UNCTAD · Creative Services Exports
Creative services exports by country
What share of a country's services exports comes from software, research, media, advertising and design?
Of the 111 countries compared in 2024, Ireland had the highest reading, 63.9103%, and Bahamas had the lowest reading, 0.0018%. In the middle country the figure was 6.1707%. Among the 96 countries measured in every edition since 2010, the middle one moved from 3.0879% to 8.0473%.
Creative services exports · 2024
Context statistic
Highest of 111Ireland
63.9103%012024 · values only
The highest and the lowest
The three countries with the highest values of 111 compared, the three with the lowest, and the highest on each continent. This statistic has no better end, so no country is shown as leading.
- 1
- 2
- 3
Lowest in 2024
Bahamas0.0018%
Mozambique0.0066%
Paraguay0.0154%
This statistic has no better end: the two ends describe size, not success.
Highest on each continent
- Africa
Mauritius16.4361% - Americas
United States25.5391% - AsiaIsrael29.4372%
- EuropeIreland63.9103%
- Oceania
New Zealand13.0493% - Every region
02Every measured country
Creative services exports on a map
Each country is shaded by its value, in five groups holding the same number of countries. Hover a country for its value, or select it to open its profile. Below the map, each continent’s middle country.
Darker is a higher value. This statistic has no better end, so the shades describe size, not success.
- 0.0018–0.7592%
- 0.9005–4.4804%
- 4.6105–10.1067%
- 10.2471–15.5865%
- 16.1576–63.9103%
- No reading in 2024 (50 measured in an earlier edition)
- Europe
12.3230%
the middle country, of 38 measured · 49 members
Ireland63.9103%
Bosnia and Herzegovina1.3603%Highest and lowest reading in Europe.
- Asia
5.3386%
the middle country, of 32 measured · 52 members
Israel29.4372%
Macau0.0363%Highest and lowest reading in Asia.
- Africa
2.8872%
the middle country, of 10 measured · 55 members
Mauritius16.4361%Mozambique0.0066%Highest and lowest reading in Africa.
- Americas
0.7234%
the middle country, of 26 measured · 48 members
United States25.5391%Bahamas0.0018%Highest and lowest reading in Americas.
- Oceania
0.5474%
the middle country, of 5 measured · 21 members
New Zealand13.0493%
Fiji0.0363%Highest and lowest reading in Oceania.
- Every region
20 sub-regions, highest middle country first
- Northern Europe
15.1940%
the middle country, of 10 measured · 13 members
Ireland63.9103%
Norway6.1707%Highest and lowest reading in Northern Europe.
- Eastern Europe
14.8881%
the middle country, of 10 measured · 10 members
Romania28.8508%
Russia5.9503%Highest and lowest reading in Eastern Europe.
- Western Europe
14.3172%
the middle country, of 7 measured · 9 members
Switzerland23.0994%
Austria10.3641%Highest and lowest reading in Western Europe.
- Eastern Asia
13.0157%
the middle country, of 7 measured · 8 members
Japan26.3363%Macau0.0363%Highest and lowest reading in Eastern Asia.
- Southern Europe
6.6415%
the middle country, of 11 measured · 17 members
North Macedonia13.9023%Bosnia and Herzegovina1.3603%Highest and lowest reading in Southern Europe.
- South-eastern Asia
4.8570%
the middle country, of 7 measured · 11 members
Singapore21.9956%
Cambodia0.1429%Highest and lowest reading in South-eastern Asia.
- Western Asia
2.4011%
the middle country, of 11 measured · 19 members
Israel29.4372%
Jordan0.0906%Highest and lowest reading in Western Asia.
- South America
1.2927%
the middle country, of 8 measured · 12 members
Brazil14.8282%Paraguay0.0154%Highest and lowest reading in South America.
- Eastern Africa
1.1042%
the middle country, of 5 measured · 19 members
Mauritius16.4361%Mozambique0.0066%Highest and lowest reading in Eastern Africa.
- Caribbean
0.3533%
the middle country, of 11 measured · 24 members
Montserrat3.3618%Bahamas0.0018%Highest and lowest reading in Caribbean.
- Australia and New Zealand
2 of 2 measured — too few for a middle: Australia, New Zealand.
New Zealand13.0493%
Australia11.4848%Highest and lowest reading in Australia and New Zealand.
- Central America
4 of 8 measured — too few for a middle: Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras.
Costa Rica9.8539%
El Salvador0.0350%Highest and lowest reading in Central America.
- Central Asia
3 of 5 measured — too few for a middle: Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan.
Kazakhstan6.0719%
Uzbekistan2.2392%Highest and lowest reading in Central Asia.
