Air Freight by Country — 2023 World Rankings
Air transport freight in million ton-km by country. Data from World Bank WDI.
Updated April 2026 · Source: World BankIn 2023, World leads the world in air transport, freight (million ton-km) with 213,781.7, followed by United States (42,762.9), China (26,170.4), Qatar (13,926.6), United Arab Emirates (13,566.2). At the other end, Eritrea ranks last at 0. The global median is 16.9 (Nepal). This ranking covers 176 countries and is sourced from the World Bank World Development Indicators, one of the most authoritative sources for international economic statistics.
The top 10 countries are: 1. World, 2. United States, 3. China, 4. Qatar, 5. United Arab Emirates, 6. Germany, 7. Korea, Rep., 8. Hong Kong SAR, China, 9. Japan, 10. Turkiye. All data is sourced from the World Bank World Development Indicators and updated regularly. Free API access is available for developers and researchers.
| # | Country | Air Transport, Freight (million ton-km) | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  World | 213,781.7 | 2023 |
| 2 |  United States | 42,762.9 | 2023 |
| 3 |  China | 26,170.4 | 2023 |
| 4 |  Qatar | 13,926.6 | 2023 |
| 5 |  United Arab Emirates | 13,566.2 | 2023 |
| 6 |  Germany | 12,766.5 | 2023 |
| 7 |  Korea, Rep. | 12,293.8 | 2023 |
| 8 |  Hong Kong SAR, China | 8,638.4 | 2023 |
| 9 |  Japan | 8,474 | 2023 |
| 10 |  Turkiye | 8,367.3 | 2023 |
| 11 |  Singapore | 7,604.2 | 2023 |
| 12 |  Luxembourg | 6,873.2 | 2023 |
| 13 |  United Kingdom | 4,413.9 | 2023 |
| 14 |  France | 4,301.7 | 2023 |
| 15 |  Ethiopia | 4,015.5 | 2023 |
| 16 |  Netherlands | 3,285.7 | 2023 |
| 17 |  Canada | 2,036.4 | 2023 |
| 18 |  Colombia | 1,936.5 | 2023 |
| 19 |  Malaysia | 1,910.1 | 2023 |
| 20 |  Belgium | 1,831.5 | 2023 |
| 21 |  India | 1,807 | 2023 |
| 22 |  Thailand | 1,649.9 | 2023 |
| 23 |  Chile | 1,499 | 2023 |
| 24 |  Azerbaijan | 1,434.5 | 2023 |
| 25 |  Brazil | 1,387.1 | 2023 |
| 26 |  Russian Federation | 1,268.8 | 2023 |
| 27 |  Switzerland | 1,257.5 | 2023 |
| 28 |  Australia | 1,188.1 | 2023 |
| 29 |  Spain | 1,130.9 | 2023 |
| 30 |  Italy | 1,121 | 2023 |
| 31 |  Mexico | 1,091.5 | 2023 |
| 32 |  Saudi Arabia | 1,036.8 | 2023 |
| 33 |  Viet Nam | 927.9 | 2023 |
| 34 |  Bahrain | 895.4 | 2023 |
| 35 |  Indonesia | 870.5 | 2023 |
| 36 |  Finland | 816.4 | 2023 |
| 37 |  New Zealand | 767.8 | 2023 |
| 38 |  Philippines | 649.2 | 2023 |
| 39 |  Israel | 609.7 | 2023 |
| 40 |  Portugal | 569 | 2023 |
| 41 |  Oman | 542.3 | 2023 |
| 42 |  Egypt, Arab Rep. | 492.7 | 2023 |
| 43 |  Ireland | 430.5 | 2023 |
| 44 |  Poland | 343.9 | 2023 |
| 45 |  Kuwait | 331.2 | 2023 |
| 46 |  Sweden | 324.8 | 2023 |
| 47 |  Pakistan | 309.5 | 2023 |
| 48 |  Peru | 299.2 | 2023 |
| 49 |  Kenya | 288.6 | 2023 |
| 50 |  Sri Lanka | 278.5 | 2023 |
| 51 |  Austria | 207.8 | 2023 |
