Mercer announced the Top 50 cities for best quality of living in 2008. Greece did not make the top 50, and Athens at #77 was again the lowest ranked city in western Europe, as has been the case for several years.

Top 50

1. Zurich, Switzerland
2. Vienna, Austria - tie
2. Geneva, Switzerland - tie
4. Vancouver, Canada
5. Auckland, New Zealand
6. Dusseldorf, Germany
7. Munich, Germany - tie
7. Frankfurt, Germany - tie
9. Bern, Switzerland
10. Sydney, Australia
11. Copenhagen, Denmark
12. Wellington, New Zealand
13. Amsterdam, The Netherlands
14. Brussels, Belgium
15. Toronto, Canada
16. Berlin, Germany
17. Melbourne, Australia - tie
17. Luxembourg, Luxembourg - tie
19. Ottawa, Canada
20. Stockholm, Sweden
21. Perth, Australia
22. Montreal, Canada
23. Nurnberg, Germany
24. Oslo, Norway
25. Dublin, Ireland - tie
25. Calgary, Canada - tie
27. Hamburg, Germany
28. Honolulu, Hawaii (USA)
29. San Francisco, CA (USA) - tie
29. Helsinki, Finland - tie
29. Adelaide, Australia - tie
32. Singapore, Singapore
32. Paris, France
34. Brisbane, Australia
35. Tokyo, Japan
36. Lyon, France
37. Boston, MA (USA)
38. Yokohama, Japan - tie
38. London, UK - tie
40. Kobe, Japan
41. Milan, Italy
42. Barcelona, Spain
43. Madrid, Spain
44. Washington DC, USA - tie
44. Osaka, Japan - tie
44. Lisbon, Portugal - tie
44. Chicago, IL (USA) - tie
48. Portland, OR
49. New York City, NY (USA)
50. Seattle, WA (USA)

The analysis is based on an evaluation of 39 quality of living criteria that include political, socio-cultural, economic and environmental factors, personal safety and health, education, transport and public services, recreation, housing and availability/affordability of consumer goods. Mercer Human Resource Consulting performs this assessment on an annual basis to determine living conditions for expatriate employees.

While some dispute that this does not apply to the everyday person, it is important to point out that expats use the same public services, institutions and spaces as local residents. Therefore, it is essentially a quality of living analysis for everyone.

Of course “quality” is subjective, not necessarily definitive. In the end, it comes down to personal preference, circumstances and options. One man’s castle is another man’s ghetto.

To see the Top 50 cities on the survey compared to last year’s ranking, click Top 50.

Ranking for all cities surveyed

Mercer has 350 cities in its database, but narrows the survey to only 215 cities and selection changes annually. To see if your city in the Middle East, Africa, Asia, Europe or America made the list and how it fared, click 2008 Quality of Living Ranking.

I also found an interesting interactive table by International Living that, although it lists no protocol or explanation, allows you to select by country or by element. Click, “Quality of Life Index.”

Related posts

The cost of living survey is typically released before quality of living stats, but the 2008 edition has not yet been published. It will be linked here when that changes. In the meantime:

“Athens, Greece: Quality of living vs. cost of living 2007“
“Minimum salary vs. cost and quality of living in the EU“
“Benefits of living in the EU vs. USA“

There are four things a resident of Greece can count on: Bureaucracy, delays, death and strikes.*

Strikes do not paralyze the country, as they do in places like France or the USA, but are merely additional annoyances to navigate. Not all of them are about protesting something, as some are staged in support, but they’re almost always about money. Most people I surveyed see it purely as an opportunity for a day off, since demands are rarely met.

This week, there are four strikes:

Tuesday: College (TEI) professors will be on a 24-hour strike to protest pay and working conditions;

Wednesday: Taxi drivers for 24 hours to support the fare increase beyond the rate of inflation; lawyers to protest proposed pension changes;

Thursday: Municipal workers from 11:00 a.m. over wage increase demands.

Everyone should adjust their lives accordingly.

* Taxes is not on the list of “sure things,” due to successful dodging and many people’s wages not being high enough, which makes them exempt.

G700 anti-strike against the Athens metro

For years, Athenians have made it clear that an extension of hours beyond midnight were indeed wanted and necessary on both the metro and electrikos, especially on Friday and Saturday nights when more people are out. It’s not only common for large cities to extend mass transport hours every day of the week, but it’s also good for the economy and environment.

The Transport Ministry and metro authorities finally (and reluctantly) conceded to a “trial” extension of 2 months starting February 1st and agreed to pay an extra 200,000 euros/month in overtime. Almost immediately, unionist interest groups blocked the move, and workers followed suit in a knee-jerk reaction claiming extended hours now pose a “safety risk” — NY and Paris are at risk every day, if that’s the case — though it appears that the trial might go forward.

In response, G700: Generation 700 euros has launched an anti-strike asking people to gather on February 9th from 12 midnight to 2:00 a.m. at Syntagma metro station in protest. (If you cannot read their site in Greek, here’s a translation in English).

Why is this their concern? Because with the price of taxi fare and other expenses on the rise, and salaries remaining low, people who cannot afford cars or choose not to drink and drive will be deprived of safe affordable transport. Going out is increasingly becoming a rich man’s activity. More than that, wealthy union bosses should not be allowed to hold a city or country hostage.

For related stories, see “Economy.”

Acknowledgment

Hat tip to SS for alerting me of G700’s anti-strike to extend this post.

Greece is required to keep its deficit to 3.0 percent annually and inflation to the eurozone average of approximately 3.0 percent per year, though it is difficult to understand how this is legitimately accomplished when Athens jumped 30 places on the Cost of Living ranking done by Mercer, an independent institution producing the most comprehensive reports on the subject.

In January 2008, the National Statistic Service (NSS) admitted that inflation was at a 27-month high, however it is officially being quoted as 3.9 percent, though most know it’s more like 10 percent. Employers benefit greatly by using the lower figure, giving employees the absolute minimum raise, if any raise at all.

