International tourism, expenditures for travel items (current US$) in United States
United States: International tourism, expenditures for travel items (current US$) was 35.81 billion current US$ in 2020. ▲ Rising
International tourism, expenditures for travel items in United States, 1995–2020
Source: Yearbook of Tourism Statistics, Compendium of Tourism Statistics and data files, UN Tourism. Measured in current US$.
Analysis
The most recent figure for international tourism, expenditures for travel items in United States is 35.81 billion current US$, measured in 2020. That is the lowest value across all 26 years on record.
That represents a change of down 73.1% on the previous year and down 58.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, international tourism, expenditures for travel items in United States peaked at 133.28 billion current US$ in 2019 and was at its lowest, 35.81 billion current US$, in 2020.
United States ranks 3rd of 191 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 26 years of available data.
International tourism, expenditures for travel items (current US$) in United States, year by year
| Year | current US$ | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1995 | 46.38 billion current US$ | — |
| 1996 | 49.67 billion current US$ | +7.1% |
| 1997 | 53.81 billion current US$ | +8.3% |
| 1998 | 58.45 billion current US$ | +8.6% |
| 1999 | 58.86 billion current US$ | +0.7% |
| 2000 | 64.17 billion current US$ | +9.0% |
| 2001 | 60.52 billion current US$ | -5.7% |
| 2002 | 59.02 billion current US$ | -2.5% |
| 2003 | 61.24 billion current US$ | +3.8% |
| 2004 | 70.33 billion current US$ | +14.8% |
| 2005 | 74.11 billion current US$ | +5.4% |
| 2006 | 78.37 billion current US$ | +5.8% |
| 2007 | 82.61 billion current US$ | +5.4% |
| 2008 | 84.32 billion current US$ | +2.1% |
| 2009 | 82.51 billion current US$ | -2.1% |
| 2010 | 85.17 billion current US$ | +3.2% |
| 2011 | 86.62 billion current US$ | +1.7% |
| 2012 | 90.34 billion current US$ | +4.3% |
| 2013 | 91.12 billion current US$ | +0.9% |
| 2014 | 96.25 billion current US$ | +5.6% |
| 2015 | 102.67 billion current US$ | +6.7% |
| 2016 | 109.16 billion current US$ | +6.3% |
| 2017 | 117.93 billion current US$ | +8.0% |
| 2018 | 126.14 billion current US$ | +7.0% |
| 2019 | 133.28 billion current US$ | +5.7% |
| 2020 | 35.81 billion current US$ | -73.1% |
United States compared with similar countries
- United States's 35.81 billion current US$ is above the median for high income countries, which is 1.16 billion current US$, 30.9× the median. (69 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where International tourism, expenditures for travel items (current US$) in United States changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | -73.1% | 133.28 billion current US$ | 35.81 billion current US$ |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 53.43 billion current US$ | 46.38 billion current US$ | 58.86 billion current US$ | 5 |
| 2000s | 71.72 billion current US$ | 59.02 billion current US$ | 84.32 billion current US$ | 10 |
| 2010s | 103.87 billion current US$ | 85.17 billion current US$ | 133.28 billion current US$ | 10 |
| 2020s | 35.81 billion current US$ | 35.81 billion current US$ | 35.81 billion current US$ | 1 |
Countries ranked near United States
- 1 China 130.50 billion current US$ compare
- 2 Germany 38.75 billion current US$ compare
- 4 France 27.76 billion current US$ compare
- 5 United Kingdom 21.70 billion current US$ compare
- 6 South Korea 16.16 billion current US$ compare
More private sector data for United States
- Merchandise trade 18.5% (2025)
- Food imports 6.7% (2025)
- Manufactures imports 78.8% (2025)
- Merchandise imports 3.51 trillion current US$ (2025)
- Commercial service imports 884.71 billion current US$ (2025)
- Food exports 9.0% (2025)
- Manufactures exports 54.9% (2025)
- Merchandise exports 2.19 trillion current US$ (2025)
- Commercial service exports 1.21 trillion current US$ (2025)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), per capita 6,394 current US$ per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is international tourism, expenditures for travel items in United States?
- International tourism, expenditures for travel items in United States was 35.81 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 States?
- The highest recorded value was 133.28 billion current US$ in 2019.
- What is the lowest international tourism, expenditures for travel items recorded in United States?
- The lowest recorded value was 35.81 billion current US$ in 2020.
- How does United States rank for international tourism, expenditures for travel items?
- United States ranks 3rd out of 191 countries with data for 2020.
- Is international tourism, expenditures for travel items rising or falling in United States?
- Over the last ten years it is down 58.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this United States 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.