Air transport, freight in South Asia
South Asia: Air transport, freight was 2,231 million ton-km in 2023. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2023)
2,231 million ton-km
Change on year
down 19.7%
Rank
34th
of 45 groups
All-time high
3,200 million ton-km
in 2018
All-time low
98.5 million ton-km
in 1970
Years of data
54
1970–2023
Air transport, freight in South Asia, 1970–2023
Source: Civil Aviation Statistics of the World, International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). Measured in million ton-km.
Analysis
South Asia recorded 2,231 million ton-km for air transport, freight in 2023.
The figure is down 19.7% on the previous year and down 5.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, air transport, freight in South Asia peaked at 3,200 million ton-km in 2018 and was at its lowest, 98.5 million ton-km, in 1970.
South Asia ranks 34th of 45 groups on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Air transport, freight in South Asia, year by year
| Year | million ton-km | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 98.5 million ton-km | — |
| 1971 | 110.7 million ton-km | +12.4% |
| 1972 | 135.1 million ton-km | +22.0% |
| 1973 | 181.1 million ton-km | +34.0% |
| 1974 | 150.6 million ton-km | -16.8% |
| 1975 | 220.7 million ton-km | +46.5% |
| 1976 | 264 million ton-km | +19.6% |
| 1977 | 296.8 million ton-km | +12.4% |
| 1978 | 315.1 million ton-km | +6.2% |
| 1979 | 320.5 million ton-km | +1.7% |
| 1980 | 398.1 million ton-km | +24.2% |
| 1981 | 461.3 million ton-km | +15.9% |
| 1982 | 472.7 million ton-km | +2.5% |
| 1983 | 531.1 million ton-km | +12.4% |
| 1984 | 663.2 million ton-km | +24.9% |
| 1985 | 634.1 million ton-km | -4.4% |
| 1986 | 672.8 million ton-km | +6.1% |
| 1987 | 783.4 million ton-km | +16.4% |
| 1988 | 812.4 million ton-km | +3.7% |
| 1989 | 850.6 million ton-km | +4.7% |
| 1990 | 837 million ton-km | -1.6% |
| 1991 | 717.1 million ton-km | -14.3% |
| 1992 | 635.6 million ton-km | -11.4% |
| 1993 | 542.8 million ton-km | -14.6% |
| 1994 | 850.3 million ton-km | +56.7% |
| 1995 | 995 million ton-km | +17.0% |
| 1996 | 884 million ton-km | -11.2% |
| 1997 | 926.2 million ton-km | +4.8% |
| 1998 | 858.5 million ton-km | -7.3% |
| 1999 | 881.4 million ton-km | +2.7% |
| 2000 | 1,027 million ton-km | +16.6% |
| 2001 | 918.73 million ton-km | -10.6% |
| 2002 | 926.73 million ton-km | +0.9% |
| 2003 | 999.33 million ton-km | +7.8% |
| 2004 | 1,209 million ton-km | +20.9% |
| 2005 | 1,275 million ton-km | +5.5% |
| 2006 | 1,366 million ton-km | +7.2% |
| 2007 | 1,408 million ton-km | +3.1% |
| 2008 | 1,657 million ton-km | +17.7% |
| 2009 | 1,521 million ton-km | -8.2% |
| 2010 | 2,141 million ton-km | +40.8% |
| 2011 | 2,234 million ton-km | +4.3% |
| 2012 | 2,143 million ton-km | -4.1% |
| 2013 | 2,350 million ton-km | +9.7% |
| 2014 | 2,449 million ton-km | +4.2% |
| 2015 | 2,283 million ton-km | -6.8% |
| 2016 | 2,363 million ton-km | +3.5% |
| 2017 | 2,880 million ton-km | +21.9% |
| 2018 | 3,200 million ton-km | +11.1% |
| 2019 | 2,507 million ton-km | -21.7% |
| 2020 | 1,236 million ton-km | -50.7% |
| 2021 | 1,424 million ton-km | +15.2% |
| 2022 | 2,777 million ton-km | +95.1% |
| 2023 | 2,231 million ton-km | -19.7% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 209.31 million ton-km | 98.5 million ton-km | 320.5 million ton-km | 10 |
| 1980s | 627.97 million ton-km | 398.1 million ton-km | 850.6 million ton-km | 10 |
| 1990s | 812.79 million ton-km | 542.8 million ton-km | 995 million ton-km | 10 |
| 2000s | 1,231 million ton-km | 918.73 million ton-km | 1,657 million ton-km | 10 |
| 2010s | 2,455 million ton-km | 2,141 million ton-km | 3,200 million ton-km | 10 |
| 2020s | 1,917 million ton-km | 1,236 million ton-km | 2,777 million ton-km | 4 |
Countries ranked near South Asia
- 31 Saudi Arabia 1,037 million ton-km compare
- 32 Viet Nam 927.89 million ton-km compare
- 33 Bahrain 895.44 million ton-km compare
- 34 Indonesia 870.51 million ton-km compare
- 35 Finland 816.39 million ton-km compare
- 36 New Zealand 767.76 million ton-km compare
- 37 Philippines 649.21 million ton-km compare
More infrastructure data for South Asia
- Mobile cellular subscriptions 1.38 billion (2025)
- Mobile cellular subscriptions 81.7 per 100 people (2025)
- Fixed telephone subscriptions 52.00 million (2025)
- Fixed telephone subscriptions 3.1 per 100 people (2025)
- Fixed telephone subscriptions, per capita 0.0307 units per person (2025)
- Fixed telephone subscriptions, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Fixed telephone subscriptions, annual growth rate 23.81 % change on previous year (2025)
- Fixed telephone subscriptions, gaps filled 52.00 million (2025)
- Mobile cellular subscriptions, per capita 0.8178 units per person (2025)
- Mobile cellular subscriptions, per unit of GDP 0.0003 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is air transport, freight in South Asia?
- Air transport, freight in South Asia was 2,231 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 Asia?
- The highest recorded value was 3,200 million ton-km in 2018.
- What is the lowest air transport, freight recorded in South Asia?
- The lowest recorded value was 98.5 million ton-km in 1970.
- How does South Asia rank for air transport, freight?
- South Asia ranks 34th out of 45 groups with data for 2023.
- Is air transport, freight rising or falling in South Asia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 5.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this South Asia 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.