Countries by Communications, computer, etc. (% of service exports, BoP)

Ranking 2024

Values shown in %.

Analysis

This metric measures communications, computer, and related services as a share of total service exports, expressed as a percentage under the Balance of Payments framework. According to the World Bank source note, the category covers international telecommunications; computer data; news-related service transactions between residents and nonresidents; construction services; royalties and license fees; miscellaneous business, professional, and technical services; personal, cultural, and recreational services; and manufacturing services on physical inputs owned by others. A higher share means these service types dominate a country's service export basket. The dataset covers 190 countries, with 184 out of 190 (96.8%) having data from the last seven years. All 190 datapoints are classified as official-quality. The data year is 2024, though latest-year coverage stands at 149 out of 190 countries (78.4%), meaning some values are drawn from prior years.

The top of the ranking is led by small or lower-income economies alongside a small number of advanced economies. Nauru ranks 1st at 96.66%, followed by Marshall Islands at 93.82% and Liberia at 93.07%. Papua New Guinea ranks 4th at 87.60% and Guinea ranks 5th at 77.08%. Among high-income economies, Ireland ranks 6th at 76.43%, Israel ranks 12th at 69.73%, Finland ranks 13th at 65.54%, and the Netherlands ranks 15th at 62.08%. Pakistan ranks 8th at 74.02% and the Philippines ranks 9th at 73.36%, reflecting large shares of computer and business process-related service exports in those economies. Ukraine ranks 17th at 60.44% and India ranks 23rd at 55.79%, both within the top quarter of the distribution.

The middle of the ranking spans a wide range of country types. Korea ranks 32nd at 48.09%, Switzerland ranks 34th at 46.34%, and Germany ranks 43rd at 41.85%. The United States ranks 62nd at 34.99% and the United Kingdom ranks 105th at 20.41%, which places both well outside the top third despite their large technology sectors. At the bottom, tourism-dependent economies cluster heavily: Macao SAR, China ranks last at 0.09%, Gambia ranks 189th at 0.31%, and Maldives ranks 188th at 1.16%. These economies derive the overwhelming majority of service export revenue from travel, leaving little room for communications and computer services. The viability check identified 10 extreme outliers using a 3-standard-deviation threshold, and the value range spans from 0.09% to 96.66%, a spread of over 111,593%.

Several data limitations apply to this metric. The 78.4% latest-year consistency rate means that nearly one in five country values may reflect data from a year prior to 2024, introducing timing gaps when comparing countries directly. The metric aggregates a broad set of service categories, including construction services and personal and cultural services alongside computer and telecommunications services, which means a high share does not isolate technology or digital service exports specifically. Reporting quality and coverage also vary by country capacity, and the Balance of Payments framework depends on national statistical agencies applying consistent methodologies. Small or low-income economies with thin service export bases can show extreme percentage shares due to compositional effects rather than absolute scale.

Methodology

The metric is sourced from the World Bank World Development Indicators under indicator code BX.GSR.CMCP.ZS. It measures communications, computer, information, and other services as a percentage of total service exports under the Balance of Payments framework. The source note definition states verbatim: 'Communications, computer, information, and other services cover international telecommunications; computer data; news-related service transactions between residents and nonresidents; construction services; royalties and license fees; miscellaneous business, professional, and technical services; personal, cultural, and recreational services; manufacturing services on physical inputs owned by others.' The dataset covers 190 countries, surpassing the 80-country coverage threshold. Data quality is 100% official. Recency is high, with 184 out of 190 countries (96.8%) reporting data from within the last seven years. Latest-year (2024) coverage is 149 out of 190 (78.4%). The viability check identified 10 extreme outliers at the 3-standard-deviation threshold. Average year-over-year change is 33.3%, below the 50% volatility threshold. Values range from 0.09% to 96.66%, a spread of over 111,593%, reflecting extreme structural variation across economies.

Sources

• World Bank