Key figures on European transport : 2023 edition.
Date: 2024-02-07
Institutions: Eurostat
Subjects: EU Member State, EU statistics, mode of transport, transport market, transport statistics

KEY FIGURES ON

EUROPEAN TRANSPORT

2023 EDITION

*** 2022 ***

*** 2023 ***

K E Y
F I G U R E S 

List of countries

BE   Belgium
BG   Bulgaria
CZ   Czechia
DK   Denmark
DE   Germany
EE   Estonia
Ireland
IE  
EL   Greece

ES   Spain
FR   France
HR   Croatia
IT  
Italy
CY   Cyprus
LV   Latvia
LT   Lithuania
LU   Luxembourg

HU   Hungary
MT   Malta
NL   Netherlands
AT   Austria
PL   Poland
PT   Portugal
RO   Romania
SI   Slovenia

SK   Slovakia
FI   Finland
SE   Sweden

Iceland
Liechtenstein

IS  
LI 
NO  Norway
CH  Switzerland

KEY FIGURES ON

EUROPEAN TRANSPORT

2023 EDITION

Manuscript completed in November 2023

This document should not be considered as representative of the European Commission’s official position.

Luxembourg: Publications Office of the European Union, 2024

© European Union, 2024

The reuse policy of European Commission documents is implemented based on Commission Decision 
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Except otherwise noted, the reuse of this document is authorised under a Creative Commons Attribution 
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For any use or reproduction of elements that are not owned by the European Union, permission may 
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copyright in relation to the following elements:

Cover, chapter separators and images: © EU original 
Maps, administrative boundaries © EuroGeographics © UN-FAO © Turkstat 

Kosovo – this designation is without prejudice to positions on status, and is in line with UNSCR 1244/1999 
and the ICJ Opinion on the Kosovo declaration of independence.

The boundaries and names shown and the designations used on the maps do not imply official 
endorsement or acceptance by the European Union.

Theme: Transport
Collection: Key figures

Print: ISBN 978-92-68-09025-1 
PDF:  ISBN 978-92-68-09026-8 

doi: 10.2785/100390 
doi: 10.2785/4866 

KS-HE-23-001-EN-C
KS-HE-23-001-EN-N

ISSN: 2811-955X
ISSN: 2811-9568

 
 
 
 
 
  Foreword

I am pleased to present this second edition of Key 
fi gures on European transport. It provides a selection 
of key transport indicators for the European Union 
(EU), its individual Member States and European 
Free Trade Association (EFTA) countries, drawing 
from the rich collection of data available at Eurostat. 
Transport statistics can be used not only to describe 
the transport of people and goods, but also to 
provide information about issues such as transport 
equipment, safety, infrastructure and the economy, 
as well as transport’s environmental impact.

Key fi gures on European transport starts with two 
chapters presenting transport measurement, 
providing information on the movement of people 
and goods by land, water and air transport modes. 
The third chapter looks at transport safety, again 
presenting information for various transport modes. 
The fourth chapter combines information on 
transport, the environment and energy. The fi nal 
chapter looks at a range of economic indicators, such 
as employment in the transport sector, transport 
prices, and expenditure on transport.

Transport is critical to European businesses and 
global supply chains as well as to passengers. The 
transport sector contributes around 5 % to the EU’s 
gross domestic product and employs more than 
10 million people. However, transport emissions 
represent around 25 % of the EU’s total greenhouse 
gas emissions. Transport’s importance has placed it 
at the heart of the European Green Deal initiatives 
which strive for cleaner, greener and smarter 
mobility.

The COVID-19 pandemic and related restrictions 
aff ected the supply of and demand for many 
transport services within the EU. Most of the data in 
this publication are available up to 2021 or 2022 and 
show the impact of the pandemic in these years. The 
statistical indicators for 2022 refl ect the early impact 
of the Russian military aggression against Ukraine 
and the cost-of-living crisis.

Eurostat’s wide range of statistical information on 
transport can be accessed through our website. The 
latest and most comprehensive data available on 
the EU, its Member States, the EFTA countries, as well 
as candidate countries and potential candidates are 
available through our online database, while analysis 
is provided through a range of online articles in 
Statistics Explained.

I hope that you fi nd this publication interesting 
and useful.

Viveka Palm
Director of sectoral and regional statistics, Eurostat

Key figures on European transport – 2023 edition

3

Abstract
Key fi gures on European transport presents a selection of key transport indicators for the 
European Union (EU) and its individual Member States, as well as the EFTA countries. 
This publication may be viewed as an introduction to European transport statistics and 
provides a starting point for those who wish to explore the wide range of data that are 
freely available on Eurostat’s website together with a range of online articles in Statistics 
Explained.

Editors
Nina Jere and Dubravka Sušilović
Eurostat, Unit B4 – Dissemination and user support

Evangelia Ford-Alexandraki and Georgios Xenellis
Eurostat, Unit E3 – Transport

Contact details
Eurostat
Bâtiment Joseph Bech
5, rue Alphonse Weicker
2721 Luxembourg
E-mail: estat-user-support@ec.europa.eu

Production
Data processing and drafting of text were done by Giovanni Albertone, Simon Allen and 
Andrew Redpath – INFORMA s.à r.l.

Design and layout
Layout: Ecorys under contract with Eurostat

For more information please consult

Eurostat’s website: https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat
Statistics Explained: https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/statistics-explained

Acknowledgements
The editors of this publication would like to thank colleagues in Eurostat who were 
involved in its preparation.

Anna Białas-Motyl, Miriam Blumers, Alain Gallais, Riccardo Gatto, Christine Gerstberger, 
Mihai-Iulian Gheorghe, Judita Horvathova, Annabelle Jansen, Dorothea Jung, Cristina 
Martello, Boryana Milusheva, Stephan Moll, Svetoslava Pavlova, Joanna Raczkowska, Iveta 
Toleikyte and Klaus Volmich.

You can fi nd this 
publication online 
by scanning the 
QR code below:

4

Key figures on European transport – 2023 edition

 Table of contents

Foreword 

Introduction 

1.  Passenger transport 

Modal split of passenger transport 
Road passenger transport 
Rail passenger transport 
Maritime passenger transport 
Air passenger transport 
Commuting 

2.  Freight transport 

Modal split of freight transport 
Road freight transport 
Rail freight transport 
Inland waterway freight transport 
Maritime freight  transport 
Air freight transport 

3.  Transport safety 

Road transport safety 
Rail transport safety 
Maritime transport safety 
Air transport safety 

4.  Transport, the environment and energy 

Emissions 
Taxes 
Networks 
Energy 

5.  Transport and the economy 

Employment 
Prices 
Expenditure 
Investment 

3

7

11

12
14
17
18
20
23

25

26
28
31
33
35
37

39

40
42
43
44

45

46
47
48
50

51

52
56
58
61

Key figures on European transport – 2023 edition

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  Introduction

Eurostat is the statistical offi  ce of the European Union 
(EU) situated in Luxembourg. Its mission is to provide 
high quality statistics for Europe, which allow us to 
have key information on Europe’s economy, society 
and environment that we need both as citizens and 
as decision makers.

Key fi gures on European transport describes the 
situation concerning the use of transport and several 
related subjects. Annual data are generally presented 
through to 2021 or 2022, depending on the mode of 
transport and the types of indicator.

Structure of the publication

Key fi gures on European transport provides users of 
offi  cial statistics with an overview of the wealth of 
information that is available on Eurostat’s website
and within its online databases concerning transport.

The publication starts with a presentation in the fi rst 
two chapters of transport measurement, providing 
statistics on the movement of people and goods 
by land, water and air modes of transport. The third 
chapter looks at transport safety, again presenting 
information for various transport modes. The fourth 
chapter combines information on transport with 
information on the environment and energy. The 
fi nal chapter looks at a range of economic indicators,  
such as employment in the transport sector, 
transport prices, and expenditure on transport.

Data extraction and coverage

Data extraction
The statistical data presented in this publication were 
extracted as and when data became available for a 
new reference year. Nearly all of the data in Chapters 
4 and 5 were extracted in September 2023; most 
of the data for Chapters 1, 2 and 3 were extracted 
in October or November 2023. Eurostat’s online 
database may contain revised data.

Spatial data coverage

This publication presents information for the EU (a 
sum/average covering the 27 Member States of the 
EU) as well as the individual EU Member States and 
EFTA countries. The order of the countries in the 
fi gures usually refl ects their ranking according to the 
values for (one of) the indicator(s) illustrated.

