Transport drove ample services trade growth in quarter two 2026
Global services exports growth rate, year-on-year, percentage
UN Trade and Development, UNCTADstat and the World Trade Organization.
The category "other than transport and travel" includes all services not covered under transport or travel in the EBOPS-2010 classification. It comprises financial and insurance services, telecommunications and computer services, intellectual property charges, various other business services, and audiovisual, personal and recreational services, goods-related services, etc.
World services exports increased robustly by 10%, year-on-year, in the second quarter of 2026, measured in current United States dollars. International transport sales recorded almost 15% growth, reflecting higher transport costs and use of longer maritime transport routes. Travel exports witnessed a slower rise of around 5%. Among other factors, international tourism was affected by the conflict in the Middle East. Other services, most of which are digitally tradable, continued their solid growth of just above 10% year-on-year.
The quarter-on-quarter seasonally adjusted growth rate of services exports was estimated at 2.7% in quarter two of 2026, following a 1.5% rise registered for the previous first quarter.