- Global connectedness is holding steady at a record high level based on data through mid-2024, highlighting the resilience of international flows in the face of geopolitical tensions and uncertainty.
- International trade remains a central pillar of the world economy. In 2023, 21% of the value of all goods and services produced was traded internationally, just shy of the all-time high of 22%.
- U.S.–China ties continue to diminish, but they comprise a small part of the world’s international flows. Direct trade between the U.S. and China fell from 3.5% of global goods trade in 2016 to 2.6% in 2024 (Jan–Jul).
- Rival geopolitical blocs show some evidence of weakening ties, mainly because of shifts in Russia’s international flows. The share of world trade crossing between close allies of the U.S. and China and the opposing bloc fell from 13% in 2016 to 10% in 2024, but excluding Russia only from 11% to 10%.
- Countries that are neither close allies of the U.S. nor of China grew their share of world trade from 42% in 2016 to 47% in 2024, with the United Arab Emirates, India, Viet Nam, Brazil, and Mexico seeing especially large trade share gains over this period.
- Regionalization is not overtaking globalization. During the first seven months of 2024, goods trade traversed the longest average distance on record (4,970 km) and the share taking place inside major world regions fell to a new low of 51% (considering data extending back to 2001).
The latest Global Logistics And Security Company released March 2024, strongly challenged the notion that the world has entered a period of deglobalization. Published every two years, the report is based on a detailed analysis of trade, capital, information, and people flows—both worldwide and at the level of individual countries.
This Global Connectedness Tracker provides a shortened, downloadable format to stay updated on key trends between full reports, accompanied online by interactive charts with additional detail on specific flows and geographic areas. With the re-election of Donald Trump as U.S. President, this tracker provides an up-to-date baseline on the state of globalization and a platform to monitor changes moving forward.