Classifications

Classification of economies

UNCTAD’s classification of economies into developing and developed is intended for statistical convenience and does not express judgement about the stage reached by a particular country or area in the development process. It is based on the classification applied in the “Standard Country or Area Codes for Statistical Use”, known as “M49”, maintained by the United Nations Statistics Division -—
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Throughout the handbook, the group of developing economies is further broken down into the following three regions: “Africa”, “Americas” and “Asia and Oceania”, where the group of African developing economies coincides with Africa, and the group of American developing economies coincides with Latin America and the Caribbean in UNCTADstat. Apart from these five groups of economies, whenever possible data are also presented for the following groups:

• Developing economies excluding China,
• Developing economies excluding LDCsleast developed countries,
• LDCsleast developed countries, according to the United Nations Office of the High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and the Small Island Developing States (UN-OHRLLSUnited Nations Office of the High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States) -—
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• Landlocked developing countries (LLDCslandlocked developing countries), according to -—
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• SIDSsmall island developing States according to -—
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• Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa (BRICSBrazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa),
• Group of Twenty (G20Group of Twenty) -—
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For SIDSsmall island developing States, as for developing and developed economies, different groupings are also applied by international organisations. The definition of SIDSsmall island developing States by the UN-OHRLLSUnited Nations Office of the High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States, used in the present handbook, is relatively broad. For a comparison and discussion of the different groupings in use, see -—
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The UNCTADstat classification page -—
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Disclaimer

The designations employed and the presentation of material in this work do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part 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. The Chagos Archipelago appears without prejudice to the question of sovereignty. A dispute exists between the Governments of Argentina and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland concerning sovereignty over the Falkland Islands (Malvinas). The final boundary between the Sudan and South Sudan has not yet been determined. The final status of the following territories has not yet been agreed or determined: Abyei area, Aksai Chin, Arunachal Pradesh, Bi’r Tawil, Hala’ib Triangle, Ilemi Triangle, Jammu and Kashmir, Kuril Islands, Paracel Islands, Scarborough Shoal, Senkaku Islands and Spratly Islands. Dashed lines represent undefined borders. Dotted line represents approximately the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir agreed upon by India and Pakistan.

Classification of goods

For breakdowns of international merchandise trade by product, UNCTADstat applies the SITCStandard International Trade Classification, Revision 3, -—
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—- and various aggregates compiled on the basis of that classification. In chapter International merchandise trade of this handbook, reference is made to the following five product groups:

• All food items (SITCStandard International Trade Classification codes 0, 1, 22 and 4),
• Agricultural raw materials (SITCStandard International Trade Classification code 2 except 22, 27 and 28),
• Ores, metals, precious stones and non-monetary gold (SITCStandard International Trade Classification codes 27, 28, 68, 667 and 971),
• Fuels (SITCStandard International Trade Classification code 3),
• Manufactured goods (SITCStandard International Trade Classification codes 5, 6, 7 and 8 except 667 and 68).

where the first four groups are referred to as primary commodities.

For the measurement of movements in commodity prices, the UCPIUNCTAD Commodity Price Index is disaggregated by commodity groups constructed from HSHarmonized Commodity Description and Coding System 2007 -—
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—-. For the correspondence between these commodity groups and HSHarmonized Commodity Description and Coding System headings and for the individual price quotations represented therein, see -—
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Classification of services

The breakdown by service category in the Trade in services by category page is based on EBOPS 20102010 Extended Balance of Payments Services Classification -—
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—-. The EBOPS 20102010 Extended Balance of Payments Services Classification main categories have been grouped as shown in table 1 below.

Classification of economic activities

In the Gross domestic product page, gross value added is broken down by the three broad groups of economic activities below, in accordance with the International Standard Industrial Classification of All Economic Activities (ISICInternational Standard Industrial Classification of All Economic Activities), Revision 3 -—
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• Agriculture, comprising: agriculture, hunting, forestry and fishing (ISICInternational Standard Industrial Classification of All Economic Activities divisions 01 to 05),
• Industry, comprising: mining and quarrying, manufacturing, electricity, gas and water supply, construction (ISICInternational Standard Industrial Classification of All Economic Activities divisions 10 to 45),
• Services, comprising all other economic activities (ISICInternational Standard Industrial Classification of All Economic Activities divisions 50 to 99).