Air passengers in Ecuador

Ecuador: Air passengers was 4.57 million in 2023. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2023)
4.57 million
Change on year
up 42.2%
World rank
63rd
of 183 countries
All-time high
5.68 million
in 2015
All-time low
362,200
in 1974
Years of data
54
1970–2023

Air passengers in Ecuador, 1970–2023

02.0M4.0M6.0M197019962023

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

Analysis

In 2023, air passengers in Ecuador stood at 4.57 million.

That represents a change of up 42.2% on the previous year and down 11.4% over ten years.

Over the whole period, air passengers in Ecuador peaked at 5.68 million in 2015 and was at its lowest, 362,200, in 1974.

Ecuador ranks 63rd of 183 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.

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

Air passengers in Ecuador, year by year

Annual values for Air passengers in Ecuador, 1970 to 2023.
Year Value Change
1970 419,500
1971 457,500 +9.1%
1972 437,800 -4.3%
1973 380,200 -13.2%
1974 362,200 -4.7%
1975 448,100 +23.7%
1976 463,300 +3.4%
1977 528,600 +14.1%
1978 593,300 +12.2%
1979 632,900 +6.7%
1980 701,000 +10.8%
1981 691,700 -1.3%
1982 676,300 -2.2%
1983 618,000 -8.6%
1984 634,000 +2.6%
1985 664,200 +4.8%
1986 697,200 +5.0%
1987 692,000 -0.7%
1988 683,700 -1.2%
1989 741,800 +8.5%
1990 762,500 +2.8%
1991 752,300 -1.3%
1992 1.47 million +95.9%
1993 2.12 million +44.0%
1994 2.12 million -0.2%
1995 1.67 million -21.1%
1996 1.93 million +15.2%
1997 1.79 million -7.0%
1998 1.92 million +7.2%
1999 1.39 million -27.7%
2000 1.32 million -4.9%
2001 1.28 million -2.5%
2002 1.18 million -7.8%
2003 1.52 million +28.5%
2004 1.83 million +20.2%
2005 2.01 million +10.0%
2006 2.11 million +4.9%
2007 2.63 million +24.7%
2008 2.93 million +11.3%
2009 2.90 million -1.0%
2010 4.82 million +66.3%
2011 4.71 million -2.2%
2012 4.76 million +0.9%
2013 5.16 million +8.4%
2014 5.68 million +10.0%
2015 5.68 million +0.0%
2016 5.10 million -10.2%
2017 5.12 million +0.4%
2018 5.37 million +4.8%
2019 4.83 million -10.0%
2020 1.15 million -76.3%
2021 1.53 million +33.9%
2022 3.21 million +109.3%
2023 4.57 million +42.2%

Ecuador compared with similar countries

  • Ecuador's 4.57 million is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 1.37 million, 3.3× the median. (52 countries reporting)
  • Ecuador's 4.57 million is above the median for Latin America & Caribbean, which is 1.23 million, 3.7× the median. (28 countries reporting)

Biggest year-on-year movements

Years where Air passengers in Ecuador changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.

YearChange FromTo
2022 +109.3% 1.53 million 3.21 million
1992 +95.9% 752,300 1.47 million
2020 -76.3% 4.83 million 1.15 million

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1970s 472,340 362,200 632,900 10
1980s 679,990 618,000 741,800 10
1990s 1.59 million 752,300 2.12 million 10
2000s 1.97 million 1.18 million 2.93 million 10
2010s 5.12 million 4.71 million 5.68 million 10
2020s 2.62 million 1.15 million 4.57 million 4

Countries ranked near Ecuador

  1. 60 Nigeria 5.27 million compare
  2. 61 Kenya 5.14 million compare
  3. 62 Uzbekistan 4.85 million compare
  4. 64 Latvia 4.48 million compare
  5. 65 Iceland 4.34 million compare
  6. 66 Nepal 4.29 million compare

See the full ranking of 183 places →

More reference data data for Ecuador

All data for Ecuador →

Frequently asked questions

What is air passengers in Ecuador?
Air passengers in Ecuador was 4.57 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 Ecuador?
The highest recorded value was 5.68 million in 2015.
What is the lowest air passengers recorded in Ecuador?
The lowest recorded value was 362,200 in 1974.
How does Ecuador rank for air passengers?
Ecuador ranks 63rd out of 183 countries with data for 2023.
Is air passengers rising or falling in Ecuador?
Over the last ten years it is down 11.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this Ecuador 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.

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Air passengers in Ecuador. Statizoid, drawing on International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Retrieved 22 September 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/stat/air-passengers-carried/ecuador/

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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.