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Rail freight traffic — all countries

Rail freight traffic — OECD

Rail freight traffic in the OECD in 2021 — 11,346 M t-km. Since 1995, the indicator has risen by 16.3%.

2021 11,346 M t-km +0.15% vs 2020
World rank —
Period maximum 13,187 M t-km2019
Period minimum 9,757 M t-km1995

Trend over time

1995–2021 · million tonne-kilometers

Rail freight traffic — OECD, 1995–20219,00010,00011,00012,00013,00014,00019951998200120042007201020132016201920211995: 9,757 M t-km1996: 11,035 M t-km1997: 11,570 M t-km1998: 10,819 M t-km1999: 9,859 M t-km2000: 11,080 M t-km2001: 10,929 M t-km2002: 10,746 M t-km2003: 11,057 M t-km2004: 11,489 M t-km2005: 11,641 M t-km2006: 11,599 M t-km2007: 11,212 M t-km2008: 11,566 M t-km2009: 10,326 M t-km2010: 10,412 M t-km2011: 10,761 M t-km2012: 11,061 M t-km2013: 11,177 M t-km2014: 11,992 M t-km2015: 10,812 M t-km2016: 11,661 M t-km2017: 11,653 M t-km2018: 11,776 M t-km2019: 13,187 M t-km2020: 11,329 M t-km2021: 11,346 M t-km
Change over the period: +1,589 (+16.28%) Average annual rate: 0.58 %
Rail freight traffic — OECD, by year OECD All countries CSV XLSX
Year M t-km Change Change, %
2021 11,346 +17 +0.15%
2020 11,329 −1,858 −14.09%
2019 13,187 +1,411 +11.98%
2018 11,776 +123 +1.06%
2017 11,653 −8 −0.07%
2016 11,661 +849 +7.85%
2015 10,812 −1,180 −9.84%
2014 11,992 +815 +7.29%
2013 11,177 +116 +1.05%
2012 11,061 +300 +2.79%
2011 10,761 +349 +3.35%
2010 10,412 +86 +0.83%
2009 10,326 −1,240 −10.72%
2008 11,566 +354 +3.16%
2007 11,212 −387 −3.34%
2006 11,599 −42 −0.36%
2005 11,641 +152 +1.32%
2004 11,489 +432 +3.91%
2003 11,057 +311 +2.89%
2002 10,746 −183 −1.67%
2001 10,929 −151 −1.36%
2000 11,080 +1,221 +12.38%
1999 9,859 −960 −8.87%
1998 10,819 −751 −6.49%
1997 11,570 +535 +4.85%
1996 11,035 +1,278 +13.1%
1995 9,757 — —

About the indicator

Rail freight traffic in millions of tonne-kilometers: the mass of the freight carried multiplied by the distance of the haul. The highest values belong to countries with a long reach and large-scale extraction of raw materials, where rail remains the cheapest way to move bulk cargo over long distances.

Source: World Development Indicators (World Bank), license CC BY 4.0.

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