Travel services (% of commercial service exports) in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)
Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income): Travel services (% of commercial service exports) was 29.9% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Travel services in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income), 1977–2025
Source: Balance of Payments Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF). Measured in % of commercial service exports.
Analysis
The most recent figure for travel services in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) is 29.9%, measured in 2025.
The figure is down 2.0% on the previous year and down 30.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, travel services in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) peaked at 53.1% in 2017 and was at its lowest, 24.0%, in 2021.
Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) ranks 17th of 45 groups on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 49 years of available data.
Travel services (% of commercial service exports) in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income), year by year
| Year | % of commercial service exports | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1977 | 37.0% | — |
| 1978 | 31.2% | -15.8% |
| 1979 | 30.1% | -3.4% |
| 1980 | 32.2% | +6.9% |
| 1981 | 35.7% | +11.1% |
| 1982 | 36.8% | +2.9% |
| 1983 | 39.8% | +8.2% |
| 1984 | 35.7% | -10.3% |
| 1985 | 33.4% | -6.5% |
| 1986 | 47.9% | +43.5% |
| 1987 | 41.0% | -14.5% |
| 1988 | 37.9% | -7.5% |
| 1989 | 33.9% | -10.6% |
| 1990 | 32.1% | -5.5% |
| 1991 | 36.4% | +13.5% |
| 1992 | 35.4% | -2.7% |
| 1993 | 36.2% | +2.1% |
| 1994 | 35.8% | -1.0% |
| 1995 | 33.4% | -6.7% |
| 1996 | 31.5% | -5.7% |
| 1997 | 36.7% | +16.6% |
| 1998 | 39.5% | +7.5% |
| 1999 | 39.6% | +0.3% |
| 2000 | 39.0% | -1.5% |
| 2001 | 39.4% | +1.0% |
| 2002 | 39.6% | +0.6% |
| 2003 | 42.2% | +6.4% |
| 2004 | 40.6% | -3.6% |
| 2005 | 44.5% | +9.5% |
| 2006 | 39.8% | -10.6% |
| 2007 | 47.5% | +19.4% |
| 2008 | 50.6% | +6.5% |
| 2009 | 51.5% | +1.7% |
| 2010 | 46.4% | -9.9% |
| 2011 | 46.4% | +0.1% |
| 2012 | 46.8% | +0.8% |
| 2013 | 47.3% | +1.1% |
| 2014 | 49.0% | +3.6% |
| 2015 | 43.3% | -11.7% |
| 2016 | 48.1% | +11.1% |
| 2017 | 53.1% | +10.4% |
| 2018 | 51.6% | -2.9% |
| 2019 | 48.6% | -5.7% |
| 2020 | 24.9% | -48.8% |
| 2021 | 24.0% | -3.3% |
| 2022 | 34.8% | +44.8% |
| 2023 | 31.5% | -9.5% |
| 2024 | 30.5% | -3.1% |
| 2025 | 29.9% | -2.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 32.8% | 30.1% | 37.0% | 3 |
| 1980s | 37.5% | 32.2% | 47.9% | 10 |
| 1990s | 35.7% | 31.5% | 39.6% | 10 |
| 2000s | 43.5% | 39.0% | 51.5% | 10 |
| 2010s | 48.1% | 43.3% | 53.1% | 10 |
| 2020s | 29.3% | 24.0% | 34.8% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)
- 14 Antigua and Barbuda 84.4% compare
- 15 Saint Kitts and Nevis 83.8% compare
- 16 East Timor 82.7% compare
- 17 Jamaica 81.7% compare
- 18 Laos 81.1% compare
- 19 Sint Maarten (Dutch part) 81.1% compare
- 20 Cape Verde 80.3% compare
More private sector data for Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)
- Merchandise trade 44.5% (2025)
- Food imports 12.2% (2024)
- Manufactures imports 56.9% (2024)
- Merchandise imports 499.63 billion current US$ (2025)
- Commercial service imports 146.00 billion current US$ (2025)
- Food exports 14.6% (2025)
- Manufactures exports 19.5% (2025)
- Merchandise exports 486.25 billion current US$ (2025)
- Commercial service exports 86.65 billion current US$ (2025)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), per capita 367.94 current US$ per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is travel services in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)?
- Travel services in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) was 29.9% in 2025, according to Balance of Payments Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF).
- What is the highest travel services recorded in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)?
- The highest recorded value was 53.1% in 2017.
- What is the lowest travel services recorded in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)?
- The lowest recorded value was 24.0% in 2021.
- How does Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) rank for travel services?
- Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) ranks 17th out of 45 groups with data for 2025.
- Is travel services rising or falling in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)?
- Over the last ten years it is down 30.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) 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.