International tourism, expenditures for travel items in North America
North America: International tourism, expenditures for travel items was 169.32 billion current US$ in 2019. ▲ Rising
International tourism, expenditures for travel items in North America, 1995–2019
Source: Yearbook of Tourism Statistics, Compendium of Tourism Statistics and data files, UN Tourism. Measured in current US$.
Analysis
The most recent figure for international tourism, expenditures for travel items in North America is 169.32 billion current US$, measured in 2019. That is the highest value across all 25 years on record.
The figure is up 5.2% on the previous year and up 58.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, international tourism, expenditures for travel items in North America peaked at 169.32 billion current US$ in 2019 and was at its lowest, 56.83 billion current US$, in 1995.
That places North America 15th out of 45 groups with data for 2019, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 25 years of available data.
International tourism, expenditures for travel items in North America, year by year
| Year | current US$ | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1995 | 56.83 billion current US$ | — |
| 1996 | 61.14 billion current US$ | +7.6% |
| 1997 | 65.51 billion current US$ | +7.2% |
| 1998 | 69.54 billion current US$ | +6.1% |
| 1999 | 70.60 billion current US$ | +1.5% |
| 2000 | 76.88 billion current US$ | +8.9% |
| 2001 | 72.73 billion current US$ | -5.4% |
| 2002 | 70.98 billion current US$ | -2.4% |
| 2003 | 74.83 billion current US$ | +5.4% |
| 2004 | 86.07 billion current US$ | +15.0% |
| 2005 | 92.38 billion current US$ | +7.3% |
| 2006 | 99.26 billion current US$ | +7.4% |
| 2007 | 107.54 billion current US$ | +8.3% |
| 2008 | 111.85 billion current US$ | +4.0% |
| 2009 | 107.00 billion current US$ | -4.3% |
| 2010 | 115.44 billion current US$ | +7.9% |
| 2011 | 120.24 billion current US$ | +4.2% |
| 2012 | 127.71 billion current US$ | +6.2% |
| 2013 | 129.22 billion current US$ | +1.2% |
| 2014 | 134.18 billion current US$ | +3.8% |
| 2015 | 136.87 billion current US$ | +2.0% |
| 2016 | 142.12 billion current US$ | +3.8% |
| 2017 | 152.83 billion current US$ | +7.5% |
| 2018 | 160.98 billion current US$ | +5.3% |
| 2019 | 169.32 billion current US$ | +5.2% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 64.72 billion current US$ | 56.83 billion current US$ | 70.60 billion current US$ | 5 |
| 2000s | 89.95 billion current US$ | 70.98 billion current US$ | 111.85 billion current US$ | 10 |
| 2010s | 138.89 billion current US$ | 115.44 billion current US$ | 169.32 billion current US$ | 10 |
Countries ranked near North America
- 12 Russia 9.14 billion current US$ compare
- 13 Spain 8.74 billion current US$ compare
- 14 Iran 8.70 billion current US$ compare
- 15 Saudi Arabia 8.53 billion current US$ compare
- 16 Netherlands 7.03 billion current US$ compare
- 17 Singapore 6.83 billion current US$ compare
- 18 Qatar 6.74 billion current US$ compare
More private sector data for North America
- Merchandise trade 20.6% (2025)
- Food imports 7.3% (2024)
- Manufactures imports 77.9% (2024)
- Merchandise imports 4.09 trillion current US$ (2025)
- Food exports 10.3% (2024)
- Manufactures exports 52.8% (2024)
- Merchandise exports 2.74 trillion current US$ (2025)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), per capita 7,145 current US$ per person (2025)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), per unit of GDP 0.0828 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), annual growth rate 4.2 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is international tourism, expenditures for travel items in North America?
- International tourism, expenditures for travel items in North America was 169.32 billion current US$ in 2019, according to Yearbook of Tourism Statistics, Compendium of Tourism Statistics and data files, UN Tourism.
- What is the highest international tourism, expenditures for travel items recorded in North America?
- The highest recorded value was 169.32 billion current US$ in 2019.
- What is the lowest international tourism, expenditures for travel items recorded in North America?
- The lowest recorded value was 56.83 billion current US$ in 1995.
- How does North America rank for international tourism, expenditures for travel items?
- North America ranks 15th out of 45 groups with data for 2019.
- Is international tourism, expenditures for travel items rising or falling in North America?
- Over the last ten years it is up 58.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this North America data come from?
- The figures come from Yearbook of Tourism Statistics, Compendium of Tourism Statistics and data files, UN Tourism, published as part of International tourism, expenditures for travel items (current US$). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
International tourism expenditures are expenditures of international outbound visitors in other countries. The goods and services are purchased by, or on behalf of, the traveler or provided, without a quid pro quo, for the traveler to use or give away. These may include expenditures by residents traveling abroad as same-day visitors, except in cases where these are so important as to justify a separate classification. Excluded is the international carriage of travelers, which is covered in passenger travel items. Data are in current U.S. dollars.