Statizoid

Time required to start a business by country

Number of calendar days needed to complete the procedures to legally operate a business.

Countries reporting
185
Highest
230 days
Venezuela
Lowest
0.5 days
New Zealand
Median
12 days
Years covered
17
2003–2019
Data points
2,945

What the numbers show

Time required to start a business is currently reported for 185 countries. The highest value is 230 days in Venezuela; the lowest is 0.5 days in New Zealand.

The median across all reporting countries is 12 days, and the mean is 19.65 days.

The gap between the highest and lowest reporting country is a factor of about 460.

Over the past decade 17 countries rose and 151 fell. The largest increase was in Yemen (up 224.0%), and the largest decrease in Togo (down 97.0%).

Time required to start a business: full country ranking

#Country LatestYear 10-year changeTrend
1 Venezuela 230 days 2019 up 63.1% rising
2 Laos 173 days 2019 up 101.2% rising
3 Cambodia 99 days 2019 down 2.9% rising
4 Haiti 97 days 2019 down 56.7% falling
5 Eritrea 84 days 2019 unchanged rising
6 Bosnia and Herzegovina 80 days 2019 down 19.2% flat
7 Iran 72.5 days 2019 up 16.0% falling
8 Somalia 70 days 2019 — flat
9 Suriname 66 days 2019 down 90.4% volatile
10 Chad 58 days 2019 down 6.5% falling
11 Namibia 54 days 2019 down 18.2% falling
12 Congo 49.5 days 2019 down 68.8% volatile
13 Ecuador 48.5 days 2019 down 24.2% falling
14 Belize 48 days 2019 up 11.6% flat
14 Botswana 48 days 2019 down 18.6% falling
16 Palestine 43.5 days 2019 down 31.5% falling
17 Honduras 42 days 2019 up 200.0% falling
18 Papua New Guinea 41 days 2019 down 21.2% falling
19 Yemen 40.5 days 2019 up 224.0% falling
20 Fiji 40 days 2019 down 9.1% rising
20 South Africa 40 days 2019 down 11.1% falling
22 Bolivia 39.5 days 2019 down 19.4% falling
23 Malawi 37 days 2019 up 2.8% flat
23 Poland 37 days 2019 down 5.1% falling
25 Angola 36 days 2019 down 47.1% falling
26 Libya 35 days 2019 unchanged flat
26 Paraguay 35 days 2019 unchanged falling
28 Sudan 34.5 days 2019 down 5.5% falling
29 Equatorial Guinea 33 days 2019 down 78.7% falling
29 Philippines 33 days 2019 down 2.9% falling
31 Ethiopia 32 days 2019 up 60.0% rising
31 Seychelles 32 days 2019 down 3.0% flat
33 Kiribati 31 days 2019 unchanged rising
34 Tanzania 29.5 days 2019 down 4.8% falling
35 Palau 28 days 2019 unchanged flat
36 Zimbabwe 27 days 2019 down 71.3% falling
37 Iraq 26.5 days 2019 down 13.1% falling
38 Peru 26 days 2019 down 36.6% falling
39 Czechia 24.5 days 2019 down 23.4% falling
40 Uganda 24 days 2019 down 11.1% falling
41 Bulgaria 23 days 2019 down 8.0% falling
41 Costa Rica 23 days 2019 down 68.7% volatile
41 Kenya 23 days 2019 down 30.3% falling
44 Nepal 22.5 days 2019 down 27.4% falling
45 Central African Republic 22 days 2019 down 8.3% flat
46 Slovakia 21.5 days 2019 down 24.6% volatile
46 Eswatini 21.5 days 2019 down 64.2% falling
48 Austria 21 days 2019 down 16.0% falling
50 Romania 20 days 2019 up 150.0% volatile
51 Bangladesh 19.5 days 2019 down 10.6% falling
51 Croatia 19.5 days 2019 down 13.3% falling
53 Kuwait 19.4 days 2019 down 45.2% flat
54 Antigua and Barbuda 19 days 2019 down 13.6% falling
