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

Key figures

What the numbers say

In 2020, Zimbabwe's international tourism, expenditures for passenger transport items (current US$) fell 58.5% on 2019 (from US$53 million to US$22 million).

Across the 10 yearly changes before that (2010 to 2019), the average change was +12.2% and a typical year strayed about 57.6% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 1.2 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 152.4% in 2019 and the biggest yearly fall was 72.2% in 2017. 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$10.39 million a year. A straight line explains 71% 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, Zimbabwe had the 88th 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 Zimbabwe in the 2020 ranking

• Armenia — 85th of 123: US$23 million
• Mongolia — 86th of 123: US$23 million
• Rwanda — 87th of 123: US$23 million
• Bermuda — 89th of 123: US$21 million
• El Salvador — 90th of 123: US$20 million
• Afghanistan — 91st of 123: US$19 million

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 12 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 Zimbabwe

• Merchandise trade (% of GDP) — 38.7% (2025)
• Merchandise imports (current US$) — US$10.11 billion (2025)
• Merchandise exports (current US$) — US$9.71 billion (2025)
• Import unit value index (2015 = 100) — 139.8 (2025)
• Merchandise imports from high-income economies (% of total merchandise imports) — 8.71% (2023)
• Merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies outside region (% of total merchandise imports) — 27.05% (2023)
• Merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies in Sub-Saharan Africa (% of total merchandise imports) — 64.24% (2023)
• Merchandise imports by the reporting economy, residual (% of total merchandise imports)

Reading data like this

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Questions people ask

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

US$22 million in 2020, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 2009?

It is down 61.4% from US$57 million in 2009 (8.29% a year on average, compounded). The highest value was US$115 million in 2012 and the lowest US$21 million in 2018.

How does Zimbabwe rank?

88th highest of 123 economies with data for 2020.

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

In 2020, Zimbabwe's international tourism, expenditures for passenger transport items (current US$) fell 58.5% on 2019 (from US$53 million to US$22 million). Across the 10 yearly changes before that (2010 to 2019), the average change was +12.2% and a typical year strayed about 57.6% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 1.2 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.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.

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