No. 2 Hong Kong

Change Since 2008 Ranking: +1

Real Per Capita GDP: $43,040

Real GDP Growth: 2.5%

World Competitiveness Rankings
Economy: 3
Government Efficiency: 2
Business Efficiency: 1
Infrastructure: 19

Hong Kong's role as the financial center for the Asia Pacific region gives it a major advantage over rivals. So far, unemployment hasn't hit as hard as in other places, though rising government spending and declining availability of credit could put strains on both the public and private sectors.