China vs European Union: Air transport, freight

China
26,170 million ton-km
in 2023
European Union
34,175 million ton-km
in 2023
China rank
2nd
European Union rank
1st

Air transport, freight over time

  • China
  • European Union
010.0k20.0k30.0k40.0k197019962023

How they compare

European Union currently reports 34,175 million ton-km against 26,170 million ton-km in China, a difference of 8,005 million ton-km.

That makes European Union's figure about 1.3 times China's.

Across all 50 years both countries report, European Union has been ahead every year.

China ranks 2nd and European Union ranks 1st of 180 countries.

European Union has averaged higher in every one of the 6 decades both report.

Head to head by decade

Decade China European Union Difference Ahead
1970s 65.57 million ton-km 4,931 million ton-km 4,866 million ton-km European Union
1980s 391.14 million ton-km 9,266 million ton-km 8,875 million ton-km European Union
1990s 1,745 million ton-km 17,629 million ton-km 15,884 million ton-km European Union
2000s 7,564 million ton-km 28,183 million ton-km 20,619 million ton-km European Union
2010s 19,849 million ton-km 29,775 million ton-km 9,926 million ton-km European Union
2020s 21,340 million ton-km 32,742 million ton-km 11,402 million ton-km European Union

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher air transport, freight, China or European Union?
European Union, at 34,175 million ton-km against 26,170 million ton-km in China as of 2023.
What is the difference in air transport, freight between China and European Union?
8,005 million ton-km, with European Union ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for China and European Union?
50 years are reported by both, from 1974 to 2023.
How do China and European Union rank globally for air transport, freight?
China ranks 2nd and European Union ranks 1st of 180 countries.
Where does this data come from?
Civil Aviation Statistics of the World, International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), published as Air transport, freight (million ton-km). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

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China vs European Union: Air transport, freight. Statizoid, drawing on Civil Aviation Statistics of the World, International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). Retrieved 30 August 2026, from https://infrastructure.statizoid.com/compare/air-transport-freight-million-ton-km/china/european-union/

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About this data

Indicator
Air transport, freight (million ton-km)
Unit
million ton-km
Source
Civil Aviation Statistics of the World, International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO)
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
227 places, 9,773 data points, 1970–2023
Last refreshed

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 tons times kilometers traveled.