| 52 |  Iceland | 191.9 | 2023 |
| 53 |  Norway | 176.6 | 2004 |
| 54 |  Denmark | 174.5 | 2004 |
| 55 |  Mauritius | 170.2 | 2023 |
| 56 |  Fiji | 156.1 | 2023 |
| 57 |  Hungary | 145.1 | 2023 |
| 58 |  Panama | 143.7 | 2023 |
| 59 |  Iran, Islamic Rep. | 136.9 | 2023 |
| 60 |  Argentina | 136.5 | 2023 |
| 61 |  Tajikistan | 131.7 | 2023 |
| 62 |  Ecuador | 120 | 2023 |
| 63 |  Jordan | 110.1 | 2023 |
| 64 |  Zambia | 104.3 | 2023 |
| 65 |  Bangladesh | 98.9 | 2023 |
| 66 |  Uzbekistan | 96.5 | 2023 |
| 67 |  Morocco | 92.6 | 2023 |
| 68 |  Angola | 70.7 | 2023 |
| 69 |  Turkmenistan | 62.7 | 2023 |
| 70 |  Libya | 60.1 | 2023 |
| 71 |  South Africa | 59.7 | 2023 |
| 72 |  Togo | 58.5 | 2023 |
| 73 |  Kazakhstan | 53.1 | 2023 |
| 74 |  Yemen, Rep. | 49.7 | 2023 |
| 75 |  Guam | 48.6 | 2009 |
| 76 |  Brunei Darussalam | 45.9 | 2023 |
| 77 |  Trinidad and Tobago | 45.8 | 2023 |
| 78 |  Lebanon | 34.4 | 2023 |
| 79 |  Vanuatu | 30.3 | 2023 |
| 80 |  Maldives | 29.5 | 2023 |
| 81 |  El Salvador | 27.8 | 2023 |
| 82 |  Mongolia | 26.5 | 2023 |
| 83 |  Suriname | 23.6 | 2023 |
| 84 |  Tanzania | 20 | 2023 |
| 85 |  Sudan | 20 | 2023 |
| 86 |  Bolivia | 19.9 | 2023 |
| 87 |  Serbia | 19.3 | 2023 |
| 88 |  Bahamas, The | 18.6 | 2023 |
| 89 |  Nepal | 16.9 | 2023 |
| 90 |  Greece | 16 | 2023 |
| 91 |  Armenia | 15.7 | 2023 |
| 92 |  Lao PDR | 11.7 | 2022 |
| 93 |  Tunisia | 11 | 2023 |
| 94 |  Senegal | 10 | 2022 |
| 95 |  Myanmar | 9.9 | 2023 |
| 96 |  Solomon Islands | 9.1 | 2023 |
| 97 |  Algeria | 8.6 | 2023 |
| 98 |  Macao SAR, China | 8.5 | 2023 |
| 99 |  Costa Rica | 7.2 | 2023 |
| 100 |  Papua New Guinea | 7.1 | 2023 |
| 101 |  Belarus | 5.6 | 2023 |
| 102 |  Cuba | 5.2 | 2023 |
| 103 |  Congo, Rep. | 4.2 | 2019 |
| 104 |  Zimbabwe | 3.8 | 2023 |
| 105 |  Uruguay | 3.8 | 2009 |
| 106 |  Belize | 3.4 | 2023 |
| 107 |  Malta | 3.4 | 2023 |
| 108 |  Nigeria | 3.1 | 2023 |
| 109 |  Ukraine | 3.1 | 2022 |
| 110 |  Cote d'Ivoire | 3.1 | 2023 |
| 111 |  Mozambique | 3 | 2023 |
| 112 |  Nauru | 2.9 | 2023 |
| 113 |  Madagascar | 2.5 | 2023 |
| 114 |  Cambodia | 2.4 | 2023 |
| 115 |  Latvia | 2.4 | 2023 |
| 116 |  Romania | 2.3 | 2023 |
| 117 |  Lithuania | 1.7 | 2023 |
| 118 |  Syrian Arab Republic | 1.6 | 2023 |
| 119 |  Burkina Faso | 1.5 | 2023 |
| 120 |  Seychelles | 1.2 | 2023 |
| 121 |  Honduras | 1.1 | 2023 |
| 122 |  Paraguay | 0.9 | 2023 |
| 123 |  Sao Tome and Principe | 0.8 | 2023 |
| 124 |  Equatorial Guinea | 0.8 | 2023 |
| 125 |  Afghanistan | 0.8 | 2023 |
| 126 |  Antigua and Barbuda | 0.7 | 2022 |
| 127 |  Kyrgyz Republic | 0.7 | 2023 |
| 128 |  Bulgaria | 0.6 | 2023 |
| 129 |  Guatemala | 0.5 | 2023 |
| 130 |  Nicaragua | 0.5 | 2000 |
| 131 |  Bhutan | 0.5 | 2023 |
| 132 |  Congo, Dem. Rep. | 0.5 | 2023 |
| 133 |  Chad | 0.5 | 2014 |
| 134 |  Marshall Islands | 0.4 | 2023 |
| 135 |  Moldova | 0.4 | 2023 |
