The number of international tourist arrivals worldwide rose sharply in 2023 compared to the previous year across all the most visited destinations in the world. Overall, France was the most visited country by inbound travelers worldwide in 2023, with *** million international tourist arrivals. Spain, the United States, and Italy followed in the ranking that year. Has global inbound tourism recovered from the impact of COVID-19? In 2023, the number of international tourist arrivals worldwide totaled approximately *** billion. While this figure represented a ** percent annual increase, it remained below the peak in inbound tourist arrivals reported in 2019, the year before the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. That said, international tourism receipts worldwide exceeded pre-pandemic levels in 2023, peaking at *** trillion U.S. dollars. What are the most popular global regions for inbound tourism? When breaking down the number of international tourist arrivals worldwide by region, Europe has consistently reported the highest volume of inbound travelers, both before and after the impact of the health crisis. In 2023, this region alone accounted for roughly ** percent of global inbound tourist arrivals. Meanwhile, Asia and the Pacific recorded the second-highest number of inbound tourist arrivals worldwide in 2023.

The number of international tourist arrivals in Europe rose significantly in 2023 compared to the previous year across all the most visited destinations in the region. Overall, France was the most visited country by inbound travelers in Europe in 2023. That year, France - which also topped the ranking of the countries with the highest number of international tourist arrivals worldwide - reported *** million international tourist arrivals, the highest figure recorded by the destination to date. Spain, Italy, and Turkey followed on the list in 2023. Europe is the most popular region for inbound tourism Europe is the region with the highest number of inbound tourism arrivals worldwide, with over *** million arrivals in 2023. Comparatively, there were nearly *** million international tourist arrivals in Asia and the Pacific, the second-most visited global region by inbound travelers that year. When breaking down the number of inbound arrivals in Europe by sub-region, Southern and Mediterranean countries reported the highest figures, both before and after the impact of COVID-19. Travel & Tourism Development Index France and Spain, among the most popular travel destinations in Europe in terms of inbound arrivals, were also among the leading countries in the Travel & Tourism Development Index (TTDI). The TTDI index measures factors and policies that support a sustainable and resilient development of travel and tourism worldwide. In 2023, Spain ranked first with a TTDI score of ****, followed by France and Germany.

In 2025, India overtook China as the world's most populous country and now has almost 1.46 billion people. China now has the second-largest population in the world, still with just over 1.4 billion inhabitants, however, its population went into decline in 2023. Global population As of 2025, the world's population stands at almost 8.2 billion people and is expected to reach around 10.3 billion people in the 2080s, when it will then go into decline. Due to improved healthcare, sanitation, and general living conditions, the global population continues to increase; mortality rates (particularly among infants and children) are decreasing and the median age of the world population has steadily increased for decades. As for the average life expectancy in industrial and developing countries, the gap has narrowed significantly since the mid-20th century. Asia is the most populous continent on Earth; 11 of the 20 largest countries are located there. It leads the ranking of the global population by continent by far, reporting four times as many inhabitants as Africa. The Demographic Transition The population explosion over the past two centuries is part of a phenomenon known as the demographic transition. Simply put, this transition results from a drastic reduction in mortality, which then leads to a reduction in fertility, and increase in life expectancy; this interim period where death rates are low and birth rates are high is where this population explosion occurs, and population growth can remain high as the population ages. In today's most-developed countries, the transition generally began with industrialization in the 1800s, and growth has now stabilized as birth and mortality rates have re-balanced. Across less-developed countries, the stage of this transition varies; for example, China is at a later stage than India, which accounts for the change in which country is more populous - understanding the demographic transition can help understand the reason why China's population is now going into decline. The least-developed region is Sub-Saharan Africa, where fertility rates remain close to pre-industrial levels in some countries. As these countries transition, they will undergo significant rates of population growth.