References in the publication to EU Member States 
being northern, eastern, southern or western 
Member States are based on groupings provided by 
EU vocabularies.

The map on the inside cover page identifi es the EU 
Member States and the EFTA countries, as well as 
pinpointing their capital cities.

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Introduction

Note that data related to rail transport are not available 
for Cyprus and Malta as these EU Member States do 
not have a rail network; the same is true for Iceland. 
Equally, data related to maritime transport are not 
available for Czechia, Luxembourg, Hungary, Austria 
and Slovakia, as these Member States are landlocked; 
the same is true for Liechtenstein and Switzerland.

Codes and names of EU Member 
States and EFTA countries

BE Belgium
BG Bulgaria
CZ Czechia
DK Denmark
DE Germany
EE Estonia
IE 
Ireland
EL  Greece
ES  Spain
FR France
HR  Croatia
Italy
IT 
CY  Cyprus
LV  Latvia
LT  Lithuania
LU Luxembourg

HU  Hungary
MT Malta
NL Netherlands
AT Austria
PL Poland
PT Portugal
RO Romania
Slovenia
SI
SK Slovakia
FI
Finland
SE Sweden

Iceland
Liechtenstein

IS
LI
NO Norway
CH Switzerland

World regions/continental 
aggregates

In the fi rst two chapters, several maps are shown for 
the size of air and maritime transport with various 
regions of the world. The regions are defi ned within 
Eurostat’s standard code list for partner countries.

Temporal data coverage

If data for a reference year (or reference period) are 
not available for a particular country, then eff orts 
have been made to complete the coverage using 
data for recent previous reference years (these 
exceptions are footnoted).

Notes and flags

Notes and fl ags are means of explaining and defi ning 
specifi c characteristics of particular data. This 
publication includes only the main notes required 
for interpretation of the data and to highlight when 
a year has been replaced with another. Data that are 
not shown in individual fi gures may be simply not 
available or they may be confi dential (in which case 
they are not published). A full set of notes and fl ags 
are available on Eurostat’s website via online data 
codes (see below).

Accessing European statistics

The simplest way to obtain Eurostat’s wide range of 
statistical information is through its website. Eurostat 
provides users with free access to its databases and 
its publications in portable document format (PDF). 
The website is updated daily and presents the latest 
and most comprehensive statistical information 
available on the EU, its Member States, the EFTA 
countries, as well as enlargement countries and 
potential candidates.

Eurostat online data codes, such as tran_hv_psmod, 
allow easy access to the most recent data on 
Eurostat’s website. In this publication these online 
data codes are given as part of the source below 
each fi gure.

Some of the indicators presented in this publication 
are relatively complex. Statistics Explained provides 
a comprehensive online glossary with defi nitions for 
a broad range of statistical indicators, concepts and 
terms; it is organised under thematic headings.

8

Key figures on European transport – 2023 edition

Introduction

Modes of transport

In several subchapters, the analysis of European 
transport statistics is presented by mode of 
transport. Some modes are common to passenger 
and freight transport, and some specifi c to each.

Territoriality and 
nationality principles

Territoriality principle

Most transport statistics related to the measurement 
of the transport of passengers or freight are based 
on the territoriality principle, in other words where 
the transport takes place. For example, information 
on rail transport in Luxembourg concerns transport 
on Luxembourg’s rail network. National transport for 
Luxembourg is transport between two places within 
Luxembourg, while international transport concerns 
goods and/or passengers:

a)  loaded/embarked in Luxembourg that are 

unloaded/disembarked outside of Luxembourg;

b)  loaded/embarked outside of Luxembourg that 
are unloaded/disembarked in Luxembourg; or

c)  transiting through Luxembourg.

For international transport, when measuring the 
distance that goods or passengers are transported 
under the territoriality principle, only the distance 
travelled within the national territory is included. For 
example, a journey between a place in Luxembourg 
and a place in Belgium would be split between the 
kilometres within Luxembourg and those within 
Belgium; only those in Luxembourg would be in the 
statistics reported for Luxembourg; those in Belgium 
would be in the statistics reported for Belgium.

Passenger transport modes

1.  Land transport

– road transport, by

•  passenger cars (1)
•  motorcycles and mopeds
•  buses and coaches

– rail transport, including high-speed 

and conventional railways (2)

2.  Water transport

– maritime (sea transport)
– inland waterways (such as 
rivers, canals and lakes)

3.  Air transport

Freight transport modes

1.  Land transport

– road transport
– rail transport
– pipelines

2.  Water transport

– maritime (sea transport)
– inland waterways

3.  Air transport

(1) 

Includes road motor vehicles (other than motorcycles and mopeds) 
intended for the carriage of passengers and designed to seat no more 
than nine persons including the driver. Includes cars for own transport 
as well as for hire (such as taxis and rental cars). May include vans and 
special vehicles (such as ambulances and motor vehicles) designed 
and used primarily for the transport of passengers.

(2)  Railway statistics exclude (sub)urban, light rail, metros/underground 

railways and trams.

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Introduction

Nationality principle

Road freight transport statistics collected by Eurostat 
are an exception to the territoriality principle. They 
are based on the nationality principle, refl ecting 
the nationality of the road vehicle performing the 
transport. For example, information on road freight 
transport for Luxembourg concerns transport by 
vehicles registered in Luxembourg. Another way to 
understand this is that these data concern transport 
by Luxembourg’s road freight hauliers, regardless of 
where the goods are carried.

Under the nationality principle, while national 
transport for Luxembourg is still transport between 
two places within Luxembourg, it only concerns 
such transport performed by vehicles registered 
in Luxembourg. These statistics for Luxembourg 
do not include as national transport any transport 
between two places within Luxembourg by a vehicle 
registered in a diff erent country; this is considered 
to be a type of international transport (cabotage) 
recorded in the statistics for the country whose 
vehicles performed this transport.

In a similar manner, international transport statistics 
reported by Luxembourg concern the transport of 
goods by road vehicles registered in Luxembourg 
under the following conditions:

a)  goods loaded in Luxembourg that are 
unloaded outside of Luxembourg;

b)  goods loaded outside of Luxembourg 
that are unloaded in Luxembourg; or

c)  goods both loaded and unloaded outside 
of Luxembourg, regardless of whether

c.1)  they pass through Luxembourg (transit), or

c.2)  they stay within the borders of a single 

country other than Luxembourg (cabotage), or

c.3)  they cross at least one border, but none 

of Luxembourg’s borders (cross-trade).

Note that Eurostat does produce and publish a 
limited amount of road freight transport statistics 
on the territoriality principle. These estimates are 
based on the data collected according to the 
nationality principle and adjusted for the routes 
taken for international transport with the help of a 
distance matrix.

Both approaches – territoriality and nationality 
principles – are used for road freight transport 
statistics that are presented in this publication:

•  for the modal split of inland freight transport 

(see pages 26 and 27), estimated data according 
to the territoriality principle are used;

•  for the focus on road freight transport 
(see pages 28 to 30), data are based 
on the nationality principle.

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 1

 Passenger transport

1

Passenger transport

  Modal split of passenger 
transport

The modal split describes the relative share of each type of 
transport in terms of the vehicles used, for example by car, plane, 
coaches or trains, in the total of the transport modes. 

Development of modal split of passenger transport
(% based on passenger-kilometres, EU, 2011–2021)

Source: Eurostat (online data code: tran_hv_ms_psmod)

Between 2011 and 2019, passenger cars’ share of 
passenger transport in the EU fell from 73.1 % to 
69.8 %. This share increased to 81.9 % in 2020 and 
dropped back slightly in 2021 to 79.7 %. The share 
for aircraft increased from 10.9 % to 15.0 % between 
2011 and 2019 but dropped to 5.7 % and 7.3 % in 
2020 and 2021, respectively. All other modes of 
transport recorded similar patterns of a sharp drop 

in 2020 followed by a partial recovery in 2021. The 
substantial changes in 2020 refl ected the impact of 
the COVID-19 crisis on the overall use of transport 
and the use of private cars rather than public (and 
other forms of shared) transport, as well as the 
COVID-19-related restrictions imposed on certain 
modes of transport.

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Passenger transport

Modal split of passenger transport
(% based on passenger-kilometres, 2021)

Source: Eurostat (online data code: tran_hv_ms_psmod)

Among the EU Member States, the highest share 
for passenger cars in 2021 was in Lithuania (91.7 %), 
while the lowest share was in Croatia (63.8 %). In turn, 
Croatia had by far the highest share for aircraft, 25.4 %, 
followed by Bulgaria with 16.3 %. In Malta, Hungary, 
Ireland, Romania and Italy, coaches, buses and trolley-

buses accounted for at least 12.0 % of passenger 
transport. The largest shares of passenger transport 
performed by train were recorded in Austria, France, 
the Netherlands and Sweden, all at least 7.0 %. The use 
of seagoing vessels was below 1.0 % in most Member 
States and peaked at 2.7 % in Croatia.

