World Bank releases new Exporter Dynamics Database

The new Exporter Dynamics Database offers the most comprehensive picture yet of exporter characteristics and dynamics in 45 developed and developing countries. The database mainly covers 2003-2009, though data from the 1990s are also available for some countries.

It allows for cross-country comparisons of exporters based on factors such as size, survival, growth, and concentration. More countries will be added as the database expands. Until now, most databases focus not on exporting firms, but on the aggregate flow of goods across borders based on countries or products.

Based on data sets covering the universe of export transactions obtained directly from customs agencies, the data are comparable across countries. Measures cover the basic characteristics of exporters (their numbers, size and growth), their concentration and degree of diversification in products and markets, their dynamics in terms of entry, exit and survival, and the average unit prices of the products they trade.