Tonne-kilometers of air freight in Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia: Tonne-kilometers of air freight was 1.04 billion million ton-km in 2023. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2023)
1.04 billion million ton-km
Change on year
down 27.9%
World rank
31st
of 180 countries
All-time high
2.04 billion million ton-km
in 2019
All-time low
4.50 million million ton-km
in 1970
Years of data
54
1970–2023
Tonne-kilometers of air freight in Saudi Arabia, 1970–2023
Source: International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in million ton-km.
Analysis
In 2023, tonne-kilometers of air freight in Saudi Arabia stood at 1.04 billion million ton-km.
That represents a change of down 27.9% on the previous year and down 38.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, tonne-kilometers of air freight in Saudi Arabia peaked at 2.04 billion million ton-km in 2019 and was at its lowest, 4.50 million million ton-km, in 1970.
Saudi Arabia ranks 31st of 180 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Tonne-kilometers of air freight in Saudi Arabia, year by year
| Year | million ton-km | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 4.50 million million ton-km | — |
| 1971 | 11.60 million million ton-km | +157.8% |
| 1972 | 15.10 million million ton-km | +30.2% |
| 1973 | 26.50 million million ton-km | +75.5% |
| 1974 | 35.80 million million ton-km | +35.1% |
| 1975 | 50.10 million million ton-km | +39.9% |
| 1976 | 82.60 million million ton-km | +64.9% |
| 1977 | 105.80 million million ton-km | +28.1% |
| 1978 | 136.50 million million ton-km | +29.0% |
| 1979 | 155.30 million million ton-km | +13.8% |
| 1980 | 165.50 million million ton-km | +6.6% |
| 1981 | 243.10 million million ton-km | +46.9% |
| 1982 | 353.00 million million ton-km | +45.2% |
| 1983 | 424.50 million million ton-km | +20.3% |
| 1984 | 458.80 million million ton-km | +8.1% |
| 1985 | 455.10 million million ton-km | -0.8% |
| 1986 | 437.20 million million ton-km | -3.9% |
| 1987 | 453.20 million million ton-km | +3.7% |
| 1988 | 490.00 million million ton-km | +8.1% |
| 1989 | 604.70 million million ton-km | +23.4% |
| 1990 | 609.60 million million ton-km | +0.8% |
| 1991 | 486.60 million million ton-km | -20.2% |
| 1992 | 679.20 million million ton-km | +39.6% |
| 1993 | 718.30 million million ton-km | +5.8% |
| 1994 | 809.50 million million ton-km | +12.7% |
| 1995 | 894.90 million million ton-km | +10.5% |
| 1996 | 862.80 million million ton-km | -3.6% |
| 1997 | 926.40 million million ton-km | +7.4% |
| 1998 | 934.00 million million ton-km | +0.8% |
| 1999 | 1.00 billion million ton-km | +7.1% |
| 2000 | 999.56 million million ton-km | -0.0% |
| 2001 | 799.57 million million ton-km | -20.0% |
| 2002 | 862.29 million million ton-km | +7.8% |
| 2003 | 852.45 million million ton-km | -1.1% |
| 2004 | 956.69 million million ton-km | +12.2% |
| 2005 | 1.02 billion million ton-km | +6.8% |
| 2006 | 1.07 billion million ton-km | +4.4% |
| 2007 | 1.23 billion million ton-km | +15.3% |
| 2008 | 1.38 billion million ton-km | +12.4% |
| 2009 | 1.84 billion million ton-km | +33.0% |
| 2010 | 1.32 billion million ton-km | -27.9% |
| 2011 | 1.50 billion million ton-km | +13.3% |
| 2012 | 1.82 billion million ton-km | +20.9% |
| 2013 | 1.69 billion million ton-km | -6.6% |
| 2014 | 1.60 billion million ton-km | -5.6% |
| 2015 | 826.83 million million ton-km | -48.3% |
| 2016 | 833.99 million million ton-km | +0.9% |
| 2017 | 867.64 million million ton-km | +4.0% |
| 2018 | 1.09 billion million ton-km | +25.1% |
| 2019 | 2.04 billion million ton-km | +88.2% |
| 2020 | 581.52 million million ton-km | -71.5% |
| 2021 | 678.56 million million ton-km | +16.7% |
| 2022 | 1.44 billion million ton-km | +112.0% |
| 2023 | 1.04 billion million ton-km | -27.9% |
Saudi Arabia compared with similar countries
- Saudi Arabia's 1.04 billion million ton-km is above the median for high income countries, which is 266.33 million million ton-km, 3.9× the median. (62 countries reporting)
- Saudi Arabia's 1.04 billion million ton-km is above the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is 101.35 million million ton-km, 10.2× the median. (22 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Tonne-kilometers of air freight in Saudi Arabia 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1971 | +157.8% | 4.50 million million ton-km | 11.60 million million ton-km |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 62.38 million million ton-km | 4.50 million million ton-km | 155.30 million million ton-km | 10 |
| 1980s | 408.51 million million ton-km | 165.50 million million ton-km | 604.70 million million ton-km | 10 |
| 1990s | 792.13 million million ton-km | 486.60 million million ton-km | 1.00 billion million ton-km | 10 |
| 2000s | 1.10 billion million ton-km | 799.57 million million ton-km | 1.84 billion million ton-km | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.36 billion million ton-km | 826.83 million million ton-km | 2.04 billion million ton-km | 10 |
| 2020s | 933.87 million million ton-km | 581.52 million million ton-km | 1.44 billion million ton-km | 4 |
Countries ranked near Saudi Arabia
More reference data data for Saudi Arabia
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.1847 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 1.4 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 2.44 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.1771 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 2.44 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.6194 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 0.2207 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 6.07 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 10.64 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.9641 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is tonne-kilometers of air freight in Saudi Arabia?
- Tonne-kilometers of air freight in Saudi Arabia was 1.04 billion 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 Saudi Arabia?
- The highest recorded value was 2.04 billion million ton-km in 2019.
- What is the lowest tonne-kilometers of air freight recorded in Saudi Arabia?
- The lowest recorded value was 4.50 million million ton-km in 1970.
- How does Saudi Arabia rank for tonne-kilometers of air freight?
- Saudi Arabia ranks 31st out of 180 countries with data for 2023.
- Is tonne-kilometers of air freight rising or falling in Saudi Arabia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 38.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Saudi Arabia 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.