China vs United Kingdom: Arrivals of tourists from abroad for personal purposes
China
42.83 million trips
in 2019
United Kingdom
31.30 million trips
in 2024
China rank
7th
United Kingdom rank
8th
Arrivals of tourists from abroad for personal purposes over time
- China
- United Kingdom
How they compare
China currently reports 42.83 million trips against 31.30 million trips in United Kingdom, a difference of 11.53 million trips.
That makes China's figure about 1.4 times United Kingdom's.
The two have swapped places 1 time across 18 shared years of data; in 2002 it was United Kingdom ahead.
China ranks 7th and United Kingdom ranks 8th of 179 countries.
United Kingdom has averaged higher in every one of the 2 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | China | United Kingdom | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 14.83 million trips | 20.93 million trips | 6.11 million trips | United Kingdom |
| 2010s | 27.09 million trips | 27.19 million trips | 101,390 trips | United Kingdom |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher arrivals of tourists from abroad for personal purposes, China or United Kingdom?
- China, at 42.83 million trips against 31.30 million trips in United Kingdom as of 2019.
- What is the difference in arrivals of tourists from abroad for personal purposes between China and United Kingdom?
- 11.53 million trips, with China ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for China and United Kingdom?
- 18 years are reported by both, from 2002 to 2019.
- How do China and United Kingdom rank globally for arrivals of tourists from abroad for personal purposes?
- China ranks 7th and United Kingdom ranks 8th of 179 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- UN Tourism (2025) – processed by Our World in Data, published as Arrivals of tourists from abroad for personal purposes. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Number of international trips where the main purpose is personal (leisure, visiting friends and relatives, health, etc.) and the visitor stays overnight.