Research
World Rankings of Comparative Advantage in Service Exports
Stellenbosch Working Paper Series No. WP03/2009Publication date: 2009
Author(s):
[protected email address] (Department of Economics, University Of Stellenbosch)
World service exports have grown at a rapid rate over the past few decades. While some countries have benefited from the surge in service exports, others have been left behind. This paper provides a snapshot of the current state of trade in services using three measures of the Balassa index to reveal comparative advantage, both by country and by service sector. Ranking tables are reported for countries with a GDP above $100 billion in 2005, although 147 countries are included in the analysis. (The full results are provided in the appendix). An overview of the performance of G8 and O5 countries is also provided.
JEL Classification:F14
Keywords:services trade, RCA, competitive advantage, Balassa index, developing countries
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Upcoming Seminars
Monday 21 July 202512:00-13:00
Izak Odendaal: Old Mutual Wealth Chief Investment Strategist
Topic: "Diverging fiscal policies and what it means for markets"
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Prof Willem Boshoff: Stellenbosch University
Topic: "Two competing approaches in South African competition policy: merger control and anti-cartel enforcement over the past 30 years"
BER Weekly
27 Jun 2025 Another setback for the GNU, but oil markets breathe a little easierThis week was marked by heightened tensions both domestically and internationally. At home, friction intensified between the two largest parties in the Government of National Unity (GNU), the ANC and the DA, following the firing of one of the DA's deputy ministers. Internationally, the US conducted airstrikes on three Iranian nuclear facilities using...
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