East Asia & Pacific (IDA & IBRD): Air transport, freight (million ton-km)

Key figures

What the numbers say

In 2023, East Asia & Pacific (IDA & IBRD)'s air transport, freight (million ton-km) rose 37.2% on 2022 (from 23,634 to 32,423).

Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1993 to 2022), the average change was +6.9% and a typical year strayed about 11.8% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 2.6 standard deviations above that average, so it was unusually large compared with the rest of the record.

On record, the biggest yearly rise was 46.6% in 1975 and the biggest yearly fall was 30.3% 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 1% 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

See how every economy compares in the full ranking.

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

• Afghanistan — 0.79 (2023)
• Algeria — 8.58 (2023)
• Bahrain — 895.44 (2023)
• Egypt, Arab Rep. — 492.66 (2023)
• Iran, Islamic Rep. — 136.93 (2023)
• Iraq — 0 (2023)
• Israel — 609.66 (2023)
• Jordan — 110.06 (2023)
• Kuwait — 331.17 (2023)
• Lebanon — 34.4 (2023)
• Libya

More infrastructure data for East Asia & Pacific (IDA & IBRD)

• Mobile cellular subscriptions — 2.79 billion (2025)
• Mobile cellular subscriptions (per 100 people) — 131 (2025)
• Fixed telephone subscriptions — 185 million (2025)
• Fixed telephone subscriptions (per 100 people) — 8.7 (2025)
• Air transport, registered carrier departures worldwide — 7.11 million (2023)
• Air transport, passengers carried — 921.72 million (2023)
• ICT service exports (% of service exports, BoP) — 15.03% (2025)
• Research and development expenditure (% of GDP) — 2.48% (2023)

Reading data like this

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Questions people ask

What is East Asia & Pacific (IDA & IBRD)'s air transport, freight (million ton-km)?

32,423 in 2023, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 1974?

It is up 14,466% from 222.6 in 1974 (10.7% a year on average, compounded). The highest value was 32,423 in 2023 and the lowest 222.6 in 1974.

Is the latest change in air transport, freight (million ton-km) unusual for East Asia & Pacific (IDA & IBRD)?

In 2023, East Asia & Pacific (IDA & IBRD)'s air transport, freight (million ton-km) rose 37.2% on 2022 (from 23,634 to 32,423). Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1993 to 2022), the average change was +6.9% and a typical year strayed about 11.8% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 2.6 standard deviations above that average, so it was unusually large compared with the rest of the record.

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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