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1

Passenger transport

  Road passenger transport

Motorisation rate: passenger cars relative to population size
(per 1 000 inhabitants, 2022)

Passenger car statistics include vehicles 
registered and licensed to use public 
roads. Included are vehicles owned by 
households, businesses and government 
(other than the military); rental vehicles 
are also included, as well as special 
purpose passenger vehicles. 

The motorisation rate for road passenger vehicles is based on the 
number of passenger cars relative to the size of the population.
In the EU, this averaged 560 passenger cars per 1 000 inhabitants 
in 2022. The highest passenger motorisation rates were in 
Italy (684 per 1 000 inhabitants) and Luxembourg (678 per 
1 000 inhabitants). The lowest were in Bulgaria (428 per 1 000 
inhabitants), Hungary (424 per 1 000 inhabitants), Romania 
(417 per 1 000 inhabitants) and Latvia (414 per 1 000 inhabitants).

Note: EU, estimate made for the purpose of this publication.

Source: Eurostat (online data code: road_eqs_carhab)

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Passenger transport

Registrations of new passenger cars, by type of motor energy
(%, 2022)

In 2022, electric-powered vehicles accounted for more 
than 15.0 % of all new passenger car registrations in 
Sweden, the Netherlands, Denmark, Finland, Germany, 
Austria, Malta and Luxembourg. By contrast, the share was 
below 3.0 % in Croatia, Greece, Poland and Czechia.

Note: ranked on the share for electric. BG and SK: not available. 
EU: excluding BG and SK. IS: 2021.

Source: Eurostat (online data codes: road_eqr_zev and 
road_eqr_carpda)

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1

Passenger transport

Index of registrations of new 
passenger cars, by type of motor 
energy
(2013 = 100, EU, 2013–2022)

Registrations of new passenger 
cars, by type of motor energy
(%, EU, 2013 and 2022)

A time series of data on the registrations of new 
passenger cars shows how the types of motor 
energy of new passenger cars changed. Between 
2013 and 2022, based on data for 18 EU Member 
States which collectively accounted for 80 % of new 
passenger cars within the EU in 2022, there was a 
decrease of 65 % for diesel-powered vehicles (also 
including hybrids) and an increase of 31 % for petrol-
powered vehicles in the EU (see the fi gures 
for coverage). 

For alternative types of motor energy, there were 
51 times as many registrations of new electric 
vehicles in 2022 as in 2013, while registrations of 
other new vehicles were 4 % lower. The share 
of electric vehicles among registrations of new 
passenger cars increased from 0.3 % in 2013 to 
14.1 % in 2022. Based on a time series with a 
complete coverage of all 27 EU Member States, 
which is only available for electric vehicles, the 
share of electric vehicles among registrations of 
new passenger cars increased from 0.2 % in 2013 
to 12.1 % in 2022.

Note: based on data for 18 EU Member States which collectively 
accounted for 80 % of new passenger cars within the EU in 2022. 

Source: Eurostat (online data codes: road_eqr_carpda, 
road_eqr_zev and road_eqr_zevpc)

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Passenger transport

  Rail passenger transport

Rail passenger transport
(passenger-kilometres per inhabitant, 2022)

In 2022, 7.3 billion passengers made national 
journeys in the EU, travelling a total of 372 billion 
kilometres. In addition, passengers were carried 
21 billion kilometres on international journeys. 
Relative to population size, this was an average of 
833 kilometres per inhabitant on national journeys 
and 47 kilometres per inhabitant on international 
journeys. Rail passengers in France and Austria 
travelled the longest average distance on national 
journeys in 2022, 1 395 and 1 311 kilometres per 
inhabitant, respectively.

Rail passengers are persons who travel by rail; 
members of the train crew are excluded. 
Measurement may be the number of passengers 
carried or based on passenger-kilometres. For 
international journeys, the passenger-kilometre 
data only include the distance travelled on the 
national network, in other words the part of the 
journey within the national territory, not the 
distance of the whole journey.

Note: no railways in CY or MT. BE, HU and NL: not available.

Source: Eurostat (online data codes: rail_pa_typepas and demo_pjan)

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1

Passenger transport

  Maritime passenger transport

Top 10 passenger ports in 
terms of passengers embarked 
and disembarked
(millions, EU, 2021 and 2022)

The 10 busiest maritime passenger ports in the EU 
included three in Greece, two each in Italy and Sweden 
and one each in Finland, Spain and Estonia. Six of the 
top 10 ports in 2022 were Mediterranean and four Baltic. 
Collectively these 10 ports accounted for just over one 
fi fth of all passengers embarking or disembarking in 
the EU.

Sea passengers are persons who make a sea 
journey on a merchant ship; excluded are service 
staff  assigned to merchant ships, as well as infants 
in arms. Merchant ships are typically passenger 
ships (for more than 12 fare-paying passengers) 
including cruise ships, as well as roll-on-roll-off 
(Ro-Ro) vessels.

Sea passengers embarked and disembarked 
relate to the activity of boarding or leaving 
a ship. A transfer from one ship to another 
is a disembarkation followed by an 
embarkation. Excursions from cruise ships 
are not considered as a (dis)embarkation.

Source: Eurostat (online data code: mar_mp_aa_pphd)

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Passenger transport

Passenger embarked and disembarked in all ports
(millions, 2021 and 2022)

In 2022, a total of 349 million passengers passed 
through ports in the 22 EU Member States 
with maritime transport (fi ve Member States 
are landlocked). This was a 30.0 % increase 
compared with 2021, signifying a continuation 
of the recovery from the impact of the COVID-19 
crisis. Greece (70.1 million), Italy (53.8 million) and 
Denmark (41.2 million) had the highest numbers 
of maritime passengers, accounting for 20.1 %, 
15.5 % and 11.8 % of the EU total, respectively. 
Among the Member States with at least 20.0 
million passengers in 2022, the strongest annual 
growth rates were recorded in Spain, Sweden 
and Germany, up 65.9 %, 46.7 % and 41.9 %, 
respectively.

Source: Eurostat (online data code: mar_mp_aa_cph)

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1

Passenger transport

  Air passenger transport

Top 10 passenger airports in terms of passengers carried
(millions, EU, 2021 and 2022)

Source: Eurostat (online data code: avia_paoa)

Air passengers are persons who make a 
journey by air; excluded are on-duty members 
of the fl ight and cabin crews while infants in 
arms are included. The number of passengers 
carried counts passengers whose air journey 
begins or ends at the reporting airport; direct 
transit passengers (on the same aircraft with 
the same fl ight number) are excluded.

In 2022, passenger numbers increased greatly compared 
with 2021 but remained somewhat below their pre-
COVID-19 levels. The COVID-19 crisis had a particularly 
strong impact on international air passenger transport, 
while airports that had a relatively large share of 
domestic transport were somewhat less impacted. The 
list of the 10 busiest passenger airports in 2022 was 
similar to that in 2021, with Fiumicino airport in Rome 
returning to the top 10 (having dropped out in 2021) 
and the airport of Athens dropping out.

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Passenger transport

Air passengers carried

The number of air passengers carried on fl ights to 
and from each EU Member State can be compared 
with the resident population in order to give a 
measure of the intensity of passenger air transport. 
Several southern Member States that are major tourist 
destinations had a high ratio of air passengers to 
inhabitants in 2022, in particular the islands of Malta 
(11.3 per inhabitant) and Cyprus (9.5 per inhabitant). 

Ireland and Luxembourg (6.4 and 6.3 per inhabitant, 
respectively) also had high ratios, refl ecting high 
demand for air transport for business and tourist 
travellers. The seven lowest ratios were all observed 
for eastern Member States, all with ratios below 
1.5 per inhabitant. The average for the EU (considering 
only data for departures for intra-EU transport to avoid 
double counting), was 1.8 per inhabitant.

Number 
relative to 
population 
size

(number per 
inhabitant, 
2021 and 
2022)

Distribution, 
by type of 
transport

(%, 2022)

Note: ranked on the total number of air passengers carried relative to 
population size. For the EU, only data for departures are considered for 
intra-EU transport to avoid double counting.

