South Africa vs United States: Arrivals of tourists from abroad for personal purposes
South Africa
8.64 million trips
in 2024
United States
8.05 million trips
in 2021
South Africa rank
27th
United States rank
29th
Arrivals of tourists from abroad for personal purposes over time
- South Africa
- United States
How they compare
South Africa currently reports 8.64 million trips against 8.05 million trips in United States, a difference of 596,600 trips.
That makes South Africa's figure about 1.1 times United States's.
Across all 25 years both countries report, United States has been ahead every year.
South Africa ranks 27th and United States ranks 29th of 179 countries.
United States has averaged higher in every one of the 4 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | South Africa | United States | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 4.87 million trips | 16.89 million trips | 12.02 million trips | United States |
| 2000s | 6.88 million trips | 15.70 million trips | 8.82 million trips | United States |
| 2010s | 9.14 million trips | 28.41 million trips | 19.27 million trips | United States |
| 2020s | 2.38 million trips | 7.01 million trips | 4.63 million trips | United States |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher arrivals of tourists from abroad for personal purposes, South Africa or United States?
- South Africa, at 8.64 million trips against 8.05 million trips in United States as of 2024.
- What is the difference in arrivals of tourists from abroad for personal purposes between South Africa and United States?
- 596,600 trips, with South Africa ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for South Africa and United States?
- 25 years are reported by both, from 1997 to 2021.
- How do South Africa and United States rank globally for arrivals of tourists from abroad for personal purposes?
- South Africa ranks 27th and United States ranks 29th 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.