Digital economy and technology

In 2024, digitally deliverable exports increased by 9%, following a 10% rise measured for 2023. Three quarters of the exports, worth about $3 680 billion, originated from developed economies, while the developing world exported an estimated $1 180 billion in 2024. Both groups experienced similar growth in this sector. However, the gap between a relatively small number of more successful developing-economy exporters and those who strugle to increase their market share has widened.

Digitally delivered international  trade has been on a sustained rise since 2010, additionally boosted by the COVID-19 pandemic. It is estimated that about 95% of digitally deliverable services have actually been digitally delivered since 2021. Before the pandemic, the share hovered around 87%. The international trade measurement standards stipulate that digitally delivered products are classified as services.

Digitally deliverable services – those that can be delivered remotely over computer networks such as the Internet – now account for over half of all services exports worldwide and their share grew especially during the disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, although exhibiting a slightly downward trend in recent years due to the bounce back of transport and travel post-COVID-19.