Arrivals of tourists from abroad in Zambia
Zambia: Arrivals of tourists from abroad was 554,000 arrivals in 2021. ▲ Rising
Arrivals of tourists from abroad in Zambia, 1995–2021
Source: UN Tourism (2025) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in arrivals.
Analysis
The most recent figure for arrivals of tourists from abroad in Zambia is 554,000 arrivals, measured in 2021.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 10.4% on the previous year and down 39.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, arrivals of tourists from abroad in Zambia peaked at 1.27 million arrivals in 2019 and was at its lowest, 163,000 arrivals, in 1995.
That places Zambia 120th out of 203 countries with data for 2021, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 27 years of available data.
Arrivals of tourists from abroad in Zambia, year by year
| Year | arrivals | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1995 | 163,000 arrivals | — |
| 1996 | 264,000 arrivals | +62.0% |
| 1997 | 341,000 arrivals | +29.2% |
| 1998 | 362,000 arrivals | +6.2% |
| 1999 | 404,000 arrivals | +11.6% |
| 2000 | 457,000 arrivals | +13.1% |
| 2001 | 492,000 arrivals | +7.7% |
| 2002 | 565,000 arrivals | +14.8% |
| 2003 | 413,000 arrivals | -26.9% |
| 2004 | 515,000 arrivals | +24.7% |
| 2005 | 669,000 arrivals | +29.9% |
| 2006 | 757,000 arrivals | +13.2% |
| 2007 | 897,000 arrivals | +18.5% |
| 2008 | 812,000 arrivals | -9.5% |
| 2009 | 710,000 arrivals | -12.6% |
| 2010 | 815,000 arrivals | +14.8% |
| 2011 | 920,000 arrivals | +12.9% |
| 2012 | 859,000 arrivals | -6.6% |
| 2013 | 915,000 arrivals | +6.5% |
| 2014 | 947,000 arrivals | +3.5% |
| 2015 | 932,000 arrivals | -1.6% |
| 2016 | 956,000 arrivals | +2.6% |
| 2017 | 1.01 million arrivals | +5.5% |
| 2018 | 1.07 million arrivals | +6.2% |
| 2019 | 1.27 million arrivals | +18.1% |
| 2020 | 502,000 arrivals | -60.3% |
| 2021 | 554,000 arrivals | +10.4% |
Zambia compared with similar countries
- Zambia's 554,000 arrivals is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 546,464 arrivals, 1.0× the median. (44 countries reporting)
- Zambia's 554,000 arrivals is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 393,000 arrivals, 1.4× the median. (41 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Arrivals of tourists from abroad in Zambia 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 | -60.3% | 1.27 million arrivals | 502,000 arrivals |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 306,800 arrivals | 163,000 arrivals | 404,000 arrivals | 5 |
| 2000s | 628,700 arrivals | 413,000 arrivals | 897,000 arrivals | 10 |
| 2010s | 969,100 arrivals | 815,000 arrivals | 1.27 million arrivals | 10 |
| 2020s | 528,000 arrivals | 502,000 arrivals | 554,000 arrivals | 2 |
Countries ranked near Zambia
More reference data data for Zambia
- Exchange rate, new LCU per USD extended backward, period average 18.94 (2026)
- Exchange rate, old LCU per USD extended forward, period average 18.94 (2026)
- Official exchange rate, LCU per USD, period average 18.94 (2026)
- Global number of reported disasters by size, gaps filled 0 events (2025)
- Annual precipitation, annual growth rate 40.84 % change on previous year (2025)
- Free country, gaps filled 1 (2025)
- Civil liberties rating, gaps filled 4 (2025)
- Civil liberties rating, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Civil liberties rating, per capita 0 units per person (2025)
- Consumer price index 483.32 2010 = 100 (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is arrivals of tourists from abroad in Zambia?
- Arrivals of tourists from abroad in Zambia was 554,000 arrivals in 2021, according to UN Tourism (2025) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest arrivals of tourists from abroad recorded in Zambia?
- The highest recorded value was 1.27 million arrivals in 2019.
- What is the lowest arrivals of tourists from abroad recorded in Zambia?
- The lowest recorded value was 163,000 arrivals in 1995.
- How does Zambia rank for arrivals of tourists from abroad?
- Zambia ranks 120th out of 203 countries with data for 2021.
- Is arrivals of tourists from abroad rising or falling in Zambia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 39.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Zambia data come from?
- The figures come from UN Tourism (2025) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Arrivals of tourists from abroad. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 27 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Number of trips by visitors who arrive from abroad and stay overnight.