Afghanistan: Air transport, passengers carried

Key figures

What the numbers say

In 2023, Afghanistan's air transport, passengers carried fell 10.9% on 2022 (from 1.16 million to 1.03 million).

Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1983 to 2022), the average change was +8.8% and a typical year strayed about 66.2% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.3 standard deviations below that average, so it was an ordinary year: it sits within the range of normal year-to-year movement.

On record, the biggest yearly rise was 294.7% in 2022 and the biggest yearly fall was 64.9% in 1997. The numbers show how large and when, not why; for the cause, look at what happened in that country in those years.

From 2014 to 2023 the straight-line trend is downward, about 168,407 a year. A straight line explains 64% of the movement over 10 observed years.

Worked out from the yearly values above. How the checks work: standard deviation, z-scores and straight-line trends.

How it compares

In 2023, Afghanistan had the 99th highest value of the 149 economies reporting that year. Higher is not always better: for some indicators the lowest value is the one to aim for. See the full ranking.

Closest to Afghanistan in the 2023 ranking

• Libya — 95th of 149: 1.09 million
• Turkmenistan — 96th of 149: 1.08 million
• Senegal — 97th of 149: 1.07 million
• Dominican Republic — 99th of 149: 996,238
• Sudan — 100th of 149: 911,090
• Lao PDR — 101st of 149: 842,280

What this measures

Air carrier data per country refers to passengers carried by airlines registered in that country regardless of the origin or destination of the passengers.

Limitations: While ICAO aviation data provide a globally standardized and comprehensive view of air transport activity, several limitations affect their accuracy and comparability. Data quality depends on the completeness and consistency of country reporting, which can vary due to differences in national statistical capacity, regulatory environments, and adherence to ICAO definitions. Some countries may not report all relevant data, leading ICAO to estimate missing values using historical submissions and published schedules, which can introduce uncertainty. Changes in airline registration, mergers, or operational practices may also affect the attribution of traffic statistics.

Regional and income-group figures are computed by the World Bank as a sum.

All 45 values

Air transport, passengers carried in nearby economies

• Algeria — 7.16 million (2023)
• Bahrain — 5.73 million (2023)
• Egypt, Arab Rep. — 16.67 million (2023)
• Iran, Islamic Rep. — 18.07 million (2023)
• Iraq — 3.76 million (2023)
• Israel — 7.38 million (2023)
• Jordan — 3.73 million (2023)
• Kuwait — 9.5 million (2023)
• Lebanon — 2.69 million (2023)
• Libya — 1.09 million (2023)
• Malta

More infrastructure data for Afghanistan

• Fixed telephone subscriptions — 181,963 (2023)
• Fixed telephone subscriptions (per 100 people) — 0.44 (2023)
• Mobile cellular subscriptions — 25.63 million (2024)
• Mobile cellular subscriptions (per 100 people) — 60.1 (2024)
• Air transport, registered carrier departures worldwide — 6,427 (2023)
• Air transport, freight (million ton-km) — 0.79 (2023)
• Medium and high-tech exports (% manufactured exports) — 0.34% (2024)
• Scientific and technical journal articles — 168.85 (2023)
• Individuals using the Internet (% of population) — 16.1% (2024)

Reading data like this

• Where to find free public data, and how to check it before you trust it — 2 min read
• Data analysis examples: 6 worked from one dataset — 3 min read
• Real change or random noise? A plain guide to reading your numbers — 2 min read

Questions people ask

What is Afghanistan's air transport, passengers carried?

1.03 million in 2023, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 1970?

It is up 1,118% from 84,700 in 1970 (4.83% a year on average, compounded). The highest value was 2.28 million in 2011 and the lowest 52,700 in 1998.

How does Afghanistan rank?

99th highest of 149 economies with data for 2023.

Is the latest change in air transport, passengers carried unusual for Afghanistan?

In 2023, Afghanistan's air transport, passengers carried fell 10.9% on 2022 (from 1.16 million to 1.03 million). Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1983 to 2022), the average change was +8.8% and a typical year strayed about 66.2% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.3 standard deviations below that average, so it was an ordinary year: it sits within the range of normal year-to-year movement.

Source

World Bank, World Development Indicators, indicator IS.AIR.PSGR, licensed CC BY 4.0. Original source: Civil Aviation Statistics of the World, International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), uri: https://data.icao.int/newdataplus/#:~:text=ICAO%20data%20is%20comprised%20of,information%20about%20commercial%20air%20carriers; ICAO Staff estimates, International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), uri:… Figures are fetched from the World Bank API and refreshed monthly; see the series on data.worldbank.org. The full definition and method are in the World Bank's metadata glossary. Comparisons use the same World Bank release.

Want to ask your own questions of data like this? Try AnalyzeIt: upload a file or ask about public data in plain words, and every figure comes with its working.