Is Greece expensive?

Dairy products, which are already priced quite high with past increases of up to 40 percent, were set to rise 10 percent. Milk was supposed to be the exception, but findings show this to be untrue on paper and in real life. Increases were between 4.5 to 8.5 percent.

For those who are lactose intolerant or uninterested in cheese and milk, the price for eggs, flour and pasta rose 15 to 25 percent.

Want to keep warm this winter? It’ll cost you. The cost of electricity is up 7 percent as of December 2007, and oil is at a 14-month high because Greece is heavily dependent on it as a source of energy due to outdated heating systems and its failure to embrace greener practices. Add to this poorly built homes with little or no insulation, and you have a country that burns double the energy in winter compared to Sweden, which has a significantly colder climate. (See “Save money with off-peak electricity rates at DEH” to offset the burden).

If you manage to avoid spending money on oil and gas for the car, or choose to take public transportation for environmentally conscious reasons, a 10 percent increase is coming soon. Metro tickets may rise to 1 euro, which is actually a 25 percent increase, and the Transport Ministry is still in debate about other forms of transport. (* It has now been decided that all modes of transport will convert to an 80-cent ticket, which reflects no increase on the metro, a 60 percent increase for buses and trolleys, 33 percent rise for the tram, and 14 percent for the electrikos. This means the monthly card will drop back down to 35 euros on May 1st).

Bank charges are 10 times higher than the EU average, yet bank employees say they are underpaid (welcome to the club) and want a 10 percent raise (kali tyxi). There is also a looming threat of VAT being raised to 21 percent.

Consumers in Greece are being hit from all sides.

Why are prices so high? Cartels are just one reason.

Rhetoric and recourse

After last year’s round of price hikes, Deputy Development Minister Yannis Papathanasiou said that “competition is working” and things are improving for the consumer. Really? The price he quoted for a liter of fresh milk has risen 61 percent from 0.85 to 1.37 in a year’s time.

Where is the Competition Commission, the watchdog set up to investigate unfair practices and protect consumer rights? Certainly they’re contending with an increase in complaints, but they’ve also been busy with recruiting, dragging their feet on issuing reports, resignations and appearing in court for bribery and extortion.

The government also took loans in excess of the budgeted 35 billion euros in 2007, claiming it necessary to contend with debt brought on by destructive wildfires. Apparently the millions in EU funds and donations from the worldwide community wasn’t enough.

But the consumer is to blame as well. The average resident in Greece will either never admit (s)he can’t afford these prices or simply draw on hidden money from tax dodging or participation in the corruption that fuels these price increases. This apathy and arrogance not only feed Greece’s economic decline, but also perpetuate it.

From the ground

No matter what your view on the “Greece vs. USA price comparison” compiled back in June — and despite the fact my findings were confirmed by the Greek Consumer Protection Centre in “Consumers pay double for basics in Greece vs. other EU nations” — let’s now look at Athens, Greece vs. itself.

This is not a country-to-country Greece vs. USA comparison; this will be published on the one-year anniversary of the original in June. This is an Athens, Greece vs. Athens, Greece comparison to measure real inflation (see title of this post).

It is not about finding “the cheapest possible.” It is about comparing the same exact items of the same brand from the same store or provider six months ago with prices today. It is about the reality of inflation from the ground.

If inflation is really only 3.9 percent, it should reflect this fact no matter what items are on the list.

Reading the table

All measurements are in metric, and all prices are in euros (€) — this is Greece, after all. Each section is subtotaled, and the percentage next to those amounts shows price increases in green and decreases in red. The percentage is calculated per category, not per item, though you are free to do those calculations on your own. I invested quite enough time compiling and coding this data.

Price decreases in electronic media were recorded, and this is a step in the right direction since they were incredibly inflated to begin with.

Other price fluctuations are understandable on some vegetables and fruits being out of season and therefore higher, but this cannot be the explanation for year-round products or in-season produce.

Also keep in mind that food firms have announced they plan to increase prices again on 100 products in 2008. So in addition to the increases tallied in a mere six months, consumers in Greece can add look forward to adding another 18 percent.

