World’s Best Subcustodians 2013: Regional Winners

By Gordon Platt   NORTH AMERICA Citi Lee Waite: The rules of the game are not static Citi is the largest subcustodian in the US, the world’s biggest subcustody market. The bank also has the largest proprietary network in the industry, ...

 
 
Source
Central bank

Central Bank of West African States (BCEAO)

International Reserves

N/A

Gross Domestic Product - GDP

USD 10.5 billion (2018, estimate)

GDP (Purchasing Power Parity)

Intl$ 27.7 billion (2018, estimate)

Real GDP growth
2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013
6% 4.9% 2.3% 2.1% 3% 4.8% 7.2%
2014 2015* 2016* 2017* 2018*    
6.4% 2.1% 4% 5.8% 6.5%    

*Estimate

GDP per capita - current prices

USD 915.4 (2018, estimate)

GDP per capita - PPP

Intl$ 2,426.5 (2018, estimate)

GDP (PPP) - share of world total
1980 1990 2000 2010 2019*
0.02% 0.02% 0.02% 0.02% 0.02%

*Estimate

 
 
Source
GDP - composition by sector
  • agriculture: 22.6% 
  • industry: 21.5% 
  • services: 46.2%

(2018 estimate)

Gross domestic expenditure on R&D; (% of GDP)

N/A

 

Inflation
2015 2016 2017 2018* 2019*
0.2% -0.8% 1.8% 0.8% -0.3%

*Estimate

Unemployment rate
2015 2016 2017 2018 2019
N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A

*Estimate

Household saving rates

N/A

 

Public debt (General government gross debt as a % of GDP)
2015 2016 2017 2018* 2019*
30.9% 35.9% 39.6% 41% 40.9%

*Estimate

Public deficit (General government net lending/borrowing as a % of GDP)
2015 2016 2017 2018* 2019*
-5.6% -4.3% -4.2% -3% -2.3%

*Estimate

Government bond ratings

Standard & Poor's: N/A

Moody's: N/A

Standard & Poor's / Moody's (Updated January 2017)

Market value of publicly traded shares
2016 2017 2018
N/A N/A N/A
Largest companies

N/A

 
 
Source
Current account balance

USD -0.9 billion (2018 estimate)

Current account balance by percentage of GDP

-6.0 % (2018 estimate)

Exports as percent of GDP (Exports of goods and services)

35.4% (2018)

Shares in world total merchandising export

0.01% (2018)

Shares in world total commercial services export

0.01% (2018)

Total exports

USD 3.0 billion (2018 estimate)

Export commodities

Cotton, cashews, shea butter, textiles, palm products, seafood

Total imports

USD 4.2 billion (2018 estimate)

 
 
Source
Import commodities

Foodstuffs, capital goods, petroleum products

Exports - major partners

Bangladesh 18.1%, India 10.7%, Ukraine 9%, Niger 8.1%, China 7.7%, Nigeria 7.2%, Turkey 4% (2017)

Imports - major partners

Thailand 18.1%, India 15.9%, France 8.5%, China 7.5%, Togo 5.9%, Netherlands 4.3%, Belgium 4.3% (2017)

FDI inflows
2016 2017 2018
USD 132 million USD 200 million USD 208 million
FDI outflows
2016 2017 2018
USD 17 million USD 32 million USD 24 million
Value of cross-border M&A, by country of purchaser
2015 2016 2017 2018
N/A N/A N/A N/A
Cross-border M&A deals worth over $3 billion completed in 2014

N/A

(for a monthly update on M&A; click here )

Cross-border M&A deals worth over $3 billion completed in 2015

N/A

(for a monthly update on M&A; click here )

Best countries for doing business

Economies are ranked on their ease of doing business. A high ease of doing business ranking means the regulatory environment is more conducive to the starting and operation of a local firm.

Overall ranking:

149 out of 190 countries

Subcategories:
Starting a Business: 65 out of 190 countries
Dealing with Construction Permits: 82 out of 190 countries
Getting Electricity: 178 out of 190 countries
Registering Property: 126 out of 190 countries
Getting Credit: 152 out of 190 countries
Protecting Minority Investors: 120 out of 190 countries
Paying Taxes: 171 out of 190 countries
Trading across Borders: 110 out of 190 countries
Enforcing Contracts: 162 out of 190 countries
Resolving Insolvency: 108 out of 190 countries

Global competitiveness ranking

125 out of 141 countries

(2019)

Index of Economic Freedom

Ranking: 127 / Score: 55.3 (Mostly unfree)

(100=totally free 0=totally repressed)

 
 
Source
Time zone

UTC+1

Total area

112,622 sq km

Capital

Porto-Novo (constitutional capital); Cotonou (seat of government)

Currency

Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (XOF)

Government type

Presidential republic

Languages

French (official), Fon and Yoruba (most common vernaculars in south), tribal languages (at least six major ones in north)

Religions

Muslim 27.7%, Roman Catholic 25.5%, Protestant 13.5% (Celestial 6.7%, Methodist 3.4%, other Protestant 3.4%), Vodoun 11.6%, other Christian 9.5%, other traditional religions 2.6%, other 2.6%, none 5.8% (2013 est.)

Total population
1990 2000 2010 2015 2020*
4.98 million 6.87 million 9.2 million 10.58 million 12.15 million

*Estimate

 
 
Source
Urban population as % of total population
1960 1980 2000 2018
9.3% 27.3% 38.3% 47.3%
Population median age

18.4 years

Population growth rate

2.68% (2018 estimate)

Life expectancy

62.7 years (2018 estimate)

Literacy

Total population: 38.4% 
Male: 49.9% 
Female: 27.3%
Definition: age 15 and over can read and write (2015 est.)

% of population living on less than $3.10 a day

76.2% (last available estimate, 2015)

Inequality of wealth distribution (Gini index)

47.8 (last available estimate, 2015)

(0=perfect equality, 100=absolute inequality)

Freedom House rating

Free
Political Rights: 2
Civil Liberties: 2 (2019)
(1 represents the most free, 7 the least free rating)

Source
Total telephone subscribers as % of population

Fixed: 0.4%

Mobile: 82.4%

(2018)

fixed-telephone subscribers and mobile-cellular subscribers)

Internet users as % of total population

20 % (2017)

Mercer Cost of living index

Cotonou: 128th (2019)

CO2 emissions

0.61 metric tons per capita (2014)

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