UNITED NATIONS CONFERENCE ON TRADE AND DEVELOPMENTM ENT EMBARGO The contents of this Report must not be quoted or summarized in the print, broadcast or electronic media before 24 March 2015, 17:00 hours GMT INFORMATION ECONOMY REPORT 2015 UNITED N A TIONS CONFERENCE O N TRADD E ANA D DEVELOPMM ENT INFORMATION ECONOMY REPORT 2015 New York and Geneva 2015 ii INFORMATION ECONOMY REPORT 2015 NOTE Within the UNCTAD Division on Technology and Logistics, the ICT Analysis Section carries out policy-oriented analytical work on the development implications of information and communications technologies (ICTs). It is responsible for the preparation of the Information Economy Report. The ICT Analysis Section promotes international dialogue on issues related to ICTs for development, and contributes to building developing countries’ capacities to measure the information economy and to design and implement relevant policies and legal frameworks. In this report, the terms country/economy refer, as appropriate, to territories or areas. The designations employed and the presentation of the material do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the Secretariat of the United Nations concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or area or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries. In addition, the designations of country groups are intended solely for statistical or analytical convenience and do not necessarily express a judgement about the stage of development reached by a particular country or area in the development process. The major FRXQWU\JURXSLQJVXVHGLQWKLVUHSRUWIROORZWKHFODVVLƄFDWLRQRIWKH8QLWHG1DWLRQV6WDWLVWLFDO2IƄFH7KHVHDUH Developed countries:7KHPHPEHUFRXQWULHVRIWKH2UJDQL]DWLRQIRU(FRQRPLF&RRSHUDWLRQDQG'HYHORSPHQW 2(&' RWKHUWKDQ&KLOH0H[LFRWKH5HSXEOLFRI.RUHDDQG7XUNH\ SOXVWKHQHZ(XURSHDQ8QLRQPHPEHU FRXQWULHVWKDWDUHQRW2(&'PHPEHUV %XOJDULD&\SUXV/DWYLD/LWKXDQLD0DOWDDQG5RPDQLD SOXV$QGRUUD /LHFKWHQVWHLQ0RQDFRDQG6DQ0DULQR Countries with economies in transition:6RXWK(DVW(XURSHDQGWKH&RPPRQZHDOWKRI,QGHSHQGHQW6WDWHV Developing economies:,QJHQHUDODOOWKHHFRQRPLHVWKDWDUHQRWVSHFLƄHGDERYH)RUVWDWLVWLFDOSXUSRVHVWKH GDWDIRU&KLQDGRQRWLQFOXGHWKRVHIRU+RQJ.RQJ6SHFLDO$GPLQLVWUDWLYH5HJLRQ +RQJ.RQJ&KLQD 0DFDR 6SHFLDO$GPLQLVWUDWLYH5HJLRQ 0DFDR&KLQD RU7DLZDQ3URYLQFHRI&KLQD 5HIHUHQFHWRFRPSDQLHVDQGWKHLUDFWLYLWLHVVKRXOGQRWEHFRQVWUXHGDVDQHQGRUVHPHQWE\81&7$'RIWKRVH companies or their activities. 7KHIROORZLQJV\PEROVKDYHEHHQXVHGLQWKHWDEOHV 7ZRGRWV LQGLFDWHWKDWGDWDDUHQRWDYDLODEOHRUDUHQRWVHSDUDWHO\UHSRUWHG5RZVLQWDEOHVKDYHEHHQ RPLWWHGLQWKRVHFDVHVZKHUHQRGDWDDUHDYDLODEOHIRUDQ\RIWKHHOHPHQWVLQWKHURZ $GDVK LQGLFDWHVWKDWWKHLWHPLVHTXDOWR]HURRULWVYDOXHLVQHJOLJLEOH $EODQNLQDWDEOH}LQGLFDWHVWKDWWKHLWHPLVQRWDSSOLFDEOHXQOHVVRWKHUZLVHLQGLFDWHG $VODVK EHWZHHQGDWHVUHSUHVHQWLQJ\HDUVIRUH[DPSOHLQGLFDWHVDƄQDQFLDO\HDU 8VHRIDQHQGDVK t EHWZHHQGDWHVUHSUHVHQWLQJ\HDUVIRUH[DPSOHtVLJQLƄHVWKHIXOOSHULRG LQYROYHGLQFOXGLQJWKHEHJLQQLQJDQGHQG\HDUV 5HIHUHQFHWRqGROODUVr PHDQV8QLWHG6WDWHVRI$PHULFDGROODUVXQOHVVRWKHUZLVHLQGLFDWHG $QQXDOUDWHVRIJURZWKRUFKDQJHXQOHVVRWKHUZLVHVWDWHGUHIHUWRDQQXDOFRPSRXQGUDWHV Details and percentages in tables do not necessarily add up to the totals because of rounding. The material contained in this study may be freely quoted with appropriate acknowledgement. 