Italy vs South Africa: Rail lines

Italy
17,305 total route-km
in 2021
South Africa
20,953 total route-km
in 2021
Italy rank
12th
South Africa rank
9th

Rail lines over time

  • Italy
  • South Africa
05.0k10.0k15.0k20.0k199520082021

How they compare

South Africa currently reports 20,953 total route-km against 17,305 total route-km in Italy, a difference of 3,648 total route-km.

That makes South Africa's figure about 1.2 times Italy's.

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

Italy ranks 12th and South Africa ranks 9th of 104 countries.

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

Head to head by decade

Decade Italy South Africa Difference Ahead
2010s 16,772 total route-km 20,953 total route-km 4,181 total route-km South Africa
2020s 17,280 total route-km 20,953 total route-km 3,673 total route-km South Africa

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher rail lines, Italy or South Africa?
South Africa, at 20,953 total route-km against 17,305 total route-km in Italy as of 2021.
What is the difference in rail lines between Italy and South Africa?
3,648 total route-km, with South Africa ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Italy and South Africa?
7 years are reported by both, from 2015 to 2021.
How do Italy and South Africa rank globally for rail lines?
Italy ranks 12th 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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Italy vs South Africa: Rail lines. Statizoid, drawing on Railisa Database, International Union of Railways (UIC). Retrieved 23 August 2026, from https://infrastructure.statizoid.com/compare/rail-lines-total-route-km/italy/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.