This fourth edition of OECD Competition Trends presents unique insights into global competition trends based on data from 79 OECD and non-OECD jurisdictions. It analyses multi-year data on a large number of economic and legal indicators in the OECD CompStats database with a focus on the main developments in 2021. In doing so, OECD Competition Trends 2023 supports informed policy making and contributes to improving competition law and policy around the world.
The OECD Competition Committee, which includes representatives of the world’s major competition authorities, is the premier source of policy analysis and advice to governments on how best to harness market forces in the interests of greater global economic efficiency and prosperity. For over 60 years, the OECD and its Competition Committee have taken a leading role in shaping the framework for international co‑operation among competition agencies. The resulting recommendations, best practices and policy roundtables serve both as models and inspiration for national initiatives and as tools for sharing global best practices on competition law and policy. Competition officials from developed and emerging economies are offered a unique platform from which to monitor developments in competition policy and enforcement, and to discuss new solutions for increasing effectiveness.
The OECD CompStats database is the result of an initiative launched in 2018. The database compiles general statistics relating to competition agencies, including data on enforcement and resources and information on advocacy initiatives. The data are collected annually and currently covers the period 2015‑21. The data are mainly presented at an aggregate level, combining the data of individual jurisdictions. The aggregate‑level data includes an analysis (i) for all participating jurisdictions (“All jurisdictions”), (ii) comparing OECD and non-OECD jurisdictions, and (iii) per geographical region (Americas, Asia-Pacific, Europe and Middle East and Africa.
As the role and scope of competition law and policy continue to evolve, the tools of competition authorities must constantly develop and incorporate lessons learned from others. This publication contributes to helping policy makers and competition enforcers to stay up to date with the different ways in which competition law and policy is applied throughout the world.
The publication was prepared by the OECD Competition Division, in particular a team composed of Wouter Meester, project leader; Daniel Westrik; and Aura García Pabón, all of the OECD Competition Division. The report benefited from comments and suggestions by Ori Schwartz and Antonio Capobianco, respectively Head and Deputy Head of the OECD Competition Division. The report was prepared for publication by Erica Agostinho. The authors thank the individual competition authorities in the participating jurisdictions who provided the information on which much of this publication is based.