Travel services in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland: Travel services was 12.5% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Travel services in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, 1970–2025
Source: Balance of Payments Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF). Measured in % of service exports, BoP.
Analysis
In 2025, travel services in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland stood at 12.5%.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 2.8% on the previous year and down 18.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, travel services in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland peaked at 27.6% in 1990 and was at its lowest, 7.4%, in 2020.
That places United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland 162nd out of 198 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 56 years of available data.
Travel services in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, year by year
| Year | % of service exports, BoP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 12.8% | — |
| 1971 | 12.9% | +0.7% |
| 1972 | 13.6% | +5.9% |
| 1973 | 14.0% | +3.1% |
| 1974 | 13.6% | -2.9% |
| 1975 | 15.7% | +15.4% |
| 1976 | 17.5% | +11.2% |
| 1977 | 20.2% | +15.7% |
| 1978 | 20.1% | -0.9% |
| 1979 | 19.5% | -2.6% |
| 1980 | 19.0% | -2.9% |
| 1981 | 17.3% | -9.1% |
| 1982 | 18.0% | +4.3% |
| 1983 | 20.9% | +15.9% |
| 1984 | 21.5% | +2.9% |
| 1985 | 22.9% | +6.5% |
| 1986 | 22.0% | -3.6% |
| 1987 | 25.8% | +16.9% |
| 1988 | 25.7% | -0.2% |
| 1989 | 26.7% | +3.8% |
| 1990 | 27.6% | +3.4% |
| 1991 | 25.9% | -6.4% |
| 1992 | 24.5% | -5.1% |
| 1993 | 25.3% | +3.1% |
| 1994 | 23.9% | -5.5% |
| 1995 | 25.7% | +7.4% |
| 1996 | 23.6% | -8.0% |
| 1997 | 22.2% | -5.9% |
| 1998 | 21.0% | -5.3% |
| 1999 | 17.4% | -17.3% |
| 2000 | 17.0% | -2.5% |
| 2001 | 15.5% | -8.5% |
| 2002 | 16.1% | +3.8% |
| 2003 | 15.0% | -6.9% |
| 2004 | 15.0% | -0.0% |
| 2005 | 14.5% | -3.0% |
| 2006 | 14.7% | +1.2% |
| 2007 | 14.0% | -4.6% |
| 2008 | 13.5% | -3.4% |
| 2009 | 13.6% | +0.8% |
| 2010 | 13.8% | +1.1% |
| 2011 | 13.5% | -2.1% |
| 2012 | 14.0% | +3.3% |
| 2013 | 14.6% | +4.4% |
| 2014 | 15.0% | +2.7% |
| 2015 | 15.2% | +1.7% |
| 2016 | 14.7% | -3.3% |
| 2017 | 14.5% | -1.8% |
| 2018 | 13.4% | -7.0% |
| 2019 | 14.0% | +4.2% |
| 2020 | 7.4% | -47.4% |
| 2021 | 8.0% | +9.1% |
| 2022 | 12.8% | +59.4% |
| 2023 | 12.6% | -1.8% |
| 2024 | 12.9% | +2.2% |
| 2025 | 12.5% | -2.8% |
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland compared with similar countries
- United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland's 12.5% is below the median for high income countries, which is 26.8%, 47% of the median. (72 countries reporting)
- United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland's 12.5% is below the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 20.5%, 61% of the median. (51 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Travel services in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | +59.4% | 8.0% | 12.8% |
| 2020 | -47.4% | 14.0% | 7.4% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 16.0% | 12.8% | 20.2% | 10 |
| 1980s | 22.0% | 17.3% | 26.7% | 10 |
| 1990s | 23.7% | 17.4% | 27.6% | 10 |
| 2000s | 14.9% | 13.5% | 17.0% | 10 |
| 2010s | 14.3% | 13.4% | 15.2% | 10 |
| 2020s | 11.0% | 7.4% | 12.9% | 6 |
Countries ranked near United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
More economy & growth data for United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 04 - Annual real GDP 1.14 Percent per annum (2029)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 02 - Annual real GDP 1.42 Percent per annum (2029)
- Foreign direct investment, net outflows (BoP, current US$), gaps 86.93 billion BoP, current US$ (2025)
- Foreign direct investment, net outflows (BoP, current US$), per unit 0.0217 BoP, current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Foreign direct investment, net outflows (BoP, current US$), per capita 1,251 BoP, current US$ per person (2025)
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$), gaps filled 76.63 billion BoP, current US$ (2025)
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$), annual 691.49 % change on previous year (2025)
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$), per unit 0.0191 BoP, current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$), per capita 1,103 BoP, current US$ per person (2025)
- Total reserves (includes gold, current US$), annual growth rate 22.77 % change on previous year (2025)
All data for United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland →
Frequently asked questions
- What is travel services in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
- Travel services in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland was 12.5% in 2025, according to Balance of Payments Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF).
- What is the highest travel services recorded in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
- The highest recorded value was 27.6% in 1990.
- What is the lowest travel services recorded in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
- The lowest recorded value was 7.4% in 2020.
- How does United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland rank for travel services?
- United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland ranks 162nd out of 198 countries with data for 2025.
- Is travel services rising or falling in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
- Over the last ten years it is down 18.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland data come from?
- The figures come from Balance of Payments Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF), published as part of Travel services (% of service exports, BoP). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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About this data
Travel services cover goods and services for own use or to give away acquired from an economy by nonresidents during visits to that economy, or acquired from other economies by residents during visits to these other economies. This indicator is expressed as a percentage of service exports which are services provided by residents to non-residents.