Travel services (% of commercial service exports) in Afghanistan
Afghanistan: Travel services (% of commercial service exports) was 10.8% in 2020. ◆ Volatile
Travel services in Afghanistan, 1979–2020
Source: Balance of Payments Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF). Measured in % of commercial service exports.
Analysis
Afghanistan recorded 10.8% for travel services in 2020.
The figure is down 24.8% on the previous year and up 202.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, travel services in Afghanistan peaked at 56.8% in 1981 and was at its lowest, 0.5%, in 2017.
Afghanistan ranks 172nd of 198 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Travel services (% of commercial service exports) in Afghanistan, year by year
| Year | % of commercial service exports | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1979 | 12.3% | — |
| 1980 | 33.3% | +170.5% |
| 1981 | 56.8% | +70.4% |
| 1982 | 33.3% | -41.3% |
| 1983 | 26.7% | -20.0% |
| 1984 | 6.6% | -75.4% |
| 1985 | 4.1% | -37.6% |
| 2008 | 1.3% | -67.8% |
| 2009 | 2.2% | +63.5% |
| 2010 | 3.6% | +65.9% |
| 2011 | 3.3% | -7.4% |
| 2012 | 5.6% | +70.0% |
| 2013 | 16.5% | +192.7% |
| 2014 | 8.5% | -48.4% |
| 2015 | 10.2% | +19.9% |
| 2016 | 11.1% | +8.5% |
| 2017 | 0.5% | -95.4% |
| 2018 | 4.5% | +777.8% |
| 2019 | 14.4% | +219.5% |
| 2020 | 10.8% | -24.8% |
Afghanistan compared with similar countries
- Afghanistan's 10.8% is below the median for low income countries, which is 38.9%, 28% of the median. (23 countries reporting)
- Afghanistan's 10.8% is below the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is 32.6%, 33% of the median. (22 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Travel services (% of commercial service exports) in Afghanistan 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | +777.8% | 0.5% | 4.5% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 12.3% | 12.3% | 12.3% | 1 |
| 1980s | 26.8% | 4.1% | 56.8% | 6 |
| 2000s | 1.7% | 1.3% | 2.2% | 2 |
| 2010s | 7.8% | 0.5% | 16.5% | 10 |
| 2020s | 10.8% | 10.8% | 10.8% | 1 |
Countries ranked near Afghanistan
More private sector data for Afghanistan
- Merchandise trade 22.2% (2025)
- Food imports 26.9% (2019)
- Manufactures imports 41.1% (2019)
- Merchandise imports 3.61 billion current US$ (2025)
- Commercial service imports 1.04 billion current US$ (2020)
- Food exports 63.9% (2019)
- Manufactures exports 4.8% (2019)
- Merchandise exports 926.00 million current US$ (2025)
- Commercial service exports 597.45 million current US$ (2020)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), per capita 21.12 current US$ per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is travel services in Afghanistan?
- Travel services in Afghanistan was 10.8% in 2020, according to Balance of Payments Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF).
- What is the highest travel services recorded in Afghanistan?
- The highest recorded value was 56.8% in 1981.
- What is the lowest travel services recorded in Afghanistan?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.5% in 2017.
- How does Afghanistan rank for travel services?
- Afghanistan ranks 172nd out of 198 countries with data for 2020.
- Is travel services rising or falling in Afghanistan?
- Over the last ten years it is up 202.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Afghanistan data come from?
- The figures come from Balance of Payments Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF), published as part of Travel services (% of commercial service exports). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Travel services cover goods and services for own use or to give away acquired from an economy by nonresidents during visits to that economy, or acquired from other economies by residents during visits to these other economies. This indicator is expressed as a percentage of service exports which are commercial services provided by residents to non-residents.