiency in achieving a regulatory goal. Within the time and motion indicators cost estimates are recorded from official fee schedules where applicable. The data from surveys are subjected to numerous tests for robustness, which lead to revision or expansion of the information collected.


name: Time required to start a business, female (days)


name: Latin America & Caribbean (excluding high income)


name: Least developed countries: UN classification


name: Middle East & North Africa (IDA & IBRD countries)


name: Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)


Developmentrelevance:
The economic health of a country is measured not only in macroeconomic terms but also by other factors that shape daily economic activity such as laws, regulations, and institutional arrangements. The Doing Business data measure business regulation, gauge regulatory outcomes, and measure the extent of legal protection of property, the flexibility of employment regulation, and the tax burden on businesses.

The fundamental premise of this data is that economic activity requires good rules and regulations that are efficient, accessible to all who need to use them, and simple to implement. Thus sometimes there is more emphasis on more regulation, such as stricter disclosure requirements in related-party transactions, and other times emphasis is on for simplified regulations, such as a one-stop shop for completing business startup formalities.

Entrepreneurs may not be aware of all required procedures or may avoid legally required procedures altogether. But where regulation is particularly onerous, levels of informality are higher, which comes at a cost: firms in the informal sector usually grow more slowly, have less access to credit, and employ fewer workers - and those workers remain outside the protections of labor law. The indicator can help policymakers understand the business environment in a country and - along with information from other sources such as the World Bank's Enterprise Surveys - provide insights into potential areas of reform.

IndicatorName: Time required to start a business, male (days)


name: Time required to start a business, male (days)


name: East Asia & Pacific (excluding high income)


name: Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries)


name: Europe & Central Asia (excluding high income)


name: Europe & Central Asia (IDA & IBRD countries)


name: Latin America & the Caribbean (IDA & IBRD countries)


IndicatorName: Start-up procedures to register a business (number)

Longdefinition: Start-up procedures are those required to start a business, including interactions to obtain necessary permits and licenses and to complete all inscriptions, verifications, and notifications to start operations. Data are for businesses with specific characteristics of ownership, size, and type of production.


name: Start-up procedures to register a business (number)

sourceNote: Start-up procedures are those required to start a business, including interactions to obtain necessary permits and licenses and to complete all inscriptions, verifications, and notifications to start operations. Data are for businesses with specific characteristics of ownership, size, and type of production.


IndicatorName: Start-up procedures to register a business, female (number)

Statisticalconceptandmethodology:
Data are collected by the World Bank with a standardized survey that uses a simple business case to ensure comparability across economies and over time - with assumptions about the legal form of the business, its size, its location, and nature of its operation. Surveys are administered through more than 9,000 local experts, including lawyers, business consultants, accountants, freight forwarders, government officials, and other professionals who routinely administer or advise on legal and regulatory requirements.

Entrepreneurs around the world face a range of challenges. One of them is inefficient regulation. This indicator measures the number of procedure for a small- to medium-size limited liability company to start up and formally operate in each economy’s largest business city.  To make the data comparable across 190 economies, Doing Business uses a standardized business that is 100% domestically owned, has a start-up capital equivalent to 10 times the income per capita, engages in general industrial or commercial activities and employs between 10 and 50 people one month after the commencement of operations, all of whom are domestic nationals.  The starting a business indicators consider two cases of local limited liability companies that are identical in all aspects, except that one company is owned by five married women and the other by five married men.

The Doing Business project of the World Bank encompasses two types of data: data from readings of laws and regulations and data on time and motion indicators that measure efficiency in achieving a regulatory goal. Within the time and motion indicators cost estimates are recorded from official fee schedules where applicable. The data from surveys are subjected to numerous tests for robustness, which lead to revision or expansion of the information collected.


name: Start-up procedures to register a business, female (number)


IndicatorName: Start-up procedures to register a business, male (number)

Statisticalconceptandmethodology: This indicator measures the number of procedures for a small- to medium-size limited liability company to start up and formally operate in each economy’s largest business city.  To make the data comparable across 190 economies, Doing Business uses a standardized business that is 100% domestically owned, has a start-up capital equivalent to 10 times the income per capita, engages in general industrial or commercial activities and employs between 10 and 50 people one month after the commencement of operations, all of whom are domestic nationals. The starting a business indicators consider two cases of local limited liability companies that are identical in all aspects, except that one company is owned by five married women and the other by five married men.


name: Start-up procedures to register a business, male (number)


name: Fragile and conflict affected situations


name: Middle East & North Africa (excluding high income)


Time to prepare and pay taxes (hours)

Developmentrelevance:
The total tax rate payable by businesses provides a comprehensive measure of the cost of all the taxes a business bears. It differs from the statutory tax rate, which is the factor applied to the tax base. In computing business tax rates, actual tax payable is divided by commercial profit.

Taxes are the main source of revenue for most governments. The sources of tax revenue and their relative contributions are determined by government policy choices about where and how to impose taxes and by changes in the structure of the economy. Tax policy may reflect concerns about distributional effects, economic efficiency (including corrections for externalities), and the practical problems of administering a tax system. There is no ideal level of taxation. But taxes influence incentives and thus the behavior of economic actors and the economy's competitiveness.

IndicatorName: Time to prepare and pay taxes (hours)

Limitationsandexceptions:
To make the data comparable across countries, several assumptions are made about businesses. The main assumptions are that they are limited liability companies, they operate in the country's most populous city, they are domestically owned, they perform general industrial or commercial activities, and they have certain levels of start-up capital, employees, and turnover.

The Doing Business methodology on business taxes is consistent with the Total Tax Contribution framework developed by PricewaterhouseCoopers (now PwC), which measures the taxes that are borne by companies and that affect their income statements. However, PwC bases its calculation on data from the largest companies in the economy, while Doing Business focuses on a standardized medium-size company.

Longdefinition: Time to prepare and pay taxes is the time, in hours per year, it takes to prepare, file, and pay (or withhold) three major types of taxes: the corporate income tax, the value added or sales tax, and labor taxes, including payroll taxes and social security contributions.

Statisticalconceptandmethodology:
The data covering taxes payable by businesses, measure all taxes and contributions that are government mandated (at any level - federal, state, or local), apply to standardized businesses, and have an impact in their income statements. The taxes covered go beyond the definition of a tax for government national accounts (compulsory, unrequited payments to general government) and also measure any imposts that affect business accounts. The main differences are in labor contributions and value added taxes.

The data account for government-mandated contributions paid by the employer to a requited private pension fund or workers insurance fund but exclude value added taxes because they do not affect the accounting profits of the business - that is, they are not reflected in the income statement.

value: Public Sector


sourceNote: Time to prepare and pay taxes is the time, in hours per year, it takes to prepare, file, and pay (or withhold) three major types of taxes: the corporate income tax, the value added or sales tax, and labor taxes, including payroll taxes and social security contributions.


name: East Asia & Pacific (IDA & IBRD countries)


Developmentrelevance:
Firms evaluating investment options, governments interested in improving business conditions, and economists seeking to explain economic performance have all grappled with defining and measuring the business environment. The firm-level data from Enterprise Surveys provide a useful tool for benchmarking economies across a large number of indicators measured at the firm level.

