Mexico vs United States of America: International tourism, number of arrivals

Mexico
51.13 million
in 2020
United States of America
45.04 million
in 2020
Mexico rank
3rd
United States of America rank
4th

International tourism, number of arrivals over time

  • Mexico
  • United States of America
50.0M100.0M150.0M200.0M199520072020

How they compare

Mexico currently reports 51.13 million against 45.04 million in United States of America, a difference of 6.09 million.

That makes Mexico's figure about 1.1 times United States of America's.

The two have swapped places 2 times across 26 shared years of data; in 1995 it was Mexico ahead.

Mexico ranks 3rd and United States of America ranks 4th of 201 countries.

Across the 4 decades both report, Mexico averaged higher in 2 and United States of America in 2.

Head to head by decade

Decade Mexico United States of America Difference Ahead
1990s 92.77 million 79.12 million 13.65 million Mexico
2000s 97.35 million 110.96 million 13.61 million United States of America
2010s 86.88 million 170.00 million 83.12 million United States of America
2020s 51.13 million 45.04 million 6.09 million Mexico

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher international tourism, number of arrivals, Mexico or United States of America?
Mexico, at 51.13 million against 45.04 million in United States of America as of 2020.
What is the difference in international tourism, number of arrivals between Mexico and United States of America?
6.09 million, with Mexico ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Mexico and United States of America?
26 years are reported by both, from 1995 to 2020.
How do Mexico and United States of America rank globally for international tourism, number of arrivals?
Mexico ranks 3rd and United States of America ranks 4th 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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Mexico vs United States of America: 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/mexico/united-states/

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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.