UNCTAD · Creative Goods Exports
Creative goods exports by country
What share of a country's merchandise exports are creative goods such as crafts, design, books and recorded media?
Of the 131 countries compared in 2024, Macau had the highest reading, 37.2343%, and Nigeria had the lowest reading, 0.0000%. In the middle country the figure was 1.2348%. Among the 107 countries measured in every edition since 2002, the middle one moved from 1.8130% to 1.2647%.
Share
Creative goods exports · 2024
Context statistic
Highest of 131Macau
37.2343%012024 · values only
The highest and the lowest
The three countries with the highest values of 131 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
Nigeria0.0000%
Mauritania0.0002%
Guyana0.0024%
This statistic has no better end: the two ends describe size, not success.
Highest on each continent
- AfricaCentral African Republic10.0456%
- Americas
Bahamas6.0051% - AsiaMacau37.2343%
- Europe
Italy6.5386% - Oceania
New Zealand0.7280% - Every region
02Every measured country
Creative goods 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.
- 0.0000–0.1243%
- 0.1272–0.6382%
- 0.6768–1.7090%
- 1.7615–2.7874%
- 2.7930–37.2343%
- No reading in 2024 (66 measured in an earlier edition)
- Asia
2.3870%
the middle country, of 32 measured · 52 members
Macau37.2343%
Qatar0.0048%Highest and lowest reading in Asia.
- Europe
1.7090%
the middle country, of 37 measured · 49 members
Italy6.5386%
Iceland0.0814%Highest and lowest reading in Europe.
- Americas
0.5730%
the middle country, of 29 measured · 48 members
Bahamas6.0051%Guyana0.0024%Highest and lowest reading in Americas.
- Oceania
0.4746%
the middle country, of 5 measured · 21 members
New Zealand0.7280%
Samoa0.2588%Highest and lowest reading in Oceania.
- Africa
0.1057%
the middle country, of 28 measured · 55 members
Central African Republic10.0456%Nigeria0.0000%Highest and lowest reading in Africa.
- Every region
21 sub-regions, highest middle country first
- Eastern Asia
3.6718%
the middle country, of 6 measured · 8 members
Macau37.2343%
Japan0.9963%Highest and lowest reading in Eastern Asia.
- Caribbean
3.1369%
the middle country, of 7 measured · 24 members
Bahamas6.0051%
Grenada0.1934%Highest and lowest reading in Caribbean.
- South-eastern Asia
2.6092%
the middle country, of 8 measured · 11 members
Cambodia10.6608%
Brunei0.0067%Highest and lowest reading in South-eastern Asia.
- Southern Europe
1.8553%
the middle country, of 12 measured · 17 members
Italy6.5386%
North Macedonia0.4940%Highest and lowest reading in Southern Europe.
- Northern Europe
1.8175%
the middle country, of 10 measured · 13 members
Lithuania4.2379%Iceland0.0814%Highest and lowest reading in Northern Europe.
- Eastern Europe
1.7901%
the middle country, of 8 measured · 10 members
Poland3.4949%
Hungary1.3144%Highest and lowest reading in Eastern Europe.
- Western Europe
1.7090%
the middle country, of 7 measured · 9 members
France6.3852%
Luxembourg0.5678%Highest and lowest reading in Western Europe.
- Central America
0.8157%
the middle country, of 8 measured · 8 members
El Salvador2.7874%
Nicaragua0.1182%Highest and lowest reading in Central America.
- Western Asia
0.5610%
the middle country, of 11 measured · 19 members
Armenia7.4424%Qatar0.0048%Highest and lowest reading in Western Asia.
- Eastern Africa
0.2530%
the middle country, of 10 measured · 19 members
Mauritius2.7298%
Seychelles0.0395%Highest and lowest reading in Eastern Africa.
- South America
0.1272%
the middle country, of 11 measured · 12 members
Bolivia2.1301%Guyana0.0024%Highest and lowest reading in South America.
- Western Africa
0.0372%
the middle country, of 10 measured · 16 members
Togo1.8104%Nigeria0.0000%Highest and lowest reading in Western Africa.
- Australia and New Zealand
2 of 2 measured — too few for a middle: Australia, New Zealand.
New Zealand0.7280%
Australia0.4746%Highest and lowest reading in Australia and New Zealand.