Source: Eurostat (online data code: avia_paoc)

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1

Passenger transport

Inward and outward extra-EU air passenger transport
(millions of passengers carried, EU, 2022)

Source: Eurostat (online data code: avia_paexcc)

The rest of Europe was the main origin or destination 
of passengers travelling to or from the EU by air in 
2022: 58.3 % of the extra-EU total was for fl ights to/
from European countries other than Belarus, Moldova, 
Russia and Ukraine.

EU passenger air transport to/from non-EU countries 
more than doubled in 2022, up 163.2 % compared 
with 2021. This accelerated the recovery that had 
started in 2021 (up 18.4 %) from the impact of the 
COVID-19 crisis in 2020. Nevertheless, the number of 
passengers carried to/from non-EU countries in 2022 
remained 25.9 % below the 2019 level.

At a more detailed level, passenger air transport fell in 
2022 with respect to the market of Belarus, Moldova, 
Russia and Ukraine, refl ecting at least in part the 
impact of the Russian military aggression against 
Ukraine. For all of the other markets, air passenger 
numbers in 2022 were higher than in 2021. The largest 
increase in relative terms concerned transport to 
and from South-Eastern Asia, for which passenger 
numbers were 7.1 times as high in 2022 as in 2021.

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Passenger transport

  Commuting

Employed persons aged 20–64 
years, by commuting time
(%, one way from home to work, 2019)

Data on commuting time concern the time to get from 
home to the place of work; note that the time recorded 
is the time for travel in one direction. The time is based 
on the most frequently used mode of transport and 
normal weather conditions.

Note: ranked on the share of employed persons 
commuting 30 minutes or more. Excluding non-response.

Source: Eurostat (online data code: lfso_19plwk28)

The data for commuting time for employed persons 
aged 20–64 years in the EU in 2019 show that 4.1 % 
did not commute, for example because they lived and 
worked at the same place, on a farm, above a shop or 
in a home offi  ce. Just over three fi fths (61.1 %) travelled 
to work but took less than half an hour (1–29 minutes) 
to do so. Over a quarter (26.6 %) took between half and 
one hour (30–59 minutes) to travel to work, while the 
remaining 8.2 % took an hour or more (60 minutes or 

more) to do so. Note that these data refer to 2019, in other 
words before the COVID-19 crisis.

Combining the last two durations, just over one third 
(34.8 %) of employed persons aged 20–64 years in the 
EU typically took 30 minutes or more to travel from home 
to work in 2019. Among the EU Member States, this share 
ranged from 19.1 % in Cyprus to 45.4 % in Luxembourg 
and 52.5 % in Latvia.

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Passenger transport

Share of people aged 20–64 years in employment 
commuting for 30 minutes or more
(%, one way from home to work, 2019)

Note: excluding non-response.
Source: Eurostat (online data code: lfso_19plwk28)

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 2

  Freight transport

2

Freight transport

  Modal split of freight transport

Development of modal split 
of freight transport
(% based on tonne-kilometres, EU, 2011–2021)

Just over two thirds (67.9 %) of freight transport, 
based on tonne-km, in the EU in 2021 was maritime 
transport. Most of the remainder (24.6 % of the total) 
was performed by road, with smaller shares along 
railways (5.4 %), along inland waterways (1.8 %) and 
by air (0.2 %).

The modal split describes the relative share of 
each mode of transport, for example by sea, road 
or rail, in the total of the transport modes. For 
freight, the shares are calculated for each mode in 
the total tonne-kilometres (tonne-km), following 
the territoriality principle (transport performed 
on the territory of a country); one tonne-km is 
one tonne of freight transported over one 
kilometre. The analysis of the modal split 
currently includes sea, road, rail, inland waterway
and air transport.

Based on tonne-km, the share of maritime transport 
within all freight transport performance in the EU 
ranged between 68.8 % and 69.8 % between 2011 
and 2020. After a small fall in 2019 and a larger one in 
2020, this share fell to a new low of 67.9 % in 2021. The 
share of road transport increased most years between 
2011 and 2021. By contrast, the share of rail in freight 

transport performance fell most years from 6.0 % in 
2011 to a low of 5.2 % in 2020 before recovering in 
2021 to 5.4 %. The share of inland waterways peaked 
at 2.3 % in 2013 and thereafter declined to 1.8 % in 
2018 where it remained through until 2021. The share 
of air in freight transport performance remained at 
0.2 % each year from 2011 to 2021.

Source: Eurostat (online data code: tran_hv_ms_frmod)

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Freight transport

 Modal split of freight transport
(% based on tonne-kilometres, 2021)

Note: MT, not available. 

Source: Eurostat (online data code: tran_hv_ms_frmod)

The fi ve landlocked EU Member States – 
Luxembourg, Czechia, Hungary, Austria and Slovakia 
– had no maritime transport and in 2021 also 
recorded fi ve of the six highest shares (all above 
60.0 %) for road transport in all freight transport 
performance; Poland had the third highest share. 
The lowest shares for road transport were in 
Estonia, Greece, Cyprus and Portugal, all below 
5.0 %. These four Member States recorded the 
highest shares for maritime transport, all in excess 

of 90.0 %. In Lithuania, more than half (52.8 %) of 
freight transport was performed by rail, by far the 
highest share among the Member States. The largest 
share of freight transport performed along inland 
waterways was 19.8 % in Romania, with shares 
above 10.0 % also recorded in the Netherlands and 
Bulgaria. The highest shares of air transport within 
all freight transport performance were observed in 
Luxembourg, Latvia, Romania and Lithuania, in the 
range of 1.4 % to 1.6 %.

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Freight transport

  Road freight transport

Motorisation rate: heavy lorries and 
road tractors relative to population size
(per 1 000 inhabitants, 2021)

The motorisation rate for road freight vehicles is based 
on the number of heavy lorries (maximum permissible 
laden weight > 3.5 tonnes) and road tractors relative 
to the size of the population. In the EU in 2021, this 
rate averaged 13.9 per 1 000 inhabitants. The highest 
freight motorisation rates among the EU Member 
States were in Finland, Poland and Estonia (all above 
30.0 per 1 000 inhabitants), while the lowest was in 
Denmark (7.3 per 1 000 inhabitants).

Road freight motor vehicles include:

•  single vehicles (such as a lorry) designed 

to carry goods;

•  road tractors, also known as semi-trailer 

tractors or (the towing part of) 
articulated lorries, designed to pull 
vehicles that are not power-driven, 
typically semi-trailers.

Note: EU, excluding EL and SI. EL and SI: road tractors only. 
IS: heavy lorries only. SK: estimate made for the purpose of this 
publication

Source: Eurostat (online data codes: road_eqs_lorroa and 
demo_pjan)

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Freight transport

Road freight transport statistics published here 
relate to transport by heavy goods vehicles 
registered in the reporting countries. See the 
introduction to this publication for an explanation 
of the nationality principle used for road freight 
transport statistics.

may be based on the load capacity (maximum 
permissible weight of goods) or the legally 
permissible maximum weight (the vehicle, the 
load, the driver and other persons carried). Some 
reporting countries have a somewhat broader 
coverage as they apply lower inclusion thresholds.

Transport by light goods vehicles is excluded. The 
threshold for inclusion as a heavy goods vehicle 

Share of EU road freight transport, by country of vehicle registration
(% based on tonne-kilometres, 2022)

In 2022, one fi fth (20.1 %) of road freight transport (in tonne kilometres) by vehicles registered 
in the EU was performed by Polish-registered vehicles. German (15.8 %) and Spanish (13.9 %) 
transporters also had shares above 10.0 %.

Note: MT, not available.
Source: Eurostat (online data 
code: road_go_ta_tott)

Share of empty road journeys, by country of vehicle registration
(% based on vehicle-kilometres, 2022)

Road freight transporters aim to avoid empty (unladen) journeys, for obvious cost reasons. 
The overall share of vehicle-kilometres (the distance travelled by vehicles, regardless of the 
weight of any load carried) recorded for empty journeys in 2022 was 21.9 % for vehicles 
registered in the EU. Vehicles registered in Austria (34.2 %), Ireland (35.6 %), Greece (35.8 %) 
and particularly Cyprus (40.4 %) recorded the highest shares of empty journeys in 2022.

Note: EU, excluding IT, MT 
and RO. IT, MT and RO: not 
available.
Source: Eurostat (online data 
code: road_go_ta_tott)

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Freight transport

 Distribution of road freight transport, by type of transport
(% based on vehicle-kilometres, 2022)

Just over two thirds (68.0 %) of the vehicle-kilometres travelled in 2022 by vehicles 
registered within the EU were for national transport (within the EU Member State 
where the vehicles were registered). This share peaked at 99.3 % in Cyprus but was 
as low as 9.5 % in Lithuania.

