Top 10 countries exporting services (ICT/finance/tourism)
Trade in services now grows faster than goods. We rank the big exporters and spotlight where growth is strongest across digitally delivered ICT, financial services, and tourism receipts.
Why services exports matter
Commercial services—especially telecommunications, computer & information (ICT), financial intermediation, and travel & tourism—scale with human capital and digital infrastructure. WTO’s latest review shows services up strongly in 2022, with digitally delivered services accounting for more than half of world services exports.
Benchmarks: In 2022 the largest commercial services exporters (excluding intra-EU trade) include the United States, United Kingdom, China, India, and Singapore. For 2023 tourism receipts, United States ranked #1, followed by Spain and the United Kingdom in UN Tourism updates.
Methodology
- Scope: Overall ranking follows WTO commercial services exports by economy. Sub-sector notes use WTO tables for financial services and telecommunications, computer & information. Tourism uses UN Tourism (UNWTO) receipts.
- Growth lens: We discuss where momentum has been strongest post-pandemic—ICT and finance for digital hubs; travel for destinations with the fastest receipts recovery.
- Comparability: Figures are balance-of-payments credits; some are Secretariat estimates; rankings may shift with revisions. Treat small deltas as indicative rather than exact.
All sources are official intergovernmental: WTO statistical tables and UN Tourism barometer/briefings (links at the bottom).
Top-10 service-exporting countries — with sector strengths
Overall list from WTO commercial services (excluding intra-EU trade). Sector badges point to where each country’s growth is strongest (ICT, finance, tourism).
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United States
#1 overall; scale across software, cloud/media licensing, professional & financial services. Also #1 tourism receipts in 2023.
Finance hubIP & mediaTourism #1 -
United Kingdom
Global leader in finance, legal, consulting and fintech exports; strong digitally delivered services.
Financial servicesProfessional services -
China
Large transport, travel rebound, and rising digital services linked to manufacturing and platforms.
Transport & travelDigital growth -
India
World’s ICT powerhouse—computer & information services with sustained double-digit growth.
ICT leaderBPO & SaaS -
Singapore
Regional financial center and data hub; strong in ICT and payments infrastructure.
FinanceICT hub -
Japan
Strength in finance and other business services; tourism receipts recovered swiftly.
FinanceBusiness services -
United Arab Emirates
Financial/logistics gateway; strong travel receipts and transit-related services.
Finance & transportTourism hub -
Switzerland
High-value finance, insurance, and IP-related receipts underpin services surplus.
Finance & insuranceIP charges -
Republic of Korea
Digitally delivered exports and content/IP grow alongside high-tech manufacturing base.
Digital contentICT -
Canada
Diversified mix of ICT, finance, and professional services with deep US/EU linkages.
Professional servicesICT
Finance leaders: US, UK, Singapore, Switzerland, Hong Kong (WTO Table A41). ICT leaders: EU, US, India, Singapore, Hong Kong, UAE (WTO Table A45). Tourism receipts leaders in 2023: US, Spain, UK (UN Tourism).
Top Service Exporters — WTO Snapshot (Commercial Services, 2022)
Top 10 exporters of commercial services excluding intra-EU trade with values in US$ billions. Source: WTO World Trade Statistical Review 2023, Table A9.
- ICT surge: WTO tables show digital hubs (US, India, Singapore, Hong Kong, UAE) punching above weight in telecommunications, computer & information exports.
- Finance concentration: Financial services credits concentrate in the US, UK, Singapore and Switzerland; Hong Kong and Japan are also large exporters.
- Tourism recovery: UN Tourism lists the United States as the #1 earner in 2023, followed by Spain and the United Kingdom, reflecting a broad rebound in high-spend travel.
Primary Government / Intergovernmental Sources
- WTO — World Trade Statistical Review 2023 (Tables A9, A41, A45)
- WTO — Statistical tables online
- UN Tourism (UNWTO) — Tourism receipts & rankings (2023–2024)
Notes: Values are balance-of-payments credits. WTO A9 ranks exporters excluding intra-EU trade; that lens highlights individual countries rather than the EU aggregate.