In 2023, the United States recorded the highest score in the Travel & Tourism Development Index (TTDI), with **** points out of seven. That year, Spain and Japan followed behind, with a TTDI score of **** and ****, respectively. The Travel & Tourism Development Index analyzes a range of factors and policies supporting the development of the travel and tourism sector in a sustainable and resilient way. It covers 119 countries and is made up of five sub-indexes, addressing a series of relevant topics for the sector, such as safety and security, prioritization of travel and tourism, infrastructure, environmental sustainability, and more. The economic contribution of travel and tourism In 2023, the total contribution of travel and tourism to the global gross domestic product (GDP) was forecast to exceed nine trillion U.S. dollars, nearly catching up with the figure recorded in 2019, the year before the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Meanwhile, the number of travel and tourism jobs worldwide was expected to surpass 300 million in 2023, also remaining slightly below pre-pandemic levels. What is the number of international tourist arrivals worldwide? In 2023, the number of international tourist arrivals worldwide reached almost 1.3 billion. While this figure denoted a sharp annual increase, it did not catch up yet with the peak reported in 2019, when global inbound tourist arrivals totaled approximately 1.46 billion. Overall, both before and after the impact of the health crisis, Europe was the global region with the highest number of inbound tourist arrivals.

In 2023, the country with the most inbound arrivals to the United States was its neighbor Canada, at 31 percent, showing clear growth over 2019. Mexico and the United Kingdom followed in the ranking that year, representing 22 and six percent of international arrivals, respectively.

The United States was the global travel destination with the highest international tourism receipts in 2023. That year, inbound tourism receipts in the U.S. amounted to roughly *** billion U.S. dollars. While this figure denoted a sharp annual increase, it remained below pre-pandemic levels. Meanwhile, Spain and the United Kingdom followed in the ranking in 2023, with around ** billion and ** billion U.S. dollars, respectively. What are the most visited countries in the world? While France ranked fourth based on international tourism receipts, it topped the list of the countries with the highest number of inbound tourist arrivals worldwide, both before and after the impact of the pandemic. In 2023, France recorded *** million arrivals by international travelers, while Spain and the United States followed in the ranking with over ** million and ** million arrivals, respectively. What is the economic impact of travel and tourism worldwide? As estimated, the total contribution of travel and tourism to GDP worldwide amounted to just under ** trillion U.S. dollars in 2023. This figure refers to the direct, indirect, and induced impacts of these industries. That year, the number of travel and tourism jobs worldwide exceeded *** million.

Mexico was the most visited destination by international tourists in Latin America in 2023, surpassing ** million tourist arrivals in that year. In the second place, but far behind, was the Dominican Republic. A global tourism powerhouse By developing airport infrastructure and calibrating new direct flights, Mexico has set international tourism high on its priorities list. At the forefront of Mexico's spike in international tourism is the FONATUR, or Mexico's National Fund for Tourism Development. The tourism body worked in the expansion of Cancun's airport and other four key tourist airports in the country. Plus, Mexico City's airport added new international direct flights in the *****, resulting in being rated as the best internationally connected airport in Latin America in 2019. With this and other developments in this sector, the North American country managed to rank among the top 20 destinations in the Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Ranking that year. South America's tourism leader Through its geographically diverse landscape and globally recognized wine industry, Argentina has grown its international tourism sector. The influx of foreign visitors to Argentina can in some way be attributed to the country's air-travel infrastructure. The national air carrier, Aerolineas Argentinas, was one of the top airline operating in Latin America in 2019. That same year, passenger traffic to Argentinian airports grew by **** percent. Though in April 2020, in the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, the arrival of international air travel tourists to Argentina came to a complete halt, ensuing a similar fate of the global tourism industry.