The reliability and availability of infrastructure benefit households and support development. Firms with access to modern and efficient infrastructure - telecommunications, electricity, and transport - can be more productive.

A strong infrastructure enhances the competitiveness of an economy and generates a business environment conducive to firm growth and development. Good infrastructure efficiently connects firms to their customers and suppliers, and enables the use of modern production technologies. Conversely, deficiencies in infrastructure, such as loss of electricity on regular basis, create barriers to productive opportunities and increase costs for all firms, from micro enterprises to large multinational corporations.

IndicatorName: Firms expected to give gifts in meetings with tax officials (% of firms)

Limitationsandexceptions:
The sampling methodology for Enterprise Surveys is stratified random sampling. In a simple random sample, all members of the population have the same probability of being selected and no weighting of the observations is necessary. In a stratified random sample, all population units are grouped within homogeneous groups and simple random samples are selected within each group. This method allows computing estimates for each of the strata with a specified level of precision while population estimates can also be estimated by properly weighting individual observations. The sampling weights take care of the varying probabilities of selection across different strata. Under certain conditions, estimates' precision under stratified random sampling will be higher than under simple random sampling (lower standard errors may result from the estimation procedure).

The strata for Enterprise Surveys are firm size, business sector, and geographic region within a country. Firm size levels are 5-19 (small), 20-99 (medium), and 100+ employees (large-sized firms). Since in most economies, the majority of firms are small and medium-sized, Enterprise Surveys oversample large firms since larger firms tend to be engines of job creation. Sector breakdown is usually manufacturing, retail, and other services. For larger economies, specific manufacturing sub-sectors are selected as additional strata on the basis of employment, value-added, and total number of establishments figures. Geographic regions within a country are selected based on which cities/regions collectively contain the majority of economic activity.

Ideally the survey sample frame is derived from the universe of eligible firms obtained from the country’s statistical office. Sometimes the master list of firms is obtained from other government agencies such as tax or business licensing authorities. In some cases, the list of firms is obtained from business associations or marketing databases. In a few cases, the sample frame is created via block enumeration, where the World Bank “manually” constructs a list of eligible firms after 1) partitioning a country’s cities of major economic activity into clusters and blocks, 2) randomly selecting a subset of blocks which will then be enumerated. In surveys conducted since 2005-06, survey documentation which explains the source of the sample frame and any special circumstances encountered during survey fieldwork are included with the collected datasets.

Obtaining panel data, i.e. interviews with the same firms across multiple years, is a priority in current Enterprise Surveys. When conducting a new Enterprise Survey in a country where data was previously collected, maximal effort is expended to re-interview as many firms (from the prior survey) as possible. For these panel firms, sampling weights can be adjusted to take into account the resulting altered probabilities of inclusion in the sample frame.

Longdefinition: Firms expected to give gifts in meetings with tax officials is the percentage of firms that answered positively to the question "was a gift or informal payment expected or requested during a meeting with tax officials?"

Source: World Bank, Enterprise Surveys (http://www.enterprisesurveys.org/).

Statisticalconceptandmethodology:
Firm-level surveys have been conducted since the 1990's by different units within the World Bank. Since 2005-06, most data collection efforts have been centralized within the Enterprise Analysis Unit. Surveys implemented by the Enterprise Analysis Unit follow the Global Methodology.

Private contractors conduct the Enterprise Surveys on behalf of the World Bank. Due to sensitive survey questions addressing business-government relations and bribery-related topics, private contractors, rather than any government agency or an organization/institution associated with government, are hired by the World Bank to collect the data.

Confidentiality of the survey respondents and the sensitive information they provide is necessary to ensure the greatest degree of survey participation, integrity and confidence in the quality of the data. Surveys are usually carried out in cooperation with business organizations and government agencies promoting job creation and economic growth, but confidentiality is never compromised.

The Enterprise Survey is answered by business owners and top managers. Sometimes the survey respondent calls company accountants and human resource managers into the interview to answer questions in the sales and labor sections of the survey. Typically 1200-1800 interviews are conducted in larger economies, 360 interviews are conducted in medium-sized economies, and for smaller economies, 150 interviews take place.

The manufacturing and services sectors are the primary business sectors of interest. This corresponds to firms classified with ISIC codes 15-37, 45, 50-52, 55, 60-64, and 72 (ISIC Rev.3.1). Formal (registered) companies with 5 or more employees are targeted for interview. Services firms include construction, retail, wholesale, hotels, restaurants, transport, storage, communications, and IT. Firms with 100% government/state ownership are not eligible to participate in an Enterprise Survey. Occasionally, for a few surveyed countries, other sectors are included in the companies surveyed such as education or health-related businesses. In each country, businesses in the cities/regions of major economic activity are interviewed.

In some countries, other surveys, which depart from the usual Enterprise Survey methodology, are conducted. Examples include 1) Informal Surveys- surveys of informal (unregistered) enterprises, 2) Micro Surveys- surveys fielded to registered firms with less than five employees, and 3) Financial Crisis Assessment Surveys- short surveys administered by telephone to assess the effects of the global financial crisis of 2008-09.

The Enterprise Surveys Unit uses two instruments: the Manufacturing Questionnaire and the Services Questionnaire. Although many questions overlap, some are only applicable to one type of business. For example, retail firms are not asked about production and nonproduction workers.

The standard Enterprise Survey topics include firm characteristics, gender participation, access to finance, annual sales, costs of inputs/labor, workforce composition, bribery, licensing, infrastructure, trade, crime, competition, capacity utilization, land and permits, taxation, informality, business-government relations, innovation and technology, and performance measures.

Over 90% of the questions objectively ascertain characteristics of a country’s business environment. The remaining questions assess the survey respondents’ opinions on what are the obstacles to firm growth and performance. The mode of data collection is face-to-face interviews.

Notesfromoriginalsource: All surveys were administered using the Enterprise Surveys methodology as outlined in the Methodology page which can be found from www.enterprisesurveys.org.


name: Firms expected to give gifts in meetings with tax officials (% of firms)

sourceNote: Firms expected to give gifts in meetings with tax officials is the percentage of firms that answered positively to the question "was a gift or informal payment expected or requested during a meeting with tax officials?"

sourceOrganization: World Bank, Enterprise Surveys (http://www.enterprisesurveys.org/).


name: Latin America & Caribbean (excluding high income)


name: Least developed countries: UN classification


name: Middle East & North Africa (IDA & IBRD countries)


name: Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)


IndicatorName: Labor tax and contributions (% of commercial profits)

Longdefinition: Labor tax and contributions is the amount of taxes and mandatory contributions on labor paid by the business.


name: Labor tax and contributions (% of commercial profits)

sourceNote: Labor tax and contributions is the amount of taxes and mandatory contributions on labor paid by the business.


name: East Asia & Pacific (excluding high income)


name: Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries)


IndicatorName: Number of visits or required meetings with tax officials (average for affected firms)

Longdefinition: Average number of visits or required meetings with tax officials during the year. The value represents the average number of visits for all firms which reported being visited or required to meet with tax officials (please see indicator IC.FRM.METG.ZS).

Statisticalconceptandmethodology:
Firm-level surveys have been conducted since the 1990's by different units within the World Bank. Since 2005-06, most data collection efforts have been centralized within the Enterprise Analysis Unit. Surveys implemented by the Enterprise Analysis Unit follow the Global Methodology.

