Arrivals of tourists from abroad per 1,000 people in China
China: Arrivals of tourists from abroad per 1,000 people was 5.59 arrivals per 1,000 people in 2020. ▲ Rising
Arrivals of tourists from abroad per 1,000 people in China, 1995–2020
Source: UN Tourism (2025); Population based on various sources (2024) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in arrivals per 1,000 people.
Analysis
In 2020, arrivals of tourists from abroad per 1,000 people in China stood at 5.59 arrivals per 1,000 people. That is the lowest value across all 26 years on record.
That represents a change of down 87.9% on the previous year and down 86.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, arrivals of tourists from abroad per 1,000 people in China peaked at 46.17 arrivals per 1,000 people in 2019 and was at its lowest, 5.59 arrivals per 1,000 people, in 2020.
China ranks 188th of 203 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 26 years of available data.
Arrivals of tourists from abroad per 1,000 people in China, year by year
| Year | arrivals per 1,000 people | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1995 | 16.42 arrivals per 1,000 people | — |
| 1996 | 18.49 arrivals per 1,000 people | +12.6% |
| 1997 | 19.15 arrivals per 1,000 people | +3.6% |
| 1998 | 20.04 arrivals per 1,000 people | +4.7% |
| 1999 | 21.46 arrivals per 1,000 people | +7.1% |
| 2000 | 24.6 arrivals per 1,000 people | +14.6% |
| 2001 | 25.94 arrivals per 1,000 people | +5.4% |
| 2002 | 28.6 arrivals per 1,000 people | +10.3% |
| 2003 | 25.47 arrivals per 1,000 people | -10.9% |
| 2004 | 32.07 arrivals per 1,000 people | +25.9% |
| 2005 | 35.73 arrivals per 1,000 people | +11.4% |
| 2006 | 37.87 arrivals per 1,000 people | +6.0% |
| 2007 | 41.27 arrivals per 1,000 people | +9.0% |
| 2008 | 39.77 arrivals per 1,000 people | -3.6% |
| 2009 | 37.9 arrivals per 1,000 people | -4.7% |
| 2010 | 41.19 arrivals per 1,000 people | +8.7% |
| 2011 | 42.33 arrivals per 1,000 people | +2.8% |
| 2012 | 42.15 arrivals per 1,000 people | -0.4% |
| 2013 | 40.38 arrivals per 1,000 people | -4.2% |
| 2014 | 40.07 arrivals per 1,000 people | -0.8% |
| 2015 | 40.75 arrivals per 1,000 people | +1.7% |
| 2016 | 42.21 arrivals per 1,000 people | +3.6% |
| 2017 | 43.01 arrivals per 1,000 people | +1.9% |
| 2018 | 44.33 arrivals per 1,000 people | +3.1% |
| 2019 | 46.17 arrivals per 1,000 people | +4.2% |
| 2020 | 5.59 arrivals per 1,000 people | -87.9% |
China compared with similar countries
- China's 5.59 arrivals per 1,000 people is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 209.18 arrivals per 1,000 people, 3% of the median. (53 countries reporting)
- China's 5.59 arrivals per 1,000 people is below the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 163.2 arrivals per 1,000 people, 3% of the median. (35 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Arrivals of tourists from abroad per 1,000 people in China changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | -87.9% | 46.17 arrivals per 1,000 people | 5.59 arrivals per 1,000 people |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 19.11 arrivals per 1,000 people | 16.42 arrivals per 1,000 people | 21.46 arrivals per 1,000 people | 5 |
| 2000s | 32.92 arrivals per 1,000 people | 24.6 arrivals per 1,000 people | 41.27 arrivals per 1,000 people | 10 |
| 2010s | 42.26 arrivals per 1,000 people | 40.07 arrivals per 1,000 people | 46.17 arrivals per 1,000 people | 10 |
| 2020s | 5.59 arrivals per 1,000 people | 5.59 arrivals per 1,000 people | 5.59 arrivals per 1,000 people | 1 |
Countries ranked near China
- 185 India 6.77 arrivals per 1,000 people compare
- 186 Papua New Guinea 6.55 arrivals per 1,000 people compare
- 187 Burkina Faso 5.61 arrivals per 1,000 people compare
- 189 Libya 5.45 arrivals per 1,000 people compare
- 190 Sierra Leone 4.94 arrivals per 1,000 people compare
- 191 Pakistan 4.65 arrivals per 1,000 people compare
More reference data data for China
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 49.4 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 75.5 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 303.29 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 18.8 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 303.29 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 165.62 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 206.2 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 350.74 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 1,480 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 102.37 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is arrivals of tourists from abroad per 1,000 people in China?
- Arrivals of tourists from abroad per 1,000 people in China was 5.59 arrivals per 1,000 people in 2020, according to UN Tourism (2025); Population based on various sources (2024) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest arrivals of tourists from abroad per 1,000 people recorded in China?
- The highest recorded value was 46.17 arrivals per 1,000 people in 2019.
- What is the lowest arrivals of tourists from abroad per 1,000 people recorded in China?
- The lowest recorded value was 5.59 arrivals per 1,000 people in 2020.
- How does China rank for arrivals of tourists from abroad per 1,000 people?
- China ranks 188th out of 203 countries with data for 2020.
- Is arrivals of tourists from abroad per 1,000 people rising or falling in China?
- Over the last ten years it is down 86.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this China data come from?
- The figures come from UN Tourism (2025); Population based on various sources (2024) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Arrivals of tourists from abroad per 1,000 people. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Number of trips by visitors who arrive from abroad and stay overnight, per 1,000 people in the destination country's population.