Explore the Impact of Digitalisation on Global Trade
The DMCC Industry Digitalisation Index 2026 quantifies how technology uptake, including AI adoption, varies across industries and its effects on global trade.
Now in its fifth edition, the Index draws on data from the World Bank, the United Nations, and other authoritative sources, enabling eight-year trend comparisons dating back to 2018.
The Industry Digitalisation Index (IDI) tracks businesses' digitalisation progress across sectors and spans four pillars of digitalisation in trade and general business activities.
These four pillars are:
Upstream
This component studies how much businesses are digitalising their practices when it comes to connecting with external suppliers.
Production
This measures the extent to which businesses are digitalising their internal processes.Downstream
This measures how much businesses are digitalising their practices when it comes to connecting with their clients, be they consumers or other businesses.Digital Infrastructure
This final component looks at businesses’ progress in setting up infrastructure to support the digitalisation of the production phases covered in the rest of the Index.AI now carries meaningful weight in the index
The 2026 edition updates the production pillar to place greater emphasis on AI adoption, capturing both the proportion of firms using AI at all and the proportion using it for specific purposes, from text mining and process automation to deep learning.
AI adoption varies significantly across industries. The pattern is consistent whether in Europe or the United States.
Source: Eurostat, OECD, Cebr analysis
2026 Pillar Scores
Digital Infrastructure
Digital infrastructure leads the index at 58. A high proportion of businesses reported no ICT security incidents, and broadband access at speeds of at least 30 megabits per second improved across most sectors.
Upstream Digitalisation
Online meeting adoption reached 60% of firms, up from 57% in 2024. CRM system uptake grew to 34%, up from 31%, though its low rate remains the main source of downward pressure on the pillar.
Production Digitalisation
Production recorded the largest single-pillar gain in this edition, rising 8 points from 21 in 2024. Accelerating uptake of cloud computing and AI technologies is the primary driver, with Information and Communication's production score jumping from 35 to 52. Construction's production score sits at 21.
Downstream Digitalisation
Downstream remains the index's most persistent underperformer, rising by just one point to 30. Only 10% of firms have developed a mobile app for clients, and just 6% receive orders via electronic data interchange. Social media usage rose to 64%, up from 62% in 2024, providing the pillar's main support.