Private contractors conduct the Enterprise Surveys on behalf of the World Bank. Due to sensitive survey questions addressing business-government relations and bribery-related topics, private contractors, rather than any government agency or an organization/institution associated with government, are hired by the World Bank to collect the data.

Confidentiality of the survey respondents and the sensitive information they provide is necessary to ensure the greatest degree of survey participation, integrity and confidence in the quality of the data. Surveys are usually carried out in cooperation with business organizations and government agencies promoting job creation and economic growth, but confidentiality is never compromised.

The Enterprise Survey is answered by business owners and top managers. Sometimes the survey respondent calls company accountants and human resource managers into the interview to answer questions in the sales and labor sections of the survey. Typically 1200-1800 interviews are conducted in larger economies, 360 interviews are conducted in medium-sized economies, and for smaller economies, 150 interviews take place.

The manufacturing and services sectors are the primary business sectors of interest. This corresponds to firms classified with ISIC codes 15-37, 45, 50-52, 55, 60-64, and 72 (ISIC Rev.3.1). Formal (registered) companies with 5 or more employees are targeted for interview. Services firms include construction, retail, wholesale, hotels, restaurants, transport, storage, communications, and IT. Firms with 100% government/state ownership are not eligible to participate in an Enterprise Survey. Occasionally, for a few surveyed countries, other sectors are included in the companies surveyed such as education or health-related businesses. In each country, businesses in the cities/regions of major economic activity are interviewed.

In some countries, other surveys, which depart from the usual Enterprise Survey methodology, are conducted. Examples include 1) Informal Surveys- surveys of informal (unregistered) enterprises, 2) Micro Surveys- surveys fielded to registered firms with less than five employees, and 3) Financial Crisis Assessment Surveys- short surveys administered by telephone to assess the effects of the global financial crisis of 2008-09.

The Enterprise Surveys Unit uses two instruments: the Manufacturing Questionnaire and the Services Questionnaire. Although many questions overlap, some are only applicable to one type of business. For example, retail firms are not asked about production and nonproduction workers.

The standard Enterprise Survey topics include firm characteristics, gender participation, access to finance, annual sales, costs of inputs/labor, workforce composition, bribery, licensing, infrastructure, trade, crime, competition, capacity utilization, land and permits, taxation, informality, business-government relations, innovation and technology, and performance measures.

Over 90% of the questions objectively ascertain characteristics of a country’s business environment. The remaining questions assess the survey respondents’ opinions on what are the obstacles to firm growth and performance. The mode of data collection is face-to-face interviews.

Please also refer to the methodology information on the Enterprise Surveys site: https://www.enterprisesurveys.org/en/methodology

name: Europe & Central Asia (excluding high income)


name: Number of visits or required meetings with tax officials (average for affected firms)

sourceNote: Average number of visits or required meetings with tax officials during the year. The value represents the average number of visits for all firms which reported being visited or required to meet with tax officials (please see indicator IC.FRM.METG.ZS).


name: Europe & Central Asia (IDA & IBRD countries)


name: Latin America & the Caribbean (IDA & IBRD countries)


Developmentrelevance:
Low ratios of tax revenue to GDP may reflect weak administration and large-scale tax avoidance or evasion. Low ratios may also reflect a sizable parallel economy with unrecorded and undisclosed incomes. Tax revenue ratios tend to rise with income, with higher income countries relying on taxes to finance a much broader range of social services and social security than lower income countries are able to. The total tax rate payable by businesses provides a comprehensive measure of the cost of all the taxes a business bears. It differs from the statutory tax rate, which is the factor applied to the tax base. In computing business tax rates, actual tax payable is divided by commercial profit.

Taxes are the main source of revenue for most governments. The sources of tax revenue and their relative contributions are determined by government policy choices about where and how to impose taxes and by changes in the structure of the economy. Tax policy may reflect concerns about distributional effects, economic efficiency (including corrections for externalities), and the practical problems of administering a tax system. There is no ideal level of taxation. But taxes influence incentives and thus the behavior of economic actors and the economy's competitiveness.

IndicatorName: Other taxes payable by businesses (% of commercial profits)

Longdefinition: Other taxes payable by businesses include the amounts paid for property taxes, turnover taxes, and other small taxes such as municipal fees and vehicle and fuel taxes.


name: Other taxes payable by businesses (% of commercial profits)

sourceNote: Other taxes payable by businesses include the amounts paid for property taxes, turnover taxes, and other small taxes such as municipal fees and vehicle and fuel taxes.


Tax payments (number)

IndicatorName: Tax payments (number)

Longdefinition: Tax payments by businesses are the total number of taxes paid by businesses, including electronic filing. The tax is counted as paid once a year even if payments are more frequent.


sourceNote: Tax payments by businesses are the total number of taxes paid by businesses, including electronic filing. The tax is counted as paid once a year even if payments are more frequent.


Profit tax (% of commercial profits)

IndicatorName: Profit tax (% of commercial profits)

Longdefinition: Profit tax is the amount of taxes on profits paid by the business.


sourceNote: Profit tax is the amount of taxes on profits paid by the business.


IndicatorName: Total tax and contribution rate (% of profit)

Longdefinition: Total tax rate measures the amount of taxes and mandatory contributions payable by businesses after accounting for allowable deductions and exemptions as a share of commercial profits. Taxes withheld (such as personal income tax) or collected and remitted to tax authorities (such as value added taxes, sales taxes or goods and service taxes) are excluded.


name: Total tax and contribution rate (% of profit)

sourceNote: Total tax rate measures the amount of taxes and mandatory contributions payable by businesses after accounting for allowable deductions and exemptions as a share of commercial profits. Taxes withheld (such as personal income tax) or collected and remitted to tax authorities (such as value added taxes, sales taxes or goods and service taxes) are excluded.


name: Fragile and conflict affected situations


name: Middle East & North Africa (excluding high income)


name: East Asia & Pacific (IDA & IBRD countries)


IndicatorName: Time required to build a warehouse (days)

Longdefinition: Time required to build a warehouse is the number of calendar days needed to complete the required procedures for building a warehouse. If a procedure can be speeded up at additional cost, the fastest procedure, independent of cost, is chosen.

Statisticalconceptandmethodology:
Data are collected by the World Bank with a standardized survey that uses a simple business case to ensure comparability across economies and over time - with assumptions about the legal form of the business, its size, its location, and nature of its operation. Surveys are administered through more than 9,000 local experts, including lawyers, business consultants, accountants, freight forwarders, government officials, and other professionals who routinely administer or advise on legal and regulatory requirements.

