Iran vs Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income): Railways, passengers carried

Iran
11,231 million passenger-km
in 2021
Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income)
1,194 million passenger-km
in 2010
Iran rank
18th
Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income) rank
16th

Railways, passengers carried over time

  • Iran
  • Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income)
05.0k10.0k15.0k20.0k199520082021

How they compare

Iran currently reports 11,231 million passenger-km against 1,194 million passenger-km in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income), a difference of 10,037 million passenger-km.

That makes Iran's figure about 9.4 times Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income)'s.

Across all 14 years both countries report, Iran has been ahead every year.

Iran ranks 18th and Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income) ranks 16th of 101 countries.

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

Head to head by decade

Decade Iran Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income) Difference Ahead
1990s 6,505 million passenger-km 1,692 million passenger-km 4,812 million passenger-km Iran
2000s 10,260 million passenger-km 1,530 million passenger-km 8,730 million passenger-km Iran
2010s 17,611 million passenger-km 1,194 million passenger-km 16,417 million passenger-km Iran

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher railways, passengers carried, Iran or Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income)?
Iran, at 11,231 million passenger-km against 1,194 million passenger-km in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income) as of 2021.
What is the difference in railways, passengers carried between Iran and Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income)?
10,037 million passenger-km, with Iran ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Iran and Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income)?
14 years are reported by both, from 1995 to 2010.
How do Iran and Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income) rank globally for railways, passengers carried?
Iran ranks 18th and Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income) ranks 16th 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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Iran vs Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income): Railways, passengers carried. Statizoid, drawing on Railisa Database (UIC), International Union of Railways (UIC). Retrieved 17 September 2026, from https://infrastructure.statizoid.com/compare/railways-passengers-carried-million-passenger-km/iran-islamic-rep/middle-east-north-africa-afghanistan-and-pakistan-excluding-high-income/

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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

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