Emerging Markets - Some key statistics

A recent report from the Economist on innovation from Emerging Markets contains some interesting statistics and charts. The growth in the middle-class that followed the steady rise in GDP's, combined with the growing optimism and entrepreneurial spirit of residents of the developing world, means we should expect many more creative products from companies that are based (or invest heavily) in emerging markets.

Manufacturing and design innovations are bound to happen. Competition for consumers' wallets is intense in many emerging markets: winning products have to target local needs and tastes, and be affordable.

... The United Nations World Investment Report calculates that there are now around 21,500 multinationals based in the emerging world.

... The number of companies from Brazil, India, China or Russia on the Financial Times 500 list more than quadrupled in 2006-08, from 15 to 62. Brazilian top 20 multinationals more than doubled their foreign assets in a single year, 2006.

... Multinationals expect about 70% of the world’s growth over the next few years to come from emerging markets, with 40% coming from just two countries, China and India.

... Companies in the Fortune 500 list have 98 R&D facilities in China and 63 in India. Some have more than one.

... No visitor to the emerging world can fail to be struck by its prevailing optimism, particularly if his starting point is the recession-racked West. The 2009 Pew Global Attitudes Project confirms this impression. Some 94% of Indians, 87% of Brazilians and 85% of Chinese say that they are satisfied with their lives.