To build a simple commercial warehouse and connect it to water, sewerage and a fixed telephone line, many construction regulations are required. Construction regulation matters for public safety. If procedures are too complicated or costly, builders tend to proceed without a permit. By some estimates 60-80 percent of building projects in developing economies are undertaken without the proper permits and approvals. Good regulations help ensure the safety standards that protect the public while making the permitting process efficient, transparent and affordable. Time is recorded in calendar days. The measure captures the median duration that local experts indicate is necessary to complete a procedure in practice. It is assumed that the minimum time required for each procedure is one day, except for procedures that can be fully completed online, for which the time required is recorded as half a day. Although procedures may take place simultaneously, they cannot start on the same day (that is, simultaneous procedures start on consecutive days), again with the exception of procedures that can be fully completed online. If a procedure can be accelerated legally for an additional cost, the fastest procedure is chosen if that option is more bene?cial to the economy’s score. It is assumed that BuildCo does not waste time and commits to completing each remaining procedure without delay. The time that BuildCo spends on gathering information is not taken into account. It is assumed that BuildCo follows all building requirements and their sequence as required. Data starting in 2014 reflect the DB15-17 methodology change.

The Doing Business project of the World Bank encompasses two types of data: data from readings of laws and regulations and data on time and motion indicators that measure efficiency in achieving a regulatory goal. Within the time and motion indicators cost estimates are recorded from official fee schedules where applicable. The data from surveys are subjected to numerous tests for robustness, which lead to revision or expansion of the information collected. Please also see: https://www.doingbusiness.org/en/methodology/dealing-with-construction-permits


name: Time required to build a warehouse (days)

sourceNote: Time required to build a warehouse is the number of calendar days needed to complete the required procedures for building a warehouse. If a procedure can be speeded up at additional cost, the fastest procedure, independent of cost, is chosen.


name: Latin America & Caribbean (excluding high income)


name: Least developed countries: UN classification


name: Middle East & North Africa (IDA & IBRD countries)


name: Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)


IndicatorName: Procedures to build a warehouse (number)

Longdefinition: Number of procedures to build a warehouse is the number of interactions of a company's employees or managers with external parties, including government agency staff, public inspectors, notaries, land registry and cadastre staff, and technical experts apart from architects and engineers.

Statisticalconceptandmethodology:
Data are collected by the World Bank with a standardized survey that uses a simple business case to ensure comparability across economies and over time - with assumptions about the legal form of the business, its size, its location, and nature of its operation. Surveys are administered through more than 9,000 local experts, including lawyers, business consultants, accountants, freight forwarders, government officials, and other professionals who routinely administer or advise on legal and regulatory requirements.

To build a simple commercial warehouse and connect it to water, sewerage and a fixed telephone line, many construction regulations are required. Construction regulation matters for public safety. If procedures are too complicated or costly, builders tend to proceed without a permit. By some estimates 60-80 percent of building projects in developing economies are undertaken without the proper permits and approvals. Good regulations help ensure the safety standards that protect the public while making the permitting process efficient, transparent and affordable. A procedure is any interaction of the building company’s employees, managers, or any party acting on behalf of the company, with external parties, including government agencies, notaries, the land registry, the cadastre, utility companies and public inspectors—and the hiring of external private inspectors and technical experts where needed. Interactions between company employees, such as development of the warehouse plans and inspections by the in-house engineer, are not counted as procedures. However, interactions with external parties that are required for the architect to prepare the plans and drawings (such as obtaining topographic or geological surveys), or to have such documents approved or stamped by external parties, are counted as procedures. Procedures that the company undergoes to connect the warehouse to water and sewerage are included. All procedures that are legally required and that are done in practice by the majority of companies to build a warehouse are counted, even if they may be avoided in exceptional cases. For example, obtaining technical conditions for electricity or a clearance of the electrical plans are counted as separate procedures if they are required for obtaining a building permit. Data starting in 2014 reflect the DB15-17 methodology change.

The Doing Business project of the World Bank encompasses two types of data: data from readings of laws and regulations and data on time and motion indicators that measure efficiency in achieving a regulatory goal. Within the time and motion indicators cost estimates are recorded from official fee schedules where applicable. The data from surveys are subjected to numerous tests for robustness, which lead to revision or expansion of the information collected. Please also see: https://www.doingbusiness.org/en/methodology/dealing-with-construction-permits


name: Procedures to build a warehouse (number)

sourceNote: Number of procedures to build a warehouse is the number of interactions of a company's employees or managers with external parties, including government agency staff, public inspectors, notaries, land registry and cadastre staff, and technical experts apart from architects and engineers.


name: East Asia & Pacific (excluding high income)


name: Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries)


Developmentrelevance:
Investment in infrastructure projects with private participation has made important contributions to easing fiscal constraints, improving the efficiency of infrastructure services, and extending delivery to poor people. Developing countries have been in the forefront, pioneering better approaches to infrastructure services and reaping the benefits of greater competition and customer focus. Entrepreneurship is essential to the dynamism of the modern market economy, and a greater entry density of new businesses can foster competition and economic growth.

Private sector development and investment - tapping private sector initiative and investment for socially useful purposes - are critical for poverty reduction. In parallel with public sector efforts, private investment, especially in competitive markets, has tremendous potential to contribute to growth. Private markets are the engine of productivity growth, creating productive jobs and higher incomes. And with government playing a complementary role of regulation, funding, and service provision, private initiative and investment can help provide the basic services and conditions that empower poor people - by improving health, education, and infrastructure.

IndicatorName: Investment in energy with private participation (current US$)

Limitationsandexceptions:
The data on investment in infrastructure projects with private participation refer to all investment (public and private) in projects in which a private company assumes operating risk during the operating period or development and operating risk during the contract period. Investment refers to commitments not disbursements. Foreign state-owned companies are considered private entities for the purposes of this measure.

Investment commitments are the sum of investments in physical assets and payments to the government. Investments in physical assets are resources the project company commits to invest during the contract period in new facilities or in expansion and modernization of existing facilities. Payments to the government are the resources the project company spends on acquiring government assets such as state-owned enterprises, rights to provide services in a specific area, or use of specific radio spectrums. Data on the projects are compiled from publicly available information. The database aims to be as comprehensive as possible, but some projects - particularly those involving local and small-scale operators - may be omitted because they are not publicly reported.

Longdefinition: Investment in energy projects with private participation  refers to commitments to  infrastructure projects in energy (electricity and natural gas: generation, transmission and distribution) that have reached financial closure and directly or indirectly serve the public. Movable assets and small projects such as windmills are excluded. The types of projects included are management and lease contracts, operations and management contracts with major capital expenditure, greenfield projects (in which a private entity or a public-private joint venture builds and operates a new facility), and divestitures. Investment commitments are the sum of investments in facilities and investments in government assets. Investments in facilities are the resources the project company commits to invest during the contract period either in new facilities or in expansion and modernization of existing facilities. Investments in government assets are the resources the project company spends on acquiring government assets such as state-owned enterprises, rights to provide services in a specific area, or the use of specific radio spectrums. Data is presented based on investment year. Data are in current U.S. dollars.

Source: World Bank, Private Participation in Infrastructure Project Database (http://ppi.worldbank.org).

Statisticalconceptandmethodology:
The data are from the World Bank's Private Participation in Infrastructure (PPI) Project database, which tracks infrastructure projects with private participation in developing countries. It provides information on more than 5,000 infrastructure projects in 139 developing economies from 1984. The database contains more than 30 fields per project record, including country, financial closure year, infrastructure services provided, type of private participation, investment, technology, capacity, project location, contract duration, private sponsors, bidding process, and development bank support.

The database is a joint product of the World Bank's Finance, Economics, and Urban Development Department and the Public-Private Infrastructure Advisory Facility. Geographic and income aggregates are calculated by the World Bank's Development Data Group.

