OECD Issues 2025 Statistical Guideline to Standardise E-Commerce Measurement
SDG 8: Decent Work & Economic Growth | SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals
Institutions: Ministry of Commerce & Industry | Ministry of Electronics & IT | Ministry of Finance
The OECD has released its 2025 edition of the Definition of E-Commerce and Guidelines for Interpretation, a statistical guideline that updates how countries define, classify, and measure e-commerce transactions. Prepared by the OECD Working Party on Measurement and Analysis of the Digital Economy, it sets out common standards to improve comparability of e-commerce data across economies.
The guideline defines an e-commerce transaction as the sale or purchase of goods or services conducted over computer-mediated networks such as the internet or Electronic Data Interchange (EDI). It introduces new interpretive notes covering digital platforms, subscription models, cloud services, and AI-enabled transactions, reflecting the evolution of digital trade. It also advises national statistical systems on data integration, metadata practices, and bridging platform data with official surveys, ensuring that digital economy statistics remain reliable and consistent.
For India, adopting the OECDβs 2025 guideline would strengthen the credibility and comparability of its e-commerce and digital trade statisticsβvital for global benchmarking and trade negotiations. It could also help align efforts across the Department of Commerce, MeitY, and the Ministry of Finance, ensuring consistency between trade policy, taxation, and digital economy regulation. Incorporating these definitions into Indiaβs statistical systems, such as those used by MOSPI would make national e-commerce data internationally interoperable and policy-relevant.
Follow the full guideline here:
OECD: The 2025 Definition of E-Commerce and Guidelines for Interpretation (PDF)