Travel services (% of commercial service exports) in United Kingdom
United Kingdom: Travel services (% of commercial service exports) was 12.6% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Travel services in United Kingdom, 1970–2025
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 United Kingdom is 12.6%, measured in 2025.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 3.0% on the previous year and down 18.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, travel services in United Kingdom peaked at 29.0% in 1990 and was at its lowest, 7.4%, in 2020.
United Kingdom ranks 167th of 198 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 56 years of available data.
Travel services (% of commercial service exports) in United Kingdom, year by year
| Year | % of commercial service exports | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 13.4% | — |
| 1971 | 13.5% | +1.2% |
| 1972 | 14.4% | +6.5% |
| 1973 | 14.9% | +3.2% |
| 1974 | 14.4% | -3.4% |
| 1975 | 16.7% | +16.1% |
| 1976 | 18.5% | +11.2% |
| 1977 | 21.5% | +15.7% |
| 1978 | 21.3% | -0.8% |
| 1979 | 20.7% | -2.7% |
| 1980 | 20.2% | -2.7% |
| 1981 | 18.5% | -8.4% |
| 1982 | 19.3% | +4.3% |
| 1983 | 22.4% | +16.4% |
| 1984 | 22.9% | +2.2% |
| 1985 | 24.3% | +6.1% |
| 1986 | 23.4% | -3.6% |
| 1987 | 27.2% | +15.9% |
| 1988 | 27.1% | -0.3% |
| 1989 | 28.2% | +4.0% |
| 1990 | 29.0% | +2.8% |
| 1991 | 27.2% | -6.2% |
| 1992 | 25.6% | -5.9% |
| 1993 | 26.3% | +2.8% |
| 1994 | 24.6% | -6.4% |
| 1995 | 26.4% | +7.4% |
| 1996 | 24.1% | -8.6% |
| 1997 | 22.6% | -6.3% |
| 1998 | 21.4% | -5.4% |
| 1999 | 17.7% | -17.4% |
| 2000 | 17.2% | -2.4% |
| 2001 | 15.8% | -8.4% |
| 2002 | 16.4% | +3.8% |
| 2003 | 15.3% | -6.8% |
| 2004 | 15.3% | -0.1% |
| 2005 | 14.8% | -3.2% |
| 2006 | 14.9% | +1.1% |
| 2007 | 14.2% | -4.7% |
| 2008 | 13.7% | -3.5% |
| 2009 | 13.8% | +0.7% |
| 2010 | 14.0% | +1.1% |
| 2011 | 13.7% | -2.2% |
| 2012 | 14.1% | +3.3% |
| 2013 | 14.8% | +4.5% |
| 2014 | 15.2% | +2.7% |
| 2015 | 15.4% | +1.7% |
| 2016 | 14.9% | -3.4% |
| 2017 | 14.6% | -1.9% |
| 2018 | 13.6% | -7.1% |
| 2019 | 14.2% | +4.3% |
| 2020 | 7.4% | -47.4% |
| 2021 | 8.1% | +8.8% |
| 2022 | 12.9% | +59.3% |
| 2023 | 12.6% | -2.0% |
| 2024 | 13.0% | +2.5% |
| 2025 | 12.6% | -3.0% |
United Kingdom compared with similar countries
- United Kingdom's 12.6% is below the median for high income countries, which is 27.1%, 46% of the median. (72 countries reporting)
- United Kingdom's 12.6% is below the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 20.5%, 61% of the median. (51 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Travel services (% of commercial service exports) in United Kingdom 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | +59.3% | 8.1% | 12.9% |
| 2020 | -47.4% | 14.2% | 7.4% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 16.9% | 13.4% | 21.5% | 10 |
| 1980s | 23.3% | 18.5% | 28.2% | 10 |
| 1990s | 24.5% | 17.7% | 29.0% | 10 |
| 2000s | 15.2% | 13.7% | 17.2% | 10 |
| 2010s | 14.4% | 13.6% | 15.4% | 10 |
| 2020s | 11.1% | 7.4% | 13.0% | 6 |
Countries ranked near United Kingdom
More private sector data for United Kingdom
- Merchandise trade 37.6% (2025)
- Food imports 9.8% (2025)
- Manufactures imports 56.7% (2025)
- Merchandise imports 948.64 billion current US$ (2025)
- Commercial service imports 448.00 billion current US$ (2025)
- Food exports 6.7% (2025)
- Manufactures exports 59.7% (2025)
- Merchandise exports 555.83 billion current US$ (2025)
- Commercial service exports 714.60 billion current US$ (2025)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), per capita 7,999 current US$ per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is travel services in United Kingdom?
- Travel services in United Kingdom was 12.6% in 2025, according to Balance of Payments Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF).
- What is the highest travel services recorded in United Kingdom?
- The highest recorded value was 29.0% in 1990.
- What is the lowest travel services recorded in United Kingdom?
- The lowest recorded value was 7.4% in 2020.
- How does United Kingdom rank for travel services?
- United Kingdom ranks 167th out of 198 countries with data for 2025.
- Is travel services rising or falling in United Kingdom?
- Over the last ten years it is down 18.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this United Kingdom 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.
Download this data
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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.