Data are in current U.S. dollars.

Topic: Private Sector & Trade: Private infrastructure investment

Aggregationmethod: Sum

Shortdefinition: Investment in energy with private participation is the value of commitments to energy projects that have reached financial closure and directly or indirectly serve the public, including lease and management contracts, operation and management contracts with major capital expenditure, greenfield projects (in which a private entity or public-private joint venture builds and operates a new facility), and divestitures. Movable assets and small projects such as windmills are excluded.

value: Energy & Mining

value: Infrastructure


name: Investment in energy with private participation (current US$)

sourceNote: Investment in energy projects with private participation  refers to commitments to  infrastructure projects in energy (electricity and natural gas: generation, transmission and distribution) that have reached financial closure and directly or indirectly serve the public. Movable assets and small projects such as windmills are excluded. The types of projects included are management and lease contracts, operations and management contracts with major capital expenditure, greenfield projects (in which a private entity or a public-private joint venture builds and operates a new facility), and divestitures. Investment commitments are the sum of investments in facilities and investments in government assets. Investments in facilities are the resources the project company commits to invest during the contract period either in new facilities or in expansion and modernization of existing facilities. Investments in government assets are the resources the project company spends on acquiring government assets such as state-owned enterprises, rights to provide services in a specific area, or the use of specific radio spectrums. Data is presented based on investment year. Data are in current U.S. dollars.

sourceOrganization: World Bank, Private Participation in Infrastructure Project Database (http://ppi.worldbank.org).


name: Europe & Central Asia (excluding high income)


Developmentrelevance:
Investment in infrastructure projects with private participation has made important contributions to improving the efficiency of infrastructure services, and extending delivery to poor people. Developing countries have been in the forefront, looking for better approaches to infrastructure services and reaping the benefits of greater competition and customer focus. Entrepreneurship is essential to the dynamism of the modern market economy, and a greater entry density of new businesses can foster competition and economic growth.

Private sector development and investment - tapping private sector initiative and investment for socially useful purposes - are critical for poverty reduction. In parallel with public sector efforts, private investment, especially in competitive markets, has tremendous potential to contribute to growth. Private markets are the engine of productivity growth, creating productive jobs and higher incomes. And with government playing a complementary role of regulation, funding, and service provision, private initiative and investment can help provide the basic services and conditions that empower poor people - by improving health, education, and infrastructure.

IndicatorName: Investment in ICT with private participation (current US$)

Limitationsandexceptions:
The data on investment in infrastructure projects with private participation refer to all investment commitments (public and private) in projects in which a private company assumes operating risk during the operating period or development and operating risk during the contract period. Investment refers to commitments not disbursements. Foreign state-owned companies are considered private entities for the purposes of this measure.

Movable assets and small projects are excluded. The types of projects included are operations and management contracts, operations and management contracts with major capital expenditure, greenfield projects (in which a private entity or a public-private joint venture builds and operates a new facility), and divestitures. Investment commitments are the sum of investments in facilities and investments in government assets. Investments in facilities are the resources the project company commits to invest during the contract period either in new facilities or in expansion and modernization of existing facilities. Investments in government assets are the resources the project company spends on acquiring government assets such as state-owned enterprises, rights to provide services in a specific area, or the use of specific radio spectrums. Data on the projects are compiled from publicly available information. The database aims to be as comprehensive as possible, but some projects - particularly those involving local and small-scale operators - may be omitted because they are not publicly reported. Data are available 2015 onwards only for ICT.

Longdefinition: Investment in ICT projects with private participation refers to commitments to projects in ICT backbone infrastructure (including land based and submarine cables) that have reached financial closure and directly or indirectly serve the public. Movable assets and small projects are excluded. The types of projects included are operations and management contracts, operations and management contracts with major capital expenditure, greenfield projects (in which a private entity or a public-private joint venture builds and operates a new facility), and divestitures. Investment commitments are the sum of investments in facilities and investments in government assets. Investments in facilities are the resources the project company commits to invest during the contract period either in new facilities or in expansion and modernization of existing facilities. Investments in government assets are the resources the project company spends on acquiring government assets such as state-owned enterprises, rights to provide services in a specific area, or the use of specific radio spectrums. Data is presented based on investment year. Data are in current U.S. dollars and available 2015 onwards only.

Statisticalconceptandmethodology:
The data are from the World Bank's Private Participation in Infrastructure (PPI) Project database, which tracks infrastructure projects with private participation in developing countries. It provides information on more than 6,400 infrastructure projects in 139 developing economies from 1984. The database contains more than 30 fields per project record, including country, financial closure year, infrastructure services provided, type of private participation, investment, technology, capacity, project location, contract duration, private sponsors, bidding process, and development bank support.

The database is a joint product of the World Bank's Finance, Economics, and Urban Development Department and the Public-Private Infrastructure Advisory Facility. Geographic and income aggregates are calculated by the World Bank's Development Data Group.

Data are in current U.S. dollars.

Shortdefinition: Investment in ICT with private participation is the value of commitments to information and communications technology backbone infrastructure projects (including land based and submarine cables) that have an active government component (eg, the government is a contracting authority). These are projects which have reached financial closure and directly or indirectly serve the public, including operation and lease contracts, operation and management  contracts with major capital expenditure, greenfield projects (in which a private entity or public-private joint venture builds and operates a new facility), and divestitures. Movable assets and small projects are excluded.


name: Investment in ICT with private participation (current US$)

sourceNote: Investment in ICT projects with private participation refers to commitments to projects in ICT backbone infrastructure (including land based and submarine cables) that have reached financial closure and directly or indirectly serve the public. Movable assets and small projects are excluded. The types of projects included are operations and management contracts, operations and management contracts with major capital expenditure, greenfield projects (in which a private entity or a public-private joint venture builds and operates a new facility), and divestitures. Investment commitments are the sum of investments in facilities and investments in government assets. Investments in facilities are the resources the project company commits to invest during the contract period either in new facilities or in expansion and modernization of existing facilities. Investments in government assets are the resources the project company spends on acquiring government assets such as state-owned enterprises, rights to provide services in a specific area, or the use of specific radio spectrums. Data is presented based on investment year. Data are in current U.S. dollars and available 2015 onwards only.


name: Europe & Central Asia (IDA & IBRD countries)


name: Latin America & the Caribbean (IDA & IBRD countries)


IndicatorName: Investment in transport with private participation (current US$)

Limitationsandexceptions:
The data on investment in infrastructure projects with private participation refer to all investment (public and private) in projects in which a private company assumes operating risk during the operating period or development and operating risk during the contract period. Investment refers to commitments not disbursements. Foreign state-owned companies are considered private entities for the purposes of this measure.

Movable assets and small projects are excluded. The types of projects included are operations and management contracts, operations and management contracts with major capital expenditure, greenfield projects (in which a private entity or a public-private joint venture builds and operates a new facility), and divestitures. Investment commitments are the sum of investments in facilities and investments in government assets. Investments in facilities are the resources the project company commits to invest during the contract period either in new facilities or in expansion and modernization of existing facilities. Investments in government assets are the resources the project company spends on acquiring government assets such as state-owned enterprises, rights to provide services in a specific area, or the use of specific radio spectrums. Data on the projects are compiled from publicly available information. The database aims to be as comprehensive as possible, but some projects - particularly those involving local and small-scale operators - may be omitted because they are not publicly reported.

