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As time goes by, we often forget about the fast paced and dynamic environment that we live in. Over the past five years, the international business world has changed dramatically. Believe it or not, in just five years, rapidly growing countries have emerged onto the global economic scene, various industries have been drastically altered by technology, and start-up businesses have grown into international powerhouses. Today, in honor of the 5th year anniversary of the globalEDGE blog, we will look at global business facts and trends in 2008 and compare them to that of 2013.
Here is a list of facts showing the composition of the international business world in 2008 and today:
| Fact | 2008 | 2013 |
|---|---|---|
| Highest GDP per capita: | Monaco | Luxembourg |
| Top Emerging Market (based on globalDGE MPI rankings): | Hong Kong | Singapore |
| Top Globally Competitive Country: | United States | Switzerland |
| Largest Global Company: | HSBC Holdings (United Kingdom) - Ranked 6 in 2013 | ICBC (China) - Ranked 42 in 2008 |
| Top Exporter (based on % of GDP): | Singapore | Hong Kong |
| Highest Population Growth Rate: | Qatar | Oman |
| Number of Countries in the European Union: | 27 | 28 (Croatia Joined July 1st, 2013) |
| Country with the Most Domestic Publicly Traded Companies: | United States | India |
| Highest Foreign Direct Investment Inflows: | United States | China |
| Number of economies where it is possible to start a business in less than 20 days: | 74 | 105 |
| Country with Highest Amount of New Businesses Registered Annually: | Russia | United Kingdom |
| Top Energy Producer: | China | United States |
| Country with Highest Cellular Subscriptions (per 100 people): | Montenegro | China |
Sources: globalEDGE MPI, World Bank
Many of these facts above might have surprised you. A few of these trends were predicted back in 2008, however many of these trends were not. The global economy is a rapidly changing realm of study and it is extremely difficult to anticipate some of these changes. Here at globalEDGE we do our absolute best in providing you with in-depth analysis on international business topics so that you can gain a sense of where the global economy might be heading.
In conclusion of our Birthday Series, we would like to thank our readers for the past five years for your continued dedication to the blog. It has been a great five years, and the blog team at globalEDGE will continue to strive for excellence in keeping you up-to-date on the latest international business news for many years to come.
As always, please feel free to leave a comment below with suggestions on our blog and comments on future topics you would like us to research and write about!
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