South Africa—Railways, Passengers (million km)
Category: InfrastructureSource: World Bank World Development Indicators ↗Global Rank: #34 of 76Updated April 2026
Latest Value
3,502
2020
YoY Change
-36.4%
2019 → 2020
Global Rank
#34
of 76 countries
Maximum
14,270
2014
Minimum
550
2013
CAGR
-5.9%
15 years
Last
3,502
Previous
5,504
Highest
14,270
Lowest
550
Source
World Bank World Development Indicators
South Africa's railways, passengers (million km) was 3,502 in 2020, ranking #34 out of 76 countries. This represents a -36.4% change from 2019. Over the past 15 years, the highest recorded value was 14,270 (2014) and the lowest was 550 (2013). Data sourced from the World Bank World Development Indicators.
Source: World Bank World Development Indicators
Historical Data
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 3,502 | -36.4% |
| 2019 | 5,504 | -22.6% |
| 2018 | 7,114 | -27.6% |
| 2017 | 9,821 | -17.0% |
| 2016 | 11,837 | -13.6% |
| 2015 | 13,704 | -4.0% |
| 2014 | 14,270 | +2493.8% |
| 2013 | 550 | -96.0% |
| 2007 | 13,865 | +1299.1% |
| 2005 | 991 | -1.0% |
| 2004 | 1,001 | +0.5% |
| 2003 | 996 | -11.5% |
| 2002 | 1,126 | -91.4% |
| 2001 | 13,023 | +9.5% |
| 2000 | 11,890 |
Top Countries — Railways, Passengers (million km)
| # | Country | Value | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | China | 946,499 | 2021 |
| 2 | Japan | 263,211 | 2020 |
| 3 | India | 231,126 | 2021 |
| 4 | Russian Federation | 103,447 | 2021 |
| 5 | Korea, Rep. | 100,381 | 2019 |
| 6 | France | 86,853 | 2021 |
| 7 | Germany | 58,822 | 2020 |
| 8 | Indonesia | 29,066 | 2019 |
| 9 | Italy | 27,693 | 2021 |
| 10 | Pakistan | 24,903 | 2018 |
About This Indicator
Definition
Passengers carried by railway are the number of passengers transported by rail multiplied by kilometers traveled.
Methodology
Data compiled by Railisa Database (UIC), International Union of Railways (UIC), uri: https://uic-stats.uic.org/select/; OECD Statistics, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).