Germany vs South Africa: Rail lines

Germany
33,401 total route-km
in 2021
South Africa
20,953 total route-km
in 2021
Germany rank
6th
South Africa rank
9th

Rail lines over time

  • Germany
  • South Africa
010.0k20.0k30.0k40.0k199520082021

How they compare

Germany currently reports 33,401 total route-km against 20,953 total route-km in South Africa, a difference of 12,448 total route-km.

That makes Germany's figure about 1.6 times South Africa's.

Across all 7 years both countries report, Germany has been ahead every year.

Germany ranks 6th and South Africa ranks 9th of 104 countries.

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

Head to head by decade

Decade Germany South Africa Difference Ahead
2010s 33,413 total route-km 20,953 total route-km 12,460 total route-km Germany
2020s 33,400 total route-km 20,953 total route-km 12,447 total route-km Germany

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher rail lines, Germany or South Africa?
Germany, at 33,401 total route-km against 20,953 total route-km in South Africa as of 2021.
What is the difference in rail lines between Germany and South Africa?
12,448 total route-km, with Germany ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Germany and South Africa?
7 years are reported by both, from 2015 to 2021.
How do Germany and South Africa rank globally for rail lines?
Germany ranks 6th and South Africa ranks 9th 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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Germany vs South Africa: Rail lines. Statizoid, drawing on Railisa Database, International Union of Railways (UIC). Retrieved 17 August 2026, from https://infrastructure.statizoid.com/compare/rail-lines-total-route-km/germany/south-africa/

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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.