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

Key figures

What the numbers say

In 2020, Bulgaria's international tourism, receipts for passenger transport items (current US$) fell 71.4% on 2019 (from US$545 million to US$156 million).

Across the 24 yearly changes before that (1996 to 2019), the average change was +6.3% and a typical year strayed about 19.5% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 4.0 standard deviations below that average, so it was unusually large compared with the rest of the record.

On record, the biggest yearly rise was 45.3% in 2003 and the biggest yearly fall was 71.4% in 2020. 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 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

In 2020, Bulgaria had the 47th highest value of the 117 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

• Romania — 44th of 117: US$178 million
• Serbia — 45th of 117: US$177 million
• Israel — 46th of 117: US$161 million
• Tunisia — 48th of 117: US$155 million
• Kazakhstan — 49th of 117: US$130 million
• Kuwait — 50th of 117: US$127 million

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 26 values

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

• Albania — US$109 million (2020)
• Armenia — US$10 million (2020)
• Austria — US$1.48 billion (2020)
• Azerbaijan — US$36 million (2020)
• Belarus — US$187 million (2020)
• Belgium — US$844 million (2020)
• Bosnia and Herzegovina — US$12 million (2020)
• Croatia — US$63 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, receipts for passenger transport items (current US$)?

US$156 million in 2020, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 1995?

It is down 17.46% from US$189 million in 1995 (0.76% a year on average, compounded). The highest value was US$705 million in 2006 and the lowest US$148 million in 1997.

How does Bulgaria rank?

47th highest of 117 economies with data for 2020.

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

In 2020, Bulgaria's international tourism, receipts for passenger transport items (current US$) fell 71.4% on 2019 (from US$545 million to US$156 million). Across the 24 yearly changes before that (1996 to 2019), the average change was +6.3% and a typical year strayed about 19.5% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 4.0 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.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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