Research Guides: PEST Analysis for International Markets: Social Environment

Many social factors will have an impact on your decision to invest in a foreign country. You should consider cultural values including attitude toward work, customs and beliefs, and characteristics of the population such as social class and educational attainment. Look at population demographics and forecasts of population growth as well. If you are examining the prospects for a particular industry, research consumer lifestyle and buying habits.

Social Indicators

Social Indicators. United Nations
Tables of the latest indicators of social development for housing, health, education, illiteracy, income and economic activity, youth and elderly population, urban and rural population, and unemployment.
UNESCO Institute for Statistics
The UNESCO Institute provides statistical data and country profiles that focus on four themes: culture and communications, education, literacy, and science and technology.
United Nations Human Development Reports
The UN Human Development Index measures poverty, health, education, gender, environment and other factors. This website includes country reports, data and news.

Development Indicators

World Development Indicators - WDI
internationally comparable statistics about global development for 217 countries with data going back up to 50 years. Explore the data in five themes: Poverty and Inequality, People, Environment, Economy, States and Markets, and Global Links.
World Bank Data
Data for over 550 development indicators for over 207 countries and 18 country groups. Includes social, economic, financial, natural resources, and environmental indicators from 1960. Search by country or topic.
United Nations. Human Development Reports
The UN Human Development Index measures poverty, health, education, gender, environment and other factors. This website includes country reports, data and news.

Culture and Customs

Geert Hofstede - National Cultures
Professor Geert Hofstede conducted one of the most comprehensive studies of how values in the workplace are influenced by culture. Five dimensions are used to measure the values that distinguished countries from each other.
Kwintessential Country Guides & Profiles
Basic facts on social life, customs and business etiquette.
Location Handbooks
Answers to your questions about business culture, customs and communication from the Canadian Centre for Intercultural Learning.

Human Rights

International Religious Freedom Report
The Annual Report to Congress on International Religious Freedom describes the status of religious freedom in each foreign country, government policies violating religious belief and practices of groups, religious denominations, and individuals, and U.S. policies to promote religious freedom around the world.
Country Reports on Human Rights Practices
From the U.S. Department of State
Business and Human Rights Resource Centre
Browse by Country for articles and reports on issues related to discrimination, the environment, poverty, health, and security. Also find company news, reports and correspondence.