Canada's international tourism, number of departures was 37.85 million in 2019, the latest year in the World Bank's World Development Indicators. That is down 20.29% from 47.48 million in 2009 (2.24% a year on average, compounded).
Key figures
| Value | Year | |
|---|---|---|
| Latest | 37.85 million | 2019 |
| Five years earlier | 63.74 million | 2014 |
| Ten years earlier | 47.48 million | 2009 |
| Highest | 65.78 million | 2013 |
| Lowest | 37.85 million | 2019 |
| Average since 2010 | 55 million | 2010–2019 |
| First recorded | 46.91 million |
What the numbers say
In 2019, Canada's international tourism, number of departures fell 0.6% on 2018 (from 38.07 million to 37.85 million).
Across the 12 yearly changes before that (2007 to 2018), the average change was −0.9% and a typical year strayed about 12.4% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.0 standard deviations above that average, so it was an ordinary year: it sits within the range of normal year-to-year movement.
On record, the biggest yearly rise was 15.5% in 2011 and the biggest yearly fall was 30.7% 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 2010 to 2019 the straight-line trend is downward, about 2.46 million a year. A straight line explains 54% 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 2019, Canada had the 4th highest value of the 21 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.
| Value | Year | |
|---|---|---|
| Canada | 37.85 million | 2019 |
| World | 2.03 billion | 2019 |
| North America | 208.81 million | 2019 |
| High income | 1.04 billion | 2019 |
Closest to Canada in the 2019 ranking
- Germany — 1st of 21: 99.53 million
- Poland — 2nd of 21: 50.6 million
- Saudi Arabia — 4th of 21: 27.2 million
- India — 5th of 21: 26.92 million
- Netherlands — 6th of 21: 22.05 million
What this measures
International outbound tourists are the number of departures that people make from their country of usual residence to any other country for any purpose other than a remunerated activity in the country visited. The data on outbound tourists refer to the number of departures, not to the number of people traveling. Thus a person who makes several trips from a country during a given period is counted each time as a new departure.
Limitations: Tourism can be either domestic or international. The data refers to international tourism, where the traveler's country of residence differs from the visiting country. International tourism consists of inbound (arrival) and outbound (departures) tourism. The data are from the World Tourism Organization (WTO), a United Nations agency. The data on inbound and outbound tourists refer to the number of arrivals and departures, not to the number of people traveling.
Regional and income-group figures are computed by the World Bank as a gap-filled total.
All 14 values
| Year | International tourism, number of departures |
|---|---|
| 2019 | 37,845,898 |
| 2018 | 38,069,000 |
| 2017 | 54,955,000 |
| 2016 | 52,979,000 |
| 2015 | 55,971,000 |
| 2014 | 63,737,000 |
| 2013 | 65,780,000 |
| 2012 | 65,175,000 |
| 2011 | 61,909,000 |
| 2010 | 53,620,000 |
| 2009 |
International tourism, number of departures in nearby economies
- United States — 60.55 million (2020)
More private sector & trade data for Canada
- Merchandise trade (% of GDP) — 48.8% (2025)
- Merchandise imports (current US$) — US$577.44 billion (2025)
- Computer, communications and other services (% of commercial service imports) — 48.39% (2025)
- Commercial service imports (current US$) — US$168.75 billion (2025)
- Transport services (% of commercial service imports) — 16.97% (2025)
- Travel services (% of commercial service imports) — 25.75% (2025)
- Merchandise exports (current US$) — US$554.68 billion (2025)
- Computer, communications and other services (% of commercial service exports) — 50.46% (2025)
- Commercial service exports (current US$)
Reading data like this
Questions people ask
- What is Canada's international tourism, number of departures?
- 37.85 million in 2019, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).
- How has it changed since 2006?
- It is down 19.33% from 46.91 million in 2006 (1.64% a year on average, compounded). The highest value was 65.78 million in 2013 and the lowest 37.85 million in 2019.
- How does Canada rank?
- 4th highest of 21 economies with data for 2019.
- Is the latest change in international tourism, number of departures unusual for Canada?
- In 2019, Canada's international tourism, number of departures fell 0.6% on 2018 (from 38.07 million to 37.85 million). Across the 12 yearly changes before that (2007 to 2018), the average change was −0.9% and a typical year strayed about 12.4% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.0 standard deviations above that average, so it was an ordinary year: it sits within the range of normal year-to-year movement.
Source
World Bank, World Development Indicators, indicator ST.INT.DPRT, 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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