Passenger transport in Russia by year: statistics and charts

2026-08-28 · Russian Statistical Yearbook

In 2024 public transport carried 15,693 million passengers. In 2000 this figure was 44,839 million, i.e. over a quarter of a century the number of trips fell by almost three times. At the same time passenger turnover, i.e. the number of kilometers traveled by people, grew over the same period from 495.2 to 599.5 billion passenger‑kilometers. Rosstat data.

The two indicators moved in opposite directions, and this divergence is the essence of what happened: there were fewer trips, but they became longer. Below are the full rows by mode of transport, an analysis of urban and intercity services and answers to frequent questions.

Passenger transport: table by mode of transport

Millions of persons per year.

All modes fell except two. Trolleybus lost 90% of passengers, tram 86%, bus 60%. Metro decreased only by a quarter, railway by 9%, and air transport was the only one that grew, almost fivefold. The full rows are available in the dataset.

The main explanation is simple: private cars. In 2000 city bus, trolleybus and tram were for most people the only way to get to work. Then a mass shift to personal vehicles began, accompanied by the closure of trolleybus lines in dozens of cities.

Passenger turnover: why it grew when the number of trips fell

Billion passenger‑kilometres.

In 2000 a plane accounted for 10.8% of the country's total passenger turnover; by 2024 it was already 47.7%. It overtook rail somewhere between 2000 and 2010: in 2000 air had 53.4 billion versus 167.1 for trains, in 2010 it was 147.1 versus 138.9. By 2024 the gap had doubled: 286.2 versus 145.6.

The arithmetic is clear. The average tram ride in 2024 was 3.1 km, the average flight 2,533 km, i.e., one flight equals eight hundred tram trips. Therefore 113 million air passengers outweigh 9,195 million bus passengers.

It is precisely because of the plane that the total figure rises while the number of trips falls. Passenger turnover is available on the dataset page.

The 2020 slump

A separate Rosstat series gives a weather‑type picture from 2010 to 2021 and shows the pandemic well.

In 2020 passenger turnover fell by 43.8%, air by 52.5%, rail by 41.2%. The 2019 record (635.1 billion) has not been beaten yet: in 2024 the figure was 599.5 billion, i.e., 94% of the pre‑pandemic level.

Urban, suburban and intercity transport

Rosstat also divides transport by distance. Millions of people:

The city bus lost two thirds of its passengers, and almost all of the decline happened in the first decade: from 18,345 million in 2000 to 5,920 million in 2010. After that the figure has been flat for fifteen years.

The suburban commuter train recovered after the 2010 slump to almost the 2000 level: 1,165 million people in 2024. Domestic air transport grew 5.9 times over a quarter of a century, international air transport 3.2 times, and since 2010 the international direction has not grown at all.

The intercity bus looks like a loser in this table: 95 million trips versus 175 million in 2000. Its passengers were taken by airplanes on long routes and private cars on short ones.

How loaded the routes are

Transport intensity, million passenger‑kilometers per kilometer of routes:

• Railway tracks: 1,941 in 2000, 1,622 in 2010, 1,673 in 2024
• Paved roads: 231, 212 and 104
• Inland waterways: 11, 8 and 7

The railway keeps the load almost at