Arrivals of tourists from abroad for personal purposes in Rwanda
Rwanda: Arrivals of tourists from abroad for personal purposes was 168,500 trips in 2021. ◆ Volatile
Arrivals of tourists from abroad for personal purposes in Rwanda, 2006–2021
Source: UN Tourism (2025) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in trips.
Analysis
In 2021, arrivals of tourists from abroad for personal purposes in Rwanda stood at 168,500 trips. That is the lowest value across all 16 years on record.
That represents a change of down 44.1% on the previous year and down 67.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, arrivals of tourists from abroad for personal purposes in Rwanda peaked at 1.30 million trips in 2018 and was at its lowest, 168,500 trips, in 2021.
That places Rwanda 131st out of 179 countries with data for 2021, putting it in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Arrivals of tourists from abroad for personal purposes in Rwanda, year by year
| Year | trips | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2006 | 276,000 trips | — |
| 2007 | 334,000 trips | +21.0% |
| 2008 | 326,400 trips | -2.3% |
| 2009 | 330,000 trips | +1.1% |
| 2010 | 359,000 trips | +8.8% |
| 2011 | 513,000 trips | +42.9% |
| 2012 | 646,700 trips | +26.1% |
| 2013 | 703,000 trips | +8.7% |
| 2014 | 824,200 trips | +17.2% |
| 2015 | 888,700 trips | +7.8% |
| 2016 | 1.05 million trips | +18.4% |
| 2017 | 1.09 million trips | +3.4% |
| 2018 | 1.30 million trips | +19.8% |
| 2019 | 1.22 million trips | -6.7% |
| 2020 | 301,600 trips | -75.2% |
| 2021 | 168,500 trips | -44.1% |
Rwanda compared with similar countries
- Rwanda's 168,500 trips is above the median for low income countries, which is 166,350 trips, 1.0× the median. (18 countries reporting)
- Rwanda's 168,500 trips is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 228,750 trips, 74% of the median. (38 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 316,600 trips | 276,000 trips | 334,000 trips | 4 |
| 2010s | 859,360 trips | 359,000 trips | 1.30 million trips | 10 |
| 2020s | 235,050 trips | 168,500 trips | 301,600 trips | 2 |
Countries ranked near Rwanda
More reference data data for Rwanda
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.2282 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 0.9517 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 1.38 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.1223 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 1.38 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.7651 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 0.9517 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 4.27 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 6.98 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.666 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is arrivals of tourists from abroad for personal purposes in Rwanda?
- Arrivals of tourists from abroad for personal purposes in Rwanda was 168,500 trips in 2021, according to UN Tourism (2025) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest arrivals of tourists from abroad for personal purposes recorded in Rwanda?
- The highest recorded value was 1.30 million trips in 2018.
- What is the lowest arrivals of tourists from abroad for personal purposes recorded in Rwanda?
- The lowest recorded value was 168,500 trips in 2021.
- How does Rwanda rank for arrivals of tourists from abroad for personal purposes?
- Rwanda ranks 131st out of 179 countries with data for 2021.
- Is arrivals of tourists from abroad for personal purposes rising or falling in Rwanda?
- Over the last ten years it is down 67.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Rwanda 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 for personal purposes. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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CSV · JSON — 16 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
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.