ITEM	June	Dec
Beverages
Fanta, 1.5 liter	1.45	1.45
Coke, 1.5 liter	1.45	1.45
Orange juice, 1 liter	1.40	1.70
+6.98%	4.30	4.60
Dairy
Fage milk, 1.5 liters	1.98	2.05
Total plain yogurt, 200 g	1.18	1.20
Lurpak salted butter, 250 g	2.59	2.97
Unsalted butter, 250 g	1.19	0.94
Margarine, 1 kilo	0.70	0.79
12 large eggs	2.36	2.94
Philadelphia cheese, 200 g	1.76	1.89
Kerrygold cheddar, 200 g	1.85	2.15
Ricotta, 250 g	1.70	1.85
Sour cream, 150 g	2.59	2.78
Haagen Dazs, 500 ml	6.27	6.32
+9.94%	23.54	25.88
Basics
Rice, 500 g	0.37	0.37
Sugar, 1 kilo	0.84	0.84
Fructose, 400 g	1.84	2.15
Flour, 1 kilo	0.60	0.68
+10.7%	3.65	4.04
Complex carbs
Kellogg’s Frosted Flakes, 500 g	3.67	3.62
Katelis Bread (white sliced), 350 g	1.42	1.62
Bread (unsliced oval loaf)	0.50	0.74
El Paso Tortillas (	2.11	2.18
Lay’s Salt vinegar chips, 130 g	1.11	1.17
+5.9%	8.81	9.33
Pasta
Tomato Sauce, 1.5 liter	0.92	0.92
Barilla sauce, 380 ml	1.99	1.99
Barilla spaghetti, 1 kilo	1.20	1.96
Kyknos whole peeled tomatoes, 400 g	0.63	0.68
+17.2%	4.74	5.55
Meat
Chicken breast, 1 kilo	8.17	11.71
Chicken drumsticks, 1 kilo	3.98	6.12
Ground beef, 1 kilo	8.48	7.68
Pork top loin boneless, 1 kilo	7.64	7.33
Turkey breast, 1 kilo	6.30	8.30
Bacon, 1 kilo	9.67	9.67
Cooked ham (counter), 1 kilo	13.59	13.98
Hot dogs, 340 g	1.89	1.99
+11.82%	59.72	66.78
Fresh produce
Broccoli, 1 kilo	2.59	1.29
Zucchini, 1 kilo	1.29	2.19
Green beans, 1 kilo	2.89	2.89
Carrots, 1 kilo	0.43	0.82
Spinach, 1 kilo	1.29	1.72
Yellow pepper, 1 kilo	3.39	2.98
Onion, 1 kilo	0.66	0.64
Potatoes, 1 kilo	0.67	0.70
Tomatoes, 1 kilo	1.49	1.69
Apples, 1 kilo	1.32	1.34
Bananas, 1 kilo	1.69	1.49
Pears, 1 kilo	1.79	2.29
Grapes (red seedless), 1 kilo	2.98	6.98
+20.2%	22.48	27.02
Condiments
Salt, 500 g	0.15	0.15
Pepper, 50 g	0.49	0.49
White vinegar, 500 ml	1.22	1.23
Ketchup Heinz, 340 g	1.37	1.42
Knorr chicken cubes (12)	1.77	1.62
Marmalade	1.89	2.17
+2.76%	6.89	7.08
Frozen
Frozen Pizza, 320 g	2.51	2.95
Frozen green beans, 450 g	1.41	1.55
Frozen peas, 500 g	1.41	1.55
+13.5%	5.33	6.05
Toiletries
Colgate med head toothbrush, massager	2.82	2.82
Oral B satin floss, 25 m	3.27	3.27
Colgate total whitening, 75 ml	2.39	2.69
Listerine cool mint, 500 ml	6.95	6.89
Fructis 2 in 1 shampoo, 400 ml	4.00	4.75
Dove beauty bar, 100 g	0.87	0.89
Mach 3 Turbo, 8 refills	14.99	13.64
Gillette shaving gel Ultra comfort, 200 ml	3.23	3.99
+1.09%	38.52	38.94
Kitchen & Paper
Palmolive ultra, regular, 1250 ml	2.82	2.84
Scotch Brite blue sponge	1.07	0.96
Kleenex toilet paper (12) single rolls	6.36	6.30
-1.46%	10.25	10.10
Media
iPod (nano) 4 GB - sale	183.00	164.00
Apple keyboard	59.00	63.00
TDK CD-R 700 MB 52x (50)	11.95	11.49
“Cake” of DVD-R Verbatim (50)	15.50	13.95
Sony memory stick 1 GB pro duo	29.00	29.00
Sony 4 GB pro duo	69.00	69.00
Sony 8 GB pro duo - sale	169.00	139.00
-8.76%	536.45	489.44
Medical
Private doctor’s appt	50.00	55.00
Chiropractor	80.00	85.00
Birth control pills, 1 month	>2.80	>2.80
Botox injection	300.00	325.00
+8.09%	432.80	467.80
Maintenance
Men’s haircut, no tip	13.00	16.00
- N. suburbs Greek stylist (not a barber)
Women’s haircut, incl 20% tip	65.00	65.00
- UK stylist in Glyfada vs. Manhattan stylist
+3.85%	78.00	81.00
Transportation
Bus, metro/subway, tram
- All modes single ticket (valid 90 min)	1.00	1.00
- All modes monthly pass	35.00	38.00
+8.33%	36.00	39.00
Communications
Cable TV (Nova)	56.40	57.00*
- 49 channels (then) vs. 46 channels (now)
*Has 3 less channels
per channel +6.96%	1.15	1.23
Basic Phone Service (PSTN)
- OTE monthly: 34.91 install, per call charge
±0	14.76	14.76
High speed internet (Forthnet)
- 8 mbps	48.50	48.50*
* Sale price 26.90
±0	48.50	48.50
Cell phone subscription
Vodafone
- 300 min	44.50	44.50
- 900 min	113.00	113.00
- Cheapest domestic sms	0.07	0.07*
- Cheapest overseas sms	0.20	0.20*
*With programs
doesn’t include 19% tax
±0	255.94	255.94

Comparison protocol

1. Services were compared on a regular monthly rate under normal circumstances. Special limited time offers or bundle deals were not used unless it was the only price listed.

2. Prices for all products were surveyed during the week of December 22, 2007, the six-month anniversary of the original survey on June 22, 2007.

3. Prices were surveyed by the same Greek citizens (not my pro-American fiancé) from June 2007 and myself.

For related stories, see “Economy.”

News stories

Prices rise as few control the market - Kathimerini

Overdue measures on rising cost of living in Greece - Kathimerini

Unaccountability: Unjustified price hikes in Greece - Kathimerini

The World Bank evaluated and ranked 178 economies worldwide to evaluate the ease of conducting business for its “Doing Business 2008” annual report.

This post was compiled from straightforward stats of each element in individual country profiles, then arranged in ascending/descending order according to favorability, an option not available on the World Bank Web site. It is a convenience provided for my readers — it is not my methodology, and it is not an analysis.

* Those seeking analyses specific to Greece can source a list I included at the end of this post. None of the articles on the list were used to write this one.

Country Selection

For the purpose of this site’s target audience, the field was narrowed to:

a) High income EU member states, which includes Greece (marked in blue);

b) Czech Republic, a high middle income country with nearly the same population as Greece for comparison purposes, to dispel the belief that efficiency is tied to wealth;

c) Bulgaria, a low income country for comparison purposes, to show that new members are not inferior;

d) USA, Canada and Australia, where many of Greece’s immigrants or repatriated citizens hail;

e) Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) region average, of which Greece is a member.

