China vs Turkey: Number of airline passengers per year
China
619.22 million
in 2023
Turkey
125.94 million
in 2023
China rank
2nd
Turkey rank
5th
Number of airline passengers per year over time
- China
- Turkey
How they compare
China currently reports 619.22 million against 125.94 million in Turkey, a difference of 493.28 million.
That makes China's figure about 4.9 times Turkey's.
The two have swapped places 1 time across 50 shared years of data; in 1974 it was Turkey ahead.
China ranks 2nd and Turkey ranks 5th of 183 countries.
Across the 6 decades both report, China averaged higher in 5 and Turkey in 1.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | China | Turkey | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 1.32 million | 2.24 million | 917,133 | Turkey |
| 1980s | 7.65 million | 2.60 million | 5.05 million | China |
| 1990s | 39.31 million | 7.10 million | 32.20 million | China |
| 2000s | 132.25 million | 17.45 million | 114.79 million | China |
| 2010s | 436.70 million | 85.31 million | 351.39 million | China |
| 2020s | 431.88 million | 86.10 million | 345.78 million | China |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher number of airline passengers per year, China or Turkey?
- China, at 619.22 million against 125.94 million in Turkey as of 2023.
- What is the difference in number of airline passengers per year between China and Turkey?
- 493.28 million, with China ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for China and Turkey?
- 50 years are reported by both, from 1974 to 2023.
- How do China and Turkey rank globally for number of airline passengers per year?
- China ranks 2nd and Turkey ranks 5th of 183 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 Number of airline passengers per year. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
This represents the total rather than unique passenger activity: this means a person who makes multiple trips is counted multiple times.