New Delhi: With its import and export efficiencies, and low cost of beginning a business, Hong Kong has again taken top honors in Bloomberg Rankings of the world's most attractive countries for business according to 2013 data.As per the report, Canada leapfrogged from sixth place to second because of the receptivity of its consumers, measured by the size of its middle class, household consumption and GDP per capita. The US slipped to the third place because of the increase in cost of setting up business there. It said a significant improvement in the standing of the BRIC countries. Brazil rose from 61st place to 38th; Russia too jumped from 56th to 44rd place; and India moved to the 48th slot this year as compared to the 54th position last year.The 50 best countries were ranked on six broad criteria. They were: the degree of economic integration; the cost of setting up a business; the cost of labor and materials; the cost of moving goods; less tangible costs like inflation and the amount of corruption; and the health of its consumer base. Here is the complete list:NorwayOverall Rank: 152012 Rank: 19Total Score: 74.4 Economic Integration: 85.0Business Startup Cost: 78.4Labor/Material Cost: 58.9Transport Cost: 66.4Less Tangible Costs: 88.1Local Consumer Base: 75.1 FinlandOverall Rank: 142012 Rank: 15Total Score: 75.2Economic Integration: 81.6Business Startup Cost: 70.9Labor/Material Cost: 61.7Transport Cost: 79.8Less Tangible Costs: 88.3Local Consumer Base: 68.7South KoreaOverall Rank: 132012 Rank: 21Total Score: 75.3Economic Integration: 78.7Business Startup Cost: 75.9Labor/Material Cost: 69.1Transport Cost: 81.9Less Tangible Costs: 78.2Local Consumer Base: 64.3JapanOverall Rank: 122012 Rank: 3Total Score: 75.6Economic Integration: 89.4Business Startup Cost: 66.9Labor/Material Cost: 73.6Transport Cost: 81.6Less Tangible Costs: 74.6Local Consumer Base: 73.2FranceOverall Rank: 112012 Rank: 14Total Score: 76.0Economic Integration: 91.5Business Startup Cost: 73.5Labor/Material Cost: 63.3Transport Cost: 80.8Less Tangible Costs: 80.2Local Consumer Base: 72.6 SwedenOverall Rank: 102012 Rank: 12Total Score: 76.2Economic Integration: 82.5Business Startup Cost: 70.7Labor/Material Cost: 65.0Transport Cost: 80.4Less Tangible Costs: 87.1Local Consumer Base: 72.9 SpainOverall Rank: 92012 Rank: 16 Total Score: 77.0Economic Integration: 94.9Business Startup Cost: 78.2Labor/Material Cost: 67.9Transport Cost: 81.3Less Tangible Costs: 76.0Local Consumer Base: 68.5NetherlandsOverall Rank: 82012 Rank: 4Total Score: 78.0Economic Integration: 78.9Business Startup Cost: 74.0Labor/Material Cost: 63.8Transport Cost: 88.9Less Tangible Costs: 88.8Local Consumer Base: 70.7United KingdomOverall Rank: 72012 Rank: 10Total Score: 79.4Economic Integration: 91.3Business Startup Cost: 77.9Labor/Material Cost: 68.7Transport Cost: 83.8Less Tangible Costs: 85.2Local Consumer Base: 71.1GermanyOverall Rank: 5 (tied)2012 Rank: 5Total Score: 79.9Economic Integration: 92.1Business Startup Cost: 70.4Labor/Material Cost: 70.9Transport Cost: 88.4Less Tangible Costs: 86.2Local Consumer Base: 74.7AustraliaOverall Rank: 5 (tied)2012 Rank: 6Total Score: 79.9 Economic Integration: 85.4Business Startup Cost: 84.8Labor/Material Cost: 70.1Transport Cost: 82.6Less Tangible Costs: 83.3Local Consumer Base: 71.6SingaporeOverall Rank: 42012 Rank: 8Total Score: 80.1Economic Integration: 76.0Business Startup Cost: 89.4Labor/Material Cost: 56.0Transport Cost: 91.5Less Tangible Costs: 89.5Local Consumer Base: 71.9United StatesOverall Rank: 32012 Rank: 2Total Score: 80.2Economic Integration: 93.5Business Startup Cost: 78.1Labor/Material Cost: 73.5Transport Cost: 87.4Less Tangible Costs: 79.7Local Consumer Base: 71.1CanadaOverall Rank: 22012 Rank: 6Total Score: 81.5Economic Integration: 92.3Business Startup Cost: 79.2Labor/Material Cost: 69.0Transport Cost: 83.9Less Tangible Costs: 91.5Local Consumer Base: 76.2Hong KongOverall Rank: 12012 Rank: 1Total Score: 83.4Economic Integration: 79.1Business Startup Cost: 95.3Labor/Material Cost: 62.2Transport Cost: 93.8Less Tangible Costs: 88.8Local Consumer Base: 75.2 (The story first appeared on Bloomberg.com)
