Volume of road freight traffic in China 2008-2023

China, the fourth largest country in terms of area in the world, has been quick to develop state-of-the-art mobility infrastructure. Its vast network of roads allows for the transportation of billions of tons of cargo each year. In 2023, the volume of road freight traffic in China amounted to 7,395 billion ton-kilometers. 

 Road travel in China 

Since its peak in 2012, the number of passengers of public road transport in China has dropped drastically, with numbers falling to as low as 3.55 billion in 2022. The volume of public road passenger traffic turnover in that year fell to less than 241 billion passenger-kilometers, the lowest on record, mostly due to the COVID-19 pandemic that disrupted inter-and intra-city travel.

 Other means of transportation in China 

 Railways present a quicker alternative to roadways when transporting people and goods over long distances. In 2022, the average distance traveled by railway passengers was 393 kilometers while cargo was transported over an average distance of 721 kilometers. Meanwhile, the volume of both passenger and cargo airway traffic turnover fell to 391billion passenger-kilometers and 25 billion ton-kilometers, respectively.