Japan vs United Kingdom: Air passengers

Japan
120.31 million
in 2023
United Kingdom
118.95 million
in 2023
Japan rank
6th
United Kingdom rank
7th

Air passengers over time

  • Japan
  • United Kingdom
050.0M100.0M150.0M197019962023

How they compare

Japan currently reports 120.31 million against 118.95 million in United Kingdom, a difference of 1.36 million.

The two have swapped places 6 times across 54 shared years of data; in 1970 it was Japan ahead.

Japan ranks 6th and United Kingdom ranks 7th of 183 countries.

Across the 6 decades both report, Japan averaged higher in 5 and United Kingdom in 1.

Head to head by decade

Decade Japan United Kingdom Difference Ahead
1970s 28.62 million 19.12 million 9.50 million Japan
1980s 52.96 million 29.84 million 23.11 million Japan
1990s 89.07 million 55.78 million 33.29 million Japan
2000s 102.06 million 87.55 million 14.51 million Japan
2010s 112.88 million 130.63 million 17.75 million United Kingdom
2020s 75.83 million 67.93 million 7.89 million Japan

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher air passengers, Japan or United Kingdom?
Japan, at 120.31 million against 118.95 million in United Kingdom as of 2023.
What is the difference in air passengers between Japan and United Kingdom?
1.36 million, with Japan ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Japan and United Kingdom?
54 years are reported by both, from 1970 to 2023.
How do Japan and United Kingdom rank globally for air passengers?
Japan ranks 6th and United Kingdom ranks 7th of 183 countries.
Where does this data come from?
International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as Air passengers. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

Individual pages

About this data

Indicator
Air passengers
Source
International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
183 places, 7,925 data points, 1970–2023
Last refreshed

Domestic and international passengers of airlines registered in the country. Passengers counted each time they travel.