- Central Asia
3 of 5 measured — too few for a middle: Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan.
Kyrgyzstan5.2072%
Kazakhstan0.1047%Highest and lowest reading in Central Asia.
- Melanesia
1 of 5 measured — too few for a middle: Fiji.
Fiji0.2611%Highest and lowest reading in Melanesia.
- Middle Africa
2 of 9 measured — too few for a middle: Angola, Central African Republic.
Central African Republic10.0456%
Angola0.0051%Highest and lowest reading in Middle Africa.
- Northern Africa
3 of 6 measured — too few for a middle: Egypt, Morocco, Tunisia.
Egypt2.4702%
Morocco0.5579%Highest and lowest reading in Northern Africa.
- Northern America
3 of 4 measured — too few for a middle: Bermuda, Canada, United States.
United States2.2585%
Canada0.9300%Highest and lowest reading in Northern America.
- Polynesia
2 of 7 measured — too few for a middle: French Polynesia, Samoa.
French Polynesia0.5337%Samoa0.2588%Highest and lowest reading in Polynesia.
- Southern Africa
3 of 5 measured — too few for a middle: Lesotho, Namibia, South Africa.
South Africa0.6768%
Namibia0.1070%Highest and lowest reading in Southern Africa.
- Southern Asia
4 of 9 measured — too few for a middle: India, Maldives, Pakistan, Sri Lanka.
India4.6658%
Maldives0.0258%Highest and lowest reading in Southern Asia.
03The whole field at once
The spread
131 countries, one dot each, on one scale — further right is a higher value. Half the countries are above 1.2348%; a quarter are above 2.5209%, and a quarter below 0.2005%. 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 197 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. The top is held by small economies whose exports lean on one line of design goods, and a country's share rises when its other exports fall just as it does when its creative exports grow. A country missing from a year did not report its trade; that is not a zero.
Showing 25 of 197 countries
Values for 2024. The change column compares 2024 with 2023 only; the sparkline covers the recent editions.
052002–2024 · 23 reference years
Over time
Each point is one year from 2002. The newest year is still being filled in as countries report their trade, so it covers fewer economies than the years before it.
- the middle country
- the middle half of countries
- the middle of the 107 countries measured every time
- each continent’s middle country
The same, year by year
| Year | Countries | Middle country | Middle half | Measured every time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 131 | 1.2348% | 0.2005% – 2.5209% | 1.2647% |
| 2023 | 162 | 0.7738% | 0.1346% – 2.3414% | 1.2018% |
| 2022 | 165 | 0.6827% | 0.1130% – 2.2100% | 1.0917% |
| 2021 | 168 | 0.7355% | 0.1386% – 2.4650% | 1.1942% |
| 2020 | 169 | 1.0111% | 0.1525% – 2.5246% | 1.2973% |
| 2019 | 172 | 1.0004% | 0.2102% – 2.6322% | 1.3485% |
| 2018 | 175 | 0.8848% | 0.1631% – 2.6448% | 1.4659% |
| 2017 | 178 | 0.9391% | 0.1962% – 2.7356% | 1.4108% |
| 2016 | 175 | 1.0512% | 0.2412% – 2.8936% | 1.3892% |
| 2015 | 171 | 1.1045% | 0.2088% – 2.8752% | 1.4087% |
| 2014 | 167 | 1.0459% | 0.2027% – 2.8065% | 1.3173% |
| 2013 | 170 | 0.9982% | 0.2021% – 2.6712% | 1.3109% |
| 2012 | 169 | 1.0095% | 0.2305% – 2.6066% | 1.1660% |
| 2011 | 168 | 0.9085% | 0.2555% – 2.4760% | 1.2719% |
| 2010 | 168 | 1.0309% | 0.2493% – 2.7602% | 1.4782% |
| 2009 | 167 | 1.2481% | 0.3241% – 2.9348% | 1.6939% |
| 2008 | 165 | 1.0898% | 0.2197% – 2.5386% | 1.7265% |
| 2007 | 163 | 1.1738% | 0.2759% – 2.8710% | 1.5453% |
| 2006 | 161 | 1.0607% | 0.2290% – 2.5769% | 1.4467% |
| 2005 | 163 | 1.0969% | 0.2879% – 2.6412% | 1.6522% |
| 2004 | 160 | 1.0425% | 0.2621% – 2.6769% | 1.5759% |
| 2003 | 158 | 1.0857% | 0.2906% – 2.7180% | 1.7454% |
| 2002 | 154 | 1.1910% | 0.2802% – 2.8268% | 1.8130% |
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- Macau26.4168% → 37.2343%+10.8176
- Central African Republic0.8888% → 10.0456%+9.1568
- Bahamas1.8252% → 6.0051%+4.1798
- Kyrgyzstan1.5371% → 5.2072%+3.6701
- Bolivia0.1094% → 2.1301%+2.0207
Fell most
before → after
Bermuda4.3665% → 2.2059%−2.1606
Bahrain3.3810% → 2.4070%−0.9739
Hong Kong5.4728% → 4.6770%−0.7958
China6.7926% → 6.0807%−0.7120
Dominican Republic6.2472% → 5.6693%−0.5779
131 countries were measured in both 2023 and 2024. The field changed from 162 to 131 countries, so a place can move for reasons that have nothing to do with the country itself.
