Research Guides: PEST Analysis for International Markets: PEST Analysis Getting Started

PEST is a framework for analyzing the macro-level environment of a business. Survey the P - Political, E - Economic, S - SocioCultural and T - Technological factors in the external environment. Then assess those factors to identify significant changes that might have an impact on your company. Your aim is to identify those external factors that pose opportunities or threats for your company.

This guide identifies resources to use in a PEST analysis that assesses the potential for entering new international markets.

PEST & PESTEL Analysis
Read about how to do a PEST analysis in this guide from Strategic Management Insight.

Passport (Euromonitor)
Find "PEST Analysis" reports by country. Analysis is presented in terms of opportunities and challenges with statistics, charts and graphs.
Business Source Complete
Find a MarketLine Country Profile. These annual reports offer in-depth PESTLE insights.

Find Country Profiles

The World Factbook - CIA
Brief factual up-to-date profiles of every country in the world compiled by the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency.
World Bank - Country Profiles
Key investment climate indicators for countries. Includes corruption, taxes and regulations, access to finance, infrastructure, workforce, crime, informality, innovation, and trade.
GlobalEDGE - Insights by Country
Statistical indicators for 199 countries and country profiles with current news and links to selected government Web sites. This business web portal is produced at Michigan State University.
United Nations. World Statistics Pocketbook
Key economic, social and environmental indicators presented in one-page profiles for 30 world regions and over 200 countries.

Research the General Business Environment

Country Commercial Guides
Market conditions, opportunities, regulations, and business customs for over 70 countries prepared by trade and industry experts at U.S. embassies worldwide.
Doing Business
The World Bank evaluates business environments in lengthy Economic Profiles. Their Data page ranks countries on the "Ease of Doing Business." Start by selecting an economy from the menu at the top right.
Global Competitiveness Report 2019
Charts and data sets assess the global competitiveness of 145 countries. A project of the World Economic Forum.
Enterprise Surveys - World Bank Group
The World Bank surveys private sector firms for these reports that identify the top business obstacles in the country. Find data on attitudes about corruption, taxes, gender, technology, regulations and infrastructure. Publication dates vary.
Country Guides
The basics of "Conducting Business" in about 35 countries. Covers taxes, labor, trade, finance and infrastructure. From HSBC Global Connections with Grant Thornton
Regional Risks for Doing Business 2019
A business perspective on the impact of global risks across eight regions. Use their "Interactive Results by Country" for a ranking of the global risks of highest concern. Data from the World Economic Forum Executive Opinion Survey.
Market Potential Index (MPI)
Annual study that ranks, with a U.S. focus, the market potential of the largest economies and to provide guidance to the U.S. companies that plan to expand their markets internationally. Ranks 97 emerging market countries.Conducted by MSU-CIBER.

FDI - Foreign Direct Investment Climate

OECD iLibrary
OECD iLibrary includes an annual report on “International Direct Investment Statistics.” Tables and charts for each OECD country show FDI by partner countries and by industrial sector. Data are generally provided for the most recent five years available.

A.T. Kearney FDI Confidence Index
The A.T. Kearney FDI Confidence Index is an annual survey of global business executives that ranks the markets likely to attract the most investment in the next three years.
UNCTAD. Country Facts Sheets
Data on foreign direct investment (FDI) FDI in country fact sheets for nearly 200 economies. Covers flows and stocks, mergers and acquisitions, and the operations of transnational corporations (TNCs).