China vs Germany: Tonne-kilometers of air freight
China
26.17 billion million ton-km
in 2023
Germany
12.77 billion million ton-km
in 2023
China rank
2nd
Germany rank
5th
Tonne-kilometers of air freight over time
- China
- Germany
How they compare
China currently reports 26.17 billion million ton-km against 12.77 billion million ton-km in Germany, a difference of 13.40 billion million ton-km.
That makes China's figure about 2.0 times Germany's.
The two have swapped places 1 time across 50 shared years of data; in 1974 it was Germany ahead.
China ranks 2nd and Germany ranks 5th of 180 countries.
Across the 6 decades both report, China averaged higher in 2 and Germany in 4.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | China | Germany | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 65.57 million million ton-km | 1.16 billion million ton-km | 1.10 billion million ton-km | Germany |
| 1980s | 391.14 million million ton-km | 2.45 billion million ton-km | 2.06 billion million ton-km | Germany |
| 1990s | 1.75 billion million ton-km | 5.33 billion million ton-km | 3.59 billion million ton-km | Germany |
| 2000s | 7.56 billion million ton-km | 7.96 billion million ton-km | 399.23 million million ton-km | Germany |
| 2010s | 19.85 billion million ton-km | 7.45 billion million ton-km | 12.40 billion million ton-km | China |
| 2020s | 21.34 billion million ton-km | 11.58 billion million ton-km | 9.76 billion million ton-km | China |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher tonne-kilometers of air freight, China or Germany?
- China, at 26.17 billion million ton-km against 12.77 billion million ton-km in Germany as of 2023.
- What is the difference in tonne-kilometers of air freight between China and Germany?
- 13.40 billion million ton-km, with China ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for China and Germany?
- 50 years are reported by both, from 1974 to 2023.
- How do China and Germany rank globally for tonne-kilometers of air freight?
- China ranks 2nd and Germany ranks 5th of 180 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), via World Bank (2026) β processed by Our World in Data, published as Tonne-kilometers of air freight. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
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 tonnes times kilometers traveled.