THE BEST COUNTRIES FOR BUSINESS

Guess what? The United States isn’t anywhere near the top of the list.

SWEDEN (YES, SWEDEN!) headlines Forbesõ annual rundown of the most business-friendly places on earth, with New Zealand, Hong Kong, Ireland and the United Kingdom close behind.

Sweden hasn’t let its historic commitment to social democracy get in the way of its entrepreneurs: It finished first, thanks to a top-ten ranking in 7 of the 11 categories we track, which include taxes, red tape, innovation and personal and trade freedom. (Chad ranks last, with Gambia and Haiti just a notch above.)

This chart tracks our current ranking of countries and GDP, with the size of the bubble representing a country’s change in rank over the last decade. The U.S. has the biggest economy ($17.9 trillion), but it has slipped 19 spots to No. 23 since 2006. Will Washington’s bold new regime help make America great (for business) again? Over to you, Mr. President.