As of February 2025, China ranked first among the countries with the most internet users worldwide. The world's most populated country had 1.11 billion internet users, more than triple the third-ranked United States, with just around 322 million internet users. Overall, all BRIC markets had over two billion internet users, accounting for four of the ten countries with more than 100 million internet users. Worldwide internet usage As of October 2024, there were more than five billion internet users worldwide. There are, however, stark differences in user distribution according to region. Eastern Asia is home to 1.34 billion internet users, while African and Middle Eastern regions had lower user figures. Moreover, the urban areas showed a higher percentage of internet access than rural areas. Internet use in China China ranks first in the list of countries with the most internet users. Due to its ongoing and fast-paced economic development and a cultural inclination towards technology, more than a billion of the estimated 1.4 billion population in China are online. As of the third quarter of 2023, around 87 percent of Chinese internet users stated using WeChat, the most popular social network in the country. On average, Chinese internet users spent five hours and 33 minutes online daily.

Russia is the largest country in the world by far, with a total area of just over 17 million square kilometers. After Antarctica, the next three countries are Canada, the U.S., and China; all between 9.5 and 10 million square kilometers. The figures given include internal water surface area (such as lakes or rivers) - if the figures were for land surface only then China would be the second largest country in the world, the U.S. third, and Canada (the country with more lakes than the rest of the world combined) fourth. Russia Russia has a population of around 145 million people, putting it in the top ten most populous countries in the world, and making it the most populous in Europe. However, it's vast size gives it a very low population density, ranked among the bottom 20 countries. Most of Russia's population is concentrated in the west, with around 75 percent of the population living in the European part, while around 75 percent of Russia's territory is in Asia; the Ural Mountains are considered the continental border. Elsewhere in the world Beyond Russia, the world's largest countries all have distinctive topographies and climates setting them apart. The United States, for example, has climates ranging from tundra in Alaska to tropical forests in Florida, with various mountain ranges, deserts, plains, and forests in between. Populations in these countries are often concentrated in urban areas, and are not evenly distributed across the country. For example, around 85 percent of Canada's population lives within 100 miles of the U.S. border; around 95 percent of China lives east of the Heihe–Tengchong Line that splits the country; and the majority of populations in large countries such as Australia or Brazil live near the coast.

Which county has the most Facebook users? There are more than 383 million Facebook users in India alone, making it the leading country in terms of Facebook audience size. To put this into context, if India’s Facebook audience were a country, then it would be ranked third in terms of largest population worldwide. Apart from India, there are several other markets with more than 100 million Facebook users each: The United States, Indonesia, and Brazil with 196.9 million, 122.3 million, and 111.65 million Facebook users respectively. Facebook – the most used social media Meta, the company that was previously called Facebook, owns four of the most popular social media platforms worldwide, WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, Facebook, and Instagram. As of the third quarter of 2021, there were around 3.5 billion cumulative monthly users of the company’s products worldwide. With around 2.9 billion monthly active users, Facebook is the most popular social media worldwide. With an audience of this scale, it is no surprise that the vast majority of Facebook’s revenue is generated through advertising. Facebook usage by device As of July 2021, it was found that 98.5 percent of active users accessed their Facebook account from mobile devices. In fact, almost 81.8 percent of Facebook audiences worldwide access the platform only via mobile phone. Facebook is not only available through mobile browser as the company has published several mobile apps for users to access their products and services. As of the third quarter 2021, the four core Meta products were leading the ranking of most downloaded mobile apps worldwide, with WhatsApp amassing approximately six billion downloads.

In 2023, the United States was the country worldwide with the highest total contribution of travel and tourism to GDP. That year, the total GDP contribution of travel and tourism in the U.S. amounted to **** trillion U.S. dollars, exceeding pre-pandemic levels. China and Germany followed in the ranking in 2023, with travel and tourism's total contributions to GDP of around *** trillion and *** billion U.S. dollars, respectively. Overall, the total contribution of travel and tourism to GDP worldwide reached almost ** trillion U.S. dollars in 2023. What are the most visited countries worldwide? While the U.S. and China reported the highest figures in terms of travel and tourism contribution to GDP in 2023, it was a European destination that led the ranking of countries with the highest number of inbound tourist arrivals worldwide. With *** million international arrivals in 2023, France was the most visited travel destination in the world that year, ahead of Spain, the United States, and Italy. How many people work in the global travel and tourism sector? After declining sharply due to the impact of COVID-19, the number of travel and tourism jobs worldwide bounced back in 2023, reaching around *** million, nearly catching up with pre-pandemic levels. That year, China and India were the countries with the highest travel and tourism employment worldwide.