- Melanesia
2 of 5 measured — too few for a middle: Fiji, Papua New Guinea.
Papua New Guinea0.5474%Fiji0.0363%Highest and lowest reading in Melanesia.
- Northern Africa
1 of 6 measured — too few for a middle: Morocco.
Morocco3.7089%Highest and lowest reading in Northern Africa.
- Northern America
3 of 4 measured — too few for a middle: Bermuda, Canada, United States.
United States25.5391%
Bermuda9.3039%Highest and lowest reading in Northern America.
- Polynesia
1 of 7 measured — too few for a middle: Tonga.
Tonga0.1362%Highest and lowest reading in Polynesia.
- Southern Africa
3 of 5 measured — too few for a middle: Lesotho, Namibia, South Africa.
South Africa8.0785%
Lesotho0.6726%Highest and lowest reading in Southern Africa.
- Southern Asia
4 of 9 measured — too few for a middle: India, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka.
India27.3164%
Nepal1.0914%Highest and lowest reading in Southern Asia.
- Western Africa
1 of 16 measured — too few for a middle: Ghana.
Ghana2.0655%Highest and lowest reading in Western Africa.
03The whole field at once
The spread
111 countries, one dot each, on one scale — further right is a higher value. Half the countries are above 6.1707%; a quarter are above 13.8457%, and a quarter below 1.2507%. The bar in each row marks that continent’s middle country.
Log scale: each gridline is ten times the one before, so countries of very different sizes can be seen on one line.
04All 161 ever measured
Every country
In order, highest value first. No rank or position is shown: too many countries share the same value for an order to mean anything. Neither end is better. A country whose services exports are mostly tourism and transport reads low however lively its creative scene, and one that licenses software or hosts technology multinationals reads high. Most values are UNCTAD's estimates rather than figures a country reported.
Showing 25 of 161 countries
Values for 2024. The change column compares 2024 with 2023 only; the sparkline covers the recent editions.
052010–2024 · 15 reference years
Over time
Each point is one year from 2010. UNCTAD describes the table as experimental and most of its values as its own estimates, so read the direction of a line rather than small moves between years.
- the middle country
- the middle half of countries
- the middle of the 96 countries measured every time
- each continent’s middle country
The same, year by year
| Year | Countries | Middle country | Middle half | Measured every time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 111 | 6.1707% | 1.2507% – 13.8457% | 8.0473% |
| 2023 | 132 | 5.4374% | 0.9275% – 11.8514% | 7.9679% |
| 2022 | 136 | 5.0748% | 0.9983% – 11.6066% | 8.0707% |
| 2021 | 142 | 5.9854% | 1.0673% – 13.7956% | 9.9606% |
| 2020 | 137 | 6.3411% | 0.9751% – 13.8419% | 10.4216% |
| 2019 | 136 | 3.5163% | 0.5061% – 9.8194% | 6.4135% |
| 2018 | 137 | 3.1521% | 0.6696% – 8.5132% | 5.8281% |
| 2017 | 138 | 3.2485% | 0.5395% – 8.1157% | 5.1759% |
| 2016 | 139 | 3.3373% | 0.6632% – 7.7211% | 5.1024% |
| 2015 | 135 | 3.5037% | 0.7875% – 8.6084% | 4.9108% |
| 2014 | 134 | 3.1106% | 0.6568% – 7.7990% | 4.3807% |
| 2013 | 136 | 2.6940% | 0.5789% – 7.0049% | 3.9524% |
| 2012 | 137 | 2.3146% | 0.4281% – 6.5208% | 3.3815% |
| 2011 | 135 | 2.2908% | 0.5344% – 6.5419% | 2.9934% |
| 2010 | 139 | 2.2639% | 0.5459% – 6.4416% | 3.0879% |
062023 → 2024
Who rose and fell
The biggest changes in value between the two newest editions — reference years recalculated in one report, not two separate publications. Places are shown second, because they also move when other countries do.
Rose most
before → after- Mauritius9.1991% → 16.4361%+7.2370
Pakistan15.8608% → 19.8491%+3.9883- Ireland60.3608% → 63.9103%+3.5495
Kyrgyzstan2.0444% → 5.5198%+3.4754
Bulgaria21.8182% → 24.5274%+2.7092
Fell most
before → after- Norway9.2460% → 6.1707%−3.0753
- New Zealand15.7704% → 13.0493%−2.7211
Vietnam7.4286% → 4.8570%−2.5716
Brunei4.0035% → 1.4670%−2.5365- Russia8.0184% → 5.9503%−2.0681
110 countries were measured in both 2023 and 2024. The field changed from 132 to 111 countries, so a place can move for reasons that have nothing to do with the country itself.