Note: EU, excluding MT 
and including only loaded 
transport for IT and RO. MT: 
not available. IT and RO: 
loaded only.
Source: Eurostat (online data 
code: road_go_ta_tott)

Change in road freight transport
(% based on vehicle-kilometres, 2012–2022)

For vehicles registered within the EU as a whole, the number of vehicle-kilometres 
was 21 % higher in 2022 than in 2012. The performance by Romanian-registered 
vehicles (data only concern laden vehicles) was 118 % higher in 2022 than in 2012, 
while performance by Lithuanian-registered vehicles also more than doubled (up 
113 %). The performance of vehicles registered in fi ve of the EU Member States – 
Portugal, France, Finland, Denmark and Estonia – was lower in 2022 than 10 years 
earlier.

Note: MT: not available. IT and 
RO: loaded only.
Source: Eurostat (online data 
code: road_go_ta_tott)

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Freight transport

  Rail freight transport

Rail freight transport
(billion tonne-kilometres, 2022)

Germany was by far the largest contributor to rail 
freight transport performance in the EU, with 
125 billion tonne-km in 2022, representing 31.3 % of 
the EU total (excluding Belgium). Poland (14.8 % of the 
total) and France (8.9 %) had the next highest levels of 
rail freight transport performance.

Rail freight transport concerns the movement of 
goods using a railway vehicle on a railway network. 
Measurement is based on tonne-km. For 
international journeys – whether just loaded or just 
unloaded in a country, or simply transiting through 
it – the tonne-km data reported for a country only 
include the distance travelled on the national 
network, in other words the part of the journey 
within the national territory.

Note: no railways in CY and MT. BE: not available.
Source: Eurostat (online data code: rail_go_typepas)

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Freight transport

Distribution of rail freight transport, by type of transport
(% based on tonne-kilometres, 2022)

Note: no railways in CY or MT. BE: not available. EU: excluding BE.

Source: Eurostat (online data code: rail_go_typepas)

Concerning the share of transit within rail freight 
transport, Denmark ranked fi rst with a share of just over 
four fi fths (80.7 %), more than double the next highest 
share (39.3 % in Hungary).

All of the rail freight transport performed in 2022 in 
Ireland was composed of national transport. At the other 
extreme, national transport accounted for 1.1 % of rail 
freight transport (in tonne-km) performed in Greece. 
Among the EU Member States, the highest shares for 
international rail transport were 62.3 % for freight loaded 
in the Netherlands and 71.7 % for freight unloaded in 
Latvia. 

Change in rail freight transport
(% based on tonne-kilometres, 2012–2022)

Note: no railways in CY or MT. BE: not available. EU: excluding BE.

Source: Eurostat (online data code: rail_go_typepas)

The performance of rail freight transport in Bulgaria 
increased 91.7 % between 2012 and 2022, the fastest 
relative increase among the EU Member States. Eight 
Member States reported less rail freight transport in 

2022 than 10 years earlier. The largest decreases were 
in the Baltic Member States: Estonia (down 74.9 %), 
Latvia (down 66.1 %) and Lithuania (down 48.0 %).

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Key figures on European transport – 2023 edition

2

Freight transport

  Inland waterway freight 
transport

Inland waterway freight transport, by nationality of vessel
(billion tonne-kilometres, EU, 2022)

Note: RS = Serbia; UA = Ukraine

Source: Eurostat (online data code: iww_go_anave)

Inland waterway freight transport concerns the 
movement of goods using an inland waterway 
transport vessel, wholly or partly on navigable 
inland waterways. Measurement is based on 
tonne-km.

In 2022, 122 billion tonne-km of freight were 
transported by inland waterways in the EU. Vessels 
registered in the Netherlands dominated this mode 
of transport, as they accounted for 50.7 % of inland 
waterway freight transport in the EU. The next largest 
shares were 15.9 % by German-registered vessels and 
9.4 % by Belgian-registered vessels, emphasising the 
concentration of this mode around the Moselle and 
Rhine rivers, as well as the Elbe. The fourth largest 
share (6.0 %) was for Romanian-registered vessels.

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Freight transport

Inland waterway freight transport, by type of goods transported
(billion tonne-kilometres, EU, 2022)

Source: Eurostat (online data code: iww_go_atygo)

Four types of goods dominated the freight transported along the EU’s inland waterways in 2022:

•  mining and quarrying products other than 
coal, lignite, crude petroleum and natural 
gas, mainly metal ores or stone, sand, gravel 
and similar (a 23.1 % share of the total),

•  chemicals, mainly nitrogen compounds 
and fertilisers as well as basic organic 
or mineral chemicals (13.0 %),

•  products of agriculture, forestry and fi shing, 

•  coke and refi ned petroleum products, mainly 
liquid refi ned petroleum products (14.6 %),

mainly cereals 
(11.5 %).

Collectively, these four largest categories accounted for 62.3 % of all goods transported on the EU’s inland 
waterways in 2022.

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Key figures on European transport – 2023 edition

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Freight transport

  Maritime freight transport

Top 10 cargo ports in 
terms of gross weight 
of goods handled
(million tonnes, EU, 2021 and 2022)

Sea freight transport is the movement of goods using 
merchant ships on journeys that are undertaken wholly or 
partly at sea. Transport is measured in terms of tonnes 
handled in ports, in other words loaded or unloaded to a 
merchant ship. The transport of goods to off shore 
installations, for dumping at sea, or reclaimed from the 
seabed is included, as is transhipment from one ship to 
another. Bunkers and stores supplied to vessels for their own 
use are excluded.

In 2022, 3.5 billion tonnes of maritime freight were loaded/
unloaded in EU ports. This quantity was 0.8 % higher than in 
2021. The two busiest ports were Rotterdam and Antwerp–
Bruges, with 12.3 % and 7.3 %, respectively, of the EU total. The 
10 busiest ports collectively accounted for 37.3 % of the EU’s 
total maritime freight. Among these 10, Gdansk, Amsterdam, 
Trieste and HAROPA reported a larger quantity of goods 
handled in 2022 than a year before. The other six reported 
decreases, the two largest in relative terms being in Valencia 
and Hamburg, down 7.1 % and 7.0 %, respectively.

Note: HAROPA is the ports of Le Havre, Rouen and Paris. 
Source: Eurostat (online data code: mar_mg_aa_pwhd)

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Freight transport

Inward and outward extra-EU maritime freight transport
(million tonnes weight transported, EU, 2022)

Source: Eurostat (online data codes: 
mar_go_am_be to mar_go_am_se)

Of the 3.5 billion tonnes of maritime freight loaded/unloaded in EU ports in 
2022, 2.1 billion tonnes were for transport to or from non-EU countries. This 
quantity was 1.9 % higher than in 2021. The largest partners in 2022 were 
elsewhere in Europe, with Belarus, Moldova, Russia and Ukraine collectively 
accounting for 10.4 % of the total and the rest of Europe for 22.8 %. Outside 
of Europe, the largest partners were Northern America (13.1 % of the total), 
Northern Africa (9.4 %), South America (7.4 %) and Eastern Asia (7.2 %). 
Among these six largest partners, maritime freight transport increased in 
2022 (compared with 2021) for Northern America (up 12.4 %) and South 
America (up 1.8 %). The largest decrease, in relative terms, was for Belarus, 
Moldova, Russia and Ukraine, down 27.9 %).

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Key figures on European transport – 2023 edition

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Freight transport

  Air freight transport

Top 10 main cargo airports in terms of goods loaded and unloaded
(million tonnes, EU, 2021 and 2022)

Source: Eurostat (online data code: avia_gooa)

Air freight and mail transport is 
the movement of goods on an 
aircraft. The statistics published 
here are measured in terms of 
tonnes loaded or unloaded 
from aircraft at airports.

The COVID-19 crisis had a much smaller impact on air freight transport than 
on air passenger transport. The list of the EU’s 10 busiest freight airports 
in 2022 was the same as in each of the three previous years, with only a 
few changes in the order of the ranking. In 2022, Leipzig/Halle overtook 
Amsterdam Schiphol as the EU’s third busiest freight airport. Frankfurt and 
Paris–Charles de Gaulle maintained fi rst and second positions.

