The Economic Sustainability Rating multiplies a country’s inflation rate by its unemployment rate. It is InsidEntity’s first read on the economy a company operates in. A lower reading is better.
Inflation × unemployment
Both rates move before the damage shows up in earnings, household finances or credit. Multiplying them means a country only reads well when both are under control.
Five bands. Lower is better.
The ESR runs the opposite way to InsidEntity’s company ratings. There is no upper cap: Venezuela read 1,976 when this page was last updated.
Seven economies
Last updated 24 September 2026 (Japan 18 September), on the latest official releases then available. Each reading moves when a new release comes out: click a country for its live ESR.
Data used: headline consumer price inflation and the official unemployment rate from each national statistics agency; China uses the surveyed urban rate. Readings are shown to one decimal place and inputs can refer to different months where release schedules differ. The InsidEntity platform’s country pages are the authoritative record.
ESR vs the Misery Index
The best-known measure of the same two pressures is the Misery Index, popularised by economist Arthur Okun, which adds inflation to unemployment. The ESR multiplies them.
Macro first, then the company
ESR analysis
Frequently asked
What is the Economic Sustainability Rating?
The ESR is InsidEntity's country-level signal of economic pressure. It multiplies a country's inflation rate by its unemployment rate and places the result in one of five bands from Benchmark to Unsustainable.
Is a higher or lower ESR better?
Lower is better. A Benchmark reading of 1 to 25 means low combined pressure from inflation and unemployment. This is the opposite of InsidEntity's company ratings, where a higher score is better.
How is the ESR different from the Misery Index?
The Misery Index adds inflation and unemployment. The ESR multiplies them, so a country only reads well when both rates are low, and strained economies separate more clearly from calm ones.
Does the ESR measure government debt?
No. The ESR measures pressure on households and businesses. A country can carry high public debt and still read Benchmark, which is why InsidEntity shows government debt alongside the ESR rather than inside it.
How often is the ESR updated?
Each reading uses the latest official inflation and unemployment releases, which most countries publish monthly or quarterly. A reading changes when either input changes.
Independent research. Not financial advice. Know more. Risk less. Decide better.
Sources: InsidEntity Economic Sustainability Rating methodology; national statistics agencies for inflation and unemployment; Institute of International Finance, Global Debt Monitor, 23 September 2026.