China vs United States: Tonne-kilometers of air freight, per unit of GDP

China
0.0014 million ton-km per US$ of GDP
in 2023
United States
0.0015 million ton-km per US$ of GDP
in 2023
China rank
48th
United States rank
46th

Tonne-kilometers of air freight, per unit of GDP over time

  • China
  • United States
00.0010.0020.0030.0040.005197019962023

How they compare

United States currently reports 0.0015 million ton-km per US$ of GDP against 0.0014 million ton-km per US$ of GDP in China, a difference of 0.0001 million ton-km per US$ of GDP.

That makes United States's figure about 1.1 times China's.

The two have swapped places 8 times across 50 shared years of data; in 1974 it was United States ahead.

China ranks 48th and United States ranks 46th of 179 countries.

Across the 6 decades both report, China averaged higher in 1 and United States in 5.

Head to head by decade

Decade China United States Difference Ahead
1970s 0.0004 million ton-km per US$ of GDP 0.0039 million ton-km per US$ of GDP 0.0035 million ton-km per US$ of GDP United States
1980s 0.0014 million ton-km per US$ of GDP 0.0026 million ton-km per US$ of GDP 0.0012 million ton-km per US$ of GDP United States
1990s 0.0026 million ton-km per US$ of GDP 0.0026 million ton-km per US$ of GDP 0 million ton-km per US$ of GDP United States
2000s 0.003 million ton-km per US$ of GDP 0.0028 million ton-km per US$ of GDP 0.0002 million ton-km per US$ of GDP China
2010s 0.0019 million ton-km per US$ of GDP 0.0022 million ton-km per US$ of GDP 0.0003 million ton-km per US$ of GDP United States
2020s 0.0012 million ton-km per US$ of GDP 0.0018 million ton-km per US$ of GDP 0.0006 million ton-km per US$ of GDP United States

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher tonne-kilometers of air freight, per unit of gdp, China or United States?
United States, at 0.0015 million ton-km per US$ of GDP against 0.0014 million ton-km per US$ of GDP in China as of 2023.
What is the difference in tonne-kilometers of air freight, per unit of gdp between China and United States?
0.0001 million ton-km per US$ of GDP, with United States ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for China and United States?
50 years are reported by both, from 1974 to 2023.
How do China and United States rank globally for tonne-kilometers of air freight, per unit of gdp?
China ranks 48th and United States ranks 46th of 179 countries.
Where does this data come from?
Statizoid (derived), published as Tonne-kilometers of air freight, per unit of GDP. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

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China vs United States: Tonne-kilometers of air freight, per unit of GDP. Statizoid, drawing on Statizoid (derived). Retrieved 21 September 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/compare/tonne-kilometers-of-air-freight-per-unit-of-gdp/china/united-states/

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About this data

Indicator
Tonne-kilometers of air freight, per unit of GDP
Unit
million ton-km per US$ of GDP
Source
Statizoid (derived)
Licence
Derived by Statizoid from the sources named on the page
Coverage
179 places, 7,236 data points, 1970–2023
Last refreshed

Tonne-kilometers of air freight divided by GDP (current US$), matched on country and year. Neither publisher issues this ratio as a series; it is computed here from both.