Overall Development of Countries along the Belt and Road

Abstract

In light of recent interest in the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and the diverse cohort of Belt and Road Countries (BRCs) that fit into the BRI framework, we have conducted a study to measure and rank the overall development levels of the countries along path of the Belt and Road. We examine 65 countries along the BRI’s two principal axes—the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road—including China, Mongolia, and Russia, five countries in Central Asia, 19 countries in West Asia and North Africa, 19 countries in Central and Eastern Europe, 11 countries in Southeast Asia, and eight countries in South Asia.