The Country Codex
Market, regulator, and policy — country by country
The same product means something different in Malaysia, India, Japan, and the United States. This codex covers market size, the regulatory body, dominant local brands, and government distribution programmes for each.
Last verified: August 2026
15 entries planned
0 published
What this codex covers
- Market size, cited with source and date, range shown where sources disagree
- The national regulatory body and applicable standard
- Dominant local and regional brands
- Free or subsidised government distribution programmes
- The country's role in global manufacturing, where relevant
What it does not cover
- Every country in the world — only markets with substantial data
- Political commentary on any government's policy
- Cultural generalisation beyond what sources document
Planned entries
15 countries and markets
IndiaLargest volume market · CDSCO / BISPending
United StatesFDA regulated · Comstock-era legal historyPending
United KingdomMHRA · origin of DurexPending
MalaysiaGlobal manufacturing centre · KarexPending
JapanPMDA · thin-gauge engineering traditionPending
ChinaNMPA · manufacturing scalePending
BrazilANVISA · large public distribution programmePending
GermanyEU MDR · Fromm's Act originPending
South AfricaLarge public health distribution contextPending
AustraliaTGA · Glyde originPending
SwedenRFSU originPending
SwitzerlandCeylor originPending
NigeriaSub-Saharan distribution contextPending
KenyaSub-Saharan distribution contextPending
IndonesiaLarge Southeast Asian marketPending
Sourcing for this codex
Named regulators and dated market data
National regulatory bodies — CDSCO, BIS, FDA, MHRA, TGA, PMDA, NMPA, ANVISA — each cited directly
Market research firms — named and dated per figure; where firms disagree, the range is shown with every source named
Government health department publications — for distribution programme details
UNAIDS and WHO — for public health programme context
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