International tourism, receipts (% of total exports) in Kuwait
Kuwait: International tourism, receipts (% of total exports) was 1.1% in 2020. ◆ Volatile
International tourism, receipts in Kuwait, 1995–2020
Source: Yearbook of Tourism Statistics, Compendium of Tourism Statistics and data files, UN Tourism. Measured in % of total exports.
Analysis
Kuwait recorded 1.1% for international tourism, receipts in 2020.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 32.8% on the previous year and up 46.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, international tourism, receipts in Kuwait peaked at 4.0% in 1998 and was at its lowest, 0.5%, in 2013.
That places Kuwait 166th out of 183 countries with data for 2020, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
International tourism, receipts (% of total exports) in Kuwait, year by year
| Year | % of total exports | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1995 | 2.2% | — |
| 1996 | 2.4% | +9.6% |
| 1997 | 2.5% | +4.3% |
| 1998 | 4.0% | +62.3% |
| 1999 | 2.5% | -38.1% |
| 2000 | 1.8% | -25.4% |
| 2001 | 1.6% | -13.6% |
| 2002 | 1.9% | +17.7% |
| 2003 | 1.3% | -30.1% |
| 2004 | 1.2% | -7.7% |
| 2005 | 0.8% | -32.1% |
| 2006 | 0.8% | -5.1% |
| 2007 | 0.7% | -6.9% |
| 2008 | 0.6% | -15.4% |
| 2009 | 1.0% | +62.4% |
| 2010 | 0.8% | -24.7% |
| 2011 | 0.6% | -24.4% |
| 2012 | 0.6% | +6.5% |
| 2013 | 0.5% | -16.4% |
| 2014 | 0.6% | +9.1% |
| 2015 | 1.5% | +173.9% |
| 2016 | 1.6% | +5.1% |
| 2017 | 1.1% | -33.3% |
| 2018 | 1.1% | +1.4% |
| 2019 | 1.6% | +52.5% |
| 2020 | 1.1% | -32.8% |
Kuwait compared with similar countries
- Kuwait's 1.1% is below the median for high income countries, which is 4.2%, 26% of the median. (65 countries reporting)
- Kuwait's 1.1% is below the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is 4.2%, 27% of the median. (22 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where International tourism, receipts (% of total exports) in Kuwait 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | +173.9% | 0.6% | 1.5% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 2.7% | 2.2% | 4.0% | 5 |
| 2000s | 1.2% | 0.6% | 1.9% | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.0% | 0.5% | 1.6% | 10 |
| 2020s | 1.1% | 1.1% | 1.1% | 1 |
Countries ranked near Kuwait
More private sector data for Kuwait
- Merchandise trade 72.3% (2025)
- Food imports 16.0% (2025)
- Manufactures imports 75.4% (2025)
- Merchandise imports 41.61 billion current US$ (2025)
- Commercial service imports 28.64 billion current US$ (2025)
- Food exports 0.6% (2025)
- Manufactures exports 5.7% (2025)
- Merchandise exports 72.07 billion current US$ (2025)
- Commercial service exports 12.14 billion current US$ (2025)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), per capita 14,814 current US$ per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is international tourism, receipts in Kuwait?
- International tourism, receipts in Kuwait was 1.1% in 2020, according to Yearbook of Tourism Statistics, Compendium of Tourism Statistics and data files, UN Tourism.
- What is the highest international tourism, receipts recorded in Kuwait?
- The highest recorded value was 4.0% in 1998.
- What is the lowest international tourism, receipts recorded in Kuwait?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.5% in 2013.
- How does Kuwait rank for international tourism, receipts?
- Kuwait ranks 166th out of 183 countries with data for 2020.
- Is international tourism, receipts rising or falling in Kuwait?
- Over the last ten years it is up 46.6%. 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, receipts (% of total exports). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
International tourism receipts are expenditures by international inbound visitors, including payments to national carriers for international transport. These receipts include any other prepayment made for goods or services received in the destination country. They also may include receipts from same-day visitors, except when these are important enough to justify separate classification. For some countries they do not include receipts for passenger transport items. Their share in exports is calculated as a ratio to exports of goods and services, which comprise all transactions between residents of a country and the rest of the world involving a change of ownership from residents to nonresidents of general merchandise, goods sent for processing and repairs, nonmonetary gold, and services.