Visual Capitalist | 19 May 2026
Ranked: Top 12 countries with digital trade agreements
By Julia Wendling, Jennifer West
The following content is sponsored by Hinrich Foundation
Digital trade now powers a growing share of the global economy. It covers cross-border data flows, e-commerce, digital services, and online payments. As digital commerce expands, governments are moving quickly to set the rules that govern how it operates.
This visualization, created in partnership with the Hinrich Foundation, shows which countries are leading digital trade negotiations, using data from Digital Policy Alert. It also highlights the rapid rise of digital trade agreements worldwide.
The Global Leaders in Digital Trade Agreements
A small group of countries now leads the push to shape trade rules. Singapore ranks first with 26 agreements either completed or under negotiation. The UAE follows with 21 agreements, while the EU has 20.
| Country | Number of Agreements |
|---|---|
| 🇸🇬 Singapore | 26 |
| 🇦🇪 UAE | 21 |
| 🇪🇺 EU | 20 |
| 🇰🇷 South Korea | 18 |
| 🇦🇺 Australia | 16 |
| 🇬🇧 UK | 16 |
| 🇨🇱 Chile | 15 |
| 🇨🇳 China | 14 |
| 🇺🇸 U.S. | 14 |
| 🇨🇦 Canada | 12 |
| 🇵🇪 Peru | 12 |
| 🇳🇿 New Zealand | 12 |
South Korea ranks fourth with 18 agreements, reflecting Asia’s growing role in digital governance. Australia and the UK each have 16 agreements underway. Chile leads Latin America with 15 agreements. China and the U.S. each have 14, showing how digital commerce has become a major area of economic competition.
Digital Trade Agreements Are Growing Fast
Countries have sharply increased digital trade activity in recent years. Since 2001, governments worldwide have signed 165 digital trade agreements. More than half of the world’s 2,587 digital commerce commitments came in the last four years alone.
| Year | Number of Digital Trade Agreements Worldwide |
|---|---|
| 2001 | 1 |
| 2002 | 0 |
| 2003 | 2 |
| 2004 | 6 |
| 2005 | 2 |
| 2006 | 4 |
| 2007 | 3 |
| 2008 | 6 |
| 2009 | 3 |
| 2010 | 4 |
| 2011 | 2 |
| 2012 | 3 |
| 2013 | 7 |
| 2014 | 7 |
| 2015 | 6 |
| 2016 | 3 |
| 2017 | 3 |
| 2018 | 12 |
| 2019 | 14 |
| 2020 | 9 |
| 2021 | 7 |
| 2022 | 11 |
| 2023 | 15 |
| 2024 | 14 |
| 2025 | 15 |
| 2026 (YTD) | 6 |
| Total | 165 |
Activity stayed relatively low through the 2000s and early 2010s. Momentum picked up after 2018. In both 2023 and 2025, countries signed 15 agreements globally—the highest annual total on record.
Shaping the Digital Economy
Countries now compete to shape the rules governing data, technology, and online commerce. The rapid growth of these agreements shows how important digital policy has become to the global economy.
As this type of trade expands, the countries setting these rules today will play a major role in shaping the future of global trade tomorrow.
