International tourism, expenditures for travel items in United Kingdom
United Kingdom: International tourism, expenditures for travel items was 21.70 billion current US$ in 2020. ▲ Rising
International tourism, expenditures for travel items in United Kingdom, 1995–2020
Source: Yearbook of Tourism Statistics, Compendium of Tourism Statistics and data files, UN Tourism. Measured in current US$.
Analysis
The most recent figure for international tourism, expenditures for travel items in United Kingdom is 21.70 billion current US$, measured in 2020. That is the lowest value across all 26 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 69.7% on the previous year and down 64.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, international tourism, expenditures for travel items in United Kingdom peaked at 79.46 billion current US$ in 2007 and was at its lowest, 21.70 billion current US$, in 2020.
That places United Kingdom 5th out of 191 countries with data for 2020, putting it in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 26 years of available data.
International tourism, expenditures for travel items in United Kingdom, year by year
| Year | current US$ | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1995 | 24.93 billion current US$ | — |
| 1996 | 25.96 billion current US$ | +4.2% |
| 1997 | 28.53 billion current US$ | +9.9% |
| 1998 | 33.45 billion current US$ | +17.3% |
| 1999 | 41.53 billion current US$ | +24.2% |
| 2000 | 41.89 billion current US$ | +0.9% |
| 2001 | 41.98 billion current US$ | +0.2% |
| 2002 | 46.75 billion current US$ | +11.4% |
| 2003 | 53.89 billion current US$ | +15.3% |
| 2004 | 62.84 billion current US$ | +16.6% |
| 2005 | 65.80 billion current US$ | +4.7% |
| 2006 | 69.02 billion current US$ | +4.9% |
| 2007 | 79.46 billion current US$ | +15.1% |
| 2008 | 77.74 billion current US$ | -2.2% |
| 2009 | 60.55 billion current US$ | -22.1% |
| 2010 | 60.35 billion current US$ | -0.3% |
| 2011 | 60.45 billion current US$ | +0.2% |
| 2012 | 61.17 billion current US$ | +1.2% |
| 2013 | 60.43 billion current US$ | -1.2% |
| 2014 | 67.13 billion current US$ | +11.1% |
| 2015 | 68.39 billion current US$ | +1.9% |
| 2016 | 67.11 billion current US$ | -1.9% |
| 2017 | 66.64 billion current US$ | -0.7% |
| 2018 | 70.73 billion current US$ | +6.1% |
| 2019 | 71.52 billion current US$ | +1.1% |
| 2020 | 21.70 billion current US$ | -69.7% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 30.88 billion current US$ | 24.93 billion current US$ | 41.53 billion current US$ | 5 |
| 2000s | 59.99 billion current US$ | 41.89 billion current US$ | 79.46 billion current US$ | 10 |
| 2010s | 65.39 billion current US$ | 60.35 billion current US$ | 71.52 billion current US$ | 10 |
| 2020s | 21.70 billion current US$ | 21.70 billion current US$ | 21.70 billion current US$ | 1 |
Countries ranked near United Kingdom
More private sector data for United Kingdom
- Merchandise trade 37.6% (2025)
- Food imports 9.8% (2025)
- Manufactures imports 56.7% (2025)
- Merchandise imports 948.64 billion current US$ (2025)
- Food exports 6.7% (2025)
- Manufactures exports 59.3% (2025)
- Merchandise exports 555.83 billion current US$ (2025)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), per capita 7,999 current US$ per person (2025)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), per unit of GDP 0.1389 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), annual growth rate 6.02 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is international tourism, expenditures for travel items in United Kingdom?
- International tourism, expenditures for travel items in United Kingdom was 21.70 billion current US$ in 2020, 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 United Kingdom?
- The highest recorded value was 79.46 billion current US$ in 2007.
- What is the lowest international tourism, expenditures for travel items recorded in United Kingdom?
- The lowest recorded value was 21.70 billion current US$ in 2020.
- How does United Kingdom rank for international tourism, expenditures for travel items?
- United Kingdom ranks 5th out of 191 countries with data for 2020.
- Is international tourism, expenditures for travel items rising or falling in United Kingdom?
- Over the last ten years it is down 64.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this United Kingdom 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.