Travel services (% of commercial service exports) in Nigeria
Nigeria: Travel services (% of commercial service exports) was 13.6% in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Travel services in Nigeria, 1977–2025
Source: Balance of Payments Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF). Measured in % of commercial service exports.
Analysis
Nigeria recorded 13.6% for travel services in 2025.
The figure is up 84.5% on the previous year and down 9.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, travel services in Nigeria peaked at 71.8% in 1986 and was at its lowest, 0.6%, in 2004.
Nigeria ranks 163rd 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 Nigeria, year by year
| Year | % of commercial service exports | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1977 | 21.1% | — |
| 1978 | 9.2% | -56.7% |
| 1979 | 2.4% | -73.6% |
| 1980 | 6.0% | +148.3% |
| 1981 | 21.0% | +249.3% |
| 1982 | 23.7% | +12.9% |
| 1983 | 27.1% | +14.6% |
| 1984 | 11.1% | -58.9% |
| 1985 | 10.6% | -4.5% |
| 1986 | 71.8% | +574.5% |
| 1987 | 34.4% | -52.0% |
| 1988 | 14.9% | -56.7% |
| 1989 | 0.9% | -93.7% |
| 1990 | 2.5% | +171.7% |
| 1991 | 4.4% | +75.0% |
| 1992 | 2.7% | -38.2% |
| 1993 | 2.9% | +4.5% |
| 1994 | 2.7% | -6.6% |
| 1995 | 2.8% | +2.6% |
| 1996 | 4.8% | +75.2% |
| 1997 | 7.0% | +44.5% |
| 1998 | 5.3% | -23.7% |
| 1999 | 5.5% | +2.8% |
| 2000 | 5.5% | +0.5% |
| 2001 | 5.5% | -0.0% |
| 2002 | 5.5% | +0.0% |
| 2003 | 0.9% | -84.3% |
| 2004 | 0.6% | -26.7% |
| 2005 | 3.8% | +501.9% |
| 2006 | 9.0% | +135.5% |
| 2007 | 19.4% | +117.0% |
| 2008 | 31.0% | +59.6% |
| 2009 | 34.2% | +10.2% |
| 2010 | 21.7% | -36.5% |
| 2011 | 26.9% | +24.0% |
| 2012 | 26.8% | -0.4% |
| 2013 | 28.1% | +4.7% |
| 2014 | 36.0% | +28.3% |
| 2015 | 15.1% | -58.1% |
| 2016 | 33.0% | +118.3% |
| 2017 | 56.0% | +69.9% |
| 2018 | 45.1% | -19.5% |
| 2019 | 32.3% | -28.4% |
| 2020 | 8.9% | -72.5% |
| 2021 | 7.3% | -18.3% |
| 2022 | 25.6% | +252.6% |
| 2023 | 17.0% | -33.6% |
| 2024 | 7.4% | -56.4% |
| 2025 | 13.6% | +84.5% |
Nigeria compared with similar countries
- Nigeria's 13.6% is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 38.7%, 35% of the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Nigeria's 13.6% is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 43.9%, 31% of the median. (46 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Travel services (% of commercial service exports) in Nigeria 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1986 | +574.5% | 10.6% | 71.8% |
| 2005 | +501.9% | 0.6% | 3.8% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 10.9% | 2.4% | 21.1% | 3 |
| 1980s | 22.2% | 0.9% | 71.8% | 10 |
| 1990s | 4.1% | 2.5% | 7.0% | 10 |
| 2000s | 11.5% | 0.6% | 34.2% | 10 |
| 2010s | 32.1% | 15.1% | 56.0% | 10 |
| 2020s | 13.3% | 7.3% | 25.6% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Nigeria
More private sector data for Nigeria
- Merchandise trade 33.3% (2025)
- Food imports 12.3% (2025)
- Manufactures imports 52.5% (2025)
- Merchandise imports 41.45 billion current US$ (2025)
- Commercial service imports 18.94 billion current US$ (2025)
- Food exports 6.4% (2025)
- Manufactures exports 6.1% (2025)
- Merchandise exports 55.47 billion current US$ (2025)
- Commercial service exports 4.55 billion current US$ (2025)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), per capita 233.52 current US$ per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is travel services in Nigeria?
- Travel services in Nigeria was 13.6% in 2025, according to Balance of Payments Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF).
- What is the highest travel services recorded in Nigeria?
- The highest recorded value was 71.8% in 1986.
- What is the lowest travel services recorded in Nigeria?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.6% in 2004.
- How does Nigeria rank for travel services?
- Nigeria ranks 163rd out of 198 countries with data for 2025.
- Is travel services rising or falling in Nigeria?
- Over the last ten years it is down 9.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Nigeria 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.