France vs Germany: Passenger-kilometers by rail
France
86.85 billion million passenger-km
in 2021
Germany
58.82 billion million passenger-km
in 2020
France rank
6th
Germany rank
7th
Passenger-kilometers by rail over time
- France
- Germany
How they compare
France currently reports 86.85 billion million passenger-km against 58.82 billion million passenger-km in Germany, a difference of 28.03 billion million passenger-km.
That makes France's figure about 1.5 times Germany's.
The two have swapped places 1 time across 26 shared years of data; in 1995 it was Germany ahead.
France ranks 6th and Germany ranks 7th of 101 countries.
Across the 4 decades both report, France averaged higher in 3 and Germany in 1.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | France | Germany | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 71.39 billion million passenger-km | 72.31 billion million passenger-km | 928.60 million million passenger-km | Germany |
| 2000s | 91.20 billion million passenger-km | 76.64 billion million passenger-km | 14.56 billion million passenger-km | France |
| 2010s | 106.35 billion million passenger-km | 92.02 billion million passenger-km | 14.33 billion million passenger-km | France |
| 2020s | 64.86 billion million passenger-km | 58.82 billion million passenger-km | 6.04 billion million passenger-km | France |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher passenger-kilometers by rail, France or Germany?
- France, at 86.85 billion million passenger-km against 58.82 billion million passenger-km in Germany as of 2021.
- What is the difference in passenger-kilometers by rail between France and Germany?
- 28.03 billion million passenger-km, with France ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for France and Germany?
- 26 years are reported by both, from 1995 to 2020.
- How do France and Germany rank globally for passenger-kilometers by rail?
- France ranks 6th and Germany ranks 7th 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.