What is the difference in railways, passengers carried between France and Germany?

28,031 million passenger-km, with France ahead.

How many years of comparable data are there for France and Germany?

26 years are reported by both, from 1995 to 2020.

Where does this data come from?

Railisa Database (UIC), International Union of Railways (UIC), published as Railways, passengers carried (million passenger-km). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

France vs Germany: Railways, passengers carried

France

86,853 million passenger-km

in 2021

Germany

58,822 million passenger-km

in 2020

France rank

6th

Germany rank

7th

Railways, passengers carried over time

France
Germany

How they compare

France currently reports 86,853 million passenger-km against 58,822 million passenger-km in Germany, a difference of 28,031 million passenger-km.

That makes France's figure about 1.5 times Germany's.

The two have swapped places 1 time across 26 shared years of data; in 1995 it was Germany ahead.

France ranks 6th and Germany ranks 7th of 101 countries.

Across the 4 decades both report, France averaged higher in 3 and Germany in 1.

Head to head by decade

Decade	France	Germany	Difference	Ahead
1990s	71,386 million passenger-km	72,314 million passenger-km	928.6 million passenger-km	Germany
2000s	91,204 million passenger-km	76,641 million passenger-km	14,562 million passenger-km	France
2010s	106,349 million passenger-km	92,021 million passenger-km	14,328 million passenger-km	France
2020s	64,859 million passenger-km	58,822 million passenger-km	6,037 million passenger-km	France

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher railways, passengers carried, France or Germany?: France, at 86,853 million passenger-km against 58,822 million passenger-km in Germany as of 2021.
What is the difference in railways, passengers carried between France and Germany?: 28,031 million passenger-km, with France ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for France and Germany?: 26 years are reported by both, from 1995 to 2020.
How do France and Germany rank globally for railways, passengers carried?: France ranks 6th and Germany ranks 7th of 101 countries.
Where does this data come from?: Railisa Database (UIC), International Union of Railways (UIC), published as Railways, passengers carried (million passenger-km). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

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France vs Germany: Railways, passengers carried. Statizoid, drawing on Railisa Database (UIC), International Union of Railways (UIC). Retrieved 19 August 2026, from https://infrastructure.statizoid.com/compare/railways-passengers-carried-million-passenger-km/france/germany/

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About this data

Indicator: Railways, passengers carried (million passenger-km)
Unit: million passenger-km
Source: Railisa Database (UIC), International Union of Railways (UIC)
Licence: CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage: 128 places, 2,650 data points, 1995–2021
Last refreshed: 06 August 2026

Passengers carried by railway are the number of passengers transported by rail multiplied by kilometers traveled.