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

Key figures

Since 1996 it is down 99.6% from 1.5 in 1996 (18.52% a year on average, compounded). The World Bank has no value for 5 of the years in between; the chart leaves those gaps open rather than joining across them.

What the numbers say

In 2023, Samoa's air transport, freight (million ton-km) fell 0.00129 on 2022 (from 0.00725 to 0.00595).

Across the 19 yearly changes before that (1997 to 2022), the average change was +0.00822 and a typical year strayed about 2.25 from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.0 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 6.3 in 1997 and the biggest yearly fall was 7 in 1998. 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 downward, about 0.0012 a year. A straight line explains 35% of the movement over 9 observed 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, Samoa had the 137th 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 Samoa in the 2023 ranking

• Czechia — 134th of 160: 0.04
• Cameroon — 135th of 160: 0.02
• Korea, Dem. People's Rep. — 136th of 160: 0.0075
• Albania — 138th of 160: 0
• Antigua and Barbuda — 139th of 160: 0
• Bosnia and Herzegovina — 140th 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 23 values

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

• Australia — 1,188 (2023)
• Brunei Darussalam — 45.91 (2023)
• Cambodia — 2.44 (2023)
• China — 26,170 (2023)
• Fiji — 156.08 (2023)
• Hong Kong SAR, China — 8,638 (2023)
• Indonesia — 870.51 (2023)
• Japan — 8,474 (2023)
• Kiribati — 0.35 (2023)
• Korea, Dem. People's Rep. — 0.0075 (2023)
• Korea, Rep.

More infrastructure data for Samoa

• Mobile cellular subscriptions — 134,320 (2022)
• Mobile cellular subscriptions (per 100 people) — 62.4 (2022)
• Fixed telephone subscriptions — 4,567 (2022)
• Fixed telephone subscriptions (per 100 people) — 2.12 (2022)
• Scientific and technical journal articles — 21.85 (2023)
• Air transport, registered carrier departures worldwide — 3,540 (2023)
• Air transport, passengers carried — 42,120 (2023)
• ICT goods imports (% total goods imports) — 3.27% (2024)
• ICT goods exports (% of total goods exports) — 3.43% (2024)
• ICT service exports (BoP, current US$)

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

0.00595 in 2023, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 1996?

It is down 99.6% from 1.5 in 1996 (18.52% a year on average, compounded). The highest value was 7.8 in 1997 and the lowest 0 in 2018.

How does Samoa rank?

137th highest of 160 economies with data for 2023.

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

In 2023, Samoa's air transport, freight (million ton-km) fell 0.00129 on 2022 (from 0.00725 to 0.00595). Across the 19 yearly changes before that (1997 to 2022), the average change was +0.00822 and a typical year strayed about 2.25 from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.0 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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