Air passengers in Australia

Australia: Air passengers was 68.96 million in 2023. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2023)
68.96 million
Change on year
up 23.7%
World rank
17th
of 183 countries
All-time high
76.85 million
in 2019
All-time low
7.32 million
in 1970
Years of data
54
1970–2023

Air passengers in Australia, 1970–2023

020.0M40.0M60.0M80.0M197019962023

Source: International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.

Analysis

Australia recorded 68.96 million for air passengers in 2023.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 23.7% on the previous year and up 1.1% over ten years.

Over the whole period, air passengers in Australia peaked at 76.85 million in 2019 and was at its lowest, 7.32 million, in 1970.

That places Australia 17th out of 183 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the top 10%.

The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1970s 10.09 million 7.32 million 13.02 million 10
1980s 14.66 million 12.60 million 18.82 million 10
1990s 26.87 million 17.55 million 31.58 million 10
2000s 42.99 million 32.58 million 51.49 million 10
2010s 69.57 million 60.64 million 76.85 million 10
2020s 43.15 million 23.35 million 68.96 million 4

Countries ranked near Australia

  1. 14 Germany 80.20 million compare
  2. 15 Mexico 78.76 million compare
  3. 16 South Korea 76.27 million compare
  4. 18 France 64.64 million compare
  5. 19 Hungary 55.61 million compare
  6. 20 Vietnam 55.11 million compare

See the full ranking of 183 places →

More reference data data for Australia

All data for Australia →

Frequently asked questions

What is air passengers in Australia?
Air passengers in Australia was 68.96 million in 2023, according to International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest air passengers recorded in Australia?
The highest recorded value was 76.85 million in 2019.
What is the lowest air passengers recorded in Australia?
The lowest recorded value was 7.32 million in 1970.
How does Australia rank for air passengers?
Australia ranks 17th out of 183 countries with data for 2023.
Is air passengers rising or falling in Australia?
Over the last ten years it is up 1.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this Australia data come from?
The figures come from International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Air passengers. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Download this data

CSV · JSON — 54 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).

About this data

Indicator
Air passengers
Source
International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
183 places, 7,925 data points, 1970–2023
Last refreshed

Domestic and international passengers of airlines registered in the country. Passengers counted each time they travel.