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

Key figures

Over five years it is down 17.86% from US$459 million in 2015 (3.86% a year on average, compounded). Since 2000 it is up 173.19% from US$138 million in 2000 (5.15% a year on average, compounded). The World Bank has no value for 3 of the years in between; the chart leaves those gaps open rather than joining across them.

What the numbers say

In 2020, India's international tourism, receipts for passenger transport items (current US$) fell 59.9% on 2019 (from US$941 million to US$377 million).

Across the 15 yearly changes before that (2001 to 2019), the average change was +27.3% and a typical year strayed about 43.8% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 2.0 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 79.4% in 2007 and the biggest yearly fall was 59.9% 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 2012 to 2020 there is no clear straight-line trend: a straight line explains less than 1% of the movement over 9 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, India had the 32nd 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 India in the 2020 ranking

• Norway — 29th of 117: US$404 million
• Sri Lanka — 30th of 117: US$394 million
• Malaysia — 31st of 117: US$382 million
• Colombia — 33rd of 117: US$364 million
• Jordan — 34th of 117: US$336 million
• Pakistan — 35th of 117: US$326 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 18 values

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

• Bangladesh — US$900,000 (2020)
• Bhutan — US$18 million (2018)
• Maldives — US$11 million (2020)
• Nepal — US$41 million (2020)
• Sri Lanka — US$394 million (2020)

More private sector & trade data for India

• Merchandise trade (% of GDP) — 30.3% (2025)
• Merchandise imports (current US$) — US$753.48 billion (2025)
• Merchandise exports (current US$) — US$445.28 billion (2025)
• Merchandise imports from economies in the Arab World (% of total merchandise imports) — 21.43% (2023)
• Merchandise imports from high-income economies (% of total merchandise imports) — 61.44% (2023)
• Merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies outside region (% of total merchandise imports) — 37.77% (2023)
• Merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies in East Asia & Pacific (% of total merchandise imports) — 23.66% (2023)
• Merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies in Latin America & the Caribbean (% of total merchandise imports)

Reading data like this

• Where to find free public data, and how to check it before you trust it — 2 min read
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Questions people ask

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

US$377 million in 2020, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 2000?

It is up 173.19% from US$138 million in 2000 (5.15% a year on average, compounded). The highest value was US$1.06 billion in 2014 and the lowest US$97 million in 2003.

How does India rank?

32nd highest of 117 economies with data for 2020.

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

In 2020, India's international tourism, receipts for passenger transport items (current US$) fell 59.9% on 2019 (from US$941 million to US$377 million). Across the 15 yearly changes before that (2001 to 2019), the average change was +27.3% and a typical year strayed about 43.8% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 2.0 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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