Europe & Central Asia: Air transport, passengers carried

Key figures

What the numbers say

In 2023, Europe & Central Asia's air transport, passengers carried rose 18.8% on 2022 (from 928.96 million to 1.1 billion).

Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1993 to 2022), the average change was +6.2% and a typical year strayed about 20.3% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.6 standard deviations above 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 77.2% in 2022 and the biggest yearly fall was 67.5% 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 3% 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 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 33 values

Air transport, passengers carried in nearby economies

• Afghanistan — 1.03 million (2023)
• 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

More infrastructure data for Europe & Central Asia

• Fixed telephone subscriptions — 217 million (2025)
• Fixed telephone subscriptions (per 100 people) — 23.3 (2025)
• Mobile cellular subscriptions — 1.25 billion (2025)
• Mobile cellular subscriptions (per 100 people) — 134.6 (2025)
• Industrial design applications, nonresident, by count — 152,016 (2024)
• Industrial design applications, resident, by count — 263,560 (2024)
• Patent applications, nonresidents — 161,435 (2024)
• Patent applications, residents — 214,026 (2024)
• ICT service exports (% of service exports, BoP)

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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• Real change or random noise? A plain guide to reading your numbers — 2 min read

Questions people ask

What is Europe & Central Asia's air transport, passengers carried?

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

How has it changed since 1991?

It is up 222.48% from 342.31 million in 1991 (3.73% a year on average, compounded). The highest value was 1.18 billion in 2019 and the lowest 290.82 million in 1993.

Is the latest change in air transport, passengers carried unusual for Europe & Central Asia?

In 2023, Europe & Central Asia's air transport, passengers carried rose 18.8% on 2022 (from 928.96 million to 1.1 billion). Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1993 to 2022), the average change was +6.2% and a typical year strayed about 20.3% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.6 standard deviations above 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.

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