China vs Italy: International tourism, number of departures

China
20.33 million
in 2020
Italy
21.45 million
in 2020
China rank
13th
Italy rank
11th

International tourism, number of departures over time

  • China
  • Italy
050.0M100.0M150.0M199520072020

How they compare

Italy currently reports 21.45 million against 20.33 million in China, a difference of 1.11 million.

That makes Italy's figure about 1.1 times China's.

The two have swapped places 2 times across 24 shared years of data; in 1997 it was Italy ahead.

China ranks 13th and Italy ranks 11th of 117 countries.

Across the 4 decades both report, China averaged higher in 1 and Italy in 3.

Head to head by decade

Decade China Italy Difference Ahead
1990s 7.66 million 41.67 million 34.01 million Italy
2000s 28.83 million 46.79 million 17.96 million Italy
2010s 113.60 million 56.74 million 56.86 million China
2020s 20.33 million 21.45 million 1.11 million Italy

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher international tourism, number of departures, China or Italy?
Italy, at 21.45 million against 20.33 million in China as of 2020.
What is the difference in international tourism, number of departures between China and Italy?
1.11 million, with Italy ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for China and Italy?
24 years are reported by both, from 1997 to 2020.
How do China and Italy rank globally for international tourism, number of departures?
China ranks 13th and Italy ranks 11th 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 Italy: International tourism, number of departures. Statizoid, drawing on Yearbook of Tourism Statistics, Compendium of Tourism Statistics and data files, UN Tourism. Retrieved 10 September 2026, from https://private-sector.statizoid.com/compare/international-tourism-number-of-departures/china/italy/

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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.