Économie numérique et technologie

In 2024, international trade in digitally deliverable products continued increasing strongly, marking a 10% annual rise. Three quarters of their exports, worth about $3 779 billion, originated from developed economies, while the developing world exported an estimated $1 169 billion in 2024. Developed economies' exports rose by 10.5%, while those of developing economies registered somewhat slower albeit still significant growth of 8.2%. Among developing economies, the gap between a relatively small number of more successful exporters and others that struggle to increase their market share has widened.

Digitally delivered international trade has been on a sustained rise since 2010, further boosted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Digitally deliverable trade covers products that can be delivered remotely over computer networks. All digitally delivered products are services, according to international trade measurement standards.

Digitally deliverable services – those that can be delivered remotely over computer networks such as the Internet – accounted for 56% of all services exports worldwide in 2024. Their share has grown over most of the last ten years. This growth received impetus during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, followed by only partial fall back in 2021 and 2022.

The strongest increase in the share of digitally deliverable in total services exports since 2015 was registered for Asia (7.9 percentage points in ten years), closely followed by Northern America (7.6 percentage points). In LDCs, this share is estimated at modest 16% in 2024.

International trade in information and communication technology (ICT) services - comprising telecommunication and computer services - amounted to $1.2 trillion in 2024. But only 2.5%, just below $30 billion, originated from Africa and Latin America and the Caribbean. Most exports came from European economies (57%), followed by Asia and Oceania (33%). Northern America took 8% of the global market. 

Looking at trends over time, international trade in ICT services has recorded ample growth since 2017, further boosted by the lockdowns during the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2024, Europe recorded the highest percentage increase (12.4%), closely followed by Northern America (12.0%). Africa recorded a 9.7% rise. In Asia and Oceania, ICT services exports increased by 8.6%.