Passenger-kilometers by rail in France
France: Passenger-kilometers by rail was 86.85 billion million passenger-km in 2021. ▲ Rising
Latest (2021)
86.85 billion million passenger-km
Change on year
up 33.9%
World rank
6th
of 101 countries
All-time high
112.38 billion million passenger-km
in 2019
All-time low
64.44 billion million passenger-km
in 1995
Years of data
27
1995–2021
Passenger-kilometers by rail in France, 1995–2021
Source: International Union of Railways (UIC) and OECD, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in million passenger-km.
Analysis
In 2021, passenger-kilometers by rail in France stood at 86.85 billion million passenger-km.
The figure is up 33.9% on the previous year and down 17.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, passenger-kilometers by rail in France peaked at 112.38 billion million passenger-km in 2019 and was at its lowest, 64.44 billion million passenger-km, in 1995.
France ranks 6th of 101 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 27 years of available data.
Passenger-kilometers by rail in France, year by year
| Year | million passenger-km | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1995 | 64.44 billion million passenger-km | — |
| 1996 | 69.18 billion million passenger-km | +7.4% |
| 1997 | 71.02 billion million passenger-km | +2.6% |
| 1998 | 75.17 billion million passenger-km | +5.9% |
| 1999 | 77.11 billion million passenger-km | +2.6% |
| 2000 | 82.25 billion million passenger-km | +6.7% |
| 2001 | 84.18 billion million passenger-km | +2.3% |
| 2002 | 86.19 billion million passenger-km | +2.4% |
| 2003 | 84.15 billion million passenger-km | -2.4% |
| 2004 | 88.57 billion million passenger-km | +5.2% |
| 2005 | 90.86 billion million passenger-km | +2.6% |
| 2006 | 94.59 billion million passenger-km | +4.1% |
| 2007 | 96.71 billion million passenger-km | +2.2% |
| 2008 | 102.72 billion million passenger-km | +6.2% |
| 2009 | 101.82 billion million passenger-km | -0.9% |
| 2010 | 102.17 billion million passenger-km | +0.3% |
| 2011 | 105.60 billion million passenger-km | +3.4% |
| 2012 | 105.96 billion million passenger-km | +0.3% |
| 2013 | 105.22 billion million passenger-km | -0.7% |
| 2014 | 104.59 billion million passenger-km | -0.6% |
| 2015 | 104.85 billion million passenger-km | +0.2% |
| 2016 | 104.21 billion million passenger-km | -0.6% |
| 2017 | 110.57 billion million passenger-km | +6.1% |
| 2018 | 107.96 billion million passenger-km | -2.4% |
| 2019 | 112.38 billion million passenger-km | +4.1% |
| 2020 | 64.86 billion million passenger-km | -42.3% |
| 2021 | 86.85 billion million passenger-km | +33.9% |
France compared with similar countries
- France's 86.85 billion million passenger-km is above the median for high income countries, which is 5.44 billion million passenger-km, 16.0× the median. (39 countries reporting)
- France's 86.85 billion million passenger-km is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 2.62 billion million passenger-km, 33.1× the median. (46 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Passenger-kilometers by rail in France 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 | -42.3% | 112.38 billion million passenger-km | 64.86 billion million passenger-km |
| 2021 | +33.9% | 64.86 billion million passenger-km | 86.85 billion million passenger-km |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 71.39 billion million passenger-km | 64.44 billion million passenger-km | 77.11 billion million passenger-km | 5 |
| 2000s | 91.20 billion million passenger-km | 82.25 billion million passenger-km | 102.72 billion million passenger-km | 10 |
| 2010s | 106.35 billion million passenger-km | 102.17 billion million passenger-km | 112.38 billion million passenger-km | 10 |
| 2020s | 75.86 billion million passenger-km | 64.86 billion million passenger-km | 86.85 billion million passenger-km | 2 |
Countries ranked near France
- 3 India 231.13 billion million passenger-km compare
- 4 Russia 103.45 billion million passenger-km compare
- 5 South Korea 100.38 billion million passenger-km compare
- 7 Germany 58.82 billion million passenger-km compare
- 8 Egypt 40.84 billion million passenger-km compare
- 9 Indonesia 29.07 billion million passenger-km compare
More reference data data for France
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 5.48 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 2.93 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 22.63 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 2.81 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 22.63 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 18.36 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 11.75 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 14.49 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 106.68 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 15.3 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is passenger-kilometers by rail in France?
- Passenger-kilometers by rail in France was 86.85 billion million passenger-km in 2021, according to International Union of Railways (UIC) and OECD, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest passenger-kilometers by rail recorded in France?
- The highest recorded value was 112.38 billion million passenger-km in 2019.
- What is the lowest passenger-kilometers by rail recorded in France?
- The lowest recorded value was 64.44 billion million passenger-km in 1995.
- How does France rank for passenger-kilometers by rail?
- France ranks 6th out of 101 countries with data for 2021.
- Is passenger-kilometers by rail rising or falling in France?
- Over the last ten years it is down 17.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this France data come from?
- The figures come from International Union of Railways (UIC) and OECD, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Passenger-kilometers by rail. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 27 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
The number of passengers transported by rail, multiplied by the kilometers traveled. This is measured in passenger-kilometers.