India: Air transport, passengers carried

Key figures

What the numbers say

In 2023, India's air transport, passengers carried rose 28.9% on 2022 (from 140 million to 180.42 million).

Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1993 to 2022), the average change was +11.1% and a typical year strayed about 20.7% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.9 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 66.7% in 2022 and the biggest yearly fall was 58.8% 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 13% 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, India had the 5th highest value of the 149 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 India in the 2023 ranking

• United States — 1st of 149: 941.56 million
• China — 2nd of 149: 619.22 million
• Ireland — 3rd of 149: 192.53 million
• Türkiye — 5th of 149: 125.94 million
• Japan — 6th of 149: 120.31 million
• United Kingdom — 7th of 149: 118.95 million

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 54 values

Air transport, passengers carried in nearby economies

• Bangladesh — 6.63 million (2023)
• Bhutan — 189,878 (2023)
• Maldives — 1.41 million (2023)
• Nepal — 4.29 million (2023)
• Sri Lanka — 3.87 million (2023)

More infrastructure data for India

• Fixed telephone subscriptions — 39.24 million (2024)
• Fixed telephone subscriptions (per 100 people) — 2.7 (2024)
• Air transport, registered carrier departures worldwide — 1.23 million (2023)
• Air transport, freight (million ton-km) — 1,807 (2023)
• Mobile cellular subscriptions — 1.15 billion (2024)
• Mobile cellular subscriptions (per 100 people) — 79.35 (2024)
• Industrial design applications, nonresident, by count — 4,210 (2024)
• Industrial design applications, resident, by count — 36,118 (2024)
• Patent applications, nonresidents — 41,940 (2024)
• Patent applications, residents

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 India's air transport, passengers carried?

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

How has it changed since 1970?

It is up 6,653% from 2.67 million in 1970 (8.27% a year on average, compounded). The highest value was 180.42 million in 2023 and the lowest 2.55 million in 1971.

How does India rank?

5th highest of 149 economies with data for 2023.

Is the latest change in air transport, passengers carried unusual for India?

In 2023, India's air transport, passengers carried rose 28.9% on 2022 (from 140 million to 180.42 million). Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1993 to 2022), the average change was +11.1% and a typical year strayed about 20.7% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.9 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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