Air transport, freight in South Africa
South Africa: Air transport, freight was 59.67 million ton-km in 2023. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2023)
59.67 million ton-km
Change on year
down 58.4%
World rank
70th
of 180 countries
All-time high
1,233 million ton-km
in 2006
All-time low
15.13 million ton-km
in 2021
Years of data
54
1970–2023
Air transport, freight in South Africa, 1970–2023
Source: Civil Aviation Statistics of the World, International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). Measured in million ton-km.
Analysis
South Africa recorded 59.67 million ton-km for air transport, freight in 2023.
That represents a change of down 58.4% on the previous year and down 94.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, air transport, freight in South Africa peaked at 1,233 million ton-km in 2006 and was at its lowest, 15.13 million ton-km, in 2021.
South Africa ranks 70th of 180 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Air transport, freight in South Africa, year by year
| Year | million ton-km | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 56.8 million ton-km | — |
| 1971 | 63.9 million ton-km | +12.5% |
| 1972 | 75.8 million ton-km | +18.6% |
| 1973 | 112.7 million ton-km | +48.7% |
| 1974 | 143.6 million ton-km | +27.4% |
| 1975 | 142.3 million ton-km | -0.9% |
| 1976 | 146.3 million ton-km | +2.8% |
| 1977 | 173.8 million ton-km | +18.8% |
| 1978 | 222.1 million ton-km | +27.8% |
| 1979 | 237 million ton-km | +6.7% |
| 1980 | 251.2 million ton-km | +6.0% |
| 1981 | 311.4 million ton-km | +24.0% |
| 1982 | 318.2 million ton-km | +2.2% |
| 1983 | 367.3 million ton-km | +15.4% |
| 1984 | 442.9 million ton-km | +20.6% |
| 1985 | 391.8 million ton-km | -11.5% |
| 1986 | 308.2 million ton-km | -21.3% |
| 1987 | 268.1 million ton-km | -13.0% |
| 1988 | 238.3 million ton-km | -11.1% |
| 1989 | 205.6 million ton-km | -13.7% |
| 1990 | 179.2 million ton-km | -12.8% |
| 1991 | 191 million ton-km | +6.6% |
| 1992 | 263.2 million ton-km | +37.8% |
| 1993 | 332.9 million ton-km | +26.5% |
| 1994 | 276.5 million ton-km | -16.9% |
| 1995 | 263.1 million ton-km | -4.8% |
| 1996 | 328.5 million ton-km | +24.9% |
| 1997 | 420.4 million ton-km | +28.0% |
| 1998 | 535.6 million ton-km | +27.4% |
| 1999 | 688.4 million ton-km | +28.5% |
| 2000 | 687.57 million ton-km | -0.1% |
| 2001 | 755.52 million ton-km | +9.9% |
| 2002 | 783.84 million ton-km | +3.7% |
| 2003 | 891.47 million ton-km | +13.7% |
| 2004 | 928.99 million ton-km | +4.2% |
| 2005 | 923.38 million ton-km | -0.6% |
| 2006 | 1,233 million ton-km | +33.5% |
| 2007 | 939.2 million ton-km | -23.8% |
| 2008 | 760.89 million ton-km | -19.0% |
| 2009 | 676.41 million ton-km | -11.1% |
| 2010 | 1,026 million ton-km | +51.6% |
| 2011 | 1,073 million ton-km | +4.6% |
| 2012 | 1,175 million ton-km | +9.5% |
| 2013 | 1,123 million ton-km | -4.4% |
| 2014 | 1,043 million ton-km | -7.1% |
| 2015 | 892.73 million ton-km | -14.4% |
| 2016 | 767.27 million ton-km | -14.1% |
| 2017 | 833.35 million ton-km | +8.6% |
| 2018 | 696.73 million ton-km | -16.4% |
| 2019 | 565.21 million ton-km | -18.9% |
| 2020 | 102.39 million ton-km | -81.9% |
| 2021 | 15.13 million ton-km | -85.2% |
| 2022 | 143.31 million ton-km | +847.1% |
| 2023 | 59.67 million ton-km | -58.4% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 137.43 million ton-km | 56.8 million ton-km | 237 million ton-km | 10 |
| 1980s | 310.3 million ton-km | 205.6 million ton-km | 442.9 million ton-km | 10 |
| 1990s | 347.88 million ton-km | 179.2 million ton-km | 688.4 million ton-km | 10 |
| 2000s | 858.03 million ton-km | 676.41 million ton-km | 1,233 million ton-km | 10 |
| 2010s | 919.42 million ton-km | 565.21 million ton-km | 1,175 million ton-km | 10 |
| 2020s | 80.12 million ton-km | 15.13 million ton-km | 143.31 million ton-km | 4 |
Countries ranked near South Africa
More infrastructure data for South Africa
- Mobile cellular subscriptions 114.79 million (2024)
- Mobile cellular subscriptions 179.34 per 100 people (2024)
- Fixed telephone subscriptions 1.01 million (2024)
- Fixed telephone subscriptions 1.58 per 100 people (2024)
- Fixed telephone subscriptions, per capita 0.0158 units per person (2024)
- Fixed telephone subscriptions, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Fixed telephone subscriptions, annual growth rate -25.13 % change on previous year (2024)
- Fixed telephone subscriptions, gaps filled 1.01 million (2024)
- Mobile cellular subscriptions, per capita 1.79 units per person (2024)
- Mobile cellular subscriptions, per unit of GDP 0.0003 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is air transport, freight in South Africa?
- Air transport, freight in South Africa was 59.67 million ton-km in 2023, according to Civil Aviation Statistics of the World, International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).
- What is the highest air transport, freight recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 1,233 million ton-km in 2006.
- What is the lowest air transport, freight recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 15.13 million ton-km in 2021.
- How does South Africa rank for air transport, freight?
- South Africa ranks 70th out of 180 countries with data for 2023.
- Is air transport, freight rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is down 94.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this South Africa data come from?
- The figures come from Civil Aviation Statistics of the World, International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), published as part of Air transport, freight (million ton-km). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 54 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
Air freight is the volume of freight, express, and diplomatic bags carried on each flight stage (operation of an aircraft from takeoff to its next landing), measured in metric tons times kilometers traveled.