Services Exports

professional, scientific, and technical services globally in 2005, but this share declined to 75 percent in 2017 (figure 4.5).

High-income countries’ share in world exports of transportation services and accommodation and food services was lower and declined further over time. In transportation services, they accounted for 80 percent of global exports in 2005, which declined to 75 percent in 2017. Similarly, these countries’ share in world exports of accommodation and food services declined from 66 percent in 2005 to 61 percent in 2017.

Services in LMICs. As the high-income countries’ collective share in global exports of services has declined, the resulting increase in the LMICs’ share of world exports across different services subsectors has been concentrated among a few large emerging markets. In 2017, the top 10 exporting LMICs accounted for more than three-fourths of LMICs’ total exports of global innovator services (finance, ICT, and professional services). These top 10 countries’ corresponding shares of low-skill tradable services were lower—amounting to about 60 percent of transportation services and 50 percent of accommodation and food services (figure 4.6).

Across the global innovator services, the top 10 LMIC exporters between 2005 and 2017 typically included Brazil, China, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Korea, Malaysia, Mexico, the Philippines, Poland, the Russian Federation, South Africa, and Saudi Arabia (figure 4.7, panels a–c).2

Across the low-skill tradable services, the top 10 LMIC exporters between 2005 and 2017 was a similar group, typically comprising Brazil, China, Egypt, India, Indonesia, Korea, Malaysia, Mexico, Russia, Thailand, and Turkey (figure 4.7, panels d–f).3

FIGURE 4.5 High-Income Countries Account for Declining Shares of Global Services Exports

Share of high-income countries in global exports of selected services subsectors, 2005–17

Share of HICs in world exports (%) 100

90

80

70

60

50 2005 2010 2017 Finance ICT Professional, scientific, and technical Transportation Accommodation and food

Source: Calculations using the Trade in Services data by Mode of Supply (TiSMoS) database, World Trade Organization. Note: High-income countries (HICs) are those whose gross national income per capita was at least US$8,955 in 1994. ICT = information and communication technology.