Global Economic Projections: Economic Projections Methodology

Euromoney received replies from 32 economists at leading financial and economic institutions. They gave each country's economic performance for 1997 and 1998 a score out of 100, after making comparisons between countries and years. The world's fastest-growing, best-performing economy in an ideal year would score 100; the worst economy in a disastrous year would score zero. Respondents were asked consider sustained economic growth, monetary stability, current-account/budget deficit or surplus, unemployment and structural imbalances. Economists also gave their forecasts for real GNP growth for calendar years 1997 and 1998. The scores in the ranking are the average of those forecasts. The ranking represents an average of economic performance scores for 1997 and 1998. Countries which received one or no votes were excluded.