It is assumed that those interested in this topic are familiar with the terms and ratings referenced, therefore lengthy explanations on methodology and technical descriptions were not included, although you are free to go directly to the World Bank and view them. Links can be clicked to expand any topic in more detail.

* If your country is not listed above, click the link I’ve provided at the end of each section that will take you to the topic of concern, then find your country on the alphabetical list.

OVERALL RANKING

The overall ranking reflects the performance of each country amongst all elements, including starting a business, dealing with licenses, employing workers, registering property, getting credit, protecting investors, paying taxes, trading across borders, enforcing contracts and closing a business.

Each of these elements is given a section below marked in CAPS and color-coded, first showing the overall ranking of countries for that element, then a breakdown of how that ranking was obtained.

As the public sector is a major and often vital factor contributing to economic growth and the creation of jobs, a favorable business climate is essential to the well-being and prosperity of a country’s economy.

3. USA
5. Denmark
6. UK
7. Canada
8. Ireland
9. Australia
11. Norway
13. Finland
14. Sweden
16. Switzerland
19. Belgium
20. Germany
21. Netherlands
25. Austria
31. France
37. Portugal
38. Spain
42. Luxembourg
46. Bulgaria
53. Italy
56. Czech Republic
100. Greece

* See “Rankings” in its entirety

POPULATION AND GNI (GDP)

To get a sense of the westernized and EU countries presented, a ranking according to gross national income (GNI) per capita (Latin for ‘per person’) and respective population is provided.

GNI is the total value of goods and services produced within a country (i.e. gross domestic product or GDP), plus income received from other countries, minus similar payments made to other countries.

Country	GNI/capita	Population
High income
Luxembourg	76,040.00	462,041
Norway	66,530.00	4,643,659
Switzerland	57,230.00	7,441,474
Denmark	51,700.00	5,428,524
Ireland	45,580.00	4,209,446
USA	44,970.00	298,988,098
Sweden	43,580.00	9,045,727
Netherlands	42,670.00	16,371,353
Finland	40,650.00	5,255,049
UK	40,180.00	60,360,799
Austria	39,590.00	8,240,028
Belgium	38,600.00	10,485,710
Germany	36,620.00	82,411,438
France	36,550.00	61,037,508
Canada	36,170.00	32,556,462
Australia	35,990.00	20,520,941
Italy	32,020.00	58,570,995
Spain	27,570.00	43,546,304
Greece	21,690.00	11,112,985
Portugal	18,100.00	10,589,652
High middle income
Czech Republic	12,680.00	10,218,425
Low income
Bulgaria	3,990.00	7,699,020

To view a country’s individual profile, go to the World Bank Doing Business site and select the ‘economy’ of your choice in the right upper corner. All are available in English, Espanol, Francais, Portugues, Russian, Chinese and Arabic.

STARTING A BUSINESS

The ease in starting a business sets the tone for a long and hopefully prosperous relationship between investors and the country of concern.

1. Australia
2. Canada
4. USA
5. Ireland
6. UK
16. Finland
18. Denmark
19. Belgium
22. Sweden
28. Norway
35. Switzerland
38. Portugal
41. Luxembourg
41. Netherlands
65. Italy
71. Germany
83. Austria
91. Czech Republic
100. Bulgaria
118. Spain
152. Greece

See “Starting a Business” in its entirety or view the steps in detail at, “How to start a new business in Greece.”

Procedures

Procedures refers to the bureaucracy and legal hurdles involved for an entrepreneur to register a new business, with the intention of launching a commercial or industrial firm with up to 50 employees.

# of steps	Country
2	Australia, Canada
3	Belgium, Finland, Sweden
4	Denmark, Ireland
5	France
6	OECD, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Switzerland, UK, USA
7	Portugal
8	Austria
9	Bulgaria, Germany, Italy
10	Czech Republic, Spain
15	Greece

Duration

Duration is the average amount of time spent to complete all business startup procedures.

# of days	Country
2	Australia
3	Canada
4	Belgium
6	Denmark, USA
7	France, Portugal
10	Netherlands, Norway
13	Ireland, Italy, UK
14	Finland
14.9	OECD
15	Sweden
17	Czech Republic
18	Germany
20	Switzerland
26	Luxembourg
28	Austria
32	Bulgaria
38*	Greece
47	Spain

* In reality, it may be more like 180 days; for non-EU citizens, it could be at least a year or never.

Cost

The official cost of completing all procedures to start a business, expressed in percentage of GNI per capita. This figure does not include bribes or other unofficial expenses, which may be required or requested in some countries.

% of GNI/capita	Country
0	Denmark
0.3	Ireland
0.6	Sweden
0.7	USA
0.8	Australia, UK
0.9	Canada
1.0	Finland
1.1	France
2.1	Switzerland
2.3	Luxembourg, Norway
3.4	Portugal
5.1	OECD
5.3	Belgium
5.4	Austria
5.7	Germany
6.0	Netherlands
8.4	Bulgaria
10.6	Czech Republic
15.1	Spain
18.7	Italy
23.3	Greece

Minimum capital

The minimum amount of capital needed to start a business, expressed as a percentage of GNI per capita.

% of GNI/capita	Country
0	Australia, Canada, France, Ireland, UK, USA
7.7	Finland
9.8	Italy
13.7	Spain
13.9	Switzerland
20.1	Belgium
20.5	Luxembourg
23.4	Norway
31.1	Sweden
32.5	OECD
34.7	Portugal
40.7	Denmark
42.8	Germany
34.9	Czech Republic
52.9	Netherlands
55.5	Austria
56.3	Bulgaria
104.1	Greece

DEALING WITH LICENSES

Most businesses need a warehouse, which requires securing licenses and permits, passing inspections and connecting utilities.

6. Denmark
16. Germany
17. France
17. Sweden
20. Ireland
24. USA
26. Canada
29. Switzerland
36. Luxembourg
37. Belgium
39. Finland
40. Austria
42. Greece
46. Spain
52 Australia
54. UK
55. Norway
78. Italy
83. Czech Republic
84. Netherlands
103. Bulgaria
112. Portugal

See “Dealing with Licenses” in its entirety.

