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Courts (PDF, 691KB), by Simeon Djankov and others, Quarterly Journal of Economics, May 2003.
This topic looks at the efficiency of contract enforcement by following the evolution of a sale of goods dispute and tracking the time, cost, and number of procedures involved from the moment the plaintiff files the lawsuit until actual payment.
The table below shows the three main indicators for enforcing contracts. They are:
Courts (PDF, 691KB), by Simeon Djankov and others, Quarterly Journal of Economics, May 2003.
Region or Economy | Procedures (number) | Time (days) | Cost (% of claim) |
---|---|---|---|
East Asia & Pacific | 37.2 | 538.1 | 48.5 |
Eastern Europe & Central Asia | 37.1 | 450.9 | 25.6 |
Latin America & Caribbean | 39.7 | 707.0 | 31.3 |
Middle East & North Africa | 43.4 | 679.9 | 23.7 |
OECD | 30.6 | 462.4 | 19.2 |
South Asia | 43.5 | 1,052.9 | 27.2 |
Sub-Saharan Africa | 39.2 | 643.9 | 49.3 |
Afghanistan | 47 | 1,642 | 25.0 |
Albania | 39 | 390 | 38.7 |
Algeria | 46 | 630 | 21.9 |
Angola | 46 | 1,011 | 44.4 |
Antigua and Barbuda | 45 | 351 | 22.7 |
Argentina | 36 | 590 | 16.5 |
Armenia | 48 | 285 | 19.0 |
Australia | 28 | 395 | 20.7 |
Austria | 25 | 397 | 18.0 |
Azerbaijan | 39 | 237 | 18.5 |
Bahamas, the | 49 | 427 | 28.9 |
Bahrain | 48 | 635 | 14.7 |
Bangladesh | 41 | 1,442 | 63.3 |
Belarus | 28 | 225 | 23.4 |
Belgium | 25 | 505 | 16.6 |
Belize | 51 | 892 | 27.5 |
Benin | 42 | 825 | 64.7 |
Bhutan | 47 | 225 | 0.1 |
Bolivia | 40 | 591 | 33.2 |
Bosnia and Herzegovina | 38 | 595 | 38.4 |
Botswana | 29 | 687 | 28.0 |
Brazil | 45 | 616 | 16.5 |
Brunei Darussalam | 58 | 540 | 36.6 |
Bulgaria | 39 | 564 | 23.8 |
Burkina Faso | 37 | 446 | 83.0 |
Burundi | 44 | 832 | 38.6 |
Cambodia | 44 | 401 | 102.7 |
Cameroon | 43 | 800 | 46.6 |
Canada | 36 | 570 | 22.3 |
Cape Verde | 37 | 425 | 21.8 |
Central African Republic | 43 | 660 | 82.0 |
Chad | 41 | 743 | 77.4 |
Chile | 36 | 480 | 28.6 |
China | 34 | 406 | 11.1 |
Colombia | 34 | 1,346 | 52.6 |
Comoros | 43 | 506 | 89.4 |
Congo, Dem. Rep. | 43 | 625 | 151.8 |
Congo, Rep. | 44 | 560 | 53.2 |
Costa Rica | 40 | 852 | 24.3 |
Côte d'Ivoire | 33 | 770 | 41.7 |
Croatia | 38 | 561 | 13.8 |
Cyprus | 43 | 735 | 16.4 |
Czech Republic | 27 | 611 | 33.0 |
Denmark | 34 | 380 | 23.3 |
Djibouti | 40 | 1,225 | 34.0 |
Dominica | 47 | 681 | 36.0 |
Dominican Republic | 34 | 460 | 40.9 |
Ecuador | 39 | 588 | 27.2 |
Egypt, Arab Rep. | 41 | 1,010 | 26.2 |
El Salvador | 30 | 786 | 19.2 |
Equatorial Guinea | 40 | 553 | 18.5 |
Eritrea | 39 | 405 | 22.6 |
Estonia | 36 | 425 | 26.3 |
Ethiopia | 37 | 620 | 15.2 |
Fiji | 34 | 397 | 38.9 |
Finland | 32 | 375 | 10.4 |
France | 29 | 331 | 17.4 |
Gabon | 38 | 1,070 | 34.3 |
Gambia, the | 32 | 434 | 37.9 |
Georgia | 36 | 285 | 29.9 |
Germany | 30 | 394 | 14.4 |
Ghana | 36 | 487 | 23.0 |
Greece | 39 | 819 | 14.4 |
Grenada | 47 | 688 | 32.6 |
Guatemala | 31 | 1,459 | 26.5 |
Guinea | 50 | 276 | 45.0 |
Guinea-Bissau | 41 | 1,140 | 25.0 |
Guyana | 36 | 581 | 25.2 |
Haiti | 35 | 508 | 42.6 |
Honduras | 45 | 900 | 35.2 |
Hong Kong, China | 24 | 280 | 19.5 |
Hungary | 33 | 395 | 13.0 |
Iceland | 26 | 417 | 6.2 |
India | 46 | 1,420 | 39.6 |
Indonesia | 39 | 570 | 122.7 |
Iran, Islamic Rep. | 39 | 520 | 17.0 |
