Key figures from the chart
- Trade by the four regions grew from about $622 billion in 1970 to about $46.9 trillion in 2023 (our sum of the printed values).
- Asia’s trade rose from $96 billion to $18,793 billion, about 196 times its 1970 level, and its share of global trade went from 15% to 39%.
- Europe’s share fell from 51% to 35%, though its trade still grew from $330 billion to $16,910 billion.
- Asia passed the Americas in 1979 and edged past Europe in 2010, with $11,280 billion against $11,274 billion.
- All figures are from the graphic, which cites the World Trade Organization.
Global trade by continent, 1970 to 2023, in text
The graphic is titled “Global Trade Dynamics by Continent (1970 to 2023)”. The top chart is a streamgraph of trade in billions of US dollars, with one band each for Asia, Europe, the Americas, and Africa and Oceania. Values are labelled at 1970, 1980, 1990, 2000, 2010 and 2023; between those years the chart shows the shape only. The last column below is our own sum.
Trade by region, billion US dollars
| Year | Asia | Europe | Americas | Africa and Oceania | Sum of the four (our arithmetic) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 96 | 330 | 153 | 43 | 622 |
| 1980 | 946 | 1,897 | 851 | 274 | 3,968 |
| 1990 | 1,728 | 3,397 | 1,437 | 303 | 6,865 |
| 2000 | 3,873 | 5,272 | 3,320 | 436 | 12,901 |
| 2010 | 11,280 | 11,274 | 5,827 | 1,486 | 29,867 |
| 2023 | 18,793 | 16,910 | 9,180 | 2,044 | 46,927 |
Events marked on the streamgraph
| Year | Label on the chart |
|---|---|
| 1979 | Asia surpassed Americas trade |
| 1991 | End of Cold War |
| 1994 | NAFTA Establishment |
| 1995 | WTO Establishment |
| 2001 | China Accession to WTO |
| 2008 | Global Financial Crisis |
| 2010 | Asia Overtook Europe Trade |
| 2013 | China Exceeded U.S. Trade |
| 2020 | COVID-19 Pandemic |
Continental share of global trade
The lower chart, “Continental Share of Global Trade”, has one line per region, labelled only at the start and end.
| Line on the chart | 1970 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|
| Europe | 51% | 35% |
| Asia | 15% | 39% |
| Americas | 24% | 19% |
| Africa | 5% | 3% |
The footer reads “Source: World Trade Organization” and “Research and visualization: Ehsan Soltani”, with www.econovis.net, @econovisuals on X and the Econovis EV logo.
Asia’s rise in world trade
Econovis’s note with the chart says Asia’s share of global trade rose from 30% to 39% between 2000 and 2023 and that Asia contributed 43% of global trade growth in that period [1]. Its trade volume grew 385% over those years, against 221% for Europe [1]. Those growth rates match the printed values: Asia from $3,873 billion to $18,793 billion is a rise of 385%, and Europe from $5,272 billion to $16,910 billion is 221% (our arithmetic).
Econovis credits much of this to China, which made up 29% of Asia’s trade in 2023, and lists China’s milestones: passing the United Kingdom in trade volume in 2003, Germany in 2009 and the United States in 2013, the last of which the chart marks [1]. China joined the WTO on 11 December 2001 [3], the “China Accession to WTO” label on the chart.
The trade agreements on the timeline
Two of the labels are trade agreements. NAFTA, between Canada, Mexico and the United States, came into force on 1 January 1994 [4]. The World Trade Organization came into being in 1995 as the successor to the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade, set up after the Second World War [2]. The WTO says merchandise exports have grown by 6% a year on average over the past 75 years and that total exports in 2024 were 250 times their 1948 level [2].
Notes on this infographic
- Shares and dollar values. The 1970 dollar values add up to $622 billion, of which Europe’s $330 billion is 53% and Asia’s $96 billion is 15% (our arithmetic). The chart prints Europe at 51%, so its shares are probably measured against a world total that includes trade not assigned to these four regions. The graphic does not say.
- Labels. The streamgraph says “Africa and Oceania” but the share chart labels the same line “Africa”.
- Econovis text. The note on the Econovis page gives rounder shares for the 1960s and 1970s: Europe 50%, the Americas 23% and Asia 17% [1].
- Data date. The series ends in 2023.
Questions about global trade by continent
Which continent has the largest share of global trade?
Asia had the largest share of global trade in 2023, at 39%, up from 15% in 1970. Europe's share fell from 51% to 35% over the same period, while the Americas went from 24% to 19% and Africa from 5% to 3%. Asia's trade rose from $96 billion to $18,793 billion, about 196 times its 1970 level.
When did Asia overtake Europe in trade?
Asia edged past Europe in 2010, with trade of $11,280 billion against Europe's $11,274 billion. It had already passed the Americas in 1979. By 2023 Asia's trade stood at $18,793 billion and Europe's at $16,910 billion. In 1970 the figures were $96 billion for Asia and $330 billion for Europe.
How much has world trade grown since 1970?
Trade by the four regions on the chart grew from about $622 billion in 1970 to about $46.9 trillion in 2023, adding up the printed values. The total was $12,901 billion in 2000 and $29,867 billion in 2010. The WTO says merchandise exports have grown by 6% a year on average over the past 75 years [2].
How much of Asia's trade is China?
China made up 29% of Asia's trade in 2023, according to Econovis [1]. Econovis says China passed the United Kingdom in trade volume in 2003, Germany in 2009 and the United States in 2013 [1]. China joined the WTO on 11 December 2001 [3], an event marked on the chart as "China Accession to WTO".
Sources
- Econovis, Global Trade Dynamics by Continent (1970 to 2023), Ehsan Soltani.
- World Trade Organization, The WTO in brief.
- Wikipedia, China and the World Trade Organization.
- Wikipedia, North American Free Trade Agreement.
Last reviewed 29 October 2026