Procedures

# of steps	Country
6	Denmark
8	Sweden
11	Ireland, Spain
12	Germany
13	Austria, France, Luxembourg
14	OECD, Belgium, Canada, Italy, Switzerland, Norway
15	Greece
16	Australia
18	Finland, Netherlands
19	UK, USA
20	Portugal
22	Bulgaria
36	Czech Republic

Duration

# of days	Country
38	Finland
40	USA
69	Denmark
75	Canada
100	Germany
116	Sweden
131	Bulgaria
137	France
144	UK
153.3	OECD
154	Switzerland
169	Belgium, Greece
180	Czech Republic
185	Ireland
194	Austria
217	Luxembourg
221	Australia
230	Netherlands
233	Spain
252	Norway
257	Italy
327	Portugal

Average Cost

% of GNI/capita	Country
13.2	Australia
13.4	USA
18.5	Czech Republic
19.4	Luxembourg
19.8	Ireland
24.9	France
46.2	Norway
52.7	Switzerland
54.0	Portugal
61.7	Greece
61.8	Denmark
62.2	OECD
63.1	Germany
63.7	Belgium
64.6	UK
64.9	Spain
73.7	Austria
76.0	Netherlands
106.4	Sweden
122.3	Finland
125.4	Canada
138.2	Italy
499.99	Bulgaria

EMPLOYING WORKERS

1. USA
8. Australia
10. Denmark
19. Canada
20. Switzerland
21. UK
36. Belgium
37. Ireland
55. Czech Republic
56. Italy
57. Bulgaria
62. Austria
92. Netherlands
94. Norway
107. Sweden
127. Finland
137. Germany
142. Greece
144. France
154 Spain
157. Portugal
164. Luxembourg

See “Employing Workers” in its entirety.

Difficulty in hiring

The ease or difficulty in hiring new employees depends not only on the availability or surplus of candidates, but how suited they are to job vacancies (overqualified/underqualified) and labor regulations.

Rating	Country
0	Australia, Denmark, Switzerland, USA
11	Austria, Belgium, Canada, Ireland, UK
17	Bulgaria, Netherlands, Sweden
25.2	OECD
33	Czech Republic, Germany, Italy, Portugal
44	Finland, Greece
61	Norway
67	France, Luxembourg
78	Spain

Rigidity of hours index

Rigidity of hours refers to restrictions on lengthening or shortening the number of working hours. Countries with a ‘0′ rating have the most flexibility, usually offering a number of shifts (day/night/graveyard), part-time/full-time possibilities and job sharing.

Rating	Country
0	Australia, Canada, UK, USA
20	Denmark, Ireland
39.2	OECD
40	Belgium, Czech Republic, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Switzerland
60	Austria, Bulgaria, Finland, France, Germany, Portugal, Spain, Sweden
80	Greece, Luxembourg

Difficulty of firing index

Ease and expense involved in dismissing a redundant employee.

Rating	Country
0	Canada, USA
10	Australia, Belgium, Bulgaria, Denmark, Switzerland, UK
20	Czech Republic, Ireland
27.9	OECD
30	Spain
40	Austria, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Luxembourg, Norway, Sweden
50	Portugal
70	Netherlands 70

Rigidity of employment

Rigidity of employment refers to the average of the above three ratings: difficulty in hiring, rigidity of hours, difficulty in firing.

Rating	Country
0	USA
3	Australia
4	Canada
7	UK
10	Denmark
17	Ireland, Switzerland
20	Belgium
29	Bulgaria
30.8	OECD
31	Czech Republic
37	Austria
39	Sweden
42	Netherlands
44	Germany
47	Norway
48	Finland, Portugal
55	Greece
56	France, Spain
62	Luxembourg

Non-wage labor cost

% of salary	Country
1	Denmark
8	USA
11	Ireland, UK
13	Canada, Luxembourg
14	Norway
15	Switzerland
18	Netherlands
19	Germany
20	Australia
20.7	OECD
23	Bulgaria
24	Portugal
26	Finland
28	Greece
31	Austria
32	Sweden
33	Spain
35	Czech Republic
38	Italy
47	France
55	Belgium

Firing costs (weeks of wages)

The cost of firing a redundant employee. Some countries have regulations that require a payout of compensation, others do not.

# weeks	Country
0	Denmark, USA
2	Austria
4	Australia
9	Bulgaria
13	Norway, Switzerland
16	Belgium
17	Netherlands
22	Czech Republic, UK
24	Greece, Ireland
25.7	OECD
26	Finland, Sweden
28	Canada
32	France
37	Italy
39	Luxembourg
56	Spain
69	Germany
95	Portugal

REGISTERING PROPERTY

Most entrepreneurs require land, a building and/or an office space. The World Bank evaluated this topic on the assumption the property is in the country’s biggest city, previously registered (not newly built) and free of title dispute.

6. Norway
7. Sweden
10. USA
12. Switzerland
17. Finland
17. Australia
19. UK
22. Netherlands
28. Canada
30. Austria
39. Denmark
42. Spain
47. Germany
49. Italy
54. Czech Republic
62. Bulgaria
65. Portugal
79. Ireland
93. Greece
116. Luxembourg
159. France
161. Belgium

See “Registering Property” in its entirety.

Procedures

The number of procedures legally required to register property.

# weeks	Country
1	Norway, Sweden
2	Netherlands, UK
3	Finland
4	Czech Republic, Germany, Switzerland, USA
5	Australia, Ireland, Italy, Portugal
6	Canada, Denmark
6.4	OECD average
7	Belgium
8	Luxembourg, Spain
9	Bulgaria, France
12	Greece

Duration

The average amount of time spent completing procedures.

