Economist Intelligence Unit

Key Takeaways

• The Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) offers forecasting and advisory services to businesses and governments.
• EIU analyzes economic, political, and business environments in 205 countries.
• Consultancy services include location benchmarking and socio-demographic forecasting.
• EIU provides free reports and analysis, with some options available for purchase.
• Data modeling and scenario analysis help predict long-term business performance.

What Is Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU)?

The Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU), part of The Economist Group alongside The Economist, provides global economic forecasting plus advisory research for decision-makers.

It delivers country analysis, data, and outlooks covering about 205 countries, spanning political risk, macroeconomic trends, industry conditions, and socio-demographic shifts. EIU emphasizes editorial independence within the wider group, which supports the credibility of its analysis.

Delving into the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU): Functions and Features

The EIU provides country, industry, and risk analyses based on the work, research, and insights of a worldwide network of economic, political, and business experts. Additionally, the EIU has a system of country specialists that provide country-specific insight and analysis.

The Economist Intelligence Unit operates as an independent research and analysis business within the London-based Economist Group, the media company that publishes The Economist magazine. It has provided services since 1946. Free access to certain reports and other information is granted on the EIU website; other reports and data are available for purchase or through paid subscriptions.

The EIU offers its clients detailed analyses and forecasts for 205 countries. Those clients can access certain data for free or purchase individual articles or complete country plans that provide access to a selection of economic and business information for specific national markets. The service covers a country's economic and political outlook, credit risk, business environment, market opportunities, regulatory environment, and financing conditions.

Exploring EIU Consultancy Services: Tailored Business Insights

One of the EIU's specialties is consulting tailored to its clients' specific business intelligence needs. Among these services, it offers location benchmarking to help clients weigh political, cultural, geological, and other factors for different countries. "We have helped companies to rank cities by their attractiveness to the car-rental industry, benchmarked the incentives offered in special economic zones for the technology industry, and prioritized markets in Central America for a financial services firm."1

Other consultancy focuses include political and socio-demographic forecasting for specific economies. "If you need to understand how political trends will affect regulations for your industry in Chile, how disposable income is changing for 30–35-year-old women in Poland, or when a frontier market in Sub-Saharan Africa will become mainstream, we can help."2

The EIU also does data modeling and scenario analysis, helping clients plot sales data and predict business performance, as well as doing country and city forecasting. "If you need to know how quickly the U.S. will grow over the next five years or what residential construction will take place in Saudi Arabia, we can help," according to the consultancy. "But sometimes five years is not enough. Many of our clients have investment horizons measured in decades. Our proprietary methodologies let us look ahead 30 years or more, using frameworks you can understand and rely on."2