International tourism, number of arrivals in Nigeria
Nigeria: International tourism, number of arrivals was 5.26 million in 2016. ◆ Volatile
International tourism, number of arrivals in Nigeria, 1995–2016
Source: Yearbook of Tourism Statistics, Compendium of Tourism Statistics and data files, UN Tourism.
Analysis
In 2016, international tourism, number of arrivals in Nigeria stood at 5.26 million.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 12.5% on the previous year and up 72.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, international tourism, number of arrivals in Nigeria peaked at 6.11 million in 2010 and was at its lowest, 1.03 million, in 1995.
Nigeria ranks 35th of 201 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
International tourism, number of arrivals in Nigeria, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1995 | 1.03 million | — |
| 1996 | 1.23 million | +19.3% |
| 1997 | 1.29 million | +5.0% |
| 1998 | 1.36 million | +5.0% |
| 1999 | 1.43 million | +5.0% |
| 2000 | 1.49 million | +4.7% |
| 2001 | 1.75 million | +17.5% |
| 2002 | 2.05 million | +16.7% |
| 2003 | 2.25 million | +10.1% |
| 2004 | 2.65 million | +17.4% |
| 2005 | 2.78 million | +5.0% |
| 2006 | 3.06 million | +10.0% |
| 2007 | 5.24 million | +71.4% |
| 2008 | 5.82 million | +11.1% |
| 2009 | 6.05 million | +4.0% |
| 2010 | 6.11 million | +1.0% |
| 2011 | 3.77 million | -38.4% |
| 2012 | 4.67 million | +24.1% |
| 2013 | 4.04 million | -13.6% |
| 2014 | 4.80 million | +18.9% |
| 2015 | 6.02 million | +25.3% |
| 2016 | 5.26 million | -12.5% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 1.27 million | 1.03 million | 1.43 million | 5 |
| 2000s | 3.31 million | 1.49 million | 6.05 million | 10 |
| 2010s | 4.95 million | 3.77 million | 6.11 million | 7 |
Countries ranked near Nigeria
More private sector data for Nigeria
- Merchandise trade 33.3% (2025)
- Food imports 11.0% (2024)
- Manufactures imports 46.0% (2024)
- Merchandise imports 41.45 billion current US$ (2025)
- Food exports 6.0% (2024)
- Manufactures exports 3.5% (2024)
- Merchandise exports 55.47 billion current US$ (2025)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), per capita 233.52 current US$ per person (2025)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), per unit of GDP 0.1907 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), annual growth rate 4.03 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is international tourism, number of arrivals in Nigeria?
- International tourism, number of arrivals in Nigeria was 5.26 million in 2016, 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 Nigeria?
- The highest recorded value was 6.11 million in 2010.
- What is the lowest international tourism, number of arrivals recorded in Nigeria?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.03 million in 1995.
- How does Nigeria rank for international tourism, number of arrivals?
- Nigeria ranks 35th out of 201 countries with data for 2016.
- Is international tourism, number of arrivals rising or falling in Nigeria?
- Over the last ten years it is up 72.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Nigeria 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.