Algeria is a country rich in history and situated in a strategically important region. While its past has at times been turbulent, the last decade has been one of relative peace. Economic growth and development has followed, driven primarily by advances in the hydrocarbons sector. The fall in the international price of oil since mid-2014, however, is having a substantial economic impact, in particular on the country’s trade balance and government finances. On the positive side though, the drop in prices is accelerating efforts to further diversify the economy, pushing the government to open up the country to greater private and foreign investment in order to provide alternatives to state spending, in part through measures to render the rigid investment environment more attractive.

Freedom in the World, the Freedom House flagship survey whose findings have been published annually since 1972, is the standard-setting comparative assessment of global political rights and civil liberties. The survey ratings and narrative reports on 195 countries and fourteen territories are used by policymakers, the media, international corporations, civic activists, and human rights defenders to monitor trends in democracy and track improvements and setbacks in freedom worldwide. The Freedom in the World political rights and civil liberties ratings are determined through a multi-layered process of research and evaluation by a team of regional analysts and eminent scholars. The analysts used a broad range of sources of information, including foreign and domestic news reports, academic studies, nongovernmental organizations, think tanks, individual professional contacts, and visits to the region, in conducting their research. The methodology of the survey is derived in large measure from the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and these standards are applied to all countries and territories, irrespective of geographical location, ethnic or religious composition, or level of economic development.

The most incisive and up-to-date analysis of Algeria's recent history in the second 25 years after independence.

Seventeen in a series of annual reports comparing business regulation in 190 economies, Doing Business 2020 measures aspects of regulation affecting 10 areas of everyday business activity.

Government at a Glance provides readers with a dashboard of key public sector indicators. Each indicator is presented in a user-friendly format, with graphs, brief descriptive analysis, and methodological information.

The human rights records of more than ninety countries and territories is put into perspective in Human Rights Watch’s signature yearly report, which, in the 2014 volume, highlighted the armed conflict in Syria, international drug reform, drones and electronic mass surveillance, and more, and also featured photo essays of child marriage in South Sudan, the cost of the Sochi Winter Olympics in Russia, and religious fighting in Central African Republic. Reflecting extensive investigative work undertaken in 2014 by Human Rights Watch staff, in close partnership with domestic human rights activists, the annual World Report 2015 is an invaluable resource for journalists, diplomats, and citizens, and is a must-read for anyone interested in the fight to protect human rights in every corner of the globe.

Non-hydrocarbons GDP growth has also been robust in recent years and is expected to rise to 4.25% in 2014 on the back of higher industrial output. Most production and investment is still driven by the public sector, but efforts to extend credit to the private sector and support business creation are beginning to show positive results. Algeria’s economic fundamentals remain strong compared to both the broader Maghreb and European markets. Solid financial reserves and rising domestic demand will help it to ride out commodity price volatility in the short term.