# of days	Country
2	Sweden
3	Norway
5	Australia, Netherlands
12	USA
14	Finland
16	Switzerland
17	Canada
18	Spain
19	Bulgaria
21	UK
23	Greece
27	Italy
28	OECD
29	Luxembourg
32	Austria
38	Ireland
40	Germany
42	Denmark, Portugal
123	Czech Republic, France
132	Belgium

Cost of registering property

Fees, transfer taxes, stamp duties and other payments for property registry, notaries, public agencies or lawyers. The cost is expressed as a percentage of the property value, assuming a property value of 50 times income per capita.

% property value	Country
0.4	Switzerland
0.5	USA
0.6	Denmark, Italy
1.8	Canada
2.3	Bulgaria
2.5	Norway
3.0	Czech Republic, Sweden
4.0	Finland, Greece
4.1	UK
4.6	OECD
4.5	Austria
4.9	Australia
5.2	Germany
6.1	France
6.2	Netherlands
7.1	Spain
7.4	Portugal
10.2	Ireland, Luxembourg
12.7	Belgium

GETTING CREDIT

According to the World Bank, this section “covers credit information registries and the effectiveness of collateral and bankruptcy laws in facilitating lending to entrepreneurs.”

1. UK
3. Australia
3. Germany
7. Canada
7. Ireland
7. USA
13. Bulgaria
13. Denmark
13. Netherlands
13. Spain
26. Austria
26. Czech Republic
26. Finland
26. Switzerland
36. France
36. Norway
36. Sweden
48. Belgium
68. Italy
68. Portugal
84. Greece
97. Luxembourg

See “Getting Credit” in its entirety.

Legal Rights Index

The Legal Rights Index measures the degree to which collateral and bankruptcy laws facilitate lending, with ‘10′ being the highest rating.

Rating	Country
10	UK
9	Australia
8	Denmark, Germany, Ireland
7	Canada, Netherlands, USA
6.4	OECD
6	Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Finland, France, Luxembourg, Norway, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland
5	Austria, Belgium
4	Portugal
3	Greece, Italy

Credit Information Index

The Credit Information Index assesses rules affecting the scope, access and quality of credit information, with ‘10′ being the highest rating.

Rating	Country
6	Austria, Bulgaria, Canada, Germany, Spain, UK, USA
5	Australia, Czech Republic, Finland, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Switzerland
4.8	OECD
4	Belgium, Denmark, France, Greece, Norway, Portugal, Sweden
0	Luxembourg

Public registry coverage

A country’s combined percentage of public and private data should be considered when understanding the full scope of coverage. i.e. The USA has 0% public, but 100% private. Greece, on the other hand, has a combined percentage of 38%.

%	Country
67.1	Portugal
57.2	Belgium
44.9	Spain
25.4	Bulgaria
24.8	France
11.0	Italy
8.6	OECD
4.2	Czech Republic
1.3	Austria
0.7	Germany
0	Australia, Canada, Denmark, Finland, Greece, Ireland, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, UK, USA

Private bureau coverage

%	Country
100	Australia, Canada, Ireland, Norway, Sweden, USA
98.1	Germany
84.6	UK
78.1	Netherlands
71.5	Italy
59.3	OECD
53.0	Czech Republic
40.6	Austria
38.7	Greece
24.0	Switzerland
14.9	Finland
11.5	Denmark
11.3	Portugal
8.3	Spain
3.0	Bulgaria
0	Belgium, France, Luxembourg

PROTECTING INVESTORS

Investors must be assured their interests are protected and empowered with an avenue of recourse. This topic measures the strength of minority shareholder protections against misuse of corporate assets by directors for their personal gain.

5. Canada
5. Ireland
5. USA
9. UK
12. Belgium
15. Norway
19. Denmark
33. Bulgaria
33. Portugal
51. Australia
51. Finland
51. Italy
51. Sweden
64. France
83. Czech Republic
83. Germany
83. Spain
98. Netherlands
107. Luxembourg
122. Austria
158. Greece
158. Switzerland

See “Protecting Investors” in its entirety.

Disclosure Index

The Extent of Disclosure Index measures the transparency of transactions, with ‘10′ being the highest rating.

Rating	Country
10	Bulgaria, France, Ireland, UK
8	Australia, Belgium, Canada
7	Denmark, Italy, Norway, USA
6.4	OECD
6	Finland, Luxembourg, Portugal, Sweden
5	Germany, Spain
4	Netherlands
3	Austria
2	Czech Republic
1	Greece
0	Switzerland

Liability

The Extent of Director Liability Index measures the liability for self-dealing, with ‘10′ being the highest rating.

Rating	Country
9	Canada, USA
7	UK
6	Belgium, Ireland, Norway, Spain
5.1	OECD
5	Austria, Czech Republic, Denmark, Germany, Portugal, Switzerland
4	Finland, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Sweden
3	Greece
2	Australia
1	Bulgaria, France

Shareholder Suits Index

The Ease of Shareholder Suits Index measures the shareholders’ ability to sue officers and directors for misconduct, with ‘10′ being the highest rating.

Rating	Country
9	Ireland, USA
8	Canada, Czech Republic
7	Australia, Belgium, Bulgaria, Denmark, Finland, Norway, Portugal, Sweden, UK
6.5	OECD
5	Italy, Netherlands, France, Germany, Greece
4	Austria, Spain, Switzerland
3	Luxembourg

Investor Protection Index

The Investor Protection Index is the combined strength of all three indices above — Extent of Disclosure Index, Extent of Director Liability Index, Ease of Shareholder Suit Index — with ‘10′ being the highest possible rating.

Rating	Country
8.3	Canada, Ireland, USA
8.0	UK
7.0	Belgium
6.7	Norway
6.3	Denmark
6.0	OECD, Bulgaria, Portugal
5.7	Australia, Finland, Italy, Sweden
5.3	France
5.0	Czech Republic, Germany, Spain
4.7	Netherlands
4.3	Luxembourg
4.0	Austria
3.0	Greece, Switzerland

PAYING TAXES

Paying Taxes addresses taxes and mandatory contributions that a mid-sized company must pay or withhold annually, in addition to administrative burden.

