International tourism, number of arrivals in Kuwait
Kuwait: International tourism, number of arrivals was 2.16 million in 2020. ◆ Volatile
International tourism, number of arrivals in Kuwait, 1995–2020
Source: Yearbook of Tourism Statistics, Compendium of Tourism Statistics and data files, UN Tourism.
Analysis
Kuwait recorded 2.16 million for international tourism, number of arrivals in 2020.
That represents a change of down 74.8% on the previous year and down 58.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, international tourism, number of arrivals in Kuwait peaked at 8.56 million in 2019 and was at its lowest, 1.44 million, in 1995.
Kuwait ranks 61st of 201 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
International tourism, number of arrivals in Kuwait, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1995 | 1.44 million | — |
| 1996 | 1.56 million | +8.5% |
| 1997 | 1.64 million | +4.7% |
| 1998 | 1.76 million | +7.6% |
| 1999 | 1.88 million | +6.9% |
| 2000 | 1.94 million | +3.2% |
| 2001 | 2.07 million | +6.6% |
| 2002 | 2.32 million | +11.8% |
| 2003 | 2.60 million | +12.3% |
| 2004 | 3.06 million | +17.4% |
| 2005 | 3.47 million | +13.7% |
| 2006 | 3.90 million | +12.2% |
| 2007 | 4.48 million | +15.0% |
| 2008 | 4.74 million | +5.7% |
| 2009 | 5.09 million | +7.4% |
| 2010 | 5.21 million | +2.4% |
| 2011 | 5.57 million | +7.0% |
| 2012 | 5.73 million | +2.8% |
| 2013 | 6.22 million | +8.5% |
| 2014 | 6.53 million | +5.0% |
| 2015 | 6.94 million | +6.3% |
| 2016 | 7.05 million | +1.6% |
| 2017 | 7.41 million | +5.0% |
| 2018 | 8.51 million | +14.9% |
| 2019 | 8.56 million | +0.7% |
| 2020 | 2.16 million | -74.8% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 1.66 million | 1.44 million | 1.88 million | 5 |
| 2000s | 3.37 million | 1.94 million | 5.09 million | 10 |
| 2010s | 6.77 million | 5.21 million | 8.56 million | 10 |
| 2020s | 2.16 million | 2.16 million | 2.16 million | 1 |
Countries ranked near Kuwait
More private sector data for Kuwait
- Merchandise trade 72.3% (2025)
- Food imports 17.5% (2024)
- Manufactures imports 73.2% (2024)
- Merchandise imports 41.61 billion current US$ (2025)
- Food exports 0.6% (2024)
- Manufactures exports 8.1% (2024)
- Merchandise exports 72.07 billion current US$ (2025)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), per capita 14,814 current US$ per person (2025)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), per unit of GDP 0.4585 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), annual growth rate -4.09 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is international tourism, number of arrivals in Kuwait?
- International tourism, number of arrivals in Kuwait was 2.16 million in 2020, according to Yearbook of Tourism Statistics, Compendium of Tourism Statistics and data files, UN Tourism.
- What is the highest international tourism, number of arrivals recorded in Kuwait?
- The highest recorded value was 8.56 million in 2019.
- What is the lowest international tourism, number of arrivals recorded in Kuwait?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.44 million in 1995.
- How does Kuwait rank for international tourism, number of arrivals?
- Kuwait ranks 61st out of 201 countries with data for 2020.
- Is international tourism, number of arrivals rising or falling in Kuwait?
- Over the last ten years it is down 58.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Kuwait 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, number of arrivals. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
International inbound tourists (overnight visitors) are the number of tourists who travel to a country other than that in which they have their usual residence, but outside their usual environment, for a period not exceeding 12 months and whose main purpose in visiting is other than an activity remunerated from within the country visited. When data on number of tourists are not available, the number of visitors, which includes tourists, same-day visitors, cruise passengers, and crew members, is shown instead. Sources and collection methods for arrivals differ across countries. In some cases data are from border statistics (police, immigration, and the like) and supplemented by border surveys. In other cases data are from tourism accommodation establishments. For some countries number of arrivals is limited to arrivals by air and for others to arrivals staying in hotels. Some countries include arrivals of nationals residing abroad while others do not. Caution should thus be used in comparing arrivals across countries. The data on inbound tourists refer to the number of arrivals, not to the number of people traveling. Thus a person who makes several trips to a country during a given period is counted each time as a new arrival.