China: Air transport, freight (million ton-km)

Key figures

What the numbers say

In 2023, China's air transport, freight (million ton-km) rose 38% on 2022 (from 18,964 to 26,170).

Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1993 to 2022), the average change was +10.3% and a typical year strayed about 14.9% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 1.9 standard deviations above that average, so it was larger than a typical year, though not out of the range seen before.

On record, the biggest yearly rise was 58.2% in 1975 and the biggest yearly fall was 24.1% in 2020. 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 there is no clear straight-line trend: a straight line explains 11% of the movement over 10 observed years, so the value is moving around more than it is heading anywhere.

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

How it compares

In 2023, China had the 3rd highest value of the 160 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 China in the 2023 ranking

• United States — 1st of 160: 42,763
• Qatar — 3rd of 160: 13,927
• United Arab Emirates — 4th of 160: 13,566
• Germany — 5th of 160: 12,767

What this measures

Air freight is the volume of freight, express, and diplomatic bags carried on each flight stage (operation of an aircraft from takeoff to its next landing), measured in metric tons times kilometers traveled.

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 50 values

Air transport, freight (million ton-km) in nearby economies

• Australia — 1,188 (2023)
• Brunei Darussalam — 45.91 (2023)
• Cambodia — 2.44 (2023)
• Fiji — 156.08 (2023)
• Hong Kong SAR, China — 8,638 (2023)
• Indonesia — 870.51 (2023)
• Japan — 8,474 (2023)
• Kiribati — 0.35 (2023)
• Korea, Dem. People's Rep. — 0.0075 (2023)
• Korea, Rep. — 12,294 (2023)
• Lao PDR

More infrastructure data for China

• Mobile cellular subscriptions — 1.87 billion (2024)
• Mobile cellular subscriptions (per 100 people) — 131.75 (2024)
• Air transport, registered carrier departures worldwide — 4.91 million (2023)
• Air transport, passengers carried — 619.22 million (2023)
• Fixed telephone subscriptions — 166.51 million (2024)
• Fixed telephone subscriptions (per 100 people) — 11.73 (2024)
• ICT service exports (BoP, current US$) — US$73.61 billion (2025)
• ICT service exports (% of service exports, BoP) — 19.14% (2025)
• Industrial design applications, nonresident, by count — 22,096 (2024)
• Industrial design applications, resident, by count

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 China's air transport, freight (million ton-km)?

26,170 in 2023, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 1974?

It is up 89,525% from 29.2 in 1974 (14.88% a year on average, compounded). The highest value was 26,170 in 2023 and the lowest 29.2 in 1974.

How does China rank?

3rd highest of 160 economies with data for 2023.

Is the latest change in air transport, freight (million ton-km) unusual for China?

In 2023, China's air transport, freight (million ton-km) rose 38% on 2022 (from 18,964 to 26,170). Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1993 to 2022), the average change was +10.3% and a typical year strayed about 14.9% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 1.9 standard deviations above that average, so it was larger than a typical year, though not out of the range seen before.

Source

World Bank, World Development Indicators, indicator IS.AIR.GOOD.MT.K1, 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.

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