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Freight transport

Inward and outward extra-EU air freight transport
(million tonnes loaded and unloaded, EU, 2022)

Source: Eurostat (online data code: 
avia_goexcc)

Unlike for air passenger transport, the main origins or destinations of goods 
freighted to or from the EU by air in 2022 was quite varied, with relatively low 
shares for other European countries. The largest share was for freight to or 
from Northern America, with just over a quarter (25.1 %) of the total. Eastern 
Asia (22.8 %) and Western Asia (19.6 %) were the next largest markets. These 
three largest markets collectively accounted for just over two thirds (67.5 %) 
of the extra-EU total for air freight transport.

EU air freight transport to/from non-EU countries decreased 7.9 % in 2022. 
Air freight transport fell strongly in 2022 with respect to the relatively small 
market of Belarus, Moldova, Russia and Ukraine, impacted at least in part 
by the Russian military aggression against Ukraine. The largest increases in 
relative terms concerned transport to and from Central Africa and Central 
Asia, which increased 14.6 % and 33.2 %, respectively.

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Key figures on European transport – 2023 edition

 3

  Transport safety

EMERGENCY

3

Transport safety

  Road transport safety

Development of persons killed 
in road transport accidents
(per million inhabitants, EU, 2011–2021)

A fatal road transport accident is one involving at least 
one road vehicle in motion on a public road (or a 
private road to which the public have right of access), 
resulting in at least one killed person.

Between 2011 and 2020, the number of people killed 
in road accidents in the EU fell from 28 700 to 18 800 
or from 65 per million inhabitants to 42 per million 
inhabitants. During this period, the ratio was stable 
or fell each year except for 2015. In 2021, the numbers 
rebounded somewhat (from the COVID-19-related 
fall in 2020), to 19 900 persons killed in road transport 
accidents or 45 fatalities per million inhabitants.

Source: Eurostat (online data code: tran_sf_roadse) from CARE

Persons killed in road transport accidents
(per million inhabitants, 2020 and 2021)

Note: the data for the Netherlands are believed to be under-reported. 

Source: Eurostat (online data code: tran_sf_roadse) from CARE

In 2021, the highest incidence among the EU 
Member States of fatalities through road accidents 
was in Romania, with 93 deaths per million 
inhabitants. The lowest incidences were in Sweden 
(20 deaths per million inhabitants) and Malta 
(17 deaths per million inhabitants).

A small majority of EU Member States recorded a 
higher incidence of fatalities through road accidents 

in 2021 than in 2020. The largest increase in absolute 
terms was in Slovenia, up from 38 to 54 deaths per 
million inhabitants. The largest decrease was in 
Lithuania, down from 63 to 53 deaths per million 
inhabitants. It should be noted that the development 
of the number of road accidents with fatalities may 
be quite volatile, particularly for smaller countries.

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Transport safety

Persons killed in road transport accidents in regions
(per million inhabitants, NUTS level 2 regions, 2021)

Regional data for road accidents are provided by statistical authorities 
(rather than from the CARE database). These data indicate that there 
were 12 regions in the EU where there were more than 100 fatalities 
per million inhabitants in 2021: four in Romania, two each in Bulgaria, 
Greece and France, and one each in Poland and Portugal. The highest 
ratio was 159 fatalities per million inhabitants in the French overseas 
region of Guadeloupe. In 2021, there were no road accident fatalities 
in the Spanish autonomous Ciudad de Ceuta nor in Valle d’Aosta/
Vallée d’Aoste in north-western Italy (2020 data).

Note: IT, 2020.
Source: Eurostat (online data code: tran_r_acci)

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3

Transport safety

  Rail transport safety

Development of railway 
transport accidents
(number, EU, 2011–2021)

A rail transport accident may be a rail injury 
accident – with an injury or a fatality – or an 
accident with damage to railway stock, track, other 
installations or the environment.

The number of signifi cant railway transport accidents 
in the EU fell from 2 144 in 2011 to 1 389 in 2021; 
overall, this was a decrease of 35.2 %. In most of the 
intervening years, there was a fall in the number of 
rail accidents, with annual increases observed only in 
2014, 2017 and 2021. The decrease of 12.1 % in 2020 
and rebound of 4.4 % in 2021 may refl ect, to some 
extent, the impact of the COVID-19 crisis.

Source: Eurostat (online data code: tran_sf_railac)

Persons killed in railway transport accidents
(per million inhabitants, 2021)

A total of 683 people died in railway transport accidents in the EU 
in 2021, equivalent to 1.5 deaths per million inhabitants. Among 
the EU Member States, this ratio ranged from 0.2 deaths per million 
inhabitants in Ireland and 0.3 deaths per million inhabitants in Spain 
to 5.0 deaths per million inhabitants in Hungary and 5.7 deaths per 
million inhabitants in Slovakia.

Note: no railways in Cyprus or Malta.
Source: Eurostat (online data codes: tran_sf_
railvi and demo_pjan)

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Key figures on European transport – 2023 edition

3

Transport safety

  Maritime transport safety

Development of persons killed in 
maritime transport accidents
(number, EU, 2012–2022)

A fatal marine accident is one involving at least one 
marine vessel in motion resulting in at least one 
killed person.

Source: Eurostat (online data code: tran_sf_marvper)

Between 2012 and 2022, the number of people killed 
in maritime transport accidents in the EU’s waters 
or involving EU-registered vessels elsewhere in the 
world ranged between 24 and 90. The three lowest 
numbers were recorded in recent years, 30 deaths in 

2020, 27 deaths in 2021 and 24 deaths in 2022. A large 
majority of the EU’s maritime transport fatalities in 
2022 concerned EU registered vehicles (24 fatalities), 
while the others (three fatalities) were related to 
other vessels in the EU’s territorial seas.

Development of persons killed in maritime transport accidents, 
by type of victim
(number, EU, 2012–2022)

Source: Eurostat (online data code: tran_sf_marvper)

In 2022, 12 of the 24 fatalities in EU maritime 
transport accidents were crew members, while 11 
were passengers. One fatality was classifi ed as other, 
a category which includes, for example, service 
personnel, dock workers, pilots and inspectors. As 

such, 2022 was the fi rst year since 2018 in which 
passengers were killed in maritime transport 
accidents in the EU’s waters or involving 
EU-registered vessels elsewhere.

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3

Transport safety

  Air transport safety

Development of persons killed 
in air transport accidents
(number, EU, 2012–2022)

Persons killed due to the operation of 
an aircraft may be in the aircraft, in 
direct contact with any part of the 
aircraft, or directly exposed to jet blast.

Between 2012 and 2022, the number of 
people killed in air transport accidents in 
the EU (or involving EU-registered aircraft) 
generally ranged between 112 and 186. A 
higher number of deaths was recorded in 
2015 (325). A crash of a single commercial 
airliner, as was the case in 2015, can lead to 
notably larger fi gures for a particular year.

Source: Eurostat (online data codes: tran_sf_aviaca, 
tran_sf_aviagah, tran_sf_aviagal and tran_sf_aviaaw)

Persons killed in air transport accidents
(%, EU, 2022)

The overall number of people killed in air transport 
accidents in the EU (or involving EU-registered aircraft) in 
2022 was 147. This number refl ects the absence of major 
accidents within commercial aviation.

In 2022, there were 122 deaths (83.0 % of the total) within 
general aviation involving aircraft with a take-off  mass 
equal to or below 2 250 kg; this includes not only small 
aeroplanes and helicopters but also other craft such 
as motor-gliders, microlights and hot air balloons. The 
number of fatalities for other categories were much 
lower: there were 17 deaths in commercial aviation, 
seven in aerial works (where an aircraft is used for 
specialised services such as for agriculture, construction, 
photography, or search and rescue) and one death in 
general aviation involving aircraft with a take-off  mass 
above 2 250 kg.

Source: Eurostat (online data codes: tran_sf_aviaca, 
tran_sf_aviagah, tran_sf_aviagal and tran_sf_aviaaw)

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Key figures on European transport – 2023 edition

 4

  Transport, the environment 
and energy

4

Transport, the environment and energy

  Emissions

Development of greenhouse gas emissions 
from fuel combustion in transport
(tonnes of CO2 equivalents per inhabitant, EU, 1990–2021)

Source: Eurostat (online data codes: env_air_gge and demo_pjan) and European Environment Agency (EEA)

The emissions presented in this publication use a 
territoriality principle, with emissions assigned to 
where gases are emitted rather than the residence 
of the emitter. To combine emissions of the 
various greenhouse gases, which each have 
diff erent global-warming potential, 
CO2-equivalents are used. These convert 
quantities of emissions of other gases into the 
equivalent quantity of carbon dioxide which 
would have the same global-warming potential.