Longdefinition: Investment  in transport projects with private participation refers to commitments to  infrastructure projects in transport that have reached financial closure and directly or indirectly serve the public. Movable assets and small projects are excluded. The types of projects included are  management and lease contracts, operations and management contracts with major capital expenditure, greenfield projects (in which a private entity or a public-private joint venture builds and operates a new facility), and divestitures. Investment commitments are the sum of investments in facilities and investments in government assets. Investments in facilities are the resources the project company commits to invest during the contract period either in new facilities or in expansion and modernization of existing facilities. Investments in government assets are the resources the project company spends on acquiring government assets such as state-owned enterprises, rights to provide services in a specific area, or the use of specific radio spectrums. Data is presented based on investment year. Data are in current U.S. dollars.

Shortdefinition: Investment in transport with private participation is the value of commitments to transportation projects that have reached financial closure and directly or indirectly serve the public, including management and lease contracts, operation and management contracts with major capital expenditure, greenfield projects (in which a private entity or public-private joint venture builds and operates a new facility), and divestitures. Movable assets and small projects are excluded.


name: Investment in transport with private participation (current US$)

sourceNote: Investment  in transport projects with private participation refers to commitments to  infrastructure projects in transport that have reached financial closure and directly or indirectly serve the public. Movable assets and small projects are excluded. The types of projects included are  management and lease contracts, operations and management contracts with major capital expenditure, greenfield projects (in which a private entity or a public-private joint venture builds and operates a new facility), and divestitures. Investment commitments are the sum of investments in facilities and investments in government assets. Investments in facilities are the resources the project company commits to invest during the contract period either in new facilities or in expansion and modernization of existing facilities. Investments in government assets are the resources the project company spends on acquiring government assets such as state-owned enterprises, rights to provide services in a specific area, or the use of specific radio spectrums. Data is presented based on investment year. Data are in current U.S. dollars.


name: Fragile and conflict affected situations


name: Middle East & North Africa (excluding high income)


IndicatorName: Investment in water and sanitation with private participation (current US$)

Longdefinition: Investment in water and sanitation projects with private participation refers to commitments to  infrastructure projects in water and sanitation that have reached financial closure and directly or indirectly serve the public. Movable assets, incinerators, standalone solid waste projects, and small projects are excluded. The types of projects included are management and lease contracts, operations and management contracts with major capital expenditure, greenfield projects (in which a private entity or a public-private joint venture builds and operates a new facility), and divestitures. Investment commitments are the sum of investments in facilities and investments in government assets. Investments in facilities are the resources the project company commits to invest during the contract period either in new facilities or in expansion and modernization of existing facilities. Investments in government assets are the resources the project company spends on acquiring government assets such as state-owned enterprises, rights to provide services in a specific area, or the use of specific radio spectrums. Data is presented based on investment year. Data are in current U.S. dollars.

Shortdefinition: Investment in water and sanitation with private participation is the commitments to value of water and sanitation projects that have reached financial closure and directly or indirectly serve the public, including operation and management contracts with major capital expenditure, greenfield projects (in which a private entity or public-private joint venture builds and operates a new facility), and divestitures. Incinerators, movable assets, standalone solid waste projects, and small projects are excluded.


name: Investment in water and sanitation with private participation (current US$)

sourceNote: Investment in water and sanitation projects with private participation refers to commitments to  infrastructure projects in water and sanitation that have reached financial closure and directly or indirectly serve the public. Movable assets, incinerators, standalone solid waste projects, and small projects are excluded. The types of projects included are management and lease contracts, operations and management contracts with major capital expenditure, greenfield projects (in which a private entity or a public-private joint venture builds and operates a new facility), and divestitures. Investment commitments are the sum of investments in facilities and investments in government assets. Investments in facilities are the resources the project company commits to invest during the contract period either in new facilities or in expansion and modernization of existing facilities. Investments in government assets are the resources the project company spends on acquiring government assets such as state-owned enterprises, rights to provide services in a specific area, or the use of specific radio spectrums. Data is presented based on investment year. Data are in current U.S. dollars.


name: East Asia & Pacific (IDA & IBRD countries)


IndicatorName: Public private partnerships investment in energy (current US$)

Limitationsandexceptions:
The data on investment in infrastructure projects with private participation refer to all investment commitments (public and private) in projects in which a private company assumes operating risk during the operating period or development and operating risk during the contract period. Investment refers to commitments not disbursements. Foreign state-owned companies are considered private entities for the purposes of this measure.

Movable assets and small projects are excluded. The types of projects included are operations and management contracts, operations and management contracts with major capital expenditure, greenfield projects (in which a private entity or a public-private joint venture builds and operates a new facility), and divestitures. Investment commitments are the sum of investments in facilities and investments in government assets. Investments in facilities are the resources the project company commits to invest during the contract period either in new facilities or in expansion and modernization of existing facilities. Investments in government assets are the resources the project company spends on acquiring government assets such as state-owned enterprises, rights to provide services in a specific area, or the use of specific radio spectrums. Data on the projects are compiled from publicly available information. The database aims to be as comprehensive as possible, but some projects - particularly those involving local and small-scale operators - may be omitted because they are not publicly reported.

Longdefinition: Public Private Partnerships in energy (current US$)  refers to commitments to  infrastructure projects in energy (electricity and natural gas transmission and distribution) that have reached financial closure and directly or indirectly serve the public. Movable assets and small projects such as windmills are excluded. The types of projects included are  management and lease contracts, operations and management contracts with major capital expenditure, and greenfield projects (in which a private entity or a public-private joint venture builds and operates a new facility). It excludes divestitures and merchant projects. Investment commitments are the sum of investments in facilities and investments in government assets. Investments in facilities are the resources the project company commits to invest during the contract period either in new facilities or in expansion and modernization of existing facilities. Investments in government assets are the resources the project company spends on acquiring government assets such as state-owned enterprises, rights to provide services in a specific area, or the use of specific radio spectrums. Data is presented based on investment year. Data are in current U.S. dollars.

