Are There Countries Without McDonald's?
Surprisingly enough, not every country in the world is home to a McDonald's. According to NPR's The Salt, Vietnam is actually expecting their first franchise in Ho Chi Minh City in the next year.
Research shows that there are still 105 countries that have yet to be infiltrated by the global chain, including Bolivia, Ghana, Jamaica, Yemen, Tajikstan. More surprisingly, in other countries, McDonald's franchises have had to close due to slow economic sales.
However, according to consumer goods policy analyst Jack Russo, two thirds of McDonald's total revenue comes from outside the United States.
Today, there are 34,480 restaurants in 119 countries. Exceptions to the chain exist however, such as the fact that you won't find a Big Mac at the Vatican or in North Korea.
Franchises don't always close because of economics, sometimes politics can play a part. In the case of Macedonia, there were disputes between one of the owners and the American headquarters. In Bolivia, the government closed all franchises in 2002 in order to stop the attempts of multinational corporations to "dominate global markets by imposing their customs and foods."