KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia is the clear front-runner in the ‘2017 Best Countries to Invest In’ survey by US-based BAV Consulting and the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.
The research, which surveyed 21,000 participants in four regions on the investment prospects of 80 countries worldwide, has Malaysia scoring 30 points more than any other nation on a 100-point scale.
Countries are ranked based on eight equally-weighted attributes: corruption, dynamism, economic stability, entrepreneurialism, favourable tax environment, innovation, skilled labour force and technological expertise.
"(Malaysia) is one of the top recipients of foreign direct investment, and its pro-business government offers a wide range of incentives to investors,” it said.
The report added that other countries at the top of the list, like Singapore at second and India at sixth, typically have a younger, educated population.
It said the majority of their citizens can provide the type of skilled work that the labour market demands at competitive wages, and continue the cycle by contributing to the country's consumer market.