 In this meaning, the level of a country's macro risk differentiates its level of political stability and its general growth opportunities from those of other countries, and thus helps identify preferred countries for investment either directly or through country or regionally oriented funds.Such analysis of political risk is also used in the analysis of financial derivatives such as credit default swaps and other sophisticated financial products.International rankings of countries, often updated annually, provide insight into their relative political and social stability and economic growth.