International trade

All main services categories witnessed a solid expansion in international trade in 2025, except transport. Transport services exports grew by modest 2% amidst tariff changes and transport-routes security considerations. International travel receipts marked an 8% annual increase. Telecommunications, computer, and information services continued their robust growth – 11% up for a third consecutive year – riding on important demands for new technologies. Financial, insurance, and other business services exports gained 10% in 2025, as digitally tradable products become ever more internationally traded. 

In 2025, international trade in digitally deliverable products continued increasing strongly, marking a 10% annual rise, as in the previous year. Three quarters of digitally deliverable exports, worth about $4.1 trillion, originated from developed economies, while the developing world exported an estimated $1.3 trillion in 2025. Developed economies' exports rose by 9%, while those of developing economies registered a 12% growth. 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 deliverable international trade has been on a sustained rise since 2010 and was 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.

Travel and transport remain the categories of services most exported by African economies: they accounted for over 60% of their services sold abroad in 2025. In Latin America and the Caribbean, travel and transport accounted for just below 60% of total services exports. International sales of services were more diversified in Asia and Oceania, with travel and transport representing about 45% of total services exports. In Europe and Northern America, services exports were dominated by knowledge-intensive services, accounting for about 65% and almost 70% of all services exports, respectively. 

Knowledge-intensive services comprise insurance, financial, telecommunication, computer, information, and other business services, as well as intellectual property charges. Most of the products grouped under these services can be digitally traded. Digital international trade has grown substantially over recent years.