Travel services in Kuwait
Kuwait: Travel services was 43.0% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Travel services in Kuwait, 1975–2025
Source: Balance of Payments Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF). Measured in % of service imports, BoP.
Analysis
Kuwait recorded 43.0% for travel services in 2025.
The figure is down 2.7% on the previous year and down 17.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, travel services in Kuwait peaked at 56.1% in 1988 and was at its lowest, 20.8%, in 1978.
That places Kuwait 14th out of 198 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 49 years of available data.
Travel services in Kuwait, year by year
| Year | % of service imports, BoP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1975 | 26.8% | — |
| 1976 | 25.6% | -4.5% |
| 1977 | 21.8% | -14.7% |
| 1978 | 20.8% | -4.8% |
| 1979 | 36.4% | +75.2% |
| 1980 | 43.7% | +19.9% |
| 1981 | 37.8% | -13.5% |
| 1982 | 37.3% | -1.2% |
| 1983 | 37.6% | +0.8% |
| 1984 | 41.6% | +10.5% |
| 1985 | 48.7% | +17.1% |
| 1986 | 50.3% | +3.3% |
| 1987 | 55.4% | +10.2% |
| 1988 | 56.1% | +1.3% |
| 1989 | 54.6% | -2.6% |
| 1992 | 39.2% | -28.3% |
| 1993 | 40.1% | +2.3% |
| 1994 | 47.7% | +19.0% |
| 1995 | 41.9% | -12.0% |
| 1996 | 49.1% | +17.1% |
| 1997 | 46.3% | -5.7% |
| 1998 | 45.4% | -2.1% |
| 1999 | 43.9% | -3.3% |
| 2000 | 50.7% | +15.5% |
| 2001 | 53.1% | +4.7% |
| 2002 | 51.7% | -2.5% |
| 2003 | 50.6% | -2.2% |
| 2004 | 49.4% | -2.4% |
| 2005 | 52.0% | +5.3% |
| 2006 | 52.4% | +0.7% |
| 2007 | 49.7% | -5.1% |
| 2008 | 48.0% | -3.5% |
| 2009 | 45.0% | -6.1% |
| 2010 | 40.8% | -9.5% |
| 2011 | 42.4% | +4.1% |
| 2012 | 43.8% | +3.4% |
| 2013 | 46.0% | +4.8% |
| 2014 | 47.4% | +3.1% |
| 2015 | 52.0% | +9.8% |
| 2016 | 46.8% | -10.0% |
| 2017 | 44.5% | -5.0% |
| 2018 | 38.9% | -12.6% |
| 2019 | 52.4% | +34.8% |
| 2020 | 35.6% | -32.0% |
| 2021 | 37.2% | +4.5% |
| 2022 | 47.7% | +28.2% |
| 2023 | 47.1% | -1.3% |
| 2024 | 44.2% | -6.1% |
| 2025 | 43.0% | -2.7% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 26.3% | 20.8% | 36.4% | 5 |
| 1980s | 46.3% | 37.3% | 56.1% | 10 |
| 1990s | 44.2% | 39.2% | 49.1% | 8 |
| 2000s | 50.3% | 45.0% | 53.1% | 10 |
| 2010s | 45.5% | 38.9% | 52.4% | 10 |
| 2020s | 42.5% | 35.6% | 47.7% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Kuwait
More economy & growth data for Kuwait
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 04 - Annual real GDP 1.82 Percent per annum (2029)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 02 - Annual real GDP 2.61 Percent per annum (2029)
- Total reserves minus gold (current US$), annual growth rate -7.84 % change on previous year (2025)
- Total reserves minus gold (current US$), per unit of GDP 0.2586 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Total reserves minus gold (current US$), per capita 8,355 current US$ per person (2025)
- General government final consumption expenditure (current US$) 2.02 % change on previous year (2024)
- General government final consumption expenditure (current US$), per 0.2579 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2024)
- General government final consumption expenditure (current US$), per 8,474 current US$ per person (2024)
- General government final consumption expenditure (current LCU) 1.85 % change on previous year (2024)
- General government final consumption expenditure (current LCU), per 0.0791 current LCU per US$ of GDP (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is travel services in Kuwait?
- Travel services in Kuwait was 43.0% in 2025, according to Balance of Payments Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF).
- What is the highest travel services recorded in Kuwait?
- The highest recorded value was 56.1% in 1988.
- What is the lowest travel services recorded in Kuwait?
- The lowest recorded value was 20.8% in 1978.
- How does Kuwait rank for travel services?
- Kuwait ranks 14th out of 198 countries with data for 2025.
- Is travel services rising or falling in Kuwait?
- Over the last ten years it is down 17.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Kuwait 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.