Classifications

by Sonia Blachier · June 9, 2021

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”, “America” 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, as defined in the M49 standard -—
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—-. 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,
LDCs, according to the United Nations Office of the High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and the Small Island Developing States -—
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LLDCslandlocked developing countries, according to the -—
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SIDSsmall island developing States according to the -—
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HIPCsheavily indebted poor countries, according to the -—
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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 SIDS, as for developing and developed economies, different groupings are also applied by international organisations. The definition of SIDS 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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Map 1. World by development status

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.

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 1 of this handbook, reference is made to the following five product groups:

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

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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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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Table 1. Grouping of service categories on the basis of EBOPS 2010

EBOPS 2010	Trade in services by category page
Transport	Transport
Travel	Travel
Insurance and pension services	Insurance, financial, intellectual property, and other business services
Financial services
Charges for the use of intellectual property n.i.e.
Other business services
Telecommunications, computer and information services	Telecommunications, computer and information
Personal, cultural and recreational services	Other categories
Government goods and services n.i.e.
Construction
Services not allocated
Manufacturing services on physical inputs owned by others
Maintenance and repair services n.i.e.

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 (ISIC divisions 01 to 05),
Industry, comprising: mining and quarrying, manufacturing, electricity, gas and water supply, construction (ISIC divisions 10 to 45),
Services, comprising all other economic activities (ISIC divisions 50 to 99).

References

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