6. Ireland
12. UK
13. Denmark
15. Switzerland
16. Norway
17. Luxembourg
25. Canada
36. Netherlands
41. Australia
42. Sweden
65. Belgium
66. Portugal
67. Germany
76. USA
80. Austria
82. France
83. Finland
86. Greece
88. Bulgaria
93. Spain
113. Czech Republic
122. Italy

See “Paying Taxes” in its entirety.

Tax Payments

Total number of tax payments per year.

#	Country
2	Sweden
4	Norway
8	Portugal, Spain, UK
9	Canada, Denmark, Ireland, Netherlands
10	USA
11	Belgium
12	Australia, Czech Republic
15	Italy
15.1	OECD
16	Germany
17	Bulgaria
20	Finland
21	Greece
22	Austria, Luxembourg
23	France
24	Switzerland

Time

The time it takes to prepare, file and pay or withhold corporate income tax, value added tax (VAT) and social security/insurance contributions.

Hours	Country
58	Luxembourg
63	Switzerland
76	Ireland
87	Norway
105	UK
107	Australia
119	Canada
122	Sweden
132	France
135	Denmark
156	Belgium
170	Austria
180	Netherlands
183.3	OECD
196	Germany
264	Greece
269	Finland
298	Spain
325	USA
328	Portugal
360	Italy 360
616	Bulgaria
930	Czech Republic

Profit tax

The average amount of declared taxes on profits paid by the business, expressed as a percentage of commercial profits. Unofficial or undeclared profits and tax dodging are separate matters and not included.

%	Country
5.4	Belgium
5.9	Czech Republic
6.6	Bulgaria
8.3	France
8.4	Switzerland
14.2	Ireland
15.1	Austria, Greece
15.2	Portugal
16.5	Sweden
16.7	Luxembourg
17.0	Finland
20.0	OECD
21.3	UK
21.6	Germany
23.7	Spain
24.9	Norway
26.0	Canada, Netherlands
26.9	Australia
28.0	Denmark
30.8	Italy

Labor tax and contributions

Labor tax and contributions include mandatory social security contributions paid by the employer both to public and private entities, as well as other taxes or contributions related to employing workers, and is expressed as a percentage of commercial profits. Illegal employment is a separate matter and not included.

%	Country
2.5	Denmark
11.3	UK
12.1	Ireland
12.3	Canada
15.8	Netherlands
15.9	Norway
16.7	Luxembourg
17.2	Switzerland
21.7	Germany
22.2	Australia
22.8	OECD
26.6	Bulgaria
26.8	Portugal
27.1	USA
29.7	Finland
31.7	Greece
34.5	Austria
36.4	Sweden
37.6	Spain
39.5	Czech Republic
43.2	Italy
52.1	France
57.1	Belgium

Other taxes

Mandatory taxes and contributions outside the first two categories.

%	Country
0.8	Spain
1.0	Finland
1.3	Norway
1.5	Australia
1.6	Netherlands
1.7	Sweden
1.8	Belgium
1.9	Greece, Luxembourg
2.2	Italy
2.6	Ireland
2.7	Denmark
2.8	Portugal
3.2	Czech Republic, UK
3.4	OECD
3.5	Bulgaria
3.6	Switzerland
5.0	Austria
5.8	France
7.5	Germany
7.6	Canada
9.5	USA

Total tax rate

Total amount of mandatory taxes and contributions paid by a business, expressed as a percentage of profit.

% of profit	Country
28.9	Ireland
29.1	Switzerland
33.3	Denmark
35.3	Luxembourg
35.7	UK
36.7	Bulgaria
42.0	Norway
43.4	Netherlands
44.8	Portugal
45.9	Canada
46.2	OECD, USA
47.8	Finland
48.6	Czech Republic, Greece
50.6	Australia
50.8	Germany
54.5	Sweden
54.6	Austria
62.0	Spain
64.3	Belgium
66.3	France
76.2	Italy

TRADING ACROSS BORDERS

The bureaucracy and ability to facilitate efficient and timely trade can greatly contribute or hamper a prosperous export/import relationship.

Trading Across Borders examines procedural requirements for exporting and importing a standardized cargo of goods. Every official procedure is counted from the contractual agreement between the 2 parties to the delivery of goods, along with the time necessary for completion. Note that a country’s proximity to the sea did not guarantee a lower cost, faster shipment or higher rating.

2. Denmark
4. Norway
5. Finland
6. Sweden
10. Germany
12. Austria
14. Netherlands
15. USA
20. Ireland
25. France
27. UK
30. Czech Republic
31. Portugal
32. Luxembourg
34. Australia
37. Switzerland
39. Canada
47. Spain
48. Belgium
62. Italy
65. Greece
89. Bulgaria

See “Trading Across Borders” in its entirety.

Documents for export

#	Country
3	Canada
4	Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, UK, USA
4.5	OECD
5	Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Greece, Italy, Luxembourg
6	Australia, Portugal, Spain

Time for export

# of days	Country
5	Denmark
6	Luxembourg, Netherlands, USA
7	Canada, Germany, Ireland, Norway
8	Austria, Belgium, Finland, Sweden, Switzerland
9	Australia, Spain
9.8	OECD
11	France
13	UK
16	Czech Republic, Portugal
20	Greece, Italy
23	Bulgaria

Cost to export (per container)

US$	Country
420	Finland
518	Norway
540	Denmark
561	Sweden
580	Portugal
740	Germany
775	Czech Republic
843	Austria
880	Netherlands
905	OECD
930	Australia
940	UK
960	USA
998	Greece
1000	Spain
1028	France
1090	Ireland
1238	Switzerland
1250	Luxembourg
1291	Italy
1329	Bulgaria
1385	Canada
1600	Belgium

Documents for import

#	Country
3	Denmark, Sweden
4	Canada, Ireland, Luxembourg, Norway, UK
5	OECD, Austria, Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Switzerland, USA,
6	Australia, Greece
7	Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Portugal
8	Spain