Shortdefinition: Public Private Partnerships in energy (current US$)  is the value of commitments to energy projects that have reached financial closure and directly or indirectly serve the public, including lease and management contracts, operation and management contracts with major capital expenditure, and greenfield projects (in which a private entity or public-private joint venture builds and operates a new facility). It excludes divestitures and merchant projects. Movable assets and small projects are excluded.


name: Public private partnerships investment in energy (current US$)

sourceNote: Public Private Partnerships in energy (current US$)  refers to commitments to  infrastructure projects in energy (electricity and natural gas transmission and distribution) that have reached financial closure and directly or indirectly serve the public. Movable assets and small projects such as windmills are excluded. The types of projects included are  management and lease contracts, operations and management contracts with major capital expenditure, and greenfield projects (in which a private entity or a public-private joint venture builds and operates a new facility). It excludes divestitures and merchant projects. Investment commitments are the sum of investments in facilities and investments in government assets. Investments in facilities are the resources the project company commits to invest during the contract period either in new facilities or in expansion and modernization of existing facilities. Investments in government assets are the resources the project company spends on acquiring government assets such as state-owned enterprises, rights to provide services in a specific area, or the use of specific radio spectrums. Data is presented based on investment year. Data are in current U.S. dollars.


name: Latin America & Caribbean (excluding high income)


name: Least developed countries: UN classification


name: Middle East & North Africa (IDA & IBRD countries)


name: Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)


name: East Asia & Pacific (excluding high income)


name: Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries)


IndicatorName: Public private partnerships investment in ICT (current US$)

Longdefinition: Public Private Partnerships in ICT (current US$) refers to commitments to projects in ICT backbone infrastructure (including land based and submarine cables) that have reached financial closure and directly or indirectly serve the public. Movable assets and small projects are excluded. The types of projects included are management and lease contracts, operations and management contracts with major capital expenditure and greenfield projects (in which a private entity or a public-private joint venture builds and operates a new facility). It excludes divestitures and merchant projects. Investment commitments are the sum of investments in facilities and investments in government assets. Investments in facilities are the resources the project company commits to invest during the contract period either in new facilities or in expansion and modernization of existing facilities. Investments in government assets are the resources the project company spends on acquiring government assets such as state-owned enterprises, rights to provide services in a specific area, or the use of specific radio spectrums. Data is presented based on investment year. Data are in current U.S. dollars and available 2015 onwards only.

Shortdefinition: Public Private Partnerships in ICT (current US$) is the value of information and communications technology backbone infrastructure projects (including land based and submarine cables) that have an active government component (eg, the government is a contracting authority). These are projects which have reached financial closure and directly or indirectly serve the public, including operation and management contracts with major capital expenditure and greenfield projects (in which a private entity or public-private joint venture builds and operates a new facility). It excludes divestitures and merchant projects. Movable assets and small projects are excluded.


name: Public private partnerships investment in ICT (current US$)

sourceNote: Public Private Partnerships in ICT (current US$) refers to commitments to projects in ICT backbone infrastructure (including land based and submarine cables) that have reached financial closure and directly or indirectly serve the public. Movable assets and small projects are excluded. The types of projects included are management and lease contracts, operations and management contracts with major capital expenditure and greenfield projects (in which a private entity or a public-private joint venture builds and operates a new facility). It excludes divestitures and merchant projects. Investment commitments are the sum of investments in facilities and investments in government assets. Investments in facilities are the resources the project company commits to invest during the contract period either in new facilities or in expansion and modernization of existing facilities. Investments in government assets are the resources the project company spends on acquiring government assets such as state-owned enterprises, rights to provide services in a specific area, or the use of specific radio spectrums. Data is presented based on investment year. Data are in current U.S. dollars and available 2015 onwards only.


name: Europe & Central Asia (excluding high income)


IndicatorName: Public private partnerships investment in transport (current US$)

Longdefinition: Public Private Partnerships in transport (current US$) refers to commitments to  infrastructure projects in transport that have reached financial closure and directly or indirectly serve the public. Movable assets and small projects are excluded. The types of projects included are  management and lease contracts, operations and management contracts with major capital expenditure,  and greenfield projects (in which a private entity or a public-private joint venture builds and operates a new facility). It excludes divestitures and merchant projects. Investment commitments are the sum of investments in facilities and investments in government assets. Investments in facilities are the resources the project company commits to invest during the contract period either in new facilities or in expansion and modernization of existing facilities. Investments in government assets are the resources the project company spends on acquiring government assets such as state-owned enterprises, rights to provide services in a specific area, or the use of specific radio spectrums. Data is presented based on investment year. Data are in current U.S. dollars.

Shortdefinition: Public Private Partnerships in transport (current US$)  is the value of commitments to transportation projects that have reached financial closure and directly or indirectly serve the public, including lease and management contracts, operation and management contracts with major capital expenditure, and greenfield projects (in which a private entity or public-private joint venture builds and operates a new facility). It excludes divestitures and merchant projects. Movable assets and small projects are excluded.


name: Public private partnerships investment in transport (current US$)

sourceNote: Public Private Partnerships in transport (current US$) refers to commitments to  infrastructure projects in transport that have reached financial closure and directly or indirectly serve the public. Movable assets and small projects are excluded. The types of projects included are  management and lease contracts, operations and management contracts with major capital expenditure,  and greenfield projects (in which a private entity or a public-private joint venture builds and operates a new facility). It excludes divestitures and merchant projects. Investment commitments are the sum of investments in facilities and investments in government assets. Investments in facilities are the resources the project company commits to invest during the contract period either in new facilities or in expansion and modernization of existing facilities. Investments in government assets are the resources the project company spends on acquiring government assets such as state-owned enterprises, rights to provide services in a specific area, or the use of specific radio spectrums. Data is presented based on investment year. Data are in current U.S. dollars.


name: Europe & Central Asia (IDA & IBRD countries)


name: Latin America & the Caribbean (IDA & IBRD countries)


IndicatorName: Public private partnerships investment in water and sanitation (current US$)

Longdefinition: Public Private Partnerships in water and sanitation (current US$) refers to commitments to  infrastructure projects in water and sanitation that have reached financial closure and directly or indirectly serve the public. Movable assets, incinerators, standalone solid waste projects, and small projects are excluded. The types of projects included are management and lease contracts, operations and management contracts with major capital expenditure, and greenfield projects (in which a private entity or a public-private joint venture builds and operates a new facility). It excludes divestitures and merchant projects. Investment commitments are the sum of investments in facilities and investments in government assets. Investments in facilities are the resources the project company commits to invest during the contract period either in new facilities or in expansion and modernization of existing facilities. Investments in government assets are the resources the project company spends on acquiring government assets such as state-owned enterprises, rights to provide services in a specific area, or the use of specific radio spectrums. Data is presented based on investment year. Data are in current U.S. dollars.

Shortdefinition: Public Private Partnerships in water and sanitation (current US$)  is the value of commitments to water and sanitation projects that have reached financial closure and directly or indirectly serve the public, including lease and management contracts, operation and management contracts with major capital expenditure, and greenfield projects (in which a private entity or public-private joint venture builds and operates a new facility). It excludes divestitures and merchant projects. Movable assets and small projects are excluded.


name: Public private partnerships investment in water and sanitation (current US$)

sourceNote: Public Private Partnerships in water and sanitation (current US$) refers to commitments to  infrastructure projects in water and sanitation that have reached financial closure and directly or indirectly serve the public. Movable assets, incinerators, standalone solid waste projects, and small projects are excluded. The types of projects included are management and lease contracts, operations and management contracts with major capital expenditure, and greenfield projects (in which a private entity or a public-private joint venture builds and operates a new facility). It excludes divestitures and merchant projects. Investment commitments are the sum of investments in facilities and investments in government assets. Investments in facilities are the resources the project company commits to invest during the contract period either in new facilities or in expansion and modernization of existing facilities. Investments in government assets are the resources the project company spends on acquiring government assets such as state-owned enterprises, rights to provide services in a specific area, or the use of specific radio spectrums. Data is presented based on investment year. Data are in current U.S. dollars.


name: Fragile and conflict affected situations


name: Middle East & North Africa (excluding high income)


IndicatorName: Industrial design applications, nonresident, by count

Limitationsandexceptions: An industrial design right protects only the appearance or aesthetic features of a product, whereas a patent protects an invention that offers a new technical solution to a problem. In principle, an industrial design right does not protect the technical or functional features of a product. Industrial design registrations are valid for a limited period. The term of protection is usually 15 years for most jurisdictions. However, differences in legislation do exist, notably in China (which provides for a 10-year term from the application date). Data are based on information supplied to World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) by IP offices in annual surveys, supplemented by data in national IP office reports. Data may be missing for some offices or periods.

