DENMARK RANKS WORLD NO.1 ON IMD'S 'COMPETITIVENESS STRESS TEST'

Investors and politicians all over the world are struggling with the ongoing financial crisis and asking themselves which countries are best placed to adapt and survive? One place to look for an answer is the new IMD "Competitiveness Stress Test" ranking, based on the results of the World Competitiveness Yearbook 2009.

According to IMD's website, Denmark leads the stress test ranking as the country best equipped to navigate the financial crisis and improve its competitiveness in the near future. Singapore, Qatar, Norway and Hong Kong fill the other top 5 places in a ranking which IMD describes as future-oriented with the focus on exposure, preparedness and resilience in a period of global recession.

So what makes Denmark such a robust performer? According to IMD, it is a combination of the resilience of its businesses and government and the long-established stability of its society, together with the fact that smaller economies are better able to adapt and rebound in tough times.

"The analysis shows that Denmark is in a quite unique position to come through the economic crisis and improve its competitiveness in the near future," said IMD director Professor Stéphane Garelli to financial daily newspaper Børsen. "Denmark does particularly well in terms of workforce flexibility, reliability of management and political stability, which are all extremely important in ensuring preparedness to adapt to new conditions. This is essential for a country to emerge from the crisis in strong shape."

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