Time for import

# of days	Country
1	Australia
5	Denmark, USA
6	Luxembourg, Netherlands, Sweden
8	Germany, Norway, Austria, Finland
9	Belgium, Switzerland
10	Spain
10.4	OECD
11	Canada
12	France, Ireland
13	UK
16	Portugal
18	Czech Republic, Italy
21	Bulgaria
25	Greece

Cost to import (per container)

US$	Country
420	Finland
468	Norway
540	Denmark
619	Sweden
765	Germany
843	Austria
860	Czech Republic
940	UK
986.1	OECD
994	Portugal
1000	Spain
1005	Netherlands
1120	Australia
1139	Ireland
1148	France
1160	USA
1245	Greece
1250	Luxembourg
1291	Italy
1333	Switzerland
1377	Bulgaria
1425	Canada
1600	Belgium

ENFORCING CONTRACTS

Enforcing Contracts measures the efficiency of contract enforcement by following the evolution of a sale of goods dispute and tracking the time, cost and number of procedures involved from the moment the plaintiff files the lawsuit until actual payment.

2. Luxembourg
6. Austria
7. Finland
8. USA
9. Norway
11. Australia
14. France
15. Germany
22. Belgium
24. UK
25. Switzerland
30. Denmark
36. Netherlands
39. Ireland
43. Canada
49. Portugal
53. Sweden
55. Spain
87. Greece
90. Bulgaria
97. Czech Republic
155. Italy

See “Enforcing Contracts” in its entirety.

Procedures

The number of steps a plaintiff must take from the moment (s)he files a lawsuit in court until payment disbursement.

# of steps	Country
20	Ireland
25	Netherlands
26	Austria, Luxembourg
27	Belgium, Czech Republic
28	Australia
30	France, Sweden, UK
31.3	OECD
32	Switzerland, USA
33	Finland, Germany, Norway
34	Denmark
35	Portugal
36	Canada
39	Greece, Spain
40	Bulgaria
41	Italy

Duration

The average number of calendar days it took to resolve the dispute.

# of days	Country
233	Finland
262	Australia
300	USA
310	Norway
321	Luxembourg
331	France
340	Denmark
394	Germany
397	Austria
404	UK
417	Switzerland
443.3	OECD
505	Belgium
508	Sweden
514	Netherlands
515	Ireland, Spain
564	Bulgaria
570	Canada
577	Portugal
819	Greece
820	Czech Republic
1210	Italy

Cost (% of claim)

Cost of court and attorney fees, where the use of attorneys is mandatory or common, expressed as a percentage of the dispute’s debt value.

% of	Country
8.8	Luxembourg
9.4	USA
9.9	Norway
10.4	Finland
11.8	Germany
12.7	Austria
14.4	Greece
16.2	Canada
16.6	Belgium
17.2	Spain
17.4	France
17.7	OECD, Portugal
20.7	Australia
21.2	Switzerland
22.2	Bulgaria
23.3	Denmark
23.4	UK
24.4	Netherlands
26.9	Ireland
29.9	Italy
31.3	Sweden
33.0	Czech Republic

CLOSING A BUSINESS

According to the World Bank, “Closing a Business identifies weaknesses in existing bankruptcy law and the main procedural and administrative bottlenecks in the bankruptcy process.”

3. Norway
4. Canada
5. Finland
6. Ireland
7. Denmark
8. Netherlands
9. Belgium
10. UK
13. Australia
17. Spain
18. USA
19. Sweden
20. Portugal
21. Austria
25. Italy
29. Germany
32. France
33. Switzerland
38. Greece
46. Luxembourg
72. Bulgaria
108. Czech Republic

See “Closing a Business” in its entirety.

Duration

The average time it takes to close a business, expressed in years.

# of years	Country
0.4	Ireland
0.8	Canada
0.9	Belgium, Finland, Norway
1.0	Australia, Spain, UK
1.1	Austria, Denmark, Netherlands
1.2	Germany
1.3	OECD
1.5	USA
1.8	Italy
1.9	France
2.0	Greece, Portugal, Luxembourg, Sweden
3.0	Switzerland
3.3	Bulgaria
6.5	Czech Republic

Cost (% of income per capita)

Cost of bankruptcy proceedings, expressed as a percentage of income per capita.

%	Country
1	Norway
4	Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, Netherlands, Switzerland
6	UK
7	USA
7.5	OECD
8	Australia, Germany
9	Bulgaria, France, Greece, Ireland, Portugal, Sweden
15	Czech Republic, Luxembourg, Spain
18	Austria
22	Italy

Recovery rate (cents on the $)

Recovery rate calculates how many cents on the dollar that claimants (creditors, tax authorities and employees) can expect to recover from an insolvent firm.

USD$	Country
90.7	Norway
88.8	Canada
88.2	Finland
87.1	Ireland
87.0	Denmark
86.7	Netherlands
85.5	Belgium
84.6	UK
79.2	Australia
76.9	Spain
75.9	USA
74.7	Sweden
74.1	OECD
74.0	Portugal
72.4	Austria
61.8	Italy
53.4	Germany
47.4	France
47.1	Switzerland
44.9	Greece
41.6	Luxembourg
32.4	Bulgaria
21.3	Czech Republic

Sources

Doing Business — World Bank

Sources for those seeking analyses specific to Greece

“Greek Entrepreneurship Report” — Kathimerini (November 2007)

“No grasp of entrepreneurship, originality or management” — Kathimerini (November 2007)

“Business expecting better days” — Athens News Agency (September 2007)

“It’s not privatisation if the state still controls it” — Athens News Agency (September 2007)

“Entrepreneurship floundering” — Athens News (August 2007)

“Greek firms thriving outside Greece” — Kathimerini (June 2007)

“Greece back in EU favour?” — Athens News (April 2007)

Photo from the DoingBusiness.org Web site

* Due to the time-consuming effort to compile stats, arrange rankings and code HTML, the ability to comment will be limited.