2018_B2C电子商务指数_聚焦非洲（英文版）

Summary of UNCTAD B2C E-commerce Index 2018 Focus on Africa

Core Content

The UNCTAD B2C E-commerce Index 2018 evaluates the preparedness of economies to support online shopping. It includes 151 economies, an increase from the 2017 edition. The index is based on four key indicators:

• Account ownership at a financial institution or with a mobile-money-service provider (% of population ages 15+)
• Individuals using the Internet (% of population)
• Postal Reliability Index
• Secure Internet servers (per 1 million people)

The index has a high correlation (adjusted R² = 0.8) with the actual level of online shopping in a country.

Main Points

Global Rankings

• The Netherlands tops the index for the first time, replacing Luxembourg due to a drop in postal reliability.
• The Netherlands has high values across all four indicators, especially in secure servers.
• Secure servers are a proxy for e-commerce shops, and the Netherlands has the highest number of online retailers in the EU.
• Singapore and Switzerland are in second and third place, respectively.
• United Kingdom is fourth, with all indicators at 90 or above.
• Norway and Sweden are among the Nordic nations in the top ten.
• Iceland ranks sixth, with near ubiquitous Internet access but low postal reliability.
• New Zealand is ninth, and Denmark completes the top ten.

Developing Countries

• Asian nations dominate the top ten developing countries, with Singapore leading the list.
• Hong Kong (China) and Republic of Korea are among the top developing economies.
• United Arab Emirates is a new entrant and is positioned first in the Gulf.
• Malaysia is fifth, with a high proportion of B2C sales to GDP.
• Thailand ranks sixth, excelling in postal reliability and financial access.
• Turkey is a new entrant and has seen significant growth in Internet access and online shopping.
• Iran ranks eighth among developing countries with a high level of account ownership.
• Chile is the only non-Asian country in the top ten developing economies.
• Saudi Arabia completes the list, with potential for improvement in banking and secure servers.

Foreign Investment and Digital Readiness

• A competitive B2C e-commerce ecosystem attracts foreign direct investment (FDI) and venture capital.
• In 2017, FDI in the e-commerce sectors of top ten developing countries reached at least $1.7 billion.
• Thailand and Singapore received significant investments from Alibaba and Grab.

Special Focus on Africa

• 44 African countries are included in the 2018 index.
• The continent lags behind the rest of the world in e-commerce readiness.
• Mauritius is the highest-ranked African country at 55th globally.
• Nigeria ranks second in Africa and is the largest B2C e-commerce market on the continent, due to improved postal reliability.
• South Africa ranks third, with 60% Internet penetration in 2017.
• Tunisia, Ghana, and Kenya are among the top African countries, showing progress in key indicators.

Key Improvements and Challenges

• Improved coverage in 2018 includes more countries and updated data.
• Data estimation is used for some indicators when surveys are not available.
• Postal reliability remains a key challenge, especially in Iceland and Sub-Saharan Africa.
• Secure servers have seen significant revisions and improvements in some countries.
• Digital readiness is linked to online shopping growth and investment opportunities.

Regional Overview

Notable Developments in Africa

• Mauritius has the highest account ownership rate in Africa at 90%.
• Nigeria has the highest postal reliability score in the region, contributing to its second place in the index.
• South Africa has the highest Internet penetration among African countries.
• Ghana, Kenya, and Botswana show notable improvements in the index.
• Cameroon ranks 10th in Africa with a 3.6% increase in index value.

Key Challenges in Africa

• Postal reliability is a major issue, with many countries scoring low.
• Internet access and account ownership are still relatively low in many African nations.
• Addressing systems in countries like Nigeria hinder home delivery, prompting the adoption of what3words for improved logistics.

Conclusion

The UNCTAD B2C E-commerce Index 2018 highlights the growing digital readiness of many economies, particularly in Asia and Europe, while Africa lags but shows progress in several key indicators. The index serves as a useful tool for understanding the potential and challenges of e-commerce development across the world.