Longdefinition: Industrial design applications are applications to register an industrial design with a national or regional Intellectual Property (IP) offices and designations received by relevant offices through the Hague System. Industrial designs are applied to a wide variety of industrial products and handicrafts. They refer to the ornamental or aesthetic aspects of a useful article, including compositions of lines or colors or any three-dimensional forms that give a special appearance to a product or handicraft. The holder of a registered industrial design has exclusive rights against unauthorized copying or imitation of the design by third parties. Industrial design registrations are valid for a limited period. The term of protection is usually 15 years for most jurisdictions. However, differences in legislation do exist, notably in China (which provides for a 10-year term from the application date). Non-resident application refers to an application filed with the IP office of or acting on behalf of a state or jurisdiction in which the first-named applicant in the application is not domiciled. Design count is used to render application data for industrial applications across offices comparable, as some offices follow a single-class/single-design filing system while other have a multiple class/design filing system.

Source: World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), Statistics Database at www.wipo.int/ipstats/. The International Bureau of WIPO assumes no responsibility with respect to the transformation of these data.

Topic: Infrastructure: Technology


name: Industrial design applications, nonresident, by count

sourceNote: Industrial design applications are applications to register an industrial design with a national or regional Intellectual Property (IP) offices and designations received by relevant offices through the Hague System. Industrial designs are applied to a wide variety of industrial products and handicrafts. They refer to the ornamental or aesthetic aspects of a useful article, including compositions of lines or colors or any three-dimensional forms that give a special appearance to a product or handicraft. The holder of a registered industrial design has exclusive rights against unauthorized copying or imitation of the design by third parties. Industrial design registrations are valid for a limited period. The term of protection is usually 15 years for most jurisdictions. However, differences in legislation do exist, notably in China (which provides for a 10-year term from the application date). Non-resident application refers to an application filed with the IP office of or acting on behalf of a state or jurisdiction in which the first-named applicant in the application is not domiciled. Design count is used to render application data for industrial applications across offices comparable, as some offices follow a single-class/single-design filing system while other have a multiple class/design filing system.

sourceOrganization: World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), Statistics Database at www.wipo.int/ipstats/. The International Bureau of WIPO assumes no responsibility with respect to the transformation of these data.


name: East Asia & Pacific (IDA & IBRD countries)


IndicatorName: Industrial design applications, resident, by count

Longdefinition: Industrial design applications are applications to register an industrial design with a national or regional Intellectual Property (IP) offices and designations received by relevant offices through the Hague System. Industrial designs are applied to a wide variety of industrial products and handicrafts. They refer to the ornamental or aesthetic aspects of a useful article, including compositions of lines or colors or any three-dimensional forms that give a special appearance to a product or handicraft. The holder of a registered industrial design has exclusive rights against unauthorized copying or imitation of the design by third parties. Industrial design registrations are valid for a limited period. The term of protection is usually 15 years for most jurisdictions. However, differences in legislation do exist, notably in China (which provides for a 10-year term from the application date). Resident application refers to an application filed with the IP office of or acting on behalf of the state or jurisdiction in which the first-named applicant in the application has residence. Design count is used to render application data for industrial applications across offices comparable, as some offices follow a single-class/single-design filing system while other have a multiple class/design filing system.


name: Industrial design applications, resident, by count

sourceNote: Industrial design applications are applications to register an industrial design with a national or regional Intellectual Property (IP) offices and designations received by relevant offices through the Hague System. Industrial designs are applied to a wide variety of industrial products and handicrafts. They refer to the ornamental or aesthetic aspects of a useful article, including compositions of lines or colors or any three-dimensional forms that give a special appearance to a product or handicraft. The holder of a registered industrial design has exclusive rights against unauthorized copying or imitation of the design by third parties. Industrial design registrations are valid for a limited period. The term of protection is usually 15 years for most jurisdictions. However, differences in legislation do exist, notably in China (which provides for a 10-year term from the application date). Resident application refers to an application filed with the IP office of or acting on behalf of the state or jurisdiction in which the first-named applicant in the application has residence. Design count is used to render application data for industrial applications across offices comparable, as some offices follow a single-class/single-design filing system while other have a multiple class/design filing system.


name: Latin America & Caribbean (excluding high income)


name: Least developed countries: UN classification


name: Middle East & North Africa (IDA & IBRD countries)


name: Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)


name: East Asia & Pacific (excluding high income)


name: Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries)


Developmentrelevance:
A scientific journal is a periodical publication intended to further the progress of science, usually by reporting new research. Most journals are highly specialized, although some of the oldest journals such as Nature publish articles and scientific papers across a wide range of scientific fields. Scientific journals contain articles that have been peer reviewed. When a scientific journal describes experiments or calculations, they must supply enough details that an independent researcher could repeat the experiment or calculation to verify the results. Each such journal article becomes part of the permanent scientific record.

Some journals, such as Nature, Science, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America (PNAS), and Physical Review Letters, have a reputation of publishing articles that mark a fundamental breakthrough in their respective fields.

Limitationsandexceptions:
Scientific and technical article counts are from journals classified by the Institute for Scientific Information's Science Citation Index (SCI) and Social Sciences Citation Index (SSCI). Counts are based on fractional assignments; articles with authors from different countries are allocated proportionately to each country. The SCI and SSCI databases cover the core set of scientific journals but may exclude some of local importance and may reflect some bias toward English-language journals.
Articles are classified by year of publication and assigned to region/country/economy on basis of institutional address(es) listed on the article. Articles are counted on a fractional-count basis that is, for articles with collaborating institutions from multiple countries/economies, each country/economy receives fractional credit on basis of proportion of its participating institutions. Details may not add to total because of rounding.

Longdefinition: Scientific and technical journal articles refer to the number of scientific and engineering articles published in the following fields: physics, biology, chemistry, mathematics, clinical medicine, biomedical research, engineering and technology, and earth and space sciences.

Source: National Science Foundation, Science and Engineering Indicators.

Statisticalconceptandmethodology: The number of scientific and engineering articles published in the following fields: physics, biology, chemistry, mathematics, clinical medicine, biomedical research, engineering and technology, and earth and space sciences. The NSF considers article counts from a set of journals covered by Science Citation Index (SCI) and Social Sciences Citation Index (SSCI).

Aggregationmethod: Gap-filled total

value: Science & Technology


sourceNote: Scientific and technical journal articles refer to the number of scientific and engineering articles published in the following fields: physics, biology, chemistry, mathematics, clinical medicine, biomedical research, engineering and technology, and earth and space sciences.

sourceOrganization: National Science Foundation, Science and Engineering Indicators.


IndicatorName: Scientific and technical journal articles


name: Scientific and technical journal articles