Travel services in China
China: Travel services was 40.8% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Travel services in China, 1982–2025
Source: Balance of Payments Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF). Measured in % of service imports, BoP.
Analysis
In 2025, travel services in China stood at 40.8%.
That represents a change of down 2.6% on the previous year and down 28.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, travel services in China peaked at 57.3% in 2015 and was at its lowest, 2.7%, in 1983.
That places China 22nd out of 198 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 44 years of available data.
Travel services in China, year by year
| Year | % of service imports, BoP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1982 | 3.3% | — |
| 1983 | 2.7% | -18.5% |
| 1984 | 5.3% | +97.5% |
| 1985 | 12.4% | +137.0% |
| 1986 | 13.5% | +8.8% |
| 1987 | 15.6% | +15.1% |
| 1988 | 17.6% | +12.8% |
| 1989 | 11.0% | -37.5% |
| 1990 | 10.8% | -1.6% |
| 1991 | 12.4% | +14.8% |
| 1992 | 26.6% | +114.7% |
| 1993 | 23.2% | -12.7% |
| 1994 | 18.6% | -19.8% |
| 1995 | 14.6% | -21.5% |
| 1996 | 19.8% | +35.5% |
| 1997 | 28.8% | +45.1% |
| 1998 | 33.8% | +17.7% |
| 1999 | 33.8% | +0.0% |
| 2000 | 36.2% | +6.9% |
| 2001 | 35.3% | -2.5% |
| 2002 | 32.9% | -6.6% |
| 2003 | 27.3% | -17.0% |
| 2004 | 27.1% | -0.9% |
| 2005 | 25.9% | -4.3% |
| 2006 | 24.1% | -6.9% |
| 2007 | 22.9% | -5.1% |
| 2008 | 22.7% | -0.6% |
| 2009 | 27.5% | +20.9% |
| 2010 | 28.4% | +3.2% |
| 2011 | 29.3% | +3.2% |
| 2012 | 36.3% | +23.8% |
| 2013 | 38.9% | +7.3% |
| 2014 | 52.5% | +35.0% |
| 2015 | 57.3% | +9.2% |
| 2016 | 56.6% | -1.2% |
| 2017 | 54.6% | -3.5% |
| 2018 | 52.7% | -3.5% |
| 2019 | 52.6% | -0.2% |
| 2020 | 34.8% | -33.9% |
| 2021 | 26.4% | -24.1% |
| 2022 | 27.2% | +3.1% |
| 2023 | 37.3% | +37.3% |
| 2024 | 41.9% | +12.2% |
| 2025 | 40.8% | -2.6% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 10.2% | 2.7% | 17.6% | 8 |
| 1990s | 22.3% | 10.8% | 33.8% | 10 |
| 2000s | 28.2% | 22.7% | 36.2% | 10 |
| 2010s | 45.9% | 28.4% | 57.3% | 10 |
| 2020s | 34.7% | 26.4% | 41.9% | 6 |
Countries ranked near China
- 19 Argentina 41.2% compare
- 20 Guinea-Bissau 41.2% compare
- 21 Eritrea 41.0% compare
- 23 Comoros 39.6% compare
- 24 French Polynesia 39.6% compare
- 25 Philippines 39.4% compare
More economy & growth data for China
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 04 - Annual real GDP 3.46 Percent per annum (2029)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 02 - Annual real GDP 3.31 Percent per annum (2029)
- Foreign direct investment, net outflows (BoP, current US$), gaps 157.21 billion BoP, current US$ (2025)
- Foreign direct investment, net outflows (BoP, current US$), per unit 0.0081 BoP, current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Foreign direct investment, net outflows (BoP, current US$), per capita 111.77 BoP, current US$ per person (2025)
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$), gaps filled 79.98 billion BoP, current US$ (2025)
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$), annual 87.54 % change on previous year (2025)
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$), per unit 0.0041 BoP, current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$), per capita 56.86 BoP, current US$ per person (2025)
- Total reserves (includes gold, current US$), annual growth rate 8.47 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is travel services in China?
- Travel services in China was 40.8% in 2025, according to Balance of Payments Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF).
- What is the highest travel services recorded in China?
- The highest recorded value was 57.3% in 2015.
- What is the lowest travel services recorded in China?
- The lowest recorded value was 2.7% in 1983.
- How does China rank for travel services?
- China ranks 22nd out of 198 countries with data for 2025.
- Is travel services rising or falling in China?
- Over the last ten years it is down 28.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this China 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 imports, BoP). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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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 imports which are services provided by non-residents to residents.