Emerging markets in Eastern Europe, such as Poland and the Baltic countries of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, are among the top 10 markets to embrace according to the CEIBS Emerging Market Classifications 2017 Report which has just been released.

The CEIBS Center for Emerging Market Studies (CEMS), in partnership with EY, developed an index that defines the status of emerging markets according to five categories of variables that represent economic size, infrastructure, governance, health and human capital, and macroeconomic performance and conditions. These countries are then grouped into four categories (advanced, intermediate, early, and dormant) according to similar characteristics of economic and social development. The report ranks 113 emerging market countries according to the index and groups them into relevant categories.

The report identifies the Top 10 markets for investors to embrace and the Top 10 to avoid. In addition, it discusses the improvements that lagging emerging markets need to make in order to catch up with their peers.

The Top 10 Markets according to the CEIBS Emerging Market Classifications 2017:

1. Estonia
2. Chile
3. Puerto Rico
4. Uruguay
5. Poland
6. Latvia
7. Hungary
8. Lithuania
9. China
10. Costa Rica

Among the Report findings:

-Booming infrastructure and nuclear energy markets put Poland among the Index’s Top 5;

-The Baltic countries of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania have benefited from a young and well-educated workforce, well-developed IT, R&D and transport infrastructure as well as strong trade ties with Finland, Sweden and Germany;

-Investors should choose Poland, Estonia, Chad and the Sudan if they want stability, and Bosnia or Myanmar if they want markets in motion;

- Advanced emerging markets grow with more investment in internet access, while dormant economies grow with more investment in political institutions;

- First-ranked Estonia could enjoy an extra 25% GDP growth by implementing best-in-the-world policies of other countries.

The report is co-authored by Parkland Chair Professor of Strategy & Director of CEIBS Centre for Emerging Market Studies Seung Ho Park, CEIBS Assistant Professor of Strategy Richard Carney, and Bryane Michael of the University of Hong Kong.