International tourism, receipts in Sub-Saharan Africa
Sub-Saharan Africa: International tourism, receipts was 8.7% in 2019. ▼ Falling
International tourism, receipts in Sub-Saharan Africa, 1995–2019
Source: Yearbook of Tourism Statistics, Compendium of Tourism Statistics and data files, UN Tourism. Measured in % of total exports.
Analysis
Sub-Saharan Africa recorded 8.7% for international tourism, receipts in 2019.
The figure is up 2.7% on the previous year and up 19.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, international tourism, receipts in Sub-Saharan Africa peaked at 11.1% in 1998 and was at its lowest, 5.8%, in 2011.
Sub-Saharan Africa ranks 19th of 47 groups on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 25 years of available data.
International tourism, receipts in Sub-Saharan Africa, year by year
| Year | % of total exports | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1995 | 8.4% | — |
| 1996 | 8.5% | +1.8% |
| 1997 | 9.6% | +13.4% |
| 1998 | 11.1% | +15.3% |
| 1999 | 9.5% | -14.8% |
| 2000 | 7.3% | -22.7% |
| 2001 | 8.3% | +13.1% |
| 2002 | 8.9% | +8.1% |
| 2003 | 10.0% | +12.2% |
| 2004 | 9.1% | -9.1% |
| 2005 | 7.8% | -14.4% |
| 2006 | 7.7% | -1.4% |
| 2007 | 7.2% | -6.2% |
| 2008 | 6.0% | -17.3% |
| 2009 | 7.3% | +22.0% |
| 2010 | 6.3% | -12.9% |
| 2011 | 5.8% | -9.1% |
| 2012 | 6.3% | +10.1% |
| 2013 | 6.4% | +0.2% |
| 2014 | 7.0% | +9.4% |
| 2015 | 8.2% | +18.2% |
| 2016 | 9.0% | +9.3% |
| 2017 | 9.0% | -0.3% |
| 2018 | 8.5% | -5.2% |
| 2019 | 8.7% | +2.7% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 9.4% | 8.4% | 11.1% | 5 |
| 2000s | 8.0% | 6.0% | 10.0% | 10 |
| 2010s | 7.5% | 5.8% | 9.0% | 10 |
Countries ranked near Sub-Saharan Africa
- 16 Jamaica 48.1% compare
- 17 Sint Maarten (Dutch part) 46.1% compare
- 18 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 46.0% compare
- 19 Barbados 44.4% compare
- 20 Tuvalu 43.4% compare
- 21 Cape Verde 39.9% compare
- 22 Dominican Republic 37.7% 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, receipts in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- International tourism, receipts in Sub-Saharan Africa was 8.7% in 2019, according to Yearbook of Tourism Statistics, Compendium of Tourism Statistics and data files, UN Tourism.
- What is the highest international tourism, receipts recorded in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 11.1% in 1998.
- What is the lowest international tourism, receipts recorded in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 5.8% in 2011.
- How does Sub-Saharan Africa rank for international tourism, receipts?
- Sub-Saharan Africa ranks 19th out of 47 groups with data for 2019.
- Is international tourism, receipts rising or falling in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is up 19.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- 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, 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.