The number of international tourist arrivals worldwide increased across all regions in 2024 over the previous year. Except for the Asia-Pacific region, inbound tourist arrivals in 2024 exceeded pre-pandemic levels. Overall, Europe reported the highest volume of inbound travelers over the period considered, with around *** million arrivals in 2024. What are the most visited countries by inbound travelers? With Europe being the most visited region by inbound travelers, it does not surprise that two European destinations top the ranking of countries with the highest number of inbound tourist arrivals worldwide. Both before and after the impact of COVID-19, France and Spain reported the most inbound tourist arrivals in the world, ahead of the United States. That said, the United States was the country with the highest international tourism receipt worldwide over the same period. What is the global economic impact of travel and tourism? According to the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC), the total contribution of travel and tourism to the gross domestic product worldwide reached just under ** trillion U.S. dollars in 2023, nearly caching up with pre-pandemic levels. This figure refers to the direct, indirect, and induced impact of the global travel and tourism sector. Meanwhile, the total number of travel and tourism jobs worldwide exceeded *** million that year.

As of February 2025, the United States was the region with the largest TikTok audience by far, with almost ****** million users engaging with the popular social video platform. Indonesia followed, with around ***** million TikTok users. Brazil came in third, with almost ***** million users on TikTok watching short-videos. From Reels to Shorts: social short video takes the internet Between 2021 and 2022 some of the most popular social media platforms have been adding short-video features on the heels of TikTok’s popularity. YouTube Shorts, which rolled out to the global market in June 2021, reached *** billion monthly active logged-in users in 2023. In comparison, Instagram’s short-video format Reels, which launched in August 2020, presented a higher view rate than regular videos on the platform between June 2021 and June 2022, as well as a higher likes rate than other content types on Instagram. TikTok business model TikTok is owned by the Beijing-based ByteDance, along with the short-video app Douyin (TikTok’s version for the Chinese market), video platform Xigua, and popular news app Toutiao. While the products intended for domestic market consumption operate in the Chinese digital ecosystem and have a plurality of established monetization methods such as a live-shopping events hosted by famous influencers, TikTok’s main revenue stream comes from online advertising. In 2022, TikTok was estimated to have generated around **** billion U.S. dollars worldwide via online advertising.

China was the country with the highest outbound tourism expenditure worldwide in 2023, with Chinese travelers spending ***** billion U.S. dollars on outbound trips that year. While this figure represented a sharp annual increase, it remained below the outbound travel expenditure recorded in 2019, the year before the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Meanwhile, the United States and Germany followed in the ranking in 2023. Has global tourism recovered from the impact of COVID-19? In 2023, the number of international tourist arrivals worldwide totaled *** billion, growing significantly over the previous year but not catching up yet with the peak in arrivals from 2019. That said, international tourism receipts worldwide exceeded pre-pandemic levels in 2023, peaking at *** trillion U.S. dollars.

What are the most popular regions for inbound tourism worldwide? Both before and after the impact of the pandemic, Europe was the global region with the highest number of international tourist arrivals. In 2023, the number of inbound arrivals in Europe surpassed *** million. Comparatively, Asia and the Pacific, which recorded the second-highest figure that year, reported around *** million inbound tourist arrivals.

