UNCTAD – Handbook of Statistics, 2023

The UNCTAD Handbook of Statistics 2023 is a comprehensive resource that provides a variety of statistics and indicators related to international trade, economy, investment, maritime transport, and development. In today's uncertain times, having reliable statistical information is crucial for making effective policy decisions and responding to crises. The handbook, along with the UNCTADstat Data Centre, offers internationally comparable data sets to various stakeholders such as policymakers, researchers, journalists, and the private sector. These statistics are essential for supporting UNCTAD's research, policy advice, and technical cooperation efforts. The data from 2022 reveals positive economic growth following the COVID-19 pandemic, with a 3.1% increase in real GDP. International merchandise trade also saw significant growth, surpassing pre-pandemic levels in 2021 and continuing to increase in 2022, although at a slower rate. However, the growth of trade in services was more moderate, only exceeding pre-pandemic levels in 2022. The pandemic did lead to an expansion of digitally deliverable services in 2021, with a 3% growth in 2022. Looking towards 2023, UNCTAD's nowcast predicts a slowdown in international trade and economic output. Real GDP growth is projected to be 2.2% and services trade to grow at 7.0% in 2023. The first half of 2023 already saw a 4.6% decrease in international merchandise trade compared to the previous year, and this decline is expected to continue throughout the third and fourth quarters.