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.
Our thanks go to the 52 political analysts and economists who took part in our economic projections and political risk survey. Those who did not wish to remain anonymous were:
E Galbrith, J van der Kamp, ABN Amro Hoare Govett Asia; A Shuttleworth, ANZ Bank; P Papadopoulos, Arab Banking Corp; J Perry, Arbor Trading Group; F Fernandez & team, Banco Central Hispanoamericano; S Mok, Bank of East Asia; C Bonert, Banque et Caisse d'Epargne de l'Etat; R de la Fuente, Banque Paribas; R Wirdnam, Barclays Bank; H Schnoes, BHF Bank; R Shields, Chase Manhattan Bank; J Krijgsman, CIBC Wood Gundy; F Nicollas, CrŽdit Lyonnais; S Brunner, Credit Suisse First Boston; K Schestauber & T Spanel, Creditanstalt-Bankverein; I Colhoun, Deutsche Morgan Grenfell Australia; M Wall, Deutsche Morgan Grenfell; R Schneider, Dresdner Kleinwort Benson; P Nicol & economic advisory group, Dun & Bradstreet; A Yap, FDA; global economic research team, Goldman Sachs; C Leahy, High Frequency Capital; D Ho, Jardine Fleming Asia Research; J Henzler, JP Morgan; A Schuiling & team, Mees Pierson; A Eno, Merita Bank; H Schmieding, Merrill Lynch; R de Iure, National Australia Bank; P Voudouris, V Palamagas & G Hardouvelis, National Bank of Greece; D Kern & C Yeo, National Westminster Bank; T Shigeoka, Nomura Research Institute; International Country Risk Guide, PRS Group; R Rippe, Prudential Securities; E Jayaweera, RW Pressprich; J Anania, K von dem Hagen, Royal Bank of Canada; N Braems, Sal Oppenheim; M Takahashi, Sanyo Investment Research; SBC Warburg, Hong Kong; K Wade, Schroders; S Gallagher & R Ratclife, Société Générale; M Schieler, Swiss Bank Corp; C Brocado, Valores Finamex.