European Union vs United States of America: Air transport, freight

European Union
34,175 million ton-km
in 2023
United States of America
42,763 million ton-km
in 2023
European Union rank
14th
United States of America rank
1st

Air transport, freight over time

  • European Union
  • United States of America
010.0k20.0k30.0k40.0k50.0k197019962023

How they compare

United States of America currently reports 42,763 million ton-km against 34,175 million ton-km in European Union, a difference of 8,588 million ton-km.

That makes United States of America's figure about 1.3 times European Union's.

Across all 54 years both countries report, United States of America has been ahead every year.

European Union ranks 14th and United States of America ranks 1st of 47 groups.

United States of America has averaged higher in every one of the 6 decades both report.

Head to head by decade

Decade European Union United States of America Difference Ahead
1970s 4,054 million ton-km 7,071 million ton-km 3,017 million ton-km United States of America
1980s 9,266 million ton-km 10,594 million ton-km 1,327 million ton-km United States of America
1990s 17,629 million ton-km 20,015 million ton-km 2,386 million ton-km United States of America
2000s 28,183 million ton-km 35,158 million ton-km 6,974 million ton-km United States of America
2010s 29,775 million ton-km 39,702 million ton-km 9,928 million ton-km United States of America
2020s 32,742 million ton-km 43,883 million ton-km 11,141 million ton-km United States of America

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher air transport, freight, European Union or United States of America?
United States of America, at 42,763 million ton-km against 34,175 million ton-km in European Union as of 2023.
What is the difference in air transport, freight between European Union and United States of America?
8,588 million ton-km, with United States of America ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for European Union and United States of America?
54 years are reported by both, from 1970 to 2023.
How do European Union and United States of America rank globally for air transport, freight?
European Union ranks 14th and United States of America ranks 1st of 47 groups.
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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European Union vs United States of America: Air transport, freight. Statizoid, drawing on Civil Aviation Statistics of the World, International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). Retrieved 06 September 2026, from https://infrastructure.statizoid.com/compare/air-transport-freight-million-ton-km/european-union/united-states/

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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.