Bhutan: International tourism, receipts for passenger transport items (current US$)

Key figures

What the numbers say

In 2018, Bhutan's international tourism, receipts for passenger transport items (current US$) fell 62.5% on 2017 (from US$48 million to US$18 million).

Across the 11 yearly changes before that (2007 to 2017), the average change was +26.5% and a typical year strayed about 63.2% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 1.4 standard deviations below that average, so it was larger than a typical year, though not out of the range seen before.

On record, the biggest yearly rise was 166.7% in 2010 and the biggest yearly fall was 62.5% in 2018. The numbers show how large and when, not why; for the cause, look at what happened in that country in those years.

From 2009 to 2018 there is no clear straight-line trend: a straight line explains 19% of the movement over 10 observed years, so the value is moving around more than it is heading anywhere.

Worked out from the yearly values above. How the checks work: standard deviation, z-scores and straight-line trends.

How it compares

See how every economy compares in the full ranking.

Closest to Bhutan in the 2018 ranking

• Iran, Islamic Rep. — 1st of 7: US$228 million
• Senegal — 2nd of 7: US$61 million
• Libya — 3rd of 7: US$52 million
• Marshall Islands — 5th of 7: US$11.5 million
• Mali — 6th of 7: US$4 million
• Papua New Guinea — 7th of 7: US$770,000

What this measures

International tourism receipts for passenger transport items are expenditures by international inbound visitors for all services provided in the international transportation by resident carriers. Also included are passenger services performed within an economy by nonresident carriers. Excluded are passenger services provided to nonresidents by resident carriers within the resident economies; these are included in travel items. In addition to the services covered by passenger fares--including fares that are a part of package tours but excluding cruise fares, which are included in travel--passenger services include such items as charges for excess baggage, vehicles, or other personal accompanying effects and expenditures for food, drink, or other items for which passengers make expenditures while on board carriers. Data are in current U.S. dollars.

Regional and income-group figures are computed by the World Bank as a gap-filled total.

All 13 values

International tourism, receipts for passenger transport items (current US$) in nearby economies

• Bangladesh — US$900,000 (2020)
• India — US$377 million (2020)
• Maldives — US$11 million (2020)
• Nepal — US$41 million (2020)
• Sri Lanka — US$394 million (2020)

More private sector & trade data for Bhutan

• Merchandise trade (% of GDP) — 83.28% (2025)
• Merchandise imports (current US$) — US$2.18 billion (2025)
• Merchandise exports (current US$) — US$800 million (2025)
• International tourism, number of arrivals — 29,800 (2020)
• International tourism, receipts (current US$) — US$84 million (2020)
• Import unit value index (2015 = 100) — 132.5 (2025)
• Export unit value index (2015 = 100) — 150.3 (2025)
• Merchandise imports from high-income economies (% of total merchandise imports) — 4.9% (2023)
• Merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies outside region (% of total merchandise imports)

Reading data like this

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Questions people ask

What is Bhutan's international tourism, receipts for passenger transport items (current US$)?

US$18 million in 2018, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 2006?

It is up 38.46% from US$13 million in 2006 (2.75% a year on average, compounded). The highest value was US$48 million in 2017 and the lowest US$9 million in 2009.

Is the latest change in international tourism, receipts for passenger transport items (current US$) unusual for Bhutan?

In 2018, Bhutan's international tourism, receipts for passenger transport items (current US$) fell 62.5% on 2017 (from US$48 million to US$18 million). Across the 11 yearly changes before that (2007 to 2017), the average change was +26.5% and a typical year strayed about 63.2% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 1.4 standard deviations below that average, so it was larger than a typical year, though not out of the range seen before.

Source

World Bank, World Development Indicators, indicator ST.INT.TRNR.CD, licensed CC BY 4.0. Original source: Yearbook of Tourism Statistics, Compendium of Tourism Statistics and data files, UN Tourism Figures are fetched from the World Bank API and refreshed monthly; see the series on data.worldbank.org. The full definition and method are in the World Bank's metadata glossary. Comparisons use the same World Bank release.

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