Air passengers in Pakistan
Pakistan: Air passengers was 7.15 million in 2023. ▲ Rising
Air passengers in Pakistan, 1970–2023
Source: International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
Analysis
In 2023, air passengers in Pakistan stood at 7.15 million.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 3.3% on the previous year and down 8.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, air passengers in Pakistan peaked at 9.63 million in 2016 and was at its lowest, 625,200, in 1972.
That places Pakistan 55th out of 183 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 54 years of available data.
Air passengers in Pakistan, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 1.34 million | — |
| 1971 | 1.09 million | -18.7% |
| 1972 | 625,200 | -42.4% |
| 1973 | 805,200 | +28.8% |
| 1974 | 1.05 million | +30.1% |
| 1975 | 1.45 million | +38.6% |
| 1976 | 1.95 million | +34.1% |
| 1977 | 2.30 million | +18.3% |
| 1978 | 2.66 million | +15.3% |
| 1979 | 2.77 million | +4.4% |
| 1980 | 3.03 million | +9.2% |
| 1981 | 3.10 million | +2.2% |
| 1982 | 3.33 million | +7.5% |
| 1983 | 3.47 million | +4.1% |
| 1984 | 3.64 million | +5.0% |
| 1985 | 3.84 million | +5.4% |
| 1986 | 4.13 million | +7.5% |
| 1987 | 4.43 million | +7.4% |
| 1988 | 4.89 million | +10.3% |
| 1989 | 5.01 million | +2.4% |
| 1990 | 5.18 million | +3.4% |
| 1991 | 5.20 million | +0.3% |
| 1992 | 5.68 million | +9.3% |
| 1993 | 5.65 million | -0.6% |
| 1994 | 5.66 million | +0.3% |
| 1995 | 5.34 million | -5.7% |
| 1996 | 5.38 million | +0.6% |
| 1997 | 5.88 million | +9.4% |
| 1998 | 5.41 million | -8.0% |
| 1999 | 5.85 million | +8.1% |
| 2000 | 5.29 million | -9.5% |
| 2001 | 6.01 million | +13.6% |
| 2002 | 4.14 million | -31.1% |
| 2003 | 4.52 million | +9.2% |
| 2004 | 5.10 million | +12.7% |
| 2005 | 5.36 million | +5.2% |
| 2006 | 5.71 million | +6.5% |
| 2007 | 5.44 million | -4.8% |
| 2008 | 5.61 million | +3.1% |
| 2009 | 5.30 million | -5.4% |
| 2010 | 6.59 million | +24.2% |
| 2011 | 7.94 million | +20.5% |
| 2012 | 7.97 million | +0.4% |
| 2013 | 7.83 million | -1.8% |
| 2014 | 7.67 million | -2.1% |
| 2015 | 8.47 million | +10.4% |
| 2016 | 9.63 million | +13.7% |
| 2017 | 7.26 million | -24.6% |
| 2018 | 6.88 million | -5.2% |
| 2019 | 7.42 million | +7.8% |
| 2020 | 3.71 million | -50.0% |
| 2021 | 4.93 million | +32.8% |
| 2022 | 6.93 million | +40.5% |
| 2023 | 7.15 million | +3.3% |
Pakistan compared with similar countries
- Pakistan's 7.15 million is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 690,677, 10.4× the median. (45 countries reporting)
- Pakistan's 7.15 million is above the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is 6.44 million, 1.1× the median. (22 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Air passengers in Pakistan 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.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | -50.0% | 7.42 million | 3.71 million |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 1.60 million | 625,200 | 2.77 million | 10 |
| 1980s | 3.89 million | 3.03 million | 5.01 million | 10 |
| 1990s | 5.52 million | 5.18 million | 5.88 million | 10 |
| 2000s | 5.25 million | 4.14 million | 6.01 million | 10 |
| 2010s | 7.77 million | 6.59 million | 9.63 million | 10 |
| 2020s | 5.68 million | 3.71 million | 7.15 million | 4 |
Countries ranked near Pakistan
More reference data data for Pakistan
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 6.05 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 20.96 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 61.26 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 1.98 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 61.26 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 20.3 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 5.75 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 91.27 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 260 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 10.79 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is air passengers in Pakistan?
- Air passengers in Pakistan was 7.15 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 Pakistan?
- The highest recorded value was 9.63 million in 2016.
- What is the lowest air passengers recorded in Pakistan?
- The lowest recorded value was 625,200 in 1972.
- How does Pakistan rank for air passengers?
- Pakistan ranks 55th out of 183 countries with data for 2023.
- Is air passengers rising or falling in Pakistan?
- Over the last ten years it is down 8.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Pakistan 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
Domestic and international passengers of airlines registered in the country. Passengers counted each time they travel.