A global freighter fleet of 1,350 aircraft in 2023 sits alongside air cargo emissions that can run at 750g CO2 per tkm compared with just 50g by sea, a gap that immediately changes how we think about speed. From 1.5% of total cargo that still captures 55% of value through air e-commerce to 28 million TEUs of intermodal movement growing 5% in 2022, the freight picture is full of sharp contrasts.
Key Takeaways
- Air cargo global volume was 61.5 million metric tons in 2022, down 4.8%.
- U.S. air freight tonnage was 17.5 million tons in 2022.
- China's air cargo throughput reached 5.8 million tons in 2022.
- Global intermodal freight volume grew 5% to 28 million TEUs in 2022.
- U.S. intermodal rail-container moves hit 13.7 million units in 2022.
- EU intermodal transport share was 12% of inland freight in 2021.
- Global seaborne trade volume reached 11 billion tons in 2022.
- Container shipping handled 171 million TEUs in 2022, up 2.5%.
- China's port container throughput was 296 million TEUs in 2022.
- In 2022, U.S. railroads moved 1.62 trillion ton-miles of freight, 40% of long-distance freight.
- EU rail freight volume was 412 billion tonne-km in 2021, 18% of inland freight.
- China's rail freight hit 4.36 billion tons in 2022, up 2.4%.
- In 2022, U.S. road freight accounted for 72.5% of total domestic freight tonnage moved, totaling approximately 10.45 trillion ton-miles.
- Europe's road freight transport volume reached 1,870 billion tonne-kilometers in 2021, representing 75% of inland freight.
- China's road freight turnover grew to 4.8 trillion ton-km in 2022, up 5.2% from 2021.
In 2022, air cargo fell slightly but stayed vital for time sensitive trade, with emissions far higher than sea.
Related reading
01 · Category
Air Freight Transport18 stats
01
Air cargo global volume was 61.5 million metric tons in 2022, down 4.8%.
02
U.S. air freight tonnage was 17.5 million tons in 2022.
03
China's air cargo throughput reached 5.8 million tons in 2022.
04
Hong Kong airport handled 4.2 million tonnes of cargo in 2022.
05
FedEx Express air freight volume was 15.8 million metric tons in FY2023.
06
Global e-commerce air freight share was 1.5% of total cargo but 55% by value in 2022.
07
Memphis airport cargo throughput was 4.3 million tons in 2022.
08
Europe's air freight volume was 10.1 million tonnes in 2022.
09
UPS air cargo operations moved 5.7 million tons in 2022.
10
Middle East air cargo hubs handled 13 million tons in 2022.
11
Air freight CO2 emissions per tkm were 750g vs 50g for sea in 2022.
12
Frankfurt airport cargo volume was 2.0 million tonnes in 2022.
13
Pharma air freight was 1.1 million tons in 2022, 50% time-sensitive.
14
Japan's air cargo imports grew 8% to 1.9 million tons in 2022.
15
Global freighter fleet was 1,350 aircraft in 2023.
16
Incheon airport cargo was 2.7 million tons in 2022.
17
Air freight rates averaged $4.50/kg in 2022 peak.
18
U.S. express air parcels were 12 billion pieces in 2022.
Interpretation
Air Freight Transport Interpretation
While e-commerce's high-value trinkets have airlines scrambling for precious airspace—with FedEx and UPS alone moving volumes dwarfing most nations—the sobering 750g of CO2 per ton-kilometer hangs over the industry like the ghost of logistics future.
02 · Category
Intermodal and Pipeline Freight Transport17 stats
01
Global intermodal freight volume grew 5% to 28 million TEUs in 2022.
02
U.S. intermodal rail-container moves hit 13.7 million units in 2022.
03
EU intermodal transport share was 12% of inland freight in 2021.
04
China's intermodal container throughput was 110 million TEUs in 2022.
05
U.S. pipeline crude oil transport was 15.3 million bpd in 2022.
06
Canada's intermodal freight was 4.5 million TEUs in 2022.
07
Global pipeline network spans 2.4 million km for oil and gas.
08
Australia's intermodal freight grew 6% to 2.1 million TEUs in 2022.
09
U.S. CO2 pipeline capacity was 8,300 miles in 2023.
10
EU short-sea shipping intermodal volume was 1.8 billion tons in 2021.
11
India's inland waterways freight was 133 million tonnes in FY2023.
12
Russia natural gas pipeline exports were 200 bcm in 2022.
13
Brazil intermodal rail-truck volume was 1.2 million TEUs in 2022.
14
Global hydrogen pipeline plans target 1,500 km by 2030.
15
U.S. barge freight on Mississippi was 600 million tons in 2022.
16
Japan's intermodal container transport was 4.5 million TEU in 2022.
17
Middle East intermodal growth 12% in 2022.
Interpretation
Intermodal and Pipeline Freight Transport Interpretation
While the world's freight arteries are impressively clogged with everything from containers to crude, the sobering truth is that our logistical genius is still mostly fueling the old, dirty engine of the global economy, not building a new one.
03 · Category
Maritime Freight Transport19 stats
01
Global seaborne trade volume reached 11 billion tons in 2022.
02
Container shipping handled 171 million TEUs in 2022, up 2.5%.
03
China's port container throughput was 296 million TEUs in 2022.
04
U.S. maritime freight imports by vessel were 2.5 billion tons in 2022.
05
EU seaborne freight volume was 3.9 billion tons in 2021.
06
Dry bulk carriers transported 5.3 billion tons in 2022, 49% of total seaborne trade.