Between 1990 and 2019, total emissions of 
greenhouse gases in the EU through fuel combustion 
in transport increased 23.8 %, or 160 million tonnes of 
CO2-equivalent; note that these values do not include 
international aviation or international navigation 
(shipping). Transport was the only fuel combustion 
source sector which recorded an increase during 
this period. In 2020, as the COVID-19 crisis impacted 
on transport, these emissions decreased 13.5 % 
compared with 2019. In 2021, there was a partial 

rebound, as emissions of greenhouse gases in the 
EU through fuel combustion in transport increased 
8.6 %.

When adjusted for changes in the population, 
emissions from fuel combustion in transport increased 
most years from 1990 to 2007, decreased through 
to 2013 (during which time economic activity was 
relatively restrained due to the global fi nancial and 
economic crisis), and increased thereafter up to 2019. 
Overall, fuel combustion in transport per inhabitant 
was 16.1 % higher in 2019 than it had been in 1990. 
This suggests that the average use of powered 
transport per inhabitant in the EU increased at a faster 
pace than any improvements achieved in terms of 
fuel effi  ciency. As for the overall level of emissions 
from fuel combustion in transport, when adjusted 
for changes in population the ratio of emissions per 
inhabitant decreased strongly in 2020 compared with 
2019 (down 13.5 %) and partially rebounded in 2021 
(up 8.7 %).

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Key figures on European transport – 2023 edition

Transport, the environment and energy

4

  Taxes

Environmental taxes can be classifi ed as 
taxes on energy, transport, pollution or 
resources. Note that environmental taxes on 
transport fuels are classifi ed as energy taxes, 
not transport taxes.

Environmental taxes on transport
(% of GDP, 2021)

In 2021, €326 billion of environmental tax revenue 
was collected in the EU, equivalent to 2.24 % of 
gross domestic product (GDP). Environmental transport 
taxes were valued at €59 billion, 18.1 % of all 
environmental taxes, equivalent to 0.41 % of GDP.

Among the EU Member States, environmental 
transport taxes ranged from 0.04 % of GDP in 
Estonia to 0.81 % in Greece, 0.83 % in Austria, 
0.87 % in the Netherlands and 1.17 % in Denmark.

Note: LI, 2019.
Source: Eurostat (online data code: env_ac_tax)

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47

4

Transport, the environment and energy

  Networks

Density of railway lines
(km per 1 000 km² of land area, 2011 and 2021)

The rail network includes high-speed and 
conventional lines. It excludes the networks of 
light rail and metros, as well as trams.

Note: no railways in CY, MT or IS. BE: no recent data available. IT and 
CH: 2020 instead of 2021. DE: 2019 instead of 2021. CH: 2010 instead 
of 2011. PL: break in series.

Source: Eurostat (online data code: tran_r_net)

Among other factors, rail network density is 
infl uenced by demand for rail passenger and freight 
services. The former is focused in, around and 
between urban areas, and the latter is often related 
to the presence of heavy industries as well as other 
transport infrastructure, such as ports.

Among the EU Member States, the density of railway 
lines was highest in Czechia, Germany (2019 data) and 
Luxembourg, all with more than 100 kilometres (km) 
of lines per 1 000 square kilometres (km²) of land area 
in 2021. By contrast, in Finland and Greece the density 

was less than 20 km per 1 000 km². Note that there is 
no rail network in Cyprus or Malta.

Between 2011 and 2021, the density of rail networks 
increased in absolute terms most notably in Estonia 
and Hungary, up 6 km and 5 km per 1 000 km² of 
land area, respectively; more modest increases were 
observed in Lithuania, Germany (2011–2019), Austria 
and the Netherlands. The density of the rail network 
declined most strongly in France, a decrease of 4 km 
per 1 000 km² of land area.

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Key figures on European transport – 2023 edition

Transport, the environment and energy

4

Density of motorways
(km per 1 000 km² of land area, 2011 and 2021)

Note: no motorways in LV, MT, IS or LI. EL, not available. DK: 2020 
instead of 2021. IT: 2019 instead of 2021. EE and SI: break in series.

Source: Eurostat (online data code: tran_r_net)

The motorway network includes roads specially 
designed and built for motor traffi  c which do not 
serve properties bordering on them and which are 
provided with separate carriageways for traffi  c in 
two directions, have no crossings at the same level 
and are sign-posted as motorways.

mainland Europe from the EU’s largest maritime 
freight ports: Rotterdam and Amsterdam in the 
Netherlands, Antwerp in Belgium, and Hamburg 
in Germany. There were no motorways in Latvia or 
Malta. Elsewhere, the lowest motorway density was 
in Finland, refl ecting its low population density.

Among the EU Member States, the highest 
motorway density in 2021 was centred across 
the Benelux countries – Belgium, the Netherlands 
and Luxembourg – followed at some distance by 
Germany. This refl ects their high population density, 
the industrial and logistics specialisation of some of 
these Member States, as well as connections into 

The most substantial motorway expansions between 
2011 and 2021 were observed in Slovakia and 
Czechia, increases of 8 km and 7 km per 1 000 km² of 
land area, respectively. 

Key figures on European transport – 2023 edition

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4

Transport, the environment and energy

  Energy

Development of fi nal energy 
consumption in the transport sector
(million terajoules, EU, 2011–2021)

Data for various types of energy are 
combined using conversion factors and the 
result expressed in terajoules (TJ). One TJ is 
1 x 1012 joules.

Final energy consumption of the transport sector 
in the EU was 11.5 million TJ in 2021, down 
1.5 % compared with 2011. However, this overall 
development results from an initial decrease 
of 4.8 % between 2011 and 2013 followed by a 
sustained increase of 8.8 % between 2013 and 
2019. The COVID-19 crisis strongly impacted fi nal 
energy consumption in the next two years, with 
a fall of 12.9 % in 2020 and a partial rebound 
in 2021, up 9.3 %. Note that the data for fi nal 
energy consumption of the transport sector 
excludes fuel deliveries to aviation and maritime 
international bunkers.

Note: excluding fuel deliveries to aviation and maritime international bunkers.
Source: Eurostat (online data code: nrg_bal_s)

Development of the share of energy from renewable sources in transport
(%, EU, 2011–2021)

The share of energy from renewable sources
in transport is calculated based on specifi c 
accounting rules related to the promotion of 
energy from renewable sources. Renewable 
energy sources relevant for transport include 
mostly liquid or gaseous biofuels and 
electricity from renewable sources. All modes 
of transport are included except for 
international navigation (shipping).

Across the EU, the share of energy from renewable sources in transport rose from 
4.1 % in 2011 to 10.3 % by 2020, increasing each year. The largest increases were in 
2012 and 2020, with gains of 1.7 and 1.4 percentage points, respectively. Most of the 
increase recorded in 2020 was reversed in 2021, as the share fell 1.2 points to 9.1 %.

Source: Eurostat (online data 
code: nrg_ind_ren)

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 5

  Transport and the economy

5030   0000   0020   0810

5

Transport and the economy

  Employment

Number of persons employed 
in the transport sector
(1 000, 2022)

The statistics presented here concern persons 
aged 15–64 years employed in the land, water or 
air transport subsectors.

In 2022, 6.1 million people in the EU worked in the 
transport sector. Nine in every ten (89.6 %) persons 
employed in transport worked in land transport (such 
as road or rail), 5.6 % in air transport and 4.8 % in water 
transport (inland waterways or maritime) – see the 
facing page.

Among the EU Member States, the largest levels of 
employment in transport in 2022 were in France 
(852 000, 13.9 % of the EU total), Poland (12.2 %), 
Germany (11.6 %), Spain (11.1 %) and Italy (10.6 %). 
The lowest levels of employment were in Malta and 
Cyprus (both 0.1 % of the EU total).

Source: Eurostat (online data codes: lfsa_egan22d and lfsa_egan2)

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5

Distribution of employment, 
by transport subsector
(%, EU, 2022)

Distribution of employment, 
by transport subsector
(%, 2022)

Source: Eurostat (online data code: lfsa_egan22d)

Land transport dominated employment within 
transport in 2022 in the EU Member States, 
accounting for a majority of transport workers in 
all but one of them. The share of land transport 
generally ranged from 61.2 % in Greece to 97.7 % 
in Slovenia. Malta was the exception, as its land 
transport share was 50.0 %.

The combined share of water and air transport was 
particularly high in Malta and Luxembourg (mainly 
due to air transport) as well as in Greece (mainly 
due to water transport).

