Namibia: International tourism, receipts for travel items (current US$)

Key figures

What the numbers say

In 2020, Namibia's international tourism, receipts for travel items (current US$) fell 66.2% on 2019 (from US$349 million to US$118 million).

Across the 24 yearly changes before that (1996 to 2019), the average change was +6.6% and a typical year strayed about 36.4% 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 98.2% in 2001 and the biggest yearly fall was 66.2% 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 2% 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, Namibia had the 125th highest value of the 158 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 Namibia in the 2020 ranking

• Madagascar — 122nd of 158: US$145 million
• Trinidad and Tobago — 123rd of 158: US$143 million
• Rwanda — 124th of 158: US$120 million
• St. Kitts and Nevis — 126th of 158: US$117 million
• Ghana — 127th of 158: US$110 million
• Bermuda — 128th of 158: US$94 million

What this measures

International tourism receipts for travel items are expenditures by international inbound visitors in the reporting economy. The goods and services are purchased by, or on behalf of, the traveler or provided, without a quid pro quo, for the traveler to use or give away. These receipts should include any other prepayment made for goods or services received in the destination country. They also may include receipts from same-day visitors, except in cases where these are so important as to justify a separate classification. Excluded is the international carriage of travelers, which is covered in passenger travel items. 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 travel items (current US$) in nearby economies

• Angola — US$16 million (2020)
• Benin — US$240 million (2019)
• Botswana — US$211 million (2020)
• Burkina Faso — US$116 million (2019)
• Burundi — US$3.9 million (2018)
• Cabo Verde — US$159 million (2020)
• Cameroon — US$437 million (2020)
• Comoros — US$18 million (2020)
• Congo, Dem. Rep.

More private sector & trade data for Namibia

• Merchandise trade (% of GDP) — 102.45% (2025)
• Import unit value index (2015 = 100) — 138 (2025)
• Merchandise imports (current US$) — US$8.43 billion (2025)
• Export unit value index (2015 = 100) — 152.1 (2025)
• Merchandise exports (current US$) — US$7.02 billion (2025)
• Insurance and financial services (% of commercial service imports) — 1.88% (2024)
• Computer, communications and other services (% of commercial service imports) — 80.23% (2024)
• Commercial service imports (current US$) — US$2.44 billion (2024)
• Transport services (% of commercial service imports) — 13.22% (2024)

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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• Real change or random noise? A plain guide to reading your numbers — 2 min read

Questions people ask

What is Namibia's international tourism, receipts for travel items (current US$)?

US$118 million in 2020, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 1995?

It is down 57.55% from US$278 million in 1995 (3.37% a year on average, compounded). The highest value was US$465 million in 2015 and the lowest US$112 million in 2000.

How does Namibia rank?

125th highest of 158 economies with data for 2020.

Is the latest change in international tourism, receipts for travel items (current US$) unusual for Namibia?

In 2020, Namibia's international tourism, receipts for travel items (current US$) fell 66.2% on 2019 (from US$349 million to US$118 million). Across the 24 yearly changes before that (1996 to 2019), the average change was +6.6% and a typical year strayed about 36.4% 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.TVLR.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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