Business Ready 2025

Overview & Synopsis

This interim Business Ready (B‑READY) 2025 report assesses the business environment in 101 economies to inform policy reforms that can catalyze private sector–led job creation amid varied demographic pressures and growth trajectories. The methodology evaluates three pillars, Regulatory Framework, Public Services, and Operational Efficiency, across 10 topics spanning the firm lifecycle from entry to insolvency. It combines de jure analysis of formal rules with de facto evidence from expert questionnaires and Enterprise Surveys, and classifies economies by workforce demographics (young, peak, mature) and recent economic growth to identify differentiated challenges. Findings show that economies with the greatest need for jobs—those with young workforces and low growth, are the least business‑ready. Two persistent gaps are identified: a public services gap, where delivery of government support services lags regulatory enactment; and an efficiency gap, where practical ease of compliance falls short of regulatory strength. These gaps are most pronounced in young workforce economies. The report concludes that strengthening public service delivery and operational efficiency is critical to unlock private investment, accelerate job creation, and convert growth into shared prosperity. The full B‑READY dataset, covering 164 economies, is planned for release in 2026.