07
Singapore port handled 37.5 million TEUs in 2022.
08
Global tanker trade was 3.1 billion tons of crude oil in 2022.
09
Rotterdam port throughput was 467 million tons in 2022.
10
LNG shipping volume grew to 474 million tons in 2022.
11
Shanghai port cargo throughput hit 47.3 billion tons in 2022.
12
Panamax vessel fleet carried 28% of dry bulk in 2022.
13
U.S. Jones Act tonnage was 540 million tons in 2021.
14
Global containership fleet capacity was 25.5 million TEU in 2023.
15
India's major ports handled 789 million tonnes in FY2023.
16
VLCC crude tanker rates averaged $25,000/day in 2022.
17
Brazil's port cargo volume was 1.3 billion tons in 2022.
18
Container freight rates Shanghai-Rotterdam peaked at $14,600/TEU in Jan 2022.
19
World merchant fleet tonnage was 2.25 billion GT at end-2022.
Interpretation
Maritime Freight Transport Interpretation
The sheer scale of global trade is both a marvel of logistics and a stark reminder of our interconnected vulnerability, as the oceans groan under the weight of billions of tons moved by a restless fleet just to keep our shelves stocked and our economies humming.
More related reading
04 · Category
Rail Freight Transport19 stats
01
In 2022, U.S. railroads moved 1.62 trillion ton-miles of freight, 40% of long-distance freight.
02
EU rail freight volume was 412 billion tonne-km in 2021, 18% of inland freight.
03
China's rail freight hit 4.36 billion tons in 2022, up 2.4%.
04
India's rail freight loading reached 1,412 million tonnes in FY2023.
05
U.S. rail coal shipments were 965 million tons in 2022, 42% of rail freight.
06
Russia's rail freight volume was 2.57 billion tons in 2022.
07
Australia's rail freight totaled 285 billion tonne-km in 2021-22.
08
Canada's rail freight was 347 billion tonne-km in 2022.
09
Germany's rail freight volume was 112 billion tkm in 2022.
10
Brazil's rail freight grew to 645 million tons in 2022.
11
Japan's rail freight was 25 billion ton-km in FY2022.
12
UK rail freight tonnage was 60 million tonnes in 2022/23.
13
France's rail freight was 46 billion tkm in 2022.
14
South Africa's rail freight volume fell to 171 million tons in 2022/23.
15
Poland's rail freight was 104 billion tkm in 2022.
16
U.S. intermodal rail containers handled 13.1 million units in 2022.
17
China's high-speed rail freight trials moved 1.2 million tons in 2023.
18
EU rail freight CO2 emissions were 28 g/tkm in 2021, lowest among modes.
19
Mexico's rail freight volume was 35 billion ton-km in 2022.
Interpretation
Rail Freight Transport Interpretation
Here is a sentence that interprets these freight statistics:
These numbers collectively sketch a global portrait where size and share, from China's gargantuan tonnage to the EU's efficiency crown, reveal a versatile rail industry tirelessly moving the world's bulk while quietly trying to outrun coal, competition, and its own carbon shadow.
05 · Category
Road Freight Transport20 stats
01
In 2022, U.S. road freight accounted for 72.5% of total domestic freight tonnage moved, totaling approximately 10.45 trillion ton-miles.
02
Europe's road freight transport volume reached 1,870 billion tonne-kilometers in 2021, representing 75% of inland freight.
03
China's road freight turnover grew to 4.8 trillion ton-km in 2022, up 5.2% from 2021.
04
In India, road freight handles 71% of total freight traffic, moving 4.8 billion tonnes annually as of 2023.
05
U.S. truck freight emissions totaled 458 million metric tons of CO2 in 2021, 26% of transportation sector emissions.
06
Germany's road freight volume was 428 billion tkm in 2022, a 2.1% increase year-over-year.
07
Brazil's road freight sector transported 6.2 billion tons in 2022, 65% of national freight.
08
Australia's road freight carried 320 billion tonne-km in 2021-22, 76% of total land freight.
09
Japan's road freight volume hit 410 billion ton-km in FY2022, dominant in domestic logistics.
10
In the UK, HGVs moved 12.3 billion tonnes of freight in 2022, 88% of inland freight by value.
11
Mexico's road freight grew 4.5% to 1.2 trillion ton-km in 2022.
12
France's road freight transport was 198 billion tkm in 2022, down 1% from pre-pandemic levels.
13
Canada's truck freight volume reached 380 billion tonne-km in 2022, 74% of total freight.
14
South Korea's road freight turnover was 512 billion ton-km in 2022, up 3.8%.
15
Italy's road freight amounted to 220 billion tkm in 2022.
16
U.S. intercity truck freight revenue was $879 billion in 2022.
17
EU road freight energy consumption was 1,200 million tonnes of oil equivalent in 2021.
18
Russia's road freight volume was 8.9 billion tons in 2022.
19
Turkey's road freight transport grew to 1.1 trillion ton-km in 2022.
20
Spain's road freight was 180 billion tkm in 2022.
Interpretation
Road Freight Transport Interpretation
The road freight sector is the undeniable, diesel-powered backbone of the global economy, moving the lion's share of goods in every major nation while simultaneously serving as its most stubborn and hefty carbon courier.
Reference
Cite This Report
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APA
David Kowalski. (2026, February 13). Freight Transport Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/freight-transport-statistics
MLA
David Kowalski. "Freight Transport Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/freight-transport-statistics.
Chicago
David Kowalski. 2026. "Freight Transport Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/freight-transport-statistics.
Sources & references
67 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level