IDA total: Air transport, freight (million ton-km)

Key figures

What the numbers say

In 2023, IDA total's air transport, freight (million ton-km) fell 7.7% on 2022 (from 6,269 to 5,784).

Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1993 to 2022), the average change was +6% and a typical year strayed about 11.6% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 1.2 standard deviations below 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 32.1% in 2021 and the biggest yearly fall was 16.9% in 2002. 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 upward, about 402.7 a year. A straight line explains 88% 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.

A straight-line projection, tested first

Extending that straight line gives about 6,578 for 2026. We show this only because the same method, fitted on earlier years, predicted 2021 to 2023 better than "no change" would have: its average miss was 1,419, against 1,945 for assuming no change. Treat it as a continuation of the recent pattern, not a forecast of events: it cannot see a recession, a policy change or a revision to the data.

See how a linear trend forecast works and the guide on forecasting without fooling yourself.

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 54 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 IDA total

• Fixed telephone subscriptions — 22 million (2025)
• Fixed telephone subscriptions (per 100 people) — 1.1 (2025)
• Air transport, registered carrier departures worldwide — 1.06 million (2023)
• Air transport, passengers carried — 81.07 million (2023)
• Mobile cellular subscriptions — 1.73 billion (2025)
• Mobile cellular subscriptions (per 100 people) — 87.1 (2025)
• Scientific and technical journal articles — 72,990 (2023)
• ICT goods imports (% total goods imports) — 2.75% (2023)
• ICT service exports (% of service exports, BoP) — 10.09% (2025)

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

5,784 in 2023, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 1970?

It is up 2,359% from 235.2 in 1970 (6.23% a year on average, compounded). The highest value was 6,269 in 2022 and the lowest 235.2 in 1970.

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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