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

Key figures

What the numbers say

In 2020, Eswatini's international tourism, expenditures for passenger transport items (current US$) fell 60% on 2019 (from US$1 million to US$400,000).

Across the 22 yearly changes before that (1996 to 2019), the average change was +35.7% and a typical year strayed about 126.8% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.8 standard deviations below 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 500% in 2004 and the biggest yearly fall was 80.8% in 2011. 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 downward, about US$881,212 a year. A straight line explains 35% 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, Eswatini had the 121st 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 Eswatini in the 2020 ranking

• Lesotho — 118th of 123: US$1 million
• Ethiopia — 119th of 123: US$500,000
• Samoa — 120th of 123: US$500,000
• Gambia, The — 122nd of 123: US$200,000
• Solomon Islands — 123rd of 123: US$10,000

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 25 values

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

• Angola — US$76 million (2020)
• Benin — US$36 million (2019)
• Botswana — US$2.8 million (2020)
• Burkina Faso — US$70.6 million (2019)
• Cabo Verde — US$7 million (2020)
• Cameroon — US$144 million (2020)
• Comoros — US$12 million (2020)
• Congo, Rep. — US$206 million (2016)

More private sector & trade data for Eswatini

• Merchandise trade (% of GDP) — 86.42% (2025)
• Merchandise imports (current US$) — US$2.09 billion (2025)
• Merchandise exports (current US$) — US$2.37 billion (2025)
• Computer, communications and other services (% of commercial service imports) — 71.26% (2025)
• Commercial service imports (current US$) — US$727.36 million (2025)
• Transport services (% of commercial service imports) — 16.12% (2025)
• Travel services (% of commercial service imports) — 9.37% (2025)
• Computer, communications and other services (% of commercial service exports) — 40.58% (2025)
• Commercial service exports (current US$)

Reading data like this

• Where to find free public data, and how to check it before you trust it — 2 min read
• Data analysis examples: 6 worked from one dataset — 3 min read
• Real change or random noise? A plain guide to reading your numbers — 2 min read

Questions people ask

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

US$400,000 in 2020, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 1995?

It is down 80% from US$2 million in 1995 (6.23% a year on average, compounded). The highest value was US$26 million in 2009 and the lowest US$400,000 in 2020.

How does Eswatini rank?

121st highest of 123 economies with data for 2020.

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

In 2020, Eswatini's international tourism, expenditures for passenger transport items (current US$) fell 60% on 2019 (from US$1 million to US$400,000). Across the 22 yearly changes before that (1996 to 2019), the average change was +35.7% and a typical year strayed about 126.8% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.8 standard deviations below 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.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.

Want to ask your own questions of data like this? Try AnalyzeIt: upload a file or ask about public data in plain words, and every figure comes with its working.