Netherlands

Rank: 8 (+1)
Per Capita GDP: $52,019
Total Financial Assets: $4.0 trillion
Assets per Person: $242,389
Strengths: Corporate governance, intermediation, liberalization
Weaknesses: Banking efficiency, regulatory burden, public debt

With its freewheeling markets—tied for the most liberalized in the world—the Netherlands punches above its weight in the financial sector. A strong institutional environment, technology infrastructure, and foreign direct investment keep the country near the top of the list in financial development. But it suffers from high bank overhead, heavy public and private debt, and relatively weak commercial access to credit.