99% of people from the Netherlands, Sweden have travelled abroad. Indians are at the other end

There is no doubt that Indians love travelling – one only needs to check the flight, train and hotel listings to figure that out. However, when it comes to travelling abroad, Indians are at the far end.

According to data by Visual Capitalist that sourced it from Pew Research Center, 99 per cent of the citizens from two countries, the Netherlands and Sweden, have travelled abroad. When it comes to Indians, the figure is a lowly 3 per cent.

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This is not just a choice or a lifestyle decision, this has deep roots in the financial resources of the travellers. The data shows that international travel is more common in high-income economies, even though geography and access to nearby countries also shape the results.

In some countries like the Netherlands and Sweden (99 per cent), Germany (96 per cent), UK (94 per cent), Canada (92 per cent) and France (90 per cent), almost everyone has crossed an international border. However in countries like India (3 per cent), Indonesia (6 per cent), and Nigeria (9 per cent), international travel remains relatively uncommon.

High income economies occupy all of the top 16 spots in the ranking, thereby establishing a correlation between higher income levels and international travel. Income levels are based on the World Bank’s 2024-2025 country income classifications.

Meanwhile, all of the eight countries where fewer than half of the adults have travelled abroad are classified as lower-middle or upper-middle income economies, showed the data.

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Geography also plays a key role. For instance, European citizens benefit from relatively short distances between nations and extensive cross-border transportation networks. Hence, Europe dominates the top end of the ranking.

There are exceptions too – Japan and the US. Both are high-income economies but 65 per cent of Japanese adults and 76 per cent of Americans have travelled abroad, which is notably less than the European countries. The other factors also play a part here. Both have large domestic tourism markets and greater geographical separation from international borders.