| 136 |  Cyprus | 0.4 | 2023 |
| 137 |  Slovenia | 0.4 | 2019 |
| 138 |  Kiribati | 0.3 | 2023 |
| 139 |  Botswana | 0.3 | 2023 |
| 140 |  Niger | 0.3 | 2023 |
| 141 |  Georgia | 0.2 | 2023 |
| 142 |  Croatia | 0.1 | 2023 |
| 143 |  Venezuela, RB | 0.1 | 2023 |
| 144 |  Cabo Verde | 0.1 | 2023 |
| 145 |  Uganda | 0.1 | 2023 |
| 146 |  Haiti | 0.1 | 2023 |
| 147 |  Czechia | 0 | 2023 |
| 148 |  Montenegro | 0 | 2021 |
| 149 |  Tonga | 0 | 2004 |
| 150 |  Eswatini | 0 | 2022 |
| 151 |  Guyana | 0 | 2021 |
| 152 |  Cameroon | 0 | 2023 |
| 153 |  American Samoa | 0 | 2014 |
| 154 |  Korea, Dem. People's Rep. | 0 | 2023 |
| 155 |  Benin | 0 | 2016 |
| 156 |  Samoa | 0 | 2023 |
| 157 |  Malawi | 0 | 2021 |
| 158 |  Namibia | 0 | 2021 |
| 159 |  Somalia, Fed. Rep. | 0 | 2019 |
| 160 |  Bosnia and Herzegovina | 0 | 2019 |
| 161 |  Slovak Republic | 0 | 2019 |
| 162 |  Estonia | 0 | 2019 |
| 163 |  Sierra Leone | 0 | 2012 |
| 164 |  North Macedonia | 0 | 2009 |
| 165 |  Monaco | 0 | 2019 |
| 166 |  Mauritania | 0 | 2019 |
| 167 |  Albania | 0 | 2019 |
| 168 |  Mali | 0 | 2014 |
| 169 |  Gambia, The | 0 | 2019 |
| 170 |  Jamaica | 0 | 2019 |
| 171 |  Iraq | 0 | 2019 |
| 172 |  Ghana | 0 | 2019 |
| 173 |  Rwanda | 0 | 2019 |
| 174 |  Gabon | 0 | 2013 |
| 175 |  Dominican Republic | 0 | 2019 |
| 176 |  Eritrea | 0 | 2019 |
Understanding Air Freight by Country
Air freight volume measures the total weight of cargo transported by air in million ton-kilometers. While air freight accounts for less than 1% of global trade by volume, it represents over 35% by value — reflecting the high-value, time-sensitive nature of goods that travel by air: electronics, pharmaceuticals, perishable foods, and e-commerce shipments.
The United States, China, and the UAE (driven by Dubai's role as a global logistics hub) handle the most air freight. The sector is dominated by dedicated cargo carriers (FedEx, UPS, DHL) and the belly cargo capacity of passenger airlines. COVID-19 temporarily boosted air freight demand as supply chains shifted from sea to air for speed.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which country has the highest air transport, freight (million ton-km) in 2023?
World has the highest air transport, freight (million ton-km) at 213,781.7 as of 2023, according to World Bank data.
Which country has the lowest air transport, freight (million ton-km) in 2023?
Eritrea has the lowest air transport, freight (million ton-km) at 0 as of 2023.
How many countries are ranked by air transport, freight (million ton-km)?
176 countries have reported data for air transport, freight (million ton-km). The data is sourced from the World Bank World Development Indicators.
What is the median air transport, freight (million ton-km) across all countries?
The median air transport, freight (million ton-km) is 16.9 (Nepal, ranked #89 out of 176 countries).