Bulgaria: International tourism, expenditures for passenger transport items (current US$)

Key figures

What the numbers say

In 2020, Bulgaria's international tourism, expenditures for passenger transport items (current US$) fell 42% on 2019 (from US$371 million to US$215 million).

Across the 24 yearly changes before that (1996 to 2019), the average change was +8.2% and a typical year strayed about 24.8% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 2.0 standard deviations below that average, so it was unusually large compared with the rest of the record.

On record, the biggest yearly rise was 63.7% in 1999 and the biggest yearly fall was 57.8% in 2007. The numbers show how large and when, not why; for the cause, look at what happened in that country in those years.

From 2011 to 2020 the straight-line trend is upward, about US$18 million a year. A straight line explains 47% of the movement over 10 observed years.

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

How it compares

In 2020, Bulgaria had the 41st highest value of the 123 economies reporting that year. Higher is not always better: for some indicators the lowest value is the one to aim for. See the full ranking.

Closest to Bulgaria in the 2020 ranking

• Bangladesh — 38th of 123: US$265 million
• Zambia — 39th of 123: US$240 million
• Dominican Republic — 40th of 123: US$230 million
• Peru — 42nd of 123: US$205 million
• Oman — 43rd of 123: US$200 million
• Chile — 44th of 123: US$190 million

What this measures

International tourism expenditures for passenger transport items are expenditures of international outbound visitors in other countries for all services provided during international transportation by nonresident 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 26 values

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

• Albania — US$42 million (2020)
• Armenia — US$23 million (2020)
• Austria — US$648 million (2020)
• Azerbaijan — US$27 million (2020)
• Belarus — US$32 million (2020)
• Belgium — US$893 million (2020)
• Bosnia and Herzegovina — US$51 million (2020)
• Croatia — US$14 million (2020)

More private sector & trade data for Bulgaria

• Merchandise imports (current US$) — US$60.89 billion (2025)
• Merchandise exports (current US$) — US$48.32 billion (2025)
• Merchandise trade (% of GDP) — 83.51% (2025)
• Computer, communications and other services (% of commercial service imports) — 38.43% (2025)
• Commercial service imports (current US$) — US$9.42 billion (2025)
• Transport services (% of commercial service imports) — 30.57% (2025)
• Travel services (% of commercial service imports) — 24.69% (2025)
• Computer, communications and other services (% of commercial service exports) — 51.93% (2025)
• Commercial service exports (current US$)

Reading data like this

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Questions people ask

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

US$215 million in 2020, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 1995?

It is up 83.76% from US$117 million in 1995 (2.46% a year on average, compounded). The highest value was US$621 million in 2006 and the lowest US$115 million in 1996.

How does Bulgaria rank?

41st highest of 123 economies with data for 2020.

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

In 2020, Bulgaria's international tourism, expenditures for passenger transport items (current US$) fell 42% on 2019 (from US$371 million to US$215 million). Across the 24 yearly changes before that (1996 to 2019), the average change was +8.2% and a typical year strayed about 24.8% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 2.0 standard deviations below that average, so it was unusually large compared with the rest of the record.

Source

World Bank, World Development Indicators, indicator ST.INT.TRNX.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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