The Euromoney Belt and Road Index (EBRI) combines International Monetary Fund (IMF) GDP figures with investment climate (IC) scores sourced from economists and political experts who ranked countries on the Euromoney Country Risk platform. The index therefore combines qualitative, crowd-sourced opinion with quantitative data. Using these sources EBRI aims to provide a clear and credible index representing the politico-economic environment and investment climate.
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The latest results of the Euromoney Belt and Road Index (EBRI) reveal that 45 of the 68 countries have higher values since the previous quarter, and 23 are lower, as values for GDP continue to recover from the pandemic, along with some of the economic and political risk ratings associated with infrastructure projects.
Despite this, the number of countries with index values larger than 100 has remained unchanged at 50, with the UAE moving back above that level and Afghanistan falling below.
Countries with scores of 100 or more are included in the top three (of five) categories, or tiers, showing rising GDP and/or improving investor climates since China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) was inaugurated in 2013.
The Q2 survey is notable for the rise in the Africa regional index, to 102.14, showing overall improvement again for the first time since Q4 2018.
Other world regions also ameliorated, but only Asia is above 100, and at 163.49 it is still showing the largest improvement of all.
The Middle East, which fell sharply in Q1 2021, has rebounded to 91.76, while central and eastern Europe (incorporating central Asian republics) is up to 50.91.
Another big rise for Bosnia-Herzegovina has resulted in the country joining tier one for the first time. Tier one also includes the Maldives, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Ethiopia, Vietnam, Cambodia, Tajikistan and Laos. These countries all have scores above 200, showing the most improved growth rates and/or investor risk climates since the BRI began.
Other countries moving up a tier include Albania and Bahrain (both from tier three to tier two), UAE (tier four to tier three) and Azerbaijan (tier five to tier four). Afghanistan was the only country to move down a tier (from three to four).
For more detailed results and the methodology used, click below:
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