07Across every edition
Creative goods exports in records
The extremes of the statistic. A record reached by more than one country names none of them.
Highest reading on record
66.7804%
Creative goods exports (% of merchandise exports)
Lowest reading on record
0.0000%
Creative goods exports (% of merchandise exports)
Biggest rise between editions
+46.0820
3.8592% → 49.9411%
Biggest fall between editions
−48.9770
49.9411% → 0.9642%
Biggest change since first measured
+35.7034
1.5309% → 37.2343%
Highest most often
11 of 23
editions, alone at the first-listed end
08The measure
About creative goods exports
Creative goods exports are the art, crafts, design goods, books, recorded music and film, jewellery and similar products a country sells abroad, as UNCTAD defines them, shown as a share of all its merchandise exports. It says how large a part the creative industries play in what a country ships to the world.
What the number is: Creative goods exports (% of merchandise 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 goods exports is higher, these tend to be higher too.
- ICT Goods ExportsKeyUNCTAD · 119 countries in commonρ 0.66
- Complexity Outlook IndexGrowth Lab at Harvard University · 107 countries in commonρ 0.63
- Economic Complexity IndexKeyGrowth Lab at Harvard University · 107 countries in commonρ 0.55
Moves against
Where creative goods exports is higher, these tend to be lower.
- Commodity Export DependenceUNCTAD · 125 countries in commonρ −0.62
- Export Concentration IndexUNCTAD · 131 countries in commonρ −0.54
- Prevalence of Moderate or Severe Food InsecurityFAO · 105 countries in commonρ −0.43
Rank correlation (ρ, from −1 to 1) across countries, on each statistic’s newest edition, out of 333 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
The countries at either end
11Questions
Creative goods exports: questions and answers
Which country has the highest creative goods exports?
Macau, at 37.2343%, among the 131 countries compared in 2024.
Which country has the lowest creative goods exports?
Nigeria, at 0.0000%, among the 131 countries compared in 2024.
How many countries does the Creative Goods Exports cover?
131 in 2024, and 197 at least once across all editions. The number measured varies from 131 to 178 between editions.
What is the world average creative goods exports?
This site does not calculate a world average, which would depend on how countries are weighted. In the middle country of the 131 compared in 2024, the figure was 1.2348%.
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 Goods Exports published?
This site holds 23 reference years, 2002–2024, all recalculated in UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD)’s 2026 report on one method — not 23 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 creative goods matrix (US.CreativeGoodsValue) on UNCTADstat, which UNCTAD builds from UN Comtrade: exports of all creative goods to the whole world, one row per country. UNCTAD's regional and group totals and states that no longer exist are left out; 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 Goods Exports — UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD)
Read from UNCTAD's own creative goods matrix (US.CreativeGoodsValue) on UNCTADstat, which UNCTAD builds from UN Comtrade: exports of all creative goods to the whole world, one row per country. UNCTAD's regional and group totals and states that no longer exist are left out; the US$ amount is kept beside the share.
Newest edition
Report year 2024Data year 2024
Cite the source as: UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD). Creative goods matrix, annual. 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 goods exports by country: Creative Goods Exports, data from UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD). https://nationsinquiry.com/statistics/creative-goods-exports