International tourism, number of arrivals in Sub-Saharan Africa
Sub-Saharan Africa: International tourism, number of arrivals was 56.01 million in 2019. ▲ Rising
International tourism, number of arrivals in Sub-Saharan Africa, 1995–2019
Source: Yearbook of Tourism Statistics, Compendium of Tourism Statistics and data files, UN Tourism.
Analysis
In 2019, international tourism, number of arrivals in Sub-Saharan Africa stood at 56.01 million.
The figure is down 1.2% on the previous year and up 52.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, international tourism, number of arrivals in Sub-Saharan Africa peaked at 56.67 million in 2018 and was at its lowest, 14.32 million, in 1995.
That places Sub-Saharan Africa 33rd out of 46 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, number of arrivals in Sub-Saharan Africa, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1995 | 14.32 million | — |
| 1996 | 16.20 million | +13.1% |
| 1997 | 16.78 million | +3.6% |
| 1998 | 17.92 million | +6.7% |
| 1999 | 19.29 million | +7.7% |
| 2000 | 19.58 million | +1.5% |
| 2001 | 20.52 million | +4.8% |
| 2002 | 22.16 million | +8.0% |
| 2003 | 22.93 million | +3.4% |
| 2004 | 24.70 million | +7.7% |
| 2005 | 26.37 million | +6.8% |
| 2006 | 29.76 million | +12.9% |
| 2007 | 34.67 million | +16.5% |
| 2008 | 35.74 million | +3.1% |
| 2009 | 36.70 million | +2.7% |
| 2010 | 40.33 million | +9.9% |
| 2011 | 40.74 million | +1.0% |
| 2012 | 43.20 million | +6.0% |
| 2013 | 44.73 million | +3.5% |
| 2014 | 46.51 million | +4.0% |
| 2015 | 48.98 million | +5.3% |
| 2016 | 51.22 million | +4.6% |
| 2017 | 52.90 million | +3.3% |
| 2018 | 56.67 million | +7.1% |
| 2019 | 56.01 million | -1.2% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 16.90 million | 14.32 million | 19.29 million | 5 |
| 2000s | 27.31 million | 19.58 million | 36.70 million | 10 |
| 2010s | 48.13 million | 40.33 million | 56.67 million | 10 |
Countries ranked near Sub-Saharan Africa
- 30 Uzbekistan 6.75 million compare
- 31 Russian Federation 6.36 million compare
- 32 Brazil 6.35 million compare
- 33 Macau, China 5.90 million compare
- 34 Chile 5.43 million compare
- 35 Nigeria 5.26 million compare
- 36 Andorra 5.21 million compare
More private sector data for Sub-Saharan Africa
- Merchandise trade 44.5% (2025)
- Food imports 12.1% (2024)
- Manufactures imports 56.8% (2024)
- Merchandise imports 501.15 billion current US$ (2025)
- Food exports 14.7% (2024)
- Manufactures exports 19.4% (2024)
- Merchandise exports 486.80 billion current US$ (2025)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), per capita 368.33 current US$ per person (2025)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), per unit of GDP 0.2201 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), annual growth rate 11.24 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is international tourism, number of arrivals in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- International tourism, number of arrivals in Sub-Saharan Africa was 56.01 million in 2019, 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 Sub-Saharan Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 56.67 million in 2018.
- What is the lowest international tourism, number of arrivals recorded in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 14.32 million in 1995.
- How does Sub-Saharan Africa rank for international tourism, number of arrivals?
- Sub-Saharan Africa ranks 33rd out of 46 groups with data for 2019.
- Is international tourism, number of arrivals rising or falling in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is up 52.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Sub-Saharan Africa 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.