Railways, passengers carried (million passenger-km) by country
Passengers carried by railway are the number of passengers transported by rail multiplied by kilometers traveled.
Countries reporting
101
Highest
946,499 million passenger-km
China
Lowest
0.068 million passenger-km
Eswatini
Median
870 million passenger-km
Years covered
27
1995–2021
Data points
2,650
What the numbers show
Railways, passengers carried (million passenger-km) is currently reported for 101 countries. The highest value is 946,499 million passenger-km in China; the lowest is 0.068 million passenger-km in Eswatini.
The median across all reporting countries is 870 million passenger-km, and the mean is 21,844 million passenger-km.
Over the past decade 23 countries rose and 75 fell. The largest increase was in Jordan (up 43,073.8%), and the largest decrease in Albania (down 95.5%).
Railways, passengers carried: full country ranking
| # | Country | Latest | Year | 10-year change | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | China | 946,499 million passenger-km | 2021 | up 2.7% | rising |
| 2 | Japan | 263,211 million passenger-km | 2020 | down 33.1% | flat |
| 3 | India | 231,126 million passenger-km | 2021 | down 76.4% | rising |
| 4 | Russia | 103,447 million passenger-km | 2021 | down 26.0% | falling |
| 5 | South Korea | 100,381 million passenger-km | 2019 | up 80.9% | rising |
| 6 | France | 86,853 million passenger-km | 2021 | down 17.7% | rising |
| 7 | Germany | 58,822 million passenger-km | 2020 | down 29.9% | rising |
| 8 | Egypt | 40,837 million passenger-km | 2008 | down 37.0% | falling |
| 9 | Indonesia | 29,066 million passenger-km | 2019 | up 47.0% | rising |
| 10 | Italy | 27,693 million passenger-km | 2021 | down 40.9% | flat |
| 11 | Pakistan | 24,903 million passenger-km | 2018 | up 0.7% | rising |
| 12 | United Kingdom | 24,188 million passenger-km | 2020 | down 61.6% | rising |
| 13 | Spain | 17,002 million passenger-km | 2021 | down 25.4% | rising |
| 14 | Brazil | 16,486 million passenger-km | 2019 | up 8.5% | rising |
| 15 | Poland | 15,844 million passenger-km | 2021 | down 12.8% | falling |
| 16 | Switzerland | 14,308 million passenger-km | 2021 | down 26.5% | rising |
| 17 | United States | 12,460 million passenger-km | 2020 | down 60.9% | rising |
| 18 | Iran | 11,231 million passenger-km | 2021 | down 37.2% | rising |
| 19 | Netherlands | 10,900 million passenger-km | 2021 | down 33.9% | rising |
| 20 | Ukraine | 10,696 million passenger-km | 2020 | down 78.7% | falling |
| 21 | Turkey | 10,683 million passenger-km | 2021 | up 50.0% | rising |
| 22 | Bangladesh | 10,040 million passenger-km | 2016 | up 141.1% | rising |
| 23 | Australia | 9,328 million passenger-km | 2021 | down 38.9% | rising |
| 24 | Kazakhstan | 8,649 million passenger-km | 2020 | down 45.3% | rising |
| 25 | Austria | 8,433 million passenger-km | 2021 | down 22.5% | rising |
| 26 | Argentina | 8,361 million passenger-km | 2017 | down 4.1% | falling |
| 27 | Sweden | 8,008 million passenger-km | 2021 | down 29.6% | rising |
| 28 | Sri Lanka | 7,407 million passenger-km | 2015 | up 70.0% | rising |
| 29 | Belgium | 6,970 million passenger-km | 2021 | down 36.7% | rising |
| 30 | Czechia | 6,820 million passenger-km | 2021 | up 1.6% | rising |
| 31 | Denmark | 6,560 million passenger-km | 2018 | up 1.3% | rising |
| 32 | Thailand | 6,020 million passenger-km | 2017 | down 25.1% | falling |
| 33 | Romania | 5,906 million passenger-km | 2019 | down 3.6% | falling |
| 34 | Hungary | 5,435 million passenger-km | 2021 | down 30.4% | falling |
| 35 | Belarus | 4,486 million passenger-km | 2021 | down 43.5% | falling |
| 36 | Morocco | 4,464 million passenger-km | 2021 | down 7.4% | rising |
| 37 | Myanmar | 4,163 million passenger-km | 2004 | down 0.4% | rising |
| 38 | South Africa | 3,502 million passenger-km | 2020 | down 74.7% | volatile |
| 39 | Uzbekistan | 3,130 million passenger-km | 2021 | up 3.5% | rising |
| 40 | Portugal | 2,912 million passenger-km | 2021 | down 29.7% | falling |
| 41 | Finland | 2,903 million passenger-km | 2021 | down 25.2% | rising |
| 42 | Turkmenistan | 2,340 million passenger-km | 2017 | up 49.0% | rising |
| 43 | Slovakia | 2,052 million passenger-km | 2021 | down 15.6% | flat |
| 44 | Israel | 1,956 million passenger-km | 2021 | up 1.5% | volatile |
| 45 | Norway | 1,780 million passenger-km | 2021 | down 42.1% | flat |
| 46 | Vietnam | 1,516 million passenger-km | 2020 | down 65.4% | rising |
| 47 | Cuba | 1,285 million passenger-km | 2007 | down 34.5% | falling |
| 48 | Syria | 1,223 million passenger-km | 2013 | up 132.1% | volatile |
| 49 | Bulgaria | 1,205 million passenger-km | 2021 | down 41.7% | falling |