55 Saint Kitts and Nevis 18.5 days 2019 down 2.6% flat
56 Algeria 18 days 2019 down 18.2% falling
56 Guyana 18 days 2019 down 33.3% falling
56 Liberia 18 days 2019 down 14.3% volatile
56 Vanuatu 18 days 2019 down 61.7% falling
60 India 17.5 days 2019 down 46.3% falling
60 Malaysia 17.5 days 2019 down 5.4% volatile
62 Marshall Islands 17 days 2019 unchanged falling
62 Mozambique 17 days 2019 down 50.0% volatile
64 Brazil 16.6 days 2019 down 80.8% falling
65 Dominican Republic 16.5 days 2019 up 3.1% volatile
65 Pakistan 16.5 days 2019 down 17.5% falling
65 El Salvador 16.5 days 2019 unchanged volatile
69 Barbados 16 days 2019 down 11.1% falling
69 Comoros 16 days 2019 down 27.3% falling
69 Micronesia (country) 16 days 2019 unchanged falling
69 Tonga 16 days 2019 down 36.0% falling
69 Vietnam 16 days 2019 down 56.8% falling
74 Syria 15.5 days 2019 unchanged volatile
75 Guinea 15 days 2019 down 62.5% falling
75 Guatemala 15 days 2019 down 58.3% falling
75 Lebanon 15 days 2019 unchanged volatile
75 Lesotho 15 days 2019 down 61.5% volatile
75 North Macedonia 15 days 2019 down 11.8% volatile
80 Djibouti 14 days 2019 down 62.2% falling
80 Nicaragua 14 days 2019 down 64.1% falling
82 Cameroon 13.5 days 2019 down 62.0% falling
83 Burkina Faso 13 days 2019 down 7.1% volatile
83 Finland 13 days 2019 down 23.5% falling
83 Ghana 13 days 2019 up 18.2% falling
83 South Sudan 13 days 2019 down 7.1% falling
83 East Timor 13 days 2019 down 91.7% volatile
88 Indonesia 12.6 days 2019 down 83.6% volatile
89 Egypt 12.5 days 2019 unchanged volatile
89 Spain 12.5 days 2019 down 79.5% volatile
89 Jordan 12.5 days 2019 unchanged volatile
92 Bhutan 12 days 2019 down 73.9% volatile
92 Dominica 12 days 2019 down 7.7% falling
92 Grenada 12 days 2019 down 36.8% falling
92 Maldives 12 days 2019 unchanged rising
92 Montenegro 12 days 2019 down 14.3% falling
92 Mongolia 12 days 2019 down 29.4% falling
98 Argentina 11.5 days 2019 down 54.0% falling
98 Bahamas 11.5 days 2019 down 62.3% falling
98 Iceland 11.5 days 2019 up 130.0% rising
98 San Marino 11.5 days 2019 down 72.0% volatile
102 Japan 11.2 days 2019 down 3.4% flat
103 Israel 11 days 2019 down 38.9% falling
103 Italy 11 days 2019 down 12.0% falling
103 Saint Lucia 11 days 2019 down 21.4% falling
103 Mali 11 days 2019 up 37.5% volatile
108 Trinidad and Tobago 10.5 days 2019 down 74.4% volatile
109 Saudi Arabia 10.4 days 2019 down 61.8% volatile
110 Russia 10.1 days 2019 down 23.5% falling
111 Switzerland 10 days 2019 down 44.4% falling
111 Colombia 10 days 2019 down 47.4% volatile
111 Gabon 10 days 2019 down 81.5% falling
111 Kyrgyzstan 10 days 2019 down 33.3% falling
111 Niger 10 days 2019 down 44.4% falling
111 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 10 days 2019 down 9.1% falling
117 Cape Verde 9 days 2019 down 62.5% volatile
117 Morocco 9 days 2019 down 25.0% falling
117 Solomon Islands 9 days 2019 down 83.6% volatile
117 Tunisia 9 days 2019 down 30.8% falling
117 Samoa 9 days 2019 unchanged volatile
122 Qatar 8.7 days 2019 up 6.1% rising
123 China 8.6 days 2019 down 75.0% falling
124 Afghanistan 8.5 days 2019 down 10.5% falling
124 Benin 8.5 days 2019 down 75.4% falling
124 Belarus 8.5 days 2019 down 34.6% volatile
