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UNCTAD Trade and Development Report 2026
UNCTAD issues the Trade and Development Report 2026, which reports India’s 5.7% share in global greenfield investments during 2020-25, more than double China’s share in the same period. The report provides projections on global trade and growth for 2026 and highlights shifts in strategic-sector investments, industrial policy measures, and India-specific economic projections.
Trade and Development Report:
| Dimension | Key Details |
|---|---|
| Launch year | The report is first launched in 1981. |
| What the report covers | The report analyses current economic trends and major policy issues of international concern and makes suggestions for addressing these issues at various levels. |
| Global trade projection | Global trade is projected to grow by 4% in 2026. |
| Global trade level | Global trade reaches a record $35 trillion in 2025. |
| Drivers | The report indicates higher trade values resulting from energy price increases and export controls. |
| China-US trade | Trade between China and the US has fallen by more than 20% since 2024. |
| Global economic growth projection | Global economic growth is projected to slow to 2.6% in 2026. |
| Developing economies growth projection | Developing economies are projected to grow 4% this year, down from 4.7% in 2025. |
| Asia’s projected contribution to global growth | Asia is projected to contribute 59% of global growth in 2026. |
| Policy instruments used by governments | The report shows that governments increasingly use industrial, trade, financial, and technology policies to pursue economic and national security objectives. |
| Main driver of merchandise trade | Artificial intelligence products, comprising advanced computing equipment deployed primarily in new data centres, have become the main driver of merchandise trade. |
| AI products value-added concentration | In the AI products category, 82% of value added accrues to four supplier segments. |
| Strategic sectors in global greenfield investment | From 2020 to 2025, strategic sectors grow from 16% to 44% of global greenfield investment. |
| Total global greenfield investment | Overall global greenfield investment totals $845.7 billion during 2020 to 2025. |
| Largest strategic-sector shares | Among strategic sectors, AI infrastructure and related technologies attract 12.4% share; the semiconductor value chain attracts 8.1%; energy transition technologies and services attract 7.8%. |
| Regional concentration of strategic investment | Strategic investment is concentrated in Europe (28.4%) and North America (28%). |
| Developing-economy destination for capital | Among developing economies, capital is primarily funnelled into developing Asia (26.5%), with China, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Singapore as leading jurisdictions for new investments. |
| Greenfield investment shares | India accounts for 5.7% of global greenfield investments during 2020 to 2025, followed by Malaysia (4%), Indonesia (3.8%), and China (2.8%). |
| Industrial policies | During 2008 to 2021, India implements 1,416 industrial policies, behind China (4,201) and the U.S. (4,025). |
| Industrial policy measures | During 2022 to 2025, India implements 707 industrial policy measures, and the U.S., China, Australia, and Brazil implement more industrial policies than India. |
| India GDP projection | India’s GDP is projected to expand by 7.3% in 2026 and 6.8% in 2027. |
| Factors | The report attributes India’s projected growth to robust domestic demand, increasing manufacturing capacity, and public infrastructure programmes, while noting heavy reliance on oil imports. |
| India household consumption growth estimates | India’s household consumption growth is estimated at 6.9% this year and 5.6% next. |