Ratio of inbound to outbound tourist trips in China
China: Ratio of inbound to outbound tourist trips was 0.3918 ratio in 2020. ◆ Volatile
Ratio of inbound to outbound tourist trips in China, 1995–2020
Source: UN Tourism (2025) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in ratio.
Analysis
In 2020, ratio of inbound to outbound tourist trips in China stood at 0.3918 ratio. That is the lowest value across all 26 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 7.8% on the previous year and down 59.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, ratio of inbound to outbound tourist trips in China peaked at 4.5 ratio in 1996 and was at its lowest, 0.3918 ratio, in 2020.
That places China 98th out of 107 countries with data for 2020, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Ratio of inbound to outbound tourist trips in China, year by year
| Year | ratio | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1995 | 4.43 ratio | — |
| 1996 | 4.5 ratio | +1.5% |
| 1997 | 4.46 ratio | -0.7% |
| 1998 | 2.98 ratio | -33.4% |
| 1999 | 2.93 ratio | -1.5% |
| 2000 | 2.98 ratio | +1.8% |
| 2001 | 2.73 ratio | -8.3% |
| 2002 | 2.22 ratio | -18.9% |
| 2003 | 1.63 ratio | -26.5% |
| 2004 | 1.45 ratio | -11.2% |
| 2005 | 1.51 ratio | +4.2% |
| 2006 | 1.45 ratio | -4.2% |
| 2007 | 1.34 ratio | -7.6% |
| 2008 | 1.16 ratio | -13.4% |
| 2009 | 1.07 ratio | -7.7% |
| 2010 | 0.97 ratio | -9.1% |
| 2011 | 0.8197 ratio | -15.5% |
| 2012 | 0.694 ratio | -15.3% |
| 2013 | 0.5672 ratio | -18.3% |
| 2014 | 0.4771 ratio | -15.9% |
| 2015 | 0.4449 ratio | -6.7% |
| 2016 | 0.4386 ratio | -1.4% |
| 2017 | 0.4247 ratio | -3.2% |
| 2018 | 0.4201 ratio | -1.1% |
| 2019 | 0.425 ratio | +1.2% |
| 2020 | 0.3918 ratio | -7.8% |
China compared with similar countries
- China's 0.3918 ratio is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 1.12 ratio, 35% of the median. (31 countries reporting)
- China's 0.3918 ratio is below the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 1.05 ratio, 37% of the median. (13 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 3.86 ratio | 2.93 ratio | 4.5 ratio | 5 |
| 2000s | 1.75 ratio | 1.07 ratio | 2.98 ratio | 10 |
| 2010s | 0.5681 ratio | 0.4201 ratio | 0.97 ratio | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.3918 ratio | 0.3918 ratio | 0.3918 ratio | 1 |
Countries ranked near China
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 ratio of inbound to outbound tourist trips in China?
- Ratio of inbound to outbound tourist trips in China was 0.3918 ratio in 2020, according to UN Tourism (2025) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest ratio of inbound to outbound tourist trips recorded in China?
- The highest recorded value was 4.5 ratio in 1996.
- What is the lowest ratio of inbound to outbound tourist trips recorded in China?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.3918 ratio in 2020.
- How does China rank for ratio of inbound to outbound tourist trips?
- China ranks 98th out of 107 countries with data for 2020.
- Is ratio of inbound to outbound tourist trips rising or falling in China?
- Over the last ten years it is down 59.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this China data come from?
- The figures come from UN Tourism (2025) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Ratio of inbound to outbound tourist trips. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 26 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Tourist trips refer to the number of trips made by individuals traveling abroad and staying overnight. A country with a ratio greater than one has more incoming than outgoing tourists (i.e. has more visitors than locals leaving).