124 Guinea-Bissau 8.5 days 2019 down 96.1% volatile
124 Zambia 8.5 days 2019 down 55.3% volatile
129 Mexico 8.4 days 2019 unchanged flat
130 Bahrain 8.3 days 2019 down 10.8% falling
131 Germany 8 days 2019 down 54.3% volatile
131 Gambia 8 days 2019 down 70.4% falling
131 South Korea 8 days 2019 down 42.9% falling
131 Sri Lanka 8 days 2019 down 81.8% volatile
131 Madagascar 8 days 2019 down 33.3% volatile
131 Sierra Leone 8 days 2019 down 33.3% falling
131 Slovenia 8 days 2019 up 33.3% volatile
138 Sweden 7.5 days 2019 down 53.1% falling
139 Nigeria 7.2 days 2019 down 76.2% falling
140 Democratic Republic of Congo 7 days 2019 down 94.5% volatile
140 Hungary 7 days 2019 up 40.0% volatile
140 Myanmar 7 days 2019 down 90.9% volatile
140 Serbia 7 days 2019 down 46.2% volatile
140 Sao Tome and Principe 7 days 2019 down 95.2% volatile
140 Tajikistan 7 days 2019 down 83.3% volatile
140 Turkey 7 days 2019 down 33.3% volatile
147 Portugal 6.5 days 2019 down 7.1% volatile
147 Ukraine 6.5 days 2019 down 76.8% falling
147 Uruguay 6.5 days 2019 down 89.8% volatile
150 Cote d'Ivoire 6 days 2019 down 85.0% volatile
150 Cyprus 6 days 2019 down 25.0% falling
150 Mauritania 6 days 2019 down 68.4% volatile
150 Panama 6 days 2019 down 50.0% falling
150 Senegal 6 days 2019 down 33.3% volatile
150 Thailand 6 days 2019 down 82.4% falling
156 Brunei 5.5 days 2019 down 95.5% volatile
156 Lithuania 5.5 days 2019 down 78.8% volatile
156 Latvia 5.5 days 2019 down 64.5% falling
156 Puerto Rico 5.5 days 2019 down 21.4% falling
160 Burundi 5 days 2019 down 61.5% falling
160 Belgium 5 days 2019 up 11.1% volatile
160 Kazakhstan 5 days 2019 down 80.8% falling
163 Albania 4.5 days 2019 down 25.0% volatile
163 United Kingdom 4.5 days 2019 down 60.9% falling
163 Mauritius 4.5 days 2019 down 30.8% volatile
166 Oman 4.3 days 2019 down 67.9% volatile
167 United States 4.2 days 2019 down 32.3% falling
168 Armenia 4 days 2019 down 71.4% volatile
168 Chile 4 days 2019 down 90.0% volatile
168 France 4 days 2019 down 38.5% volatile
168 Greece 4 days 2019 down 78.9% volatile
168 Moldova 4 days 2019 down 60.0% volatile
168 Norway 4 days 2019 down 33.3% volatile
168 Rwanda 4 days 2019 down 42.9% volatile
175 United Arab Emirates 3.8 days 2019 down 75.2% falling
176 Azerbaijan 3.5 days 2019 down 65.0% volatile
176 Denmark 3.5 days 2019 down 46.2% falling
176 Estonia 3.5 days 2019 down 46.2% volatile
176 Netherlands 3.5 days 2019 down 56.2% falling
180 Jamaica 3 days 2019 down 62.5% volatile
180 Uzbekistan 3 days 2019 down 78.6% volatile
182 Togo 2.5 days 2019 down 97.0% volatile
183 Australia 2 days 2019 down 20.0% falling
184 Canada 1.5 days 2019 down 72.7% falling
184 Hong Kong 1.5 days 2019 down 75.0% volatile
184 Singapore 1.5 days 2019 down 40.0% volatile
187 Georgia 1 days 2019 down 66.7% volatile
188 New Zealand 0.5 days 2019 unchanged volatile

About this data

Indicator
Time required to start a business
Unit
days
Source
Doing Business project, World Bank (2025) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
188 places, 2,945 data points, 2003–2019
Last refreshed

Number of calendar days needed to complete the procedures to legally operate a business.