Country Analysis Tips
TIP: Try using the PESTLE Framework when researching your country.
Part of your research will include analysing business environment of your company's country. The business environment can include many factors that go beyond the local economics and business laws to include other social, political, and geographic issues. Using a framework like PESTLE can help guide your country research by reminding you to look at:
- Political Factors
- Economic Factors
- Social Factors
- Technological Factors
- Environmental Factors
- Legal Factors
Library Databases
- Euromonitor PassportExclusive financial data, demographic information major countries and regions, industry trends and forecasting, and company profiles for major international corporations and industries.
- Business Source PremierFull text articles and reports from top business publications, including newspapers, trade magazines, company profiles, industry reports, and scholarly journals.
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International Economic Data
- IMF Data - International Monetary Fund, including International Financial Statistics This link opens in a new windowFrom the International Monetary Fund, the International Financial Statistics (IFS) database is the standard resource covering all aspects of international and domestic finance.
- UN DataA data access system to UN databases and national data/statistics agencies.
- IPUMS InternationalHarmonized data for 1960 forward, covering 544 million people in 238 censuses from around the world. From the Minnesota Population Center (MPC) Data Projects.
- World Development Indicators (World Bank)The primary World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially-recognized international sources. It presents the most current and accurate global development data available, and includes national, regional and global estimates.
Web Resources
- Aperian GlobalAccess Globe Smart and other resources.
- BBC Country ProfilesFull profiles cover the history, politics and economic background of countries and territories, and background on key institutions. Also includes audio and video clips from BBC archives.
- CIA World FactbookThe World Factbook provides information on the people, government, economy, geography, communications, transportation, military, and transnational issues for 267 world entities.
- Country StudiesThe Country Studies Series presents a description and analysis of the social, economic, political, and national security systems and institutions of countries throughout the world. Via the Library of Congress.
- Economic Studies & Country Risks160 country evaluations, drawn up on the basis of macroeconomic, financial and political data, are made freely available and provide an estimate of the average credit risk on a country’s businesses. Via the Coface Group, a world credit insurance leader and experts in trade risk.
- International Statistical AgenciesList of the major statistical agencies for 227 countries and areas of the world, compiled by the U.S. Census Bureau.
- NationMasterNationMaster is a vast compilation of data from hundreds of sources. A tool for generating maps and graphs on all kinds of statistics.
- OECD iLibraryThe OECD’s Online Library for Books, Papers and Statistics and the gateway to OECD’s analysis and data.
- The World Bank - Countries & RegionsStatistics, datasets, reports, research, and overviews of current events.
Business Librarian
More Web Resources
- Doing Business In...The Doing Business from the World Bank project provides objective measures of business regulations for local firms in 183 economies and selected cities at the subnational level.
- Investing Across BordersWorld Bank Group initiative that compares the regulation of foreign direct investment (FDI) around the world. Presenting indicators on countries’ laws, regulations, and practices affecting how foreign companies invest across sectors, start businesses, access industrial land, and arbitrate commercial disputes.