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Small nations are attracting far more international tourists relative to their population than many of the world’s most-visited countries, with Andorra leading the global ranking by a wide margin.
According to the latest data from UN Tourism, compiled by Our World in Data using World Bank population figures, Andorra receives 50.86 international tourist arrivals per resident annually—by far the highest ratio in the world.
The tiny European principality, nestled between France and Spain in the Pyrenees Mountains, welcomes around 4.2 million international visitors each year despite having a population of only about 82,000. Tourism contributes roughly 80 percent of Andorra’s economy.
Monaco ranks second with 9.01 tourist arrivals per resident, followed by Malta (6.26), Iceland (5.58) and Palau (5.28).
The top 10 countries by international tourist arrivals per resident are:
Andorra – 50.86
Monaco – 9.01
Malta – 6.26
Iceland – 5.58
Palau – 5.28
Albania – 4.83
Bahamas – 4.66
Bahrain – 4.17
Croatia – 3.97
Antigua and Barbuda – 3.52
Despite lacking its own airport, Andorra has developed into a major tourism hub. Visitors are drawn to its renowned ski resorts, mountain scenery, thermal spas and the capital, Andorra la Vella. The country’s long-standing duty-free shopping status also remains a major attraction.
The ranking highlights the importance of tourism to many small island and microstates. Malta welcomes more than six tourists for every resident, while the Bahamas, Maldives, Seychelles and Antigua and Barbuda also rely heavily on international visitors to support their economies.
Larger countries also feature prominently on the list. Croatia receives nearly four tourists per resident, while Austria and Portugal attract approximately 2.9 and 2.7 visitors per resident, respectively. Their historic cities, coastal landscapes and cultural attractions continue to draw millions of travelers each year.
The ranking measures the number of international tourist arrivals relative to a country’s resident population rather than the total number of visitors, illustrating how tourism can have an outsized economic impact on smaller nations.