Railways, goods transported in South Africa

South Africa: Railways, goods transported was 113,342 million ton-km in 2008. ▲ Rising

Latest (2008)
113,342 million ton-km
Change on year
up 6.9%
World rank
10th
of 104 countries
All-time high
113,342 million ton-km
in 2008
All-time low
99,773 million ton-km
in 1996
Years of data
12
1995–2008

Railways, goods transported in South Africa, 1995–2008

025.0k50.0k75.0k100.0k125.0k1995200120081995: 99.8k million ton-km1996: 99.8k million ton-km1997: 103.9k million ton-km1998: 102.8k million ton-km2000: 100.4k million ton-km2001: 106.7k million ton-km2002: 105.7k million ton-km2003: 105.7k million ton-km2004: 106.5k million ton-km2005: 108.5k million ton-km2007: 106.0k million ton-km2008: 113.3k million ton-km

Source: Railisa Database (UIC), International Union of Railways (UIC). Measured in million ton-km.

Analysis

In 2008, railways, goods transported in South Africa stood at 113,342 million ton-km. That is the highest value across all 12 years on record.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 6.9% on the previous year and up 10.3% over ten years.

Over the whole period, railways, goods transported in South Africa peaked at 113,342 million ton-km in 2008 and was at its lowest, 99,773 million ton-km, in 1996.

South Africa ranks 10th of 104 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 12 years of available data.

Railways, goods transported in South Africa, year by year

Annual values for Railways, goods transported (million ton-km) in South Africa, 1995 to 2008.
Year million ton-km Change
1995 99,850 million ton-km
1996 99,773 million ton-km -0.1%
1997 103,866 million ton-km +4.1%
1998 102,777 million ton-km -1.0%
2000 100,434 million ton-km -2.3%
2001 106,654 million ton-km +6.2%
2002 105,719 million ton-km -0.9%
2003 105,724 million ton-km +0.0%
2004 106,549 million ton-km +0.8%
2005 108,513 million ton-km +1.8%
2007 106,014 million ton-km -2.3%
2008 113,342 million ton-km +6.9%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 101,566 million ton-km 99,773 million ton-km 103,866 million ton-km 4
2000s 106,619 million ton-km 100,434 million ton-km 113,342 million ton-km 8

Countries ranked near South Africa

  1. 7 Kazakhstan 302,156 million ton-km compare
  2. 8 Ukraine 175,587 million ton-km compare
  3. 9 Germany 123,067 million ton-km compare
  4. 11 Mexico 92,437 million ton-km compare
  5. 12 Poland 54,387 million ton-km compare
  6. 13 Belarus 44,478 million ton-km compare

See the full ranking of 134 places →

More infrastructure data for South Africa

All data for South Africa →

Frequently asked questions

What is railways, goods transported in South Africa?
Railways, goods transported in South Africa was 113,342 million ton-km in 2008, according to Railisa Database (UIC), International Union of Railways (UIC).
What is the highest railways, goods transported recorded in South Africa?
The highest recorded value was 113,342 million ton-km in 2008.
What is the lowest railways, goods transported recorded in South Africa?
The lowest recorded value was 99,773 million ton-km in 1996.
How does South Africa rank for railways, goods transported?
South Africa ranks 10th out of 104 countries with data for 2008.
Is railways, goods transported rising or falling in South Africa?
Over the last ten years it is up 10.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this South Africa data come from?
The figures come from Railisa Database (UIC), International Union of Railways (UIC), published as part of Railways, goods transported (million ton-km). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Railways, goods transported in South Africa. Statizoid, drawing on Railisa Database (UIC), International Union of Railways (UIC). Retrieved 22 August 2026, from https://infrastructure.statizoid.com/stat/railways-goods-transported-million-ton-km/south-africa/

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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.