UNCTAD insights: Improving the analysis of global value chains: the UNCTAD-Eora Database

The UNCTAD-Eora Global Value Chain (GVC) database offers global coverage (189 countries and a “Rest of World” region) and a timeseries from 1990 to 2018, reporting on key GVC indicators. This paper explains the methodology for compiling the UNCTAD-Eora GVC database, including nowcasting employed in the estimation of recent years; second, it provides a comparison of the results against other value-added trade databases, with a focus on the OECD Trade in Value Added (TiVA) dataset; and lastly discusses the relevance of GVC data for the analysis of globalisation patterns, particularly at the intersection between trade, investment and development.