Source: Eurostat (online data codes: lfsa_egan22d and 
lfsa_egan2)

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53

5

Transport and the economy

Distribution of employment in 
the transport sector, by sex
(%, 2022)

Distribution of employment in 
the transport subsectors, by sex
(%, EU, 2022)

In 2022, males accounted for a large majority 
of employment in the transport sector in all EU 
Member States. The highest share of females was 
recorded in Malta at 27.9 % and the lowest share 
was recorded at 10.3 % in Romania; the EU average 
was 17.2 %.

Source: Eurostat (online data code: lfsa_egan22d)

There are clear diff erences between the shares of 
male/female workers in each transport subsector. For 
the EU as a whole, 39.9 % of people working in air 
transport in 2022 were females, compared with 
22.4 % for water transport and 15.5 % for land 
transport.

Note: HR, CY and SI, females, low reliability.
Source: Eurostat (Labour force survey)

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Transport and the economy

5

Distribution of employment in the transport sector, by age
(%, 2022)

Note: CY and SI, 15–29 
years, low reliability. 
IE: 15–29 and 30-49 
years combined. 
Source: Eurostat (Labour 
force survey)

Looking at the age of persons employed in the EU’s transport sector in 2022, it can be 
seen that half (50.0 %) were aged 30–49 years, 37.9 % were older (aged 50–64 years) and 
12.1 % were younger (aged 15–29 years). The share of persons aged 30–49 years was 
similar to that for whole economy. However, in the transport sector the share of older 
workers was higher and the share of younger workers was lower.

The transport sectors of Luxembourg, the Netherlands and Malta had the highest shares 
of younger persons, each with slightly above one fi fth. Luxembourg and Malta also had by 
far the lowest shares of older workers, around one fi fth. By contrast, more than half of the 
persons employed in the transport sector were aged 50–64 years in Estonia, while shares 
of at least 40.0 % were recorded for the same age group in nine other EU Member States.

Key figures on European transport – 2023 edition

55

5

Transport and the economy

  Prices

Price level index 
for transport
(EU = 100, 2021 and 2022)

In 2022, the price level for transport was 
equal to or above the EU average in all of the 
Nordic and western EU Member States. In all 
Baltic, eastern and southern Member States, 
the price level for transport was below the 
EU average. The highest price levels were 
in Denmark and Sweden and the lowest in 
Bulgaria, Romania, Poland and Hungary.

Price levels vary between countries and these diff erences 
can be expressed using a price level index. The data 
presented here are based on an index where the average 
price for the EU as a whole is set at 100. If the price level 
index in a country is higher than 100, the country 
concerned is relatively expensive compared with the EU 
average; if the index is lower than 100 then the country is 
relatively cheap compared with the EU average. The price 
level index for transport covers prices for equipment (such 
as vehicles), the operation of equipment (such as fuel, parts, 
and repairs) as well as for services (such as transport tickets).

Source: Eurostat (online data code: prc_ppp_ind)

Key figures on European transport – 2023 edition

Transport and the economy

5

Changes over time in consumer prices (defl ation or infl ation) 
are also refl ected in an index: in the EU, this is the 
harmonised index of consumer prices.

Annual price change for  
transport and for transport 
fuels and lubricants
(%, 2022)

Restrictions in the supply of energy 
products linked to the Russian 
military aggression against Ukraine 
were in part responsible for a 24.3 % 
rise in consumer prices for transport 
fuels and lubricants in the EU in 
2022. This in turn contributed to a 
12.1 % rise in consumer prices for 
transport in general; this covers 
the purchase, maintenance, repair 
and operation of vehicles and the 
purchase of transport services.

Every EU Member State recorded a 
rise in consumer prices for transport in 
2022, ranging from 5.2 % in Malta to 
more than 20.0 % in Luxembourg and 
the Baltic Member States. The relatively 
small increase in Malta refl ected its 
stability in prices for transport fuels 
and lubricants (which are regulated) 
compared with increases elsewhere 
in the EU which ranged from 13.3 % in 
Hungary to 41.8 % in Austria.

Source: Eurostat (online data code: prc_hicp_aind)

Annual price index for all items, transport and transport fuels and lubricants
(2012 = 100, EU, 2012–2022)

Looking over the period from 2012 
to 2022, the EU’s annual harmonised 
consumer price index for transport fuels 
and lubricants was relatively volatile, 
refl ecting changes in the underlying oil 
price. This price index fell from a high in 
2012 to a low in 2016 before increasing in 
2017 and 2018. A fall in 2020 and rebound 
in 2021 were followed by high infl ation in 
2022. The broader index for the whole of 
transport was less volatile but followed a 
similar pattern.

Note: index rescaled from 2015 = 100.
Source: Eurostat (online data code: prc_hicp_aind)

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57

5

Transport and the economy

  Expenditure

Share of household consumption 
expenditure on transport
(%, 2012 and 2022)

Household consumption expenditure on 
transport covers the purchase and operation of 
transport equipment, as well as payments for 
transport services.

Note: CH, 2021 instead of 2022.

Source: Eurostat (online data code: nama_10_co3_p3)

In 2022, 12.5 % of total household consumption 
expenditure in the EU was for transport, down slightly 
from 12.9 % in 2012. Focusing on the most recent 
years, the transport share of household consumption 
expenditure in the EU fell in 2020 but increased in 
2021 and 2022. Most EU Member States (20 out of 27) 
reported a lower share of household consumption 
expenditure used for transport in 2022 than in 2012. 
The largest falls, in percentage point terms, were 

observed in Ireland, Belgium and Bulgaria, while 
the largest increases were in Slovenia, Greece and 
Lithuania.

In 2022, Slovenia reported the largest share of household 
consumption expenditure used for transport (17.5 %), 
while Slovakia had the lowest share (5.3 %).

Key figures on European transport – 2023 edition

Transport and the economy

5

Development of the share of household consumption expenditure on transport
(%, EU, 2012–2022)

In the EU, the share of household consumption expenditure used for the purchase 
of vehicles was the same in 2022 as it had been in 2012. By contrast, the shares for 
the operation of personal transport equipment and for transport services were 
lower. In 2022, the shares for the operation of personal transport equipment and 
for transport services increased for the second year, after relatively large falls in 
2020. By contrast, the share for the purchase of vehicles decreased for the second 
consecutive year in 2022, having remained stable in 2020.

Source: Eurostat (online data 
code: nama_10_co3_p3)

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5

Transport and the economy

General government total 
expenditure on transport
(% of GDP, 2011 and 2021)

General government total expenditure on transport
concerns expenditure on the administration of aff airs 
and services concerning the operation, use, 
construction and maintenance of transport systems, 
as well as the supervision and regulation of users. 

Source: Eurostat (online data code: gov_10a_exp)

In 2021, general government total expenditure 
in the EU on transport was equivalent to 2.3 % 
of gross domestic product (GDP), slightly above 
the 2.2 % ratio observed in 2011. Among the EU 
Member States, 12 recorded a lower ratio of general 
government total expenditure on transport to GDP 
in 2021 than in 2011, while 12 recorded a higher ratio; 
in three Member States the ratio was the same in 

both years. The largest increase in percentage points 
when comparing 2011 and 2021 was observed in 
Hungary, while the largest decrease was in Ireland.

In 2021, Hungary reported the highest level of 
general government total expenditure on transport 
as a percentage of GDP (4.9 %), while Cyprus (0.8 %) 
and Ireland (1.0 %) had the lowest ratios.

Development of general government total expenditure on transport
(% of GDP, EU, 2011–2021)

In the EU, general 
government total expenditure 
on transport as a ratio of GDP 
fell from 2.2 % in 2011 to 
2.0 % in 2019 and then 
increased to 2.3 % in 2020. 
It remained at 2.3 % in 
2021, refl ecting increased 
expenditure to support 
transport operators alongside 
an increase in nominal GDP.

Source: Eurostat (online data code: 
gov_10a_exp)

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Key figures on European transport – 2023 edition

Getting in touch with the EU

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KEY FIGURES ON

EUROPEAN TRANSPORT

2023 EDITION

Key fi gures on European transport presents a selection of key transport 
indicators for the European Union (EU) and its individual Member States, 
as well as the EFTA countries. This publication may be viewed as an 
introduction to European transport statistics and provides a starting 
point for those who wish to explore the wide range of data that are freely 
available on Eurostat’s website at https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/ together 
with a range of online articles in Statistics Explained.

For more information
https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/

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