Best/Worst
Best Countries to Start a Business 2025
Best to Start a Business
0
5
10
15
20
25
5 Best Countries to Start a Business
Country | Best to Start a Business↑ | Insider Monkey | Mauve Group | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | India | 1 | ||
 | Thailand | 2 | ||
 | China | 3 | ||
 | Mexico | 4 | ||
 | United States | 5 | 17 | Yes |
 | Philippines | 6 | ||
 | Vietnam | 7 | ||
 | Brazil | 8 | ||
 | Malaysia | 9 | 24 | |
 | Spain | 10 | Yes | |
 | Singapore | 11 | 1 | Yes |
 | Canada | 12 | 23 | Yes |
 | Indonesia | 13 | ||
 | Peru | 14 | ||
 | Bangladesh | 15 | ||
 | Portugal | 16 | ||
 | United Kingdom | 17 | 15 | Yes |
 | Belgium | 18 | ||
 | Sri Lanka | 19 | ||
 | Cambodia | 20 | ||
 | Switzerland | 21 | 13 | Yes |
 | Chile | 22 | Yes | |
 | Japan | 23 | ||
 | New Zealand | 24 | 3 | Yes |
 | Morocco | 25 | ||
 | Germany | 18 | ||
 | France | Yes | ||
 | South Korea | 14 | Yes | |
 | Australia | 16 | Yes | |
 | Taiwan | 5 | Yes | |
 | Romania | Yes | ||
 | Rwanda | Yes | ||
 | United Arab Emirates | 22 | ||
 | Sweden | 7 | Yes | |
 | Hungary | Yes | ||
 | Hong Kong | 2 | Yes | |
 | Denmark | 4 | Yes | |
 | Finland | 12 | ||
 | Norway | 10 | Yes | |
 | Ireland | 6 | Yes | |
 | Georgia | 11 | ||
 | Lithuania | 8 | Yes | |
 | Latvia | 19 | ||
 | North Macedonia | 25 | ||
 | Bahrain | Yes | ||
 | Estonia | 9 | ||
 | Mauritius | 20 | Yes | |
 | Luxembourg | Yes | ||
 | Iceland | 21 |
- Different sources use different criteria to determine which countries are the best for starting a business. For instance, Insider Monkey analyzes indicators such as the country’s Economic Freedom ranking, the ease of doing business, and its corporate tax rates. Other sources use alternate methodologies.
- These differing methodologies can result in significant variation in final results from one source to another.
Anyone considering starting a business should be familiar with the country’s laws surrounding business ventures. Some countries are much more friendly to opening businesses, while others have much more restrictive policies that, in some cases, can be prohibitive. That said, generally, the best country to start a business is the country of the owner’s residence. However, when it comes to starting a business elsewhere, options do exist.
In 2025, India is the easiest country in the world to start a business, thanks to a business-friendly environment that has made the legal process of starting a business much more streamlined and faster. The process only takes about 18 days.
The second best country in the world to start a business is the island country of Thailand. In Thailand, starting a business takes less than a week, and the process has become cheaper in recent years due to fixed registration fees.
Despite being a communist country, meaning that the state owns the means of production, China ranks high for ease of starting a business, ranking in at number three. Beijing is one of just two cities in the entire world in which someone can start a business with absolutely no fees. To make the process easier, China has taken steps to simplify the process of starting a business, including moving business registration online.
Malaysia, in Southeast Asia, is the ninth-best country in the world for starting a business. The process takes 17 days, but what makes the country so attractive for companies is that its registration system for business taxes is entirely online.
Starting a business in Singapore is also notably easy, ranking number 11 in the world, and the process only takes a day and a half. Singapore has long been known for a very business-friendly environment whose regulations favor those in the private sector.
Other notable countries include Mexico, the United States, the Philippines, Vietnam, Brazil, Spain, and Canada.
Despite business-friendly environments in these and other countries, many legal intricacies must be considered before opening a business overseas. Furthermore, when the owner’s country of citizenship is different from the one in which the business is located, taxes may be due to both countries. Thus, before opening a business in another country, it is wise to do the due diligence and learn the business laws in both the home country and the country of starting a business.
