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

Key figures

Over five years it is down 100% from 0.06 in 2018. Since 1978 it is down 100% from 0.1 in 1978. The World Bank has no value for 17 of the years in between; the chart leaves those gaps open rather than joining across them.

What the numbers say

In 2023, Eswatini's air transport, freight (million ton-km) fell 0.03 on 2022 (from 0.03 to 0).

Across the 26 yearly changes before that (1979 to 2022), the average change was +0.00501 and a typical year strayed about 0.05 from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.7 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 0.1 in 1985 and the biggest yearly fall was 0.1 in 1991. The numbers show how large and when, not why; for the cause, look at what happened in that country in those 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, Eswatini had the 138th 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 Eswatini in the 2023 ranking

• Congo, Rep. — 141st of 160: 0
• Dominican Republic — 142nd of 160: 0
• Estonia — 143rd of 160: 0
• Gambia, The — 145th of 160: 0
• Ghana — 146th of 160: 0
• Guyana — 147th of 160: 0

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 29 values

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

• Angola — 70.71 (2023)
• Benin — 0.00644 (2016)
• Botswana — 0.28 (2023)
• Burkina Faso — 1.47 (2023)
• Cabo Verde — 0.09 (2023)
• Cameroon — 0.02 (2023)
• Congo, Dem. Rep. — 0.48 (2023)
• Congo, Rep. — 0 (2023)
• Côte d'Ivoire — 3.1 (2023)
• Equatorial Guinea — 0.8 (2023)
• Ethiopia

More infrastructure data for Eswatini

• Fixed telephone subscriptions — 35,641 (2024)
• Fixed telephone subscriptions (per 100 people) — 2.87 (2024)
• Mobile cellular subscriptions — 1.74 million (2024)
• Mobile cellular subscriptions (per 100 people) — 139.83 (2024)
• ICT service exports (BoP, current US$) — US$10.96 million (2025)
• ICT service exports (% of service exports, BoP) — 3.51% (2025)
• Medium and high-tech exports (% manufactured exports) — 19.25% (2024)
• Air transport, registered carrier departures worldwide — 2,599 (2023)
• Air transport, passengers carried — 34,663 (2023)

Reading data like this

• Where to find free public data, and how to check it before you trust it — 2 min read
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Questions people ask

What is Eswatini's air transport, freight (million ton-km)?

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

How has it changed since 1978?

It is down 100% from 0.1 in 1978. The highest value was 0.26 in 2000 and the lowest 0 in 2023.

How does Eswatini rank?

138th highest of 160 economies with data for 2023.

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

In 2023, Eswatini's air transport, freight (million ton-km) fell 0.03 on 2022 (from 0.03 to 0). Across the 26 yearly changes before that (1979 to 2022), the average change was +0.00501 and a typical year strayed about 0.05 from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.7 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.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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