| 50 | Malaysia | 929.34 million passenger-km | 2020 | down 61.5% | rising |
| 51 | Ireland | 870 million passenger-km | 2021 | down 46.9% | rising |
| 52 | New Zealand | 802.03 million passenger-km | 2020 | — | rising |
| 53 | Chile | 738 million passenger-km | 2021 | down 13.3% | rising |
| 54 | Greece | 653 million passenger-km | 2021 | down 31.8% | falling |
| 55 | Tunisia | 633.33 million passenger-km | 2021 | down 43.1% | falling |
| 56 | Slovenia | 542 million passenger-km | 2021 | down 29.9% | falling |
| 57 | Croatia | 540 million passenger-km | 2021 | down 63.7% | falling |
| 58 | Canada | 536 million passenger-km | 2021 | down 61.8% | falling |
| 59 | Jordan | 503.54 million passenger-km | 2010 | up 43,073.8% | volatile |
| 60 | Tanzania | 475 million passenger-km | 2006 | down 18.9% | falling |
| 61 | Mexico | 466 million passenger-km | 2021 | down 47.7% | volatile |
| 62 | Philippines | 384 million passenger-km | 2016 | up 362.7% | volatile |
| 63 | Latvia | 360.8 million passenger-km | 2021 | down 51.3% | falling |
| 64 | Algeria | 348 million passenger-km | 2020 | down 66.7% | falling |
| 65 | Lithuania | 329 million passenger-km | 2021 | down 15.4% | falling |
| 66 | Luxembourg | 304 million passenger-km | 2021 | down 12.9% | rising |
| 67 | Estonia | 290 million passenger-km | 2021 | up 20.3% | rising |
| 68 | Georgia | 273.27 million passenger-km | 2021 | down 57.4% | rising |
| 69 | Congo | 266.47 million passenger-km | 2012 | up 250.6% | flat |
| 70 | Mozambique | 246.8 million passenger-km | 2011 | up 73.8% | falling |
| 71 | Cameroon | 225.37 million passenger-km | 2020 | down 51.4% | falling |
| 72 | Mali | 196.3 million passenger-km | 2002 | down 22.8% | falling |
| 73 | Serbia | 191 million passenger-km | 2021 | down 64.7% | volatile |
| 74 | Nigeria | 173.63 million passenger-km | 2005 | down 63.8% | falling |
| 75 | Djibouti | 145 million passenger-km | 2005 | down 3.3% | falling |
| 76 | Saudi Arabia | 134.65 million passenger-km | 2018 | down 60.0% | falling |
| 77 | Senegal | 129 million passenger-km | 2006 | up 25.2% | rising |
| 78 | Kenya | 109.24 million passenger-km | 2007 | down 72.2% | falling |
| 79 | Azerbaijan | 104 million passenger-km | 2021 | down 84.2% | falling |
| 80 | Iraq | 99.68 million passenger-km | 2010 | down 73.7% | volatile |
| 81 | Botswana | 94 million passenger-km | 2006 | down 1.9% | rising |
| 82 | Mongolia | 91 million passenger-km | 2021 | down 93.5% | falling |
| 83 | Gabon | 87 million passenger-km | 2020 | down 21.6% | rising |
| 84 | Ghana | 85 million passenger-km | 2006 | down 59.7% | falling |
| 85 | Sudan | 81.5 million passenger-km | 2014 | up 154.7% | volatile |
| 86 | Benin | 66 million passenger-km | 2003 | down 44.1% | falling |
| 87 | Armenia | 55 million passenger-km | 2017 | up 129.2% | falling |
| 88 | Cambodia | 45 million passenger-km | 2005 | up 16.6% | flat |
| 89 | Montenegro | 27.8 million passenger-km | 2020 | down 69.3% | falling |
| 90 | North Macedonia | 25.35 million passenger-km | 2021 | down 82.5% | falling |
| 91 | Moldova | 23.3 million passenger-km | 2021 | down 93.6% | volatile |
| 92 | Tajikistan | 21.7 million passenger-km | 2020 | down 33.8% | volatile |
| 93 | Kyrgyzstan | 21 million passenger-km | 2021 | down 74.6% | falling |
| 94 | Bosnia and Herzegovina | 15 million passenger-km | 2020 | down 74.6% | rising |
| 95 | Cote d'Ivoire | 10 million passenger-km | 2003 | down 93.8% | falling |
| 95 | Madagascar | 10 million passenger-km | 2007 | down 79.6% | volatile |
| 97 | Uruguay | 8 million passenger-km | 2015 | down 33.3% | falling |
| 98 | Democratic Republic of Congo | 7.25 million passenger-km | 2021 | down 70.6% | volatile |
| 99 | Zambia | 4.18 million passenger-km | 2018 | — | volatile |
| 100 | Albania | 0.812 million passenger-km | 2021 | down 95.5% | volatile |
| 101 | Eswatini | 0.068 million passenger-km | 2011 | — | volatile |
Regions and income groups
Aggregates are excluded from the country ranking above so that a region can never outrank a country.
- South Asia 576,540 million passenger-km
- South Asia (IDA & IBRD) 576,540 million passenger-km
- East Asia & Pacific 10,789 million passenger-km
- Post-demographic dividend 5,435 million passenger-km
- East Asia & Pacific (IDA & IBRD countries) 4,838 million passenger-km
- East Asia & Pacific (excluding high income) 4,234 million passenger-km
- European Union 2,912 million passenger-km
- OECD members 2,912 million passenger-km
- High income 2,908 million passenger-km
- Europe & Central Asia 2,478 million passenger-km
- World 2,344 million passenger-km
- IBRD only 2,200 million passenger-km
About this data
Passengers carried by railway are the number of passengers transported by rail multiplied by kilometers traveled.