It is not easy to obtain reliable and accurate statistics on turnover in offshore outsourcing services, which is a global, regional or national level. This is mainly due to the fact that the offshoring of services is a relatively new phenomenon and that, contrary to what happens with international trade in goods, trade in services, by their nature intangible, is not subject to the same control part of the official entities. In addition, captive offshoring (between companies that belong to the same multinational) that represents most of the offshore service activities (ECA, 63% of Itoo is captive and 73% of BPOO) sometimes distort the few existing statistics. However, there are several private and public sources studies that allow an approximation. The World Trade Report 2005 of the WTO refers to the various studies on the subject (for details see World Trade Report 2005 of the WTO). According to the OECD, the ITO and BPO in 2001 represent U.S. $ 260 billion of 12.3% which, U.S.
$ 32 billion, would correspond to offshore operations. The consulting firm McKinsey estimates that figure at $ 35 billion for 2001 and $ 45 billion for 2003. While these two studies show similar figures, data from the analysis of the balances of payments made by the IMF are quite different. According to these data payments between countries only in respect of Computing and Information Services would total $ 75 billion by 2003, or $ 30 billion more than estimated by Mc Kinsey, excluding offshore BPO services.