Methodology & data sources
We aim to be transparent about where numbers come from and how current they are.
Where the data comes from
Macroeconomic figures draw on public datasets such as the World Bank, IMF World Economic Outlook and national statistics agencies. Market capitalisation, company and ETF details come from the relevant stock exchanges, fund issuers and company disclosures, compiled with AI-assisted research and a separate verification pass.
How countries are classified
Countries are grouped as Emerging or Frontier following MSCI's market classification, as of the MSCI 2026 Market Classification Review (June 2026). The emerging group mirrors MSCI's emerging-market list. The frontier group is broader than the MSCI Frontier Markets Index by design — it also includes early-stage markets that MSCI classifies as standalone, or does not classify at all, because they are still useful to research. MSCI has announced that Greece will move from Emerging to Developed status at the May 2027 index review; it remains listed here as Emerging until that change takes effect. Other index providers, such as FTSE Russell and S&P Dow Jones, apply different criteria and may classify the same market differently.
How current it is
Each country record carries a data year and a list of sources. Macro data typically reflects the most recent full-year estimates; market caps and prices move constantly, so treat company and ETF figures as indicative snapshots rather than live quotes.
Limitations
Emerging-market data is less standardised than developed-market data. Currency conversion, reporting lags, free-float differences and methodology gaps mean figures can disagree between sources. We flag a confidence level per country and welcome corrections.
Research, not advice
Emerging Markets presents facts to support your own research. It does not recommend, rate or rank any security, fund or country as a 'buy', and does not provide personalised investment, tax or immigration advice.