Lingua

Economy

Calculate GLEIT

Lingua

Economy

Calculate GLEIT

Lingua

Economy

Calculate GLEIT

GLOBAL LINGUISTIC EFFICIENCY INDEX FOR TRADE

Language is a hidden trade cost.
Now it is measurable.

GLEIT measures how shared language, linguistic proximity, English proficiency, and digital readiness influence communication efficiency between trading partners.

Shared Language Indicator
Linguistic Proximity
English Proficiency
Digital Readiness

INTERACTIVE CALCULATOR

Calculate the GLEIT Score Between Two Countries

Select an exporter and importer country to estimate the level of linguistic efficiency and communication readiness in international trade.

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GLEIT Calculator

Score 0–100 · Higher score = lower linguistic friction

Exporter Importer

METHODOLOGY

The Four Dimensions of GLEIT

GLEIT combines four dimensions of linguistic and digital readiness to estimate communication efficiency between trading partners.

Shared Language Indicator (SLI)

Measures the degree to which two countries share official, spoken, and native languages.

25% of the Index

Linguistic Proximity (LP)

Measures how similar the languages of two countries are based on linguistic family relationships and lexical similarity.

25% of the Index

English Proficiency

Measures the ability of countries to operate effectively in international business communication using English.

25% of the Index

Digital Readiness

Measures the technological capacity of countries to participate in digital communication and global trade.

25% of the Index

DATA SOURCES

Built on International Datasets

GLEIT integrates internationally recognized datasets covering language, digital readiness, and English proficiency.

CEPII Language Database

Shared language and linguistic proximity between country pairs.

CEPII Language Data

EF English Proficiency Index

English proficiency scores used to estimate international business communication capacity.

ef.com/epi

Network Readiness Index

Digital readiness indicators covering technology, governance, people, and impact.

networkreadinessindex.org

Language Is One of the Most Overlooked Trade Barriers

Trade analysis usually focuses on tariffs, logistics, geography, and market size. However, communication barriers can also create significant costs through translation, negotiation, coordination, documentation, and information frictions. These costs are rarely measured.

Introducing GLEIT

Global Linguistic Efficiency Index for Trade (GLEIT) is a quantitative index designed to estimate how favorable the linguistic and digital conditions are between two countries participating in international trade. It transforms language from a cultural concept into a measurable economic variable.

Built on Four Dimensions

Shared Language

Do both countries share an operational language?

Linguistic Distance

How different are the languages of the two countries?

English Proficiency

How prepared is the exporting country to operate in international business environments?

Digital Readiness

How capable is the country of participating in digital trade communication?

Calculate a GLEIT Score

Exporting Country
Importing Country

Calculate a GLEIT Score

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GLEIT Calculator

Score 0–100 · Higher score = lower linguistic friction

Exporter Importer