07Across every edition
Creative services exports in records
The extremes of the statistic. A record reached by more than one country names none of them.
Highest reading on record
63.9103%
Creative services exports (% of services exports)
Lowest reading on record
0.0016%
Creative services exports (% of services exports)
Biggest rise between editions
+27.2103
3.2326% → 30.4429%
Biggest fall between editions
−28.4408
41.9443% → 13.5035%
Biggest change since first measured
+19.2879
44.6224% → 63.9103%
Highest most often
15 of 15
editions, alone at the first-listed end
08The measure
About creative services exports
Creative services exports are what a country earns abroad from services UNCTAD counts as creative — software and computer services, research and development, licences to use software, films and music, advertising, architecture and audiovisual work — as a share of all its services exports. Despite the name, software and R&D make up most of it, not the arts.
What the number is: Creative services exports (% of services exports).
09Where it fits
Connections
Its part in the Country Index, the statistics whose values line up most closely with it across countries, and others on the same subject.
In the Country Index
Context, with no vote
This statistic is published in full under Economy & Innovation and Mobility & Trade, but does not help decide any Country Index standing.
Economy & InnovationMobility & TradeWhich statistics vote, and why
Moves with
Where creative services exports is higher, these tend to be higher too.
- Digitally-Deliverable Services ExportsKeyUNCTAD · 107 countries in commonρ 0.87
- Frontier Technology Readiness IndexUNCTAD · 99 countries in commonρ 0.78
- Global Innovation IndexWorld Intellectual Property Organization · 94 countries in commonρ 0.76
Moves against
Where creative services exports is higher, these tend to be lower.
- Gender Inequality IndexUNDP Human Development Report Office · 99 countries in commonρ −0.65
- Mortality Rate, Ages 5–14UN IGME · 106 countries in commonρ −0.62
- Stillbirth RateUN IGME · 106 countries in commonρ −0.62
Rank correlation (ρ, from −1 to 1) across countries, on each statistic’s newest edition, out of 253 statistics sharing at least 80 countries with this one. Two statistics that move together do not cause each other.
10Keep reading
Explore further
The subject
11Questions
Creative services exports: questions and answers
Which country has the highest creative services exports?
Ireland, at 63.9103%, among the 111 countries compared in 2024.
Which country has the lowest creative services exports?
Bahamas, at 0.0018%, among the 111 countries compared in 2024.
How many countries does the Creative Services Exports cover?
111 in 2024, and 161 at least once across all editions. The number measured varies from 111 to 142 between editions.
What is the world average creative services exports?
This site does not calculate a world average, which would depend on how countries are weighted. In the middle country of the 111 compared in 2024, the figure was 6.1707%.
Is this UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD)’s own ranking?
No ranking is shown. UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD) publishes values only, and too many countries share the same value for an ordering to mean anything, so none is derived.
How often is the Creative Services Exports published?
This site holds 15 reference years, 2010–2024, all recalculated in UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD)’s 2025 report on one method — not 15 separate publications.
Where does the data come from, and can I download it?
From UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD), under CC BY 3.0 IGO. Read from UNCTAD's own US.CreativeServ_Indiv_Tot bulk file on UNCTADstat — UNCTAD's experimental estimates for individual economies, built on the UNCTAD-WTO trade-in-services data. The US$ amount is kept beside the share. Every edition is on this site’s Datasets pages as a full table, and downloads as a CSV file with every value unrounded.
12Method
Sources, method and citation
Source
Creative Services Exports — UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD)
Read from UNCTAD's own US.CreativeServ_Indiv_Tot bulk file on UNCTADstat — UNCTAD's experimental estimates for individual economies, built on the UNCTAD-WTO trade-in-services data. The US$ amount is kept beside the share.
Newest edition
Report year 2024Data year 2024
Cite the source as: UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD). International trade in creative services: estimates for individual economies. Geneva: UNCTAD Data Hub.
Licence: CC BY 3.0 IGO, checked 2026-09-29.
How this page reads the numbers
- No rank or position is shown: UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD) publishes values only, and too many countries share the same value for an ordering to mean anything.
- This statistic has no better end, so the page describes higher and lower values and never calls a country a leader.
- A country is named at an end only when it holds that value alone. Where several share it, the page says how many and names none first.
- Values are stored exactly as published and trimmed only for display. “The middle country” is the median of the countries measured, not a world average.
The file itself, column by column — where it came from, what each column holds, and every edition as a CSV — is on its dataset page.
Cite this page
Nations Inquiry (2026). Creative services exports by country: Creative Services Exports, data from UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD). https://nationsinquiry.com/statistics/creative-services-exports