81,7('1$7,21638%/,&$7,21 81&7$',(5 6DOHV1R(,,' ,661 ,6%1 H,6%1 &RS\ULJKW8QLWHG1DWLRQV $OOULJKWVUHVHUYHG3ULQWHGLQ6ZLW]HUODQG PREFACE iii PREFACE 7KH HGLWLRQ RI 81&7$'pV Information Economy Report examines electronic commerce, and shows in detail how information and communications technologies can be harnessed to support economic growth and sustainable development. (OHFWURQLF FRPPHUFH FRQWLQXHV WR JURZ ERWK LQ YROXPH DQG JHRJUDSKLF UHDFK DQG LV LQFUHDVLQJO\ IHDWXUHG in the international development agenda, including in the World Summit on the Information Society outcome GRFXPHQWVDQGLQWKHRXWFRPHRIWKHQLQWK0LQLVWHULDO&RQIHUHQFHRIWKH:RUOG7UDGH2UJDQL]DWLRQ The Information Economy Report 2015 highlights how some of the greatest dynamism in electronic commerce FDQEHIRXQGLQGHYHORSLQJFRXQWULHVEXWWKDWSRWHQWLDOLVIDUIURPIXOO\UHDOL]HG7KHUHSRUWH[DPLQHVRSSRUWXQLWLHV and challenges faced by enterprises in developing countries that wish to access and use e-commerce. It KLJKOLJKWVWKHODWHVWPDUNHWWUHQGVEHQFKPDUNVFRXQWU\}SHUIRUPDQFHVZLWKWKH81&7$'(FRPPHUFH,QGH[ reviews examples of e-commerce in rural areas and low-income countries, addresses relevant legal issues and provides policy recommendations. As the world looks ahead to implementing a new agenda for the next generation of our development work, I commend this report to all those seeking to help unlock the potential of e-commerce for developing countries. %$1.LPRRQ Secretary-General United Nations iv INFORMATION ECONOMY REPORT 2015 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The Information Economy Report 2015ZDVSUHSDUHGE\DWHDPFRPSULVLQJ7RUEMÓUQ)UHGULNVVRQ WHDPOHDGHU &ÆFLOH%DUD\UH6FDUOHWW)RQGHXU*LO6XZDQ-DQJ0LQ-DH.LP'LDQD.RUND6PLWD/DNKH1JR]L2QRGXJRDQG 0DULH6LFDWXQGHUWKHRYHUDOOVXSHUYLVLRQRI$QQH0LURX['LUHFWRURIWKH'LYLVLRQRQ7HFKQRORJ\DQG/RJLVWLFV 7KH UHSRUW EHQHƄWHG IURP PDMRU VXEVWDQWLYH LQSXWV SURYLGHG E\ .LP $QGUHDVVRQ 0DUWLQ )DON (YD +DJVWHQ +DUVKD/L\DQDJH%HQ/\RQ0LFKDHO0LQJHVDQG7KDR1JX\HQ$GGLWLRQDOLQSXWVZHUHFRQWULEXWHGE\'RPLQLTXH &KDQWUHO*LXVHSSHGL&DSXD3DYDQ'XJJDO0RKDPHG(V)LK5RFÊR0DUWLQH]+RXVVD\DQG0DUFR)XJD]]D Comments on a draft version of the report were provided by experts attending a peer review meeting in Geneva LQ'HFHPEHULQFOXGLQJ%ULJLWWH$FRFD-RVÆ$QVÐQ2OJD&DYDOOL0DULD5RVDULD&HFFDUHOOL3DXO'RQRKRH -DPHV+RZH'HQLV.LELULJH1LU.VKHWUL6LOYLD0RQ]ÐQGH%LGDUW)LRUHOOD1LUR,DQ:DOGHQDQG.HH+ZHH:HH Additional comments were received at various stages of the production of the report from Luca Castellani, Angel *RQ]¾OH]6DQ]5LFKDUG+HHNV$UQDX,]DJXHUUL-DQ+RIIPDQ6WHYH0DF)HHO\'DYLG6RXWHU/HH7XWKLOODQG +DQV3HWHU:HUQHU 81&7$'LVJUDWHIXOIRUWKHVKDULQJRIGDWDE\QDWLRQDOVWDWLVWLFDORIƄFHVDQGUHVSRQVHVUHFHLYHGWRWKH81&7$' annual survey questionnaire on ICT usage by enterprises and on the ICT sector. The sharing of data for this report E\WKH,QWHUQDWLRQDO7HOHFRPPXQLFDWLRQ8QLRQ ,78 DQGWKH8QLYHUVDO3RVWDO8QLRQ 838 LVKLJKO\DSSUHFLDWHG UNCTAD is equally grateful for the sharing of data for the global mapping of cyberlaws by Gema Campillos, *UDKDP *UHHQOHDI 6WHSKHQ 0DVRQ +HLGHPDULH 0HQGHO (YD 9DijNRY¾ DQG 3RORQD =DYEL DV ZHOO DV E\ WKH &RPPRQZHDOWKVHFUHWDULDWWKH&RXQFLORI(XURSH'/$3LSHU*RRJOH1RUWRQ5RVH)XOEULJKWWKH2(&'7KH 3D\SHUVWKH8QLWHG1DWLRQV&RPPLVVLRQRQ,QWHUQDWLRQDO7UDGH/DZ 81&,75$/ WKH8QLWHG1DWLRQV2IƄFHRQ 'UXJVDQG&ULPHDQGWKH(FRQRPLFDQG6RFLDO&RPPLVVLRQIRU:HVWHUQ$VLD The cover and other graphics were done by Nadège Hadjemian. Desktop publishing was done by Nathalie Loriot and the Information Economy Report 2015ZDVHGLWHGE\-RKQ5RJHUV )LQDQFLDOVXSSRUWIURPWKH*RYHUQPHQWRI)LQODQGLVJUDWHIXOO\DFNQRZOHGJHG CONTENTS v CONTENTS Note ........................................................................................................................................................ ii Preface ................................................................................................................................................... iii Acknowledgements ............................................................................................................................... iv List of Abbreviations ............................................................................................................................. ix Overview ................................................................................................................................................. xi CHAPTER I REVISITING THE DEVELOPMENT POTENTIAL OF E-COMMERCE ..... 1 A. E-commerce and development ....................................................................................... 2 % 'HƄQLWLRQVRIHFRPPHUFH .............................................................................................. 3 C. Implications of e-commerce ........................................................................................... 4 1. The e-commerce value chain.................................................................................................. 4 (FRQRPLFLPSDFWVRIHFRPPHUFH ......................................................................................... 1HZHYLGHQFHRQWKHSURGXFWLYLW\LPSDFWRIHFRPPHUFHLQ(XURSH ....................................... D. Roadmap to the report .................................................................................................... 7 CHAPTER II GLOBAL AND REGIONAL TRENDS ............................................... 11 A. The global e-commerce market is evolving .................................................................. 12 0DUNHWVL]HHVWLPDWHV ............................................................................................................. &URVVERUGHUHFRPPHUFH ..................................................................................................... 15 (FRPPHUFHXVHE\KRXVHKROGVDQGHQWHUSULVHV ................................................................... 4. What do consumers buy online? ............................................................................................ /DUJHVW%&HFRPPHUFHFRPSDQLHV .................................................................................... B. Regional trends ................................................................................................................ 23 $IULFD'\QDPLFJURZWKIURPDORZOHYHO ................................................................................