In an effort to present the evaluation of Croatia's competitiveness as objectively as possible and ensure a speedier and more efficient reorientation towards a policy of sustainable development, in making assessments and recommendations for further development the Council will use the IMD methodology as of next year. The methodology takes into account statistical data from respectable world sources and results of polls conducted among business people and evaluates them according to 314 different criteria which can be categorised into four main areas: business results, government efficiency, business sector efficiency and infrastructure.
The final results are presented in the World Competitiveness Yearbook, which now covers around 60 world and regional economies.
In 2005 the United States was ranked first, as in 2004, followed by Hong Kong, which in 2004 was ranked sixth, and Singapore, which in 2004 was ranked second. Of Croatia's neighbouring countries, Hungary was 37th, five places up from the year before, and Slovenia was 52nd, several places down from 2004, when it was ranked 45th.
Croatia has been covered by the Global Competitiveness Report of the World Economic Forum since 2002.