Canada vs China: Rail lines

Canada
48,150 total route-km
in 2021
China
109,767 total route-km
in 2021
Canada rank
5th
China rank
2nd

Rail lines over time

  • Canada
  • China
025.0k50.0k75.0k100.0k199520082021

How they compare

China currently reports 109,767 total route-km against 48,150 total route-km in Canada, a difference of 61,617 total route-km.

That makes China's figure about 2.3 times Canada's.

Across all 8 years both countries report, China has been ahead every year.

Canada ranks 5th and China ranks 2nd of 104 countries.

China has averaged higher in every one of the 2 decades both report.

Head to head by decade

Decade Canada China Difference Ahead
2010s 47,479 total route-km 93,253 total route-km 45,774 total route-km China
2020s 48,230 total route-km 108,001 total route-km 59,771 total route-km China

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher rail lines, Canada or China?
China, at 109,767 total route-km against 48,150 total route-km in Canada as of 2021.
What is the difference in rail lines between Canada and China?
61,617 total route-km, with China ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Canada and China?
8 years are reported by both, from 2014 to 2021.
How do Canada and China rank globally for rail lines?
Canada ranks 5th and China ranks 2nd of 104 countries.
Where does this data come from?
Railisa Database, International Union of Railways (UIC), published as Rail lines (total route-km). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

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Canada vs China: Rail lines. Statizoid, drawing on Railisa Database, International Union of Railways (UIC). Retrieved 22 September 2026, from https://infrastructure.statizoid.com/compare/rail-lines-total-route-km/canada/china/

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About this data

Indicator
Rail lines (total route-km)
Unit
total route-km
Source
Railisa Database, International Union of Railways (UIC)
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
104 places, 2,110 data points, 1995–2021
Last refreshed

The total length of rail line in the country operated for passenger transport, goods transport, or both.