Table:
|  |  |  | Percent Change |  |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| (Dollars in millions) | 2019 | Actual | Constant | 2018 |
| Services Revenues: |  |  |  |  |
| Americas | $1,576 | -5% | -3% | $1,654 |
| EMEA | 1,021 | -2% | 2% | 1,046 |
| Asia Pacific | 643 | -7% | -4% | 695 |
| Total revenues | 3,240 | -5% | -2% | 3,395 |
| Total Expenses (1) | 2,703 | -1% | 2% | 2,729 |
| Total Margin | $537 | -19% | -18% | $666 |
| Total Margin % | 17% |  |  | 20% |
| % Revenues by Geography: |  |  |  |  |
| Americas | 49% |  |  | 49% |
| EMEA | 31% |  |  | 31% |
| Asia Pacific | 20% |  |  | 20% |
Paragraphs:
Services Business
We offer services to customers and partners to help to maximize the performance of their investments in Oracle applications and infrastructure technologies. Services revenues are generally recognized as the services are performed. The cost of providing our services consists primarily of personnel related expenses, technology infrastructure expenditures, facilities expenses and external contractor expenses.
(1) Excludes stock-based compensation and certain expense allocations. Also excludes amortization of intangible assets and certain other GAAP-based expenses, which were not allocated to our operating segment results for purposes of reporting to and review by our CODMs, as further described under “Presentation of Operating Segments and Other Financial Information” above.
Excluding the effects of currency rate fluctuations, our total services revenues decreased in fiscal 2019 relative to fiscal 2018 primarily due to revenue declines in our education services and, to a lesser extent, our consulting services. During fiscal 2019, constant currency increases in our EMEA-based services revenues were offset by constant currency services revenue decreases in the Americas and the Asia Pacific regions.
In constant currency, total services expenses increased in fiscal 2019 compared to fiscal 2018 primarily due to an increase in employee related expenses and external contractor expenses associated with investments in our consulting services that support our cloud offerings. In constant currency, total margin and total margin as a percentage of total services revenues decreased during fiscal 2019 relative to fiscal 2018 due to decreased revenues and increased expenses for this business.
Question:
Why did the total services revenue decrease in fiscal 2019 relative to fiscal 2018?
Answer: Excluding the effects of currency rate fluctuations, our total services revenues decreased in fiscal 2019 relative to fiscal 2018 primarily due to revenue declines in our education services and, to a lesser extent, our consulting services.