SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals | SDG 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure | SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth
Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology | Ministry of Commerce and Industry
UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD) has launched a new global database on e-commerce value, the first to consolidate national estimates to address the “statistical invisibility” of the digital economy. During the sixth meeting of the UNCTAD Working Group on Measuring E-commerce and the Digital Economy, representatives from 42 countries emphasized that accurate data is fundamental to governing digital transitions.
Key findings and recommended initiatives:
Rapid Growth vs. Data Gaps: Experimental data shows that e-commerce sales are expanding significantly faster than global GDP. However, most countries still lack the statistics to capture online transaction values, cross-border digital trade, and social-media-based commerce.
Methodological Review: The working group recommended a full review of core digital indicators in 2026 to incorporate emerging elements such as artificial intelligence, platform-based business models, and remote work.
Global Cooperation: Experts called for simple, technology-neutral, and globally comparable statistical frameworks, supported by innovative tools like electronic payment records and data mining.
Technical Assistance: A Task Group on Measuring E-commerce Value is finalizing guidelines for global implementation, supported by expanded capacity-building programs, including new scaling assistance from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
What is the “Statistical Invisibility” of the digital economy? It refers to the lack of formal, reliable data on the value and impact of digital transactions and services within national accounts. Without these statistics, governments cannot effectively design policies for taxation, competition, or digital inclusion, potentially hiding significant inequalities in digital access and preventing developing nations from fully benefiting from digital transformation.
Policy Relevance
For India, a global leader in digital public infrastructure (DPI) and real-time electronic payments, the call for “statistically visible” digital trade aligns with national efforts to formalize the digital economy. Accurate measurement of e-commerce value is essential for refining India’s stance on digital trade agreements and support for micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs). Furthermore, as international development financing for digital transitions declines, India’s role in sharing its own data-driven policymaking models becomes crucial for South-South cooperation.
Relevant Question for Policy Stakeholders: How can India leverage its robust Unified Payments Interface (UPI) data to create a replicable, real-time statistical framework for measuring the domestic digital economy that could serve as a global benchmark for UNCTAD’s 2026 methodological review?
Follow the full news here: Stronger statistics to measure e-commerce and the digital economy