China vs Japan: Passenger-kilometers by rail
China
946.50 billion million passenger-km
in 2021
Japan
263.21 billion million passenger-km
in 2020
China rank
1st
Japan rank
2nd
Passenger-kilometers by rail over time
- China
- Japan
How they compare
China currently reports 946.50 billion million passenger-km against 263.21 billion million passenger-km in Japan, a difference of 683.29 billion million passenger-km.
That makes China's figure about 3.6 times Japan's.
The two have swapped places 1 time across 26 shared years of data; in 1995 it was Japan ahead.
China ranks 1st and Japan ranks 2nd of 101 countries.
Across the 4 decades both report, China averaged higher in 3 and Japan in 1.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | China | Japan | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 362.91 billion million passenger-km | 394.31 billion million passenger-km | 31.40 billion million passenger-km | Japan |
| 2000s | 587.29 billion million passenger-km | 391.31 billion million passenger-km | 195.98 billion million passenger-km | China |
| 2010s | 1.11 trillion million passenger-km | 419.46 billion million passenger-km | 689.24 billion million passenger-km | China |
| 2020s | 328.25 billion million passenger-km | 263.21 billion million passenger-km | 65.04 billion million passenger-km | China |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher passenger-kilometers by rail, China or Japan?
- China, at 946.50 billion million passenger-km against 263.21 billion million passenger-km in Japan as of 2021.
- What is the difference in passenger-kilometers by rail between China and Japan?
- 683.29 billion million passenger-km, with China ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for China and Japan?
- 26 years are reported by both, from 1995 to 2020.
- How do China and Japan rank globally for passenger-kilometers by rail?
- China ranks 1st and Japan ranks 2nd of 101 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- International Union of Railways (UIC) and OECD, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as Passenger-kilometers by rail. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
The number of passengers transported by rail, multiplied by the kilometers traveled. This is measured in passenger-kilometers.