Iraq | 51 | 520 | 27.3 |
Ireland | 20 | 515 | 26.9 |
Israel | 35 | 890 | 25.3 |
Italy | 40 | 1,210 | 29.9 |
Jamaica | 35 | 655 | 45.6 |
Japan | 30 | 360 | 22.7 |
Jordan | 38 | 689 | 31.2 |
Kazakhstan | 38 | 390 | 22.0 |
Kenya | 40 | 465 | 47.2 |
Kiribati | 32 | 660 | 25.8 |
Korea, Rep. | 35 | 230 | 10.3 |
Kosovo | 53 | 420 | 61.2 |
Kuwait | 50 | 566 | 18.8 |
Kyrgyz Republic | 39 | 260 | 29.0 |
Lao PDR | 42 | 443 | 31.6 |
Latvia | 27 | 309 | 23.1 |
Lebanon | 37 | 721 | 30.8 |
Lesotho | 41 | 695 | 19.5 |
Liberia | 41 | 1,280 | 35.0 |
Lithuania | 30 | 275 | 23.6 |
Luxembourg | 26 | 321 | 9.7 |
Macedonia, FYR | 37 | 370 | 33.1 |
Madagascar | 38 | 871 | 42.4 |
Malawi | 42 | 432 | 142.4 |
Malaysia | 30 | 585 | 27.5 |
Maldives | 41 | 665 | 16.5 |
Mali | 36 | 626 | 52.0 |
Marshall Islands | 36 | 476 | 27.4 |
Mauritania | 46 | 370 | 23.2 |
Mauritius | 36 | 720 | 17.4 |
Mexico | 38 | 415 | 32.0 |
Micronesia, Fed. Sts. | 34 | 965 | 66.0 |
Moldova | 31 | 365 | 20.9 |
Mongolia | 32 | 314 | 30.6 |
Montenegro | 49 | 545 | 25.7 |
Morocco | 40 | 615 | 25.2 |
Mozambique | 30 | 730 | 142.5 |
Namibia | 33 | 270 | 35.8 |
Nepal | 39 | 735 | 26.8 |
Netherlands | 25 | 514 | 24.4 |
New Zealand | 30 | 216 | 22.4 |
Nicaragua | 35 | 540 | 26.8 |
Niger | 39 | 545 | 59.6 |
Nigeria | 39 | 457 | 32.0 |
Norway | 33 | 280 | 9.9 |
Oman | 51 | 598 | 13.5 |
Pakistan | 47 | 976 | 23.8 |
Palau | 38 | 885 | 35.3 |
Panama | 31 | 686 | 50.0 |
Papua New Guinea | 42 | 591 | 110.3 |
Paraguay | 38 | 591 | 30.0 |
Peru | 41 | 428 | 35.7 |
Philippines | 37 | 842 | 26.0 |
Poland | 38 | 830 | 12.0 |
Portugal | 31 | 547 | 13.0 |
Puerto Rico | 39 | 620 | 24.3 |
Qatar | 43 | 570 | 21.6 |
Romania | 31 | 512 | 28.9 |
Russian Federation | 37 | 281 | 13.4 |
Rwanda | 24 | 260 | 78.7 |
Samoa | 44 | 455 | 19.7 |
São Tomé and Principe | 43 | 1,185 | 50.5 |
Saudi Arabia | 43 | 635 | 27.5 |
Senegal | 44 | 780 | 26.5 |
Serbia | 36 | 635 | 28.9 |
Seychelles | 38 | 720 | 14.3 |
Sierra Leone | 40 | 515 | 149.5 |
Singapore | 21 | 150 | 25.8 |
Slovak Republic | 30 | 565 | 30.0 |
Slovenia | 32 | 1,290 | 12.7 |
Solomon Islands | 37 | 455 | 78.9 |
South Africa | 30 | 600 | 33.2 |
Spain | 39 | 515 | 17.2 |
Sri Lanka | 40 | 1,318 | 22.8 |
St. Kitts and Nevis | 47 | 578 | 20.5 |
St. Lucia | 47 | 635 | 37.3 |
St. Vincent and the Grenadines | 45 | 394 | 30.3 |
Sudan | 53 | 810 | 19.8 |
Suriname | 44 | 1,715 | 37.1 |
Swaziland | 40 | 972 | 23.1 |
Sweden | 30 | 508 | 31.2 |
Switzerland | 31 | 417 | 24.0 |
Syrian Arab Republic | 55 | 872 | 29.3 |
Taiwan, China | 47 | 510 | 17.7 |
Tajikistan | 34 | 430 | 25.5 |
Tanzania | 38 | 462 | 14.3 |
Thailand | 35 | 479 | 12.3 |
Timor-Leste | 51 | 1,435 | 163.2 |
Togo | 41 | 588 | 47.5 |
Tonga | 37 | 350 | 30.5 |
Trinidad and Tobago | 42 | 1,340 | 33.5 |
Tunisia | 39 | 565 | 21.8 |
Turkey | 35 | 420 | 18.8 |
Uganda | 38 | 510 | 44.9 |
Ukraine | 30 | 345 | 41.5 |
United Arab Emirates | 49 | 537 | 26.2 |
United Kingdom | 30 | 399 | 23.4 |
United States | 32 | 300 | 14.4 |
Uruguay | 40 | 720 | 19.0 |
Uzbekistan | 42 | 195 | 22.2 |
Vanuatu | 30 | 430 | 74.7 |
Venezuela, R.B. | 29 | 510 | 43.7 |
Vietnam | 34 | 295 | 28.5 |
West Bank and Gaza | 44 | 600 | 21.2 |
Yemen, Rep. | 36 | 520 | 16.5 |
Zambia | 35 | 471 | 38.7 |
Zimbabwe | 38 | 410 | 32.0 |