China vs North America: Railways, goods transported

China
3.02 million million ton-km
in 2019
North America
1.33 million million ton-km
in 2021
China rank
1st
North America rank
1st

Railways, goods transported over time

  • China
  • North America
01.0M2.0M3.0M199520082021

How they compare

China currently reports 3.02 million million ton-km against 1.33 million million ton-km in North America, a difference of 1.68 million million ton-km.

That makes China's figure about 2.3 times North America's.

The two have swapped places 1 time across 25 shared years of data; in 1995 it was North America ahead.

China ranks 1st and North America ranks 1st of 104 countries.

China has averaged higher in every one of the 3 decades both report.

Head to head by decade

Decade China North America Difference Ahead
1990s 1.30 million million ton-km 1.29 million million ton-km 7,812 million ton-km China
2000s 1.97 million million ton-km 1.34 million million ton-km 632,558 million ton-km China
2010s 2.77 million million ton-km 1.44 million million ton-km 1.32 million million ton-km China

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher railways, goods transported, China or North America?
China, at 3.02 million million ton-km against 1.33 million million ton-km in North America as of 2019.
What is the difference in railways, goods transported between China and North America?
1.68 million million ton-km, with China ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for China and North America?
25 years are reported by both, from 1995 to 2019.
How do China and North America rank globally for railways, goods transported?
China ranks 1st and North America ranks 1st of 104 countries.
Where does this data come from?
Railisa Database (UIC), International Union of Railways (UIC), published as Railways, goods transported (million ton-km). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

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China vs North America: Railways, goods transported. Statizoid, drawing on Railisa Database (UIC), International Union of Railways (UIC). Retrieved 24 August 2026, from https://infrastructure.statizoid.com/compare/railways-goods-transported-million-ton-km/china/north-america/

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About this data

Indicator
Railways, goods transported (million ton-km)
Unit
million ton-km
Source
Railisa Database (UIC), International Union of Railways (UIC)
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
134 places, 2,685 data points, 1995–2021
Last refreshed

Goods transported by railway are the volume of goods transported by railway, measured in metric tons times kilometers traveled.