Travel services (% of commercial service exports) in Zambia
Zambia: Travel services (% of commercial service exports) was 76.6% in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Travel services in Zambia, 1978–2025
Source: Balance of Payments Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF). Measured in % of commercial service exports.
Analysis
Zambia recorded 76.6% for travel services in 2025.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 18.1% on the previous year and down 0.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, travel services in Zambia peaked at 92.4% in 2005 and was at its lowest, 9.8%, in 1988.
Zambia ranks 26th of 198 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Travel services (% of commercial service exports) in Zambia, year by year
| Year | % of commercial service exports | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1978 | 12.2% | — |
| 1979 | 14.5% | +19.1% |
| 1980 | 16.7% | +15.0% |
| 1981 | 24.1% | +44.9% |
| 1982 | 25.6% | +6.0% |
| 1983 | 23.5% | -8.2% |
| 1984 | 20.3% | -13.6% |
| 1985 | 13.3% | -34.7% |
| 1986 | 18.5% | +39.8% |
| 1987 | 15.6% | -15.7% |
| 1988 | 9.8% | -37.4% |
| 1989 | 16.1% | +64.1% |
| 1990 | 13.5% | -15.7% |
| 1991 | 15.1% | +11.8% |
| 1997 | 25.9% | +71.2% |
| 1998 | 39.0% | +50.4% |
| 1999 | 49.5% | +27.1% |
| 2000 | 58.2% | +17.5% |
| 2001 | 55.7% | -4.3% |
| 2002 | 55.8% | +0.1% |
| 2003 | 61.9% | +11.1% |
| 2004 | 57.1% | -7.9% |
| 2005 | 92.4% | +62.0% |
| 2006 | 89.9% | -2.7% |
| 2007 | 89.3% | -0.7% |
| 2008 | 87.7% | -1.8% |
| 2009 | 89.7% | +2.3% |
| 2010 | 86.1% | -4.0% |
| 2011 | 83.4% | -3.2% |
| 2012 | 52.3% | -37.3% |
| 2013 | 72.8% | +39.1% |
| 2014 | 75.4% | +3.6% |
| 2015 | 76.6% | +1.6% |
| 2016 | 77.1% | +0.6% |
| 2017 | 75.4% | -2.2% |
| 2018 | 77.9% | +3.2% |
| 2019 | 81.0% | +4.0% |
| 2020 | 74.1% | -8.5% |
| 2021 | 74.8% | +1.0% |
| 2022 | 88.2% | +18.0% |
| 2023 | 85.8% | -2.7% |
| 2024 | 64.9% | -24.4% |
| 2025 | 76.6% | +18.1% |
Zambia compared with similar countries
- Zambia's 76.6% is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 38.7%, 2.0× the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Zambia's 76.6% is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 43.9%, 1.7× the median. (46 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 13.3% | 12.2% | 14.5% | 2 |
| 1980s | 18.4% | 9.8% | 25.6% | 10 |
| 1990s | 28.6% | 13.5% | 49.5% | 5 |
| 2000s | 73.8% | 55.7% | 92.4% | 10 |
| 2010s | 75.8% | 52.3% | 86.1% | 10 |
| 2020s | 77.4% | 64.9% | 88.2% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Zambia
More private sector data for Zambia
- Merchandise trade 91.7% (2025)
- Food imports 7.8% (2024)
- Manufactures imports 64.4% (2024)
- Merchandise imports 13.17 billion current US$ (2025)
- Commercial service imports 2.17 billion current US$ (2025)
- Food exports 8.7% (2024)
- Manufactures exports 14.1% (2024)
- Merchandise exports 13.31 billion current US$ (2025)
- Commercial service exports 1.39 billion current US$ (2025)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), per capita 607.56 current US$ per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is travel services in Zambia?
- Travel services in Zambia was 76.6% in 2025, according to Balance of Payments Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF).
- What is the highest travel services recorded in Zambia?
- The highest recorded value was 92.4% in 2005.
- What is the lowest travel services recorded in Zambia?
- The lowest recorded value was 9.8% in 1988.
- How does Zambia rank for travel services?
- Zambia ranks 26th out of 198 countries with data for 2025.
- Is travel services rising or falling in Zambia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 0.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Zambia 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.