United Kingdom

Rank: 1 (change from 2008: +1)
Per Capita GDP: $43,785
Total Financial Assets: $12.2 trillion
Assets per Person: $199,754
Strengths: Insurance, M&A, securitization, size of banking system
Weaknesses: Financial stability, currency stability, bank efficiency

Despite a deep recession and slow recovery, London's world-beating financial markets drove Britain to the top of the ranking this year, thanks primarily to strength in financial intermediation—derivatives, securitization, insurance, and mergers and acquisitions. Largely due to the turmoil of the past two years, Britain falls short in the stability of its currency and financial markets and it suffers from relatively poor access to credit, low bank profitability, and overly centralized economic policy making.

Notes on data: Per capita GDP is from 2008. Total Financial Assets are from 2007. Assets per capita is an approximation, based on 2008 population data.