Jamaica earned a ranking in the 10 least complex business environments in the world, according to the Global Business Complexity Index (GBCI) 2025.

Collated by Dutch multinational professional services firm TMF Group, the index, now in its 12th year, compared Jamaica with 78 other countries. It serves to support decision-making for businesses planning to enter into new markets.

For 2025, the index measured the complexity of conducting business in the 79 jurisdictions based on 292 indicators under three themes: resilient pathways and trade corridors, supply chain risks, labour market trends and remote working. Some of the indicators used to assess business complexity include: legislation, compliance, accounting procedures, tax regimes, human resources rules and payroll processes.

“Jamaica has seen its ranking improve slightly this year, moving from 70 to 73 for 2025. The country remains one of the simpler jurisdictions globally for GEM (global entity management), a key strength bolstered by a consistent regulatory framework and stable political environment. While A&T (accounting and tax) in the region has historically been considered relatively complex, 2024 has seen positive steps towards simplification. All registered companies are now capable of filing taxes online, significantly reducing complexity and enhancing compliance,” the report shared outlined.

The GBCI also highlighted Jamaica’s aspirations and development into a logistics hub, noting that the country has capitalised on its geographical proximity to the Panama Canal and its ability to connect the throughput with the Caribbean and South America.

However, while the report acknowledges the potential to boost economic growth through logistics, it cautions that “there are challenges in managing supply chain risks through diversification and stockpiling essential materials”.

Turning its attention to the labour market, the report highlighted ongoing challenges such as the migration of skilled workers, particularly in the construction industry, which led to the recruitment of foreign labour to fill gaps. On the other hand, it commended efforts to adopt remote work policies.

The GBCI added: “Legislative measures supporting flexible working hours and remote work have been instrumental in maintaining productivity and reducing workplace complexity. The overall business environment has seen improvements through digitalisation and strategic economic positioning, though challenges in the labour market and supply chain management require ongoing attention.”

The least complex jurisdictions in the index were the Cayman Islands, Denmark, New Zealand, Hong Kong, and Jersey. The Netherlands, Jamaica, the British Virgin Islands, Curacao, and the Czech Republic were among the 10 least complex jurisdictions.

The top five most complex jurisdictions were Greece, France, Mexico, Turkey, and Colombia.

The authors pointed out that GBCI provides a detailed analysis of the complexities associated with establishing, operating and expanding a business across multiple regions of the world. By identifying the factors that contribute to success or failure, the “comprehensive overview focuses on operating in foreign markets” while outlining key trends emerging globally and the local pain points that impact the countries.