China vs European Union: International tourism, number of departures

China
20.33 million
in 2020
European Union
468.66 million
in 2019
China rank
13th
European Union rank
10th

International tourism, number of departures over time

  • China
  • European Union
0100.0M200.0M300.0M400.0M500.0M199520072020

How they compare

European Union currently reports 468.66 million against 20.33 million in China, a difference of 448.33 million.

That makes European Union's figure about 23.0 times China's.

Across all 23 years both countries report, European Union has been ahead every year.

China ranks 13th and European Union ranks 10th of 117 countries.

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

Head to head by decade

Decade China European Union Difference Ahead
1990s 7.66 million 293.58 million 285.92 million European Union
2000s 28.83 million 337.71 million 308.88 million European Union
2010s 113.60 million 396.72 million 283.13 million European Union

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher international tourism, number of departures, China or European Union?
European Union, at 468.66 million against 20.33 million in China as of 2019.
What is the difference in international tourism, number of departures between China and European Union?
448.33 million, with European Union ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for China and European Union?
23 years are reported by both, from 1997 to 2019.
How do China and European Union rank globally for international tourism, number of departures?
China ranks 13th and European Union ranks 10th of 117 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 departures. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

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China vs European Union: International tourism, number of departures. Statizoid, drawing on Yearbook of Tourism Statistics, Compendium of Tourism Statistics and data files, UN Tourism. Retrieved 14 September 2026, from https://private-sector.statizoid.com/compare/international-tourism-number-of-departures/china/european-union/

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About this data

Indicator
International tourism, number of departures
Source
Yearbook of Tourism Statistics, Compendium of Tourism Statistics and data files, UN Tourism
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
143 places, 2,929 data points, 1995–2020
Last refreshed

International outbound tourists are the number of departures that people make from their country of usual residence to any other country for any purpose other than a remunerated activity in the country visited. The data on outbound tourists refer to the number of departures, not to the number of people traveling. Thus a person who makes several trips from a country during a given period is counted each time as a new departure.