Tonne-kilometers of air freight in Ireland
Ireland: Tonne-kilometers of air freight was 430.49 million million ton-km in 2023. ▲ Rising
Tonne-kilometers of air freight in Ireland, 1970–2023
Source: International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in million ton-km.
Analysis
The most recent figure for tonne-kilometers of air freight in Ireland is 430.49 million million ton-km, measured in 2023. That is the highest value across all 54 years on record.
The figure is up 234.7% on the previous year and up 264.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, tonne-kilometers of air freight in Ireland peaked at 430.49 million million ton-km in 2023 and was at its lowest, 57.70 million million ton-km, in 1970.
That places Ireland 42nd out of 180 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 54 years of available data.
Tonne-kilometers of air freight in Ireland, year by year
| Year | million ton-km | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 57.70 million million ton-km | — |
| 1971 | 64.80 million million ton-km | +12.3% |
| 1972 | 78.30 million million ton-km | +20.8% |
| 1973 | 86.80 million million ton-km | +10.9% |
| 1974 | 88.20 million million ton-km | +1.6% |
| 1975 | 68.70 million million ton-km | -22.1% |
| 1976 | 74.90 million million ton-km | +9.0% |
| 1977 | 85.80 million million ton-km | +14.6% |
| 1978 | 85.70 million million ton-km | -0.1% |
| 1979 | 98.40 million million ton-km | +14.8% |
| 1980 | 89.30 million million ton-km | -9.2% |
| 1981 | 83.90 million million ton-km | -6.0% |
| 1982 | 75.80 million million ton-km | -9.7% |
| 1983 | 84.90 million million ton-km | +12.0% |
| 1984 | 98.10 million million ton-km | +15.5% |
| 1985 | 81.50 million million ton-km | -16.9% |
| 1986 | 75.00 million million ton-km | -8.0% |
| 1987 | 80.80 million million ton-km | +7.7% |
| 1988 | 95.80 million million ton-km | +18.6% |
| 1989 | 117.50 million million ton-km | +22.7% |
| 1990 | 128.30 million million ton-km | +9.2% |
| 1991 | 115.40 million million ton-km | -10.1% |
| 1992 | 109.50 million million ton-km | -5.1% |
| 1993 | 97.40 million million ton-km | -11.1% |
| 1994 | 101.20 million million ton-km | +3.9% |
| 1995 | 107.00 million million ton-km | +5.7% |
| 1996 | 102.10 million million ton-km | -4.6% |
| 1997 | 122.10 million million ton-km | +19.6% |
| 1998 | 129.60 million million ton-km | +6.1% |
| 1999 | 138.00 million million ton-km | +6.5% |
| 2000 | 167.59 million million ton-km | +21.4% |
| 2001 | 158.78 million million ton-km | -5.3% |
| 2002 | 116.06 million million ton-km | -26.9% |
| 2003 | 121.79 million million ton-km | +4.9% |
| 2004 | 124.11 million million ton-km | +1.9% |
| 2005 | 107.00 million million ton-km | -13.8% |
| 2006 | 130.50 million million ton-km | +22.0% |
| 2007 | 125.28 million million ton-km | -4.0% |
| 2008 | 122.24 million million ton-km | -2.4% |
| 2009 | 120.85 million million ton-km | -1.1% |
| 2010 | 138.47 million million ton-km | +14.6% |
| 2011 | 123.45 million million ton-km | -10.8% |
| 2012 | 123.11 million million ton-km | -0.3% |
| 2013 | 118.25 million million ton-km | -3.9% |
| 2014 | 126.17 million million ton-km | +6.7% |
| 2015 | 138.58 million million ton-km | +9.8% |
| 2016 | 118.21 million million ton-km | -14.7% |
| 2017 | 154.38 million million ton-km | +30.6% |
| 2018 | 168.71 million million ton-km | +9.3% |
| 2019 | 174.54 million million ton-km | +3.5% |
| 2020 | 131.78 million million ton-km | -24.5% |
| 2021 | 86.36 million million ton-km | -34.5% |
| 2022 | 128.64 million million ton-km | +48.9% |
| 2023 | 430.49 million million ton-km | +234.7% |
Ireland compared with similar countries
- Ireland's 430.49 million million ton-km is above the median for high income countries, which is 266.33 million million ton-km, 1.6× the median. (62 countries reporting)
- Ireland's 430.49 million million ton-km is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 62.72 million million ton-km, 6.9× the median. (49 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Tonne-kilometers of air freight in Ireland 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | +234.7% | 128.64 million million ton-km | 430.49 million million ton-km |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 78.93 million million ton-km | 57.70 million million ton-km | 98.40 million million ton-km | 10 |
| 1980s | 88.26 million million ton-km | 75.00 million million ton-km | 117.50 million million ton-km | 10 |
| 1990s | 115.06 million million ton-km | 97.40 million million ton-km | 138.00 million million ton-km | 10 |
| 2000s | 129.42 million million ton-km | 107.00 million million ton-km | 167.59 million million ton-km | 10 |
| 2010s | 138.39 million million ton-km | 118.21 million million ton-km | 174.54 million million ton-km | 10 |
| 2020s | 194.32 million million ton-km | 86.36 million million ton-km | 430.49 million million ton-km | 4 |
Countries ranked near Ireland
More reference data data for Ireland
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 1.45 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 1.19 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 4.37 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.0921 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 4.37 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 4.87 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 3.37 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 5.6 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 21.02 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.5015 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is tonne-kilometers of air freight in Ireland?
- Tonne-kilometers of air freight in Ireland was 430.49 million million ton-km in 2023, according to International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest tonne-kilometers of air freight recorded in Ireland?
- The highest recorded value was 430.49 million million ton-km in 2023.
- What is the lowest tonne-kilometers of air freight recorded in Ireland?
- The lowest recorded value was 57.70 million million ton-km in 1970.
- How does Ireland rank for tonne-kilometers of air freight?
- Ireland ranks 42nd out of 180 countries with data for 2023.
- Is tonne-kilometers of air freight rising or falling in Ireland?
- Over the last ten years it is up 264.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Ireland 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 Tonne-kilometers of air freight. 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
Air freight is the volume of freight, express, and diplomatic bags carried on each flight stage (operation of an aircraft from takeoff to its next landing), measured in metric tonnes times kilometers traveled.