Countries Whose Citizens Travel Abroad Most Often: Where Does Indonesia Rank?

Travelling abroad requires considerable preparation, involving not only financial resources but also other factors such as language skills, a passport, and knowledge of the destination country’s conditions. A recent research report from Pew Research Center surveyed 24 countries to determine which populations travel internationally most often. The findings show that residents of European nations are the most frequent travellers, with the Netherlands and Sweden recording a near-universal rate of 99%. This indicates that almost all adults in these two countries have travelled abroad, whether for education or leisure. Germany follows at 96%, whilst 94% of adults in the United Kingdom have visited another country. High-income economies dominate the top ten rankings, demonstrating a clear link between income levels and international travel experience. In contrast, some countries report very few adults have undertaken global travel. India recorded the lowest figure, with only 3% of its population having travelled internationally. Indonesia itself registered just 6%, with 92% of respondents stating they have never left their home country. This places Indonesia second to last globally, behind India’s 95%. Japan stands out as a notable exception among high-income economies, with about 65% of Japanese adults having travelled abroad, significantly lower than the over 90% seen in several European nations. The country has a large domestic tourism market and greater geographical distance from many international destinations. Pew Research Center explains that several factors influence a country’s level of international mobility, including income levels, passport strength, visa requirements, transport infrastructure, geographical location, and historically formed travel habits. In many developing countries, overseas travel is still considered a major expense and has not become part of routine activity. Beyond measuring travel experience, the survey also examined people’s desire to visit other countries. Kenya emerged with the highest level of travel aspiration, with 81% of respondents saying they would like to visit another country if given the chance. However, a portion of the population in several countries expressed no interest in travelling abroad even if the opportunity arose. In Indonesia, 27% of respondents who had never travelled internationally said they still did not wish to visit another country, a figure higher than Brazil’s 24% but slightly lower than India’s 29%.