Tonne-kilometers of air freight, gaps filled in China

China: Tonne-kilometers of air freight, gaps filled was 26.17 billion million ton-km in 2023. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2023)
26.17 billion million ton-km
Change on year
up 38.0%
World rank
2nd
of 180 countries
All-time high
26.17 billion million ton-km
in 2023
All-time low
29.20 million million ton-km
in 1974
Years of data
50
1974–2023

Tonne-kilometers of air freight, gaps filled in China, 1974–2023

010.0B20.0B30.0B197419982023

Source: Statizoid (derived). Measured in million ton-km.

Analysis

China recorded 26.17 billion million ton-km for tonne-kilometers of air freight, gaps filled in 2023. That is the highest value across all 50 years on record.

That represents a change of up 38.0% on the previous year and up 63.0% over ten years.

Over the whole period, tonne-kilometers of air freight, gaps filled in China peaked at 26.17 billion million ton-km in 2023 and was at its lowest, 29.20 million million ton-km, in 1974.

That places China 2nd out of 180 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the top 10%.

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

Tonne-kilometers of air freight, gaps filled in China, year by year

Annual values for Tonne-kilometers of air freight, gaps filled in China, 1974 to 2023.
Year million ton-km Change
1974 29.20 million million ton-km
1975 46.20 million million ton-km +58.2%
1976 49.00 million million ton-km +6.1%
1977 60.00 million million ton-km +22.4%
1978 86.00 million million ton-km +43.3%
1979 123.00 million million ton-km +43.0%
1980 120.90 million million ton-km -1.7%
1981 155.40 million million ton-km +28.5%
1982 184.20 million million ton-km +18.5%
1983 216.00 million million ton-km +17.3%
1984 302.00 million million ton-km +39.8%
1985 403.00 million million ton-km +33.4%
1986 467.50 million million ton-km +16.0%
1987 647.50 million million ton-km +38.5%
1988 731.80 million million ton-km +13.0%
1989 683.10 million million ton-km -6.7%
1990 818.30 million million ton-km +19.8%
1991 1.01 billion million ton-km +23.4%
1992 1.32 billion million ton-km +30.4%
1993 1.55 billion million ton-km +17.6%
1994 1.72 billion million ton-km +11.0%
1995 1.50 billion million ton-km -12.6%
1996 1.69 billion million ton-km +12.5%
1997 2.08 billion million ton-km +23.4%
1998 2.47 billion million ton-km +18.7%
1999 3.30 billion million ton-km +33.2%
2000 3.90 billion million ton-km +18.3%
2001 4.23 billion million ton-km +8.5%
2002 5.01 billion million ton-km +18.5%
2003 5.65 billion million ton-km +12.7%
2004 7.02 billion million ton-km +24.3%
2005 7.58 billion million ton-km +7.9%
2006 7.69 billion million ton-km +1.5%
2007 11.19 billion million ton-km +45.5%
2008 11.39 billion million ton-km +1.8%
2009 11.98 billion million ton-km +5.2%
2010 17.19 billion million ton-km +43.6%
2011 16.76 billion million ton-km -2.5%
2012 15.57 billion million ton-km -7.1%
2013 16.05 billion million ton-km +3.1%
2014 17.82 billion million ton-km +11.0%
2015 19.81 billion million ton-km +11.1%
2016 21.30 billion million ton-km +7.6%
2017 23.32 billion million ton-km +9.5%
2018 25.26 billion million ton-km +8.3%
2019 25.39 billion million ton-km +0.5%
2020 19.26 billion million ton-km -24.1%
2021 20.96 billion million ton-km +8.8%
2022 18.96 billion million ton-km -9.5%
2023 26.17 billion million ton-km +38.0%

China compared with similar countries

  • China's 26.17 billion million ton-km is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 25.07 million million ton-km, 1043.9× the median. (52 countries reporting)
  • China's 26.17 billion million ton-km is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 30.27 million million ton-km, 864.5× the median. (29 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1970s 65.57 million million ton-km 29.20 million million ton-km 123.00 million million ton-km 6
1980s 391.14 million million ton-km 120.90 million million ton-km 731.80 million million ton-km 10
1990s 1.75 billion million ton-km 818.30 million million ton-km 3.30 billion million ton-km 10
2000s 7.56 billion million ton-km 3.90 billion million ton-km 11.98 billion million ton-km 10
2010s 19.85 billion million ton-km 15.57 billion million ton-km 25.39 billion million ton-km 10
2020s 21.34 billion million ton-km 18.96 billion million ton-km 26.17 billion million ton-km 4

Countries ranked near China

  1. 1 United States 42.76 billion million ton-km compare
  2. 3 Qatar 13.93 billion million ton-km compare
  3. 4 United Arab Emirates 13.57 billion million ton-km compare
  4. 5 Germany 12.77 billion million ton-km compare

See the full ranking of 180 places →

More reference data data for China

All data for China →

Frequently asked questions

What is tonne-kilometers of air freight, gaps filled in China?
Tonne-kilometers of air freight, gaps filled in China was 26.17 billion million ton-km in 2023, according to Statizoid (derived).
What is the highest tonne-kilometers of air freight, gaps filled recorded in China?
The highest recorded value was 26.17 billion million ton-km in 2023.
What is the lowest tonne-kilometers of air freight, gaps filled recorded in China?
The lowest recorded value was 29.20 million million ton-km in 1974.
How does China rank for tonne-kilometers of air freight, gaps filled?
China ranks 2nd out of 180 countries with data for 2023.
Is tonne-kilometers of air freight, gaps filled rising or falling in China?
Over the last ten years it is up 63.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this China data come from?
The figures come from Statizoid (derived), published as part of Tonne-kilometers of air freight, gaps filled. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Tonne-kilometers of air freight, gaps filled in China. Statizoid, drawing on Statizoid (derived). Retrieved 21 September 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/stat/tonne-kilometers-of-air-freight-gaps-filled/china/

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How this figure is calculated

Tonne-kilometers of air freight with 94 missing years estimated by linear interpolation between the nearest real observations. Only gaps of 4 years or fewer are filled, and never beyond the first or last actual measurement — these are filled holes, not forecasts.

Computed from

Statizoid computes this series; the underlying measurements belong to the publishers named above. The arithmetic is applied to every country and year where both inputs report, and nothing is estimated unless the page says so.

About this data

Indicator
Tonne-kilometers of air freight, gaps filled
Unit
million ton-km
Source
Statizoid (derived)
Licence
Derived by Statizoid from the sources named on the page
Coverage
180 places, 7,600 data points, 1970–2023
Last refreshed

Tonne-kilometers of air freight with 94 missing years estimated by linear interpolation between the nearest real observations. Only gaps of 4 years or fewer are filled, and never beyond the first or last actual measurement — these are filled holes, not forecasts.