Malaysia vs South Asia: International tourism, number of arrivals

Malaysia
4.33 million
in 2020
South Asia
27.10 million
in 2019
Malaysia rank
40th
South Asia rank
40th

International tourism, number of arrivals over time

  • Malaysia
  • South Asia
5.0M10.0M15.0M20.0M25.0M199520072020

How they compare

South Asia currently reports 27.10 million against 4.33 million in Malaysia, a difference of 22.77 million.

That makes South Asia's figure about 6.3 times Malaysia's.

The two have swapped places 1 time across 25 shared years of data; in 1995 it was Malaysia ahead.

Malaysia ranks 40th and South Asia ranks 40th of 201 countries.

Malaysia has averaged higher in every one of the 3 decades both report.

Head to head by decade

Decade Malaysia South Asia Difference Ahead
1990s 6.86 million 4.30 million 2.56 million Malaysia
2000s 16.32 million 6.57 million 9.75 million Malaysia
2010s 25.78 million 18.31 million 7.47 million Malaysia

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher international tourism, number of arrivals, Malaysia or South Asia?
South Asia, at 27.10 million against 4.33 million in Malaysia as of 2019.
What is the difference in international tourism, number of arrivals between Malaysia and South Asia?
22.77 million, with South Asia ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Malaysia and South Asia?
25 years are reported by both, from 1995 to 2019.
How do Malaysia and South Asia rank globally for international tourism, number of arrivals?
Malaysia ranks 40th and South Asia ranks 40th of 201 countries.
Where does this data come from?
Yearbook of Tourism Statistics, Compendium of Tourism Statistics and data files, UN Tourism, published as International tourism, number of arrivals. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

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Malaysia vs South Asia: International tourism, number of arrivals. Statizoid, drawing on Yearbook of Tourism Statistics, Compendium of Tourism Statistics and data files, UN Tourism. Retrieved 13 September 2026, from https://private-sector.statizoid.com/compare/international-tourism-number-of-arrivals/malaysia/south-asia/

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About this data

Indicator
International tourism, number of arrivals
Source
Yearbook of Tourism Statistics, Compendium of Tourism Statistics and data files, UN Tourism
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
247 places, 5,775 data points, 1995–2020
Last refreshed

International inbound tourists (overnight visitors) are the number of tourists who travel to a country other than that in which they have their usual residence, but outside their usual environment, for a period not exceeding 12 months and whose main purpose in visiting is other than an activity remunerated from within the country visited. When data on number of tourists are not available, the number of visitors, which includes tourists, same-day visitors, cruise passengers, and crew members, is shown instead. Sources and collection methods for arrivals differ across countries. In some cases data are from border statistics (police, immigration, and the like) and supplemented by border surveys. In other cases data are from tourism accommodation establishments. For some countries number of arrivals is limited to arrivals by air and for others to arrivals staying in hotels. Some countries include arrivals of nationals residing abroad while others do not. Caution should thus be used in comparing arrivals across countries. The data on inbound tourists refer to the number of arrivals, not to the number of people traveling. Thus a person who makes several trips to a country during a given period is counted each time as a new arrival.