Singapore's Ranking Singapore's dynamic economy is fueld by an open policy towards business, making it one of the most business friendly countries today. The country's stable political landscape presents an attractive low risk assessmemt to many international business operations. In fact, Singapore attracts both MNCs and startups alike. These businesses have benefited from highly-skilled workforce, low tax regimes and test bedding opportunities. For entrepreneurs, the business-friendly policies, simple application procedures and even governement funding make it really easy to register and start a business in Singapore. For more quick facts, click here.

Singapore Facts:
Singapore is an island republic situated between the countries Malaysia and Indonesia. Singapore is approximately 137 km north of the equator, or about one degree north of the equator with a land area of 685.4 sq km, or approximately 3.5 times the size of Washington DC. Click here for a interactive map of Singapore!

Climate
The tropical climate makes Singapore warm and wet most of the year. December is the coolest month of the year while May is the warmest. Normal temperature ranges between 25.2°C - 32° C, or from 77 °F - 89.6° F. There are two rainy seasons - from December to March, and from June to September.

Languages
English is the language of administration, business, and technology. Malay is the national language. The official languages are Malay, Chinese (Mandarin), Tamil and English. Chinese dialects such as Hokkien, Teochew, Cantonese, Hakka, Hainanese, and Foochow are widely used.

Literacy Rate

• General literacy rate (15 years and over): 93.2%
• Literacy in two or more languages: 56%

Religion
Freedom of worship is enshrined in the Constitution. Major religions include Buddhism, Taoism, Islam, Christianity and Hinduism.

Some Major Festivals & Holidays
There are 11 public holidays and 8 major festivals in Singapore. For a list of these, click here.

For a more complete listing of Singapore's public holidays and festivals, check out the Ministry of Manpower website

Singapore's Ranking

Singapore's dynamic economy is fueld by an open policy towards business, making it one of the most business friendly countries today. The country's stable political landscape presents an attractive low risk assessmemt to many international business operations. In fact, Singapore attracts both MNCs and startups alike.

These businesses have benefited from highly-skilled workforce, low tax regimes and test bedding opportunities. For entrepreneurs, the business-friendly policies, simple application procedures and even governement funding make it really easy to register and start a business in Singapore.

Ease of Doing Business

(Cities of opportunity: Business-readiness indicators for the 21st century, PricewaterhouseCoopers, 2007)

Rank	Country
1	Singapore
2	Toronto
3	Atlanta
4	Los Angeles
5	New York
6	Chicago
7	Tokyo
8	London
9	Shanghai
10	Frankfurt

(Economy Rankings: Doing Business, The World Bank Group, 2007)

Rank	Country
1	Singapore
2	New Zealand
3	United States
4	Canada
5	Hong Kong
6	United Kingdom
7	Denmark
8	Australia
9	Norway
10	Ireland

Most Cost-Competitive Place of Business

Country	Cost Index	Rank
Singapore	77.7	1
Canada	94.5	2
France	95.6	3
Netherlands	95.7	4
Italy	97.8	5
United Kingdom	98.1	6
United States	100	7
Japan	106.9	8
Germany	107.4	9

For more quick facts click here.