China’s urban and economic development was tied to the enhancement of its road system. Since 2008, the scale of its public road network has been on an ascending trend, reaching 5.28 million kilometers by 2021.
China’s road network
China's road network is divided into five main types of roads, namely national roads, provincial roads, county roads, township roads, and village roads. As of 2021, the country’s national roads measured 375,400 kilometers while the township roads spanned over 1.22 million kilometers. On average, China's road network density exceeded 55 kilometers per 100 square kilometers in 2021.
Daily commute on Chinese roads
China's rapid economic growth has also led to a dramatic increase in daily traffic volumes. However, the number of passengers on public road transport has been on the decline since 2012 and reached a new low of only around five billion in 2021, mainly due to the COVID-19 pandemic that disrupted inter-and intra-city travel.
Total length of public roads in China from 2008 to 2021
(in million kilometers)
Profit from the additional features of your individual account
Currently, you are using a shared account. To use individual functions (e.g., mark statistics as favourites, set
statistic alerts) please log in with your personal account.
If you are an admin, please authenticate by logging in again.
Statista Accounts:
Access All Statistics. Starting from $468 / Year
Learn more about how Statista can support your business.
Ministry of Transport of China. (May 25, 2022). Total length of public roads in China from 2008 to 2021 (in million kilometers) [Graph]. In Statista. Retrieved July 05, 2022, from https://www.statista.com/statistics/276051/total-length-of-public-roads-in-china/
Ministry of Transport of China. "Total length of public roads in China from 2008 to 2021 (in million kilometers)." Chart. May 25, 2022. Statista. Accessed July 05, 2022. https://www.statista.com/statistics/276051/total-length-of-public-roads-in-china/
Ministry of Transport of China. (2022). Total length of public roads in China from 2008 to 2021 (in million kilometers). Statista. Statista Inc.. Accessed: July 05, 2022. https://www.statista.com/statistics/276051/total-length-of-public-roads-in-china/
Ministry of Transport of China. "Total Length of Public Roads in China from 2008 to 2021 (in Million Kilometers)." Statista, Statista Inc., 25 May 2022, https://www.statista.com/statistics/276051/total-length-of-public-roads-in-china/
Ministry of Transport of China, Total length of public roads in China from 2008 to 2021 (in million kilometers) Statista, https://www.statista.com/statistics/276051/total-length-of-public-roads-in-china/ (last visited July 05, 2022)