Trade in digitally delivered services boomed during the COVID-19 pandemic, with global exports growing by 15% on average in 2020-21. Newly released WTO-OECD data show, in particular, a boost in intra-regional trade in these services in Asia, with trade up 25% in 2021, and in North America (+11%).

The recently released WTO-OECD Balanced Trade in Services dataset reveals digitally delivered services traded within Asia reached 43.2% of the region's total trade in these services in 2021, up from 39.2% in 2019 (see Figure 1). Telecommunications, computer and information services as well as business, professional and technical services drove this rapid growth. In North America, the share of intra-regional trade in digitally delivered services rose to 18.2%, up from 15.8% in 2019.

Figure 1: Intra-regional trade in digitally delivered services

Source: WTO -OECD Balanced Trade in Services dataset.
* CIS refers to the Commonwealth of Independent States, including certain associate and former member states.
** Includes the Caribbean.

Note: The data is presented as a percentage of total trade in digitally delivered services.

In contrast, intra-regional trade remained stable in South and Central America and the Caribbean and contracted slightly in Europe. Intra-Africa trade in digitally delivered services declined to 3.3% in 2021.  

However, the share of Africa's exports of digitally delivered services to Asia rose from 20.3% in 2019 to 22.0% in 2021 (see Figure 2). Flows from South and Central America and the Caribbean to North America and to Asia were also on the rise. In 2021, 37.5% of the region's exports of digitally delivered services went to North American countries, up from 34.5% before the pandemic.

Figure 2: Regional exports of digitally delivered services by destination

Source: WTO-OECD Balanced Trade in Services dataset.
* CIS refers to the Commonwealth of Independent States, including certain associate and former member states.
** Includes the Caribbean.
Note: The red colour signifies a decline in share between 2019 and 2021. Green indicates an increase, and yellow shows stability. The intensity of the colour indicates the level of change.

The recently updated WTO-OECD Balanced Trade in Services (BaTIS) dataset covers bilateral services exports and imports of over 200 economies from 2005 to 2021, providing data for 12 main sectors and for total services. The dataset provides a comprehensive and balanced matrix of international trade in services, making it a valuable tool for economic analysis, policy-making and trade negotiations. The analytical dataset will be published shortly in the WTO Stats portal, and is available for bulk download here.

Further information on the latest trends in trade in services, including digitally delivered services, is also available in the WTO's Global Trade Outlook and Statistics published earlier this month.