"Measuring the Ease of Enterprise" looks at how to use the best indicators

by Simeon Djankov

Abstract The field of measuring the ease of enterprise is maturing. In 2001, a dozen organizations put together indicators and ratings of the environment for doing business. Six years later, four have overtaken the rest and become the source of information for reformers in government, for investors and researchers. These come from the Fraser Institute’s Economic freedom of the world, the Heritage Foundation’s Index of economic freedom, and the World Bank’s Doing Business project and Enterprise surveys. There is a clear trend: moving from indicators constructed by commercial entities -- as a side business for their clients -- to indicators constructed by organizations that provide a public good.

Download paper (PDF, 470KB)