Methodology

Access the research papers that underpin the WTO Trade Cost Index and the results published on this website. These papers provide detailed methodology and analysis.

Trade Costs in the Global Economy: Measurement, Aggregation and Decomposition
Peter H. Egger, Mario Larch, Sergey Nigai, Yoto V. Yotov
January 2021
Proper measurement and aggregation of trade costs is of paramount importance for sound academic and policy analysis of the determinants of economic outcomes. This technical research paper includes the theoretical basis as well as the empirical methodology for the estimation and aggregation of the WTO Trade Cost Index.
WTO Trade Costs Index: Insights From the 2025 Edition
WTO Economic Research and Statistics Division
March 2026
This background note summarizes the data and methodology used to estimate the 2025 edition of the WTO Trade Cost Index and provides an overview of the main patterns and trends.