Social network X/Twitter is particularly popular in the United States, and as of February 2025, the microblogging service had an audience reach of 103.9 million users in the country. Japan and the India were ranked second and third with more than 70 million and 25 million users respectively. Global Twitter usage As of the second quarter of 2021, X/Twitter had 206 million monetizable daily active users worldwide. The most-followed Twitter accounts include figures such as Elon Musk, Justin Bieber and former U.S. president Barack Obama. X/Twitter and politics X/Twitter has become an increasingly relevant tool in domestic and international politics. The platform has become a way to promote policies and interact with citizens and other officials, and most world leaders and foreign ministries have an official Twitter account. Former U.S. president Donald Trump used to be a prolific Twitter user before the platform permanently suspended his account in January 2021. During an August 2018 survey, 61 percent of respondents stated that Trump's use of Twitter as President of the United States was inappropriate.

As of 2023, India had **** billion internet users, more than any other country in the world. China ranked second, with **** billion Indians accessing the internet via any device. The United States followed with approximately *** million online users.

In the 2023 edition of the globalization index, Switzerland had the highest index score at 90.75. Belgium followed behind, with the Netherlands in third. Overall, globalization declined in 2020 due to the COVID-19 outbreak, but increased somewhat in 2021, even though it was still below pre-pandemic levels.

About the index

The KOF Index of Globalization aims to measure the rate of globalization in countries around the world. Data used to construct the 2023 edition of the index was from 2021. The index is based on three dimensions, or core sets of indicators: economic, social, and political. Via these three dimensions, the overall index of globalization tries to assess current economic flows, economic restrictions, data on information flows, data on personal contact, and data on cultural proximity within surveyed countries.

Defining globalization

Globalization is defined for this index as the process of creating networks of connections among actors at multi-continental distances, mediated through a variety of flows including people, information and ideas, capital and goods. It is a process that erodes national boundaries, integrates national economies, cultures, technologies and governance and produces complex relations of mutual interdependence.

Finland was ranked the happiest country in the world, according to the World Happiness Report from 2025. The Nordic country scored 7.74 on a scale from 0 to 10. Two other Nordic countries, Denmark and Iceland, followed in second and third place, respectively. The World Happiness Report is a landmark survey of the state of global happiness that ranks countries by how happy their citizens perceive themselves to be. Criticism The index has received criticism from different perspectives. Some argue that it is impossible to measure general happiness in a country. Others argue that the index places too much emphasis on material well-being as well as freedom from oppression. As a result, the Happy Planet Index was introduced, which takes life expectancy, experienced well-being, inequality of outcomes, and ecological footprint into account. Here, Costa Rica was ranked as the happiest country in the world. Afghanistan is the least happy country Nevertheless, most people agree that high levels of poverty, lack of access to food and water, as well as a prevalence of conflict are factors hindering public happiness. Hence, it comes as no surprise that Afghanistan was ranked as the least happy country in the world in 2024. The South Asian country is ridden by poverty and undernourishment, and topped the Global Terrorism Index in 2024.

According to a survey of global cross-border shoppers in ** countries, China was the most popular market to buy online from abroad, with ** percent of respondents stating that they shopped from Chinese e-commerce sites. Germany ranked second with ** percent, followed by the U.S. with * percent. Figures are based on the foreign markets where buyers made their most recent cross-border purchase.

As of February 2025, India was the country with the largest YouTube audience by far, with approximately 491 million users engaging with the popular social video platform. The United States followed, with around 253 million YouTube viewers. Brazil came in third, with 144 million users watching content on YouTube. The United Kingdom saw around 54.8 million internet users engaging with the platform in the examined period. What country has the highest percentage of YouTube users? In July 2024, the United Arab Emirates was the country with the highest YouTube penetration worldwide, as around 94 percent of the country's digital population engaged with the service. In 2024, YouTube counted around 100 million paid subscribers for its YouTube Music and YouTube Premium services. YouTube mobile markets In 2024, YouTube was among the most popular social media platforms worldwide. In terms of revenues, the YouTube app generated approximately 28 million U.S. dollars in revenues in the United States in January 2024, as well as 19 million U.S. dollars in Japan.