Since the International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) for small and medium entities (SMEs) was issued in 2009 for SMEs that do not require public accountability, by the International Accounting StandardsBoard(IASB), 85 countrieshave requiredorpermitted its use for SMEs’ financial reporting. However, several countries have not adopted or have rejected its adoption (IASB, 2009a, 2016, 2017). As well as the effects of the adoption of IFRS for SMEs on the quality of financial reporting, it is important to know the institutional characteristics of countries that adopt the standard. Since IFRS for SMEs is not mandatory, the contribution of countries’ institutional characteristics to its adoption becomes an importantissue. SMEs represent more than 95 percent of companies worldwide and accountfor more than 65 percent of employment(IASB, 2009a; IFAC, 2010). SMEs make a great contribution to job creation, technological innovation and economic output both for developed and developing countries (Chen, 2006). For instance, in Europe, SMEs accounted for 67% of total employment in 2010 and in the period 2002–۲۰۱۰ SMEs created 85% of the new jobs in the European Union (EU) (European Commission, 2012). Besides, SMEs represent 99.8% of non-financial companies and generate 57.4% of value added(EuropeanCommission, 2016).Inthe case ofAsia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) countries, SMEs are themain businesses, the largest employers and their contribution to economic output is significant (APEC, 2009). In view of the importance of SMEs and the use of IFRS for SMEs in so many countries, the main objective of this study is to analyze whether there is a relationship between institutional factors and the adoption of IFRS for SMEs. This may help answer the question of why a country has adopted IFRS for SMEs.