Switzerland moved up one spot in the 2019 FM Global Resilience Index to rank among the top three countries, a position it held previously in 2017. Norway took the number one position, followed by Denmark in second place. Switzerland was followed by Germany, Finland, Sweden, Luxembourg, Austria, the US and the UK.
The index is published by the US mutual insurance company FM Global, which annually ranks 130 countries and territories on the resilience of their business environments.
By offering an interactive internet resource, the index is designed to assist business leaders choose the best locations for their business activities. It uses data about economic conditions, natural hazards, cyberattacks and political instability, and the overall ranking is based on 12 factors. Resilience is defined as the ability to withstand business disruptions and how quickly a region can recover from different crises.
Top infrastructure in Switzerland
According to the study, Switzerland boasts several strengths, in particular economic security. The quality of its infrastructure, including transport and energy, is also rated as very high. In addition, Switzerland ranks high in terms of a very stable political environment and low corruption. The rate of urbanization and economic productivity are also far above the average.
Switzerland stands out for corporate governance
Switzerland also received good ratings in corporate governance, a category that was introduced in 2019. This factor replaces the previous category of local supplier quality, a shift that is intended to reflect the framework conditions for local business relationships, including regulatory practices.
Rwanda made particularly strong gains in this year’s ranking, climbing 35 places to come in 72nd place. South Africa, in contrast, fell eight places to 47th.
