A real-time indicator of global trade can be generated. The real-time indicator provides a comprehensive indicator of the current global economic state by tracking current values for the available capacity for freight shipments as well as the volume of actual shipments. The capacity and volume can be tracked over multiple different transportation modes including sea, air, and rail. The real-time indicator is generated in real-time based on these current values. The real-time indicator can therefore provide investors, analysts, researchers, bankers, and the like with a reliable indicator of the current global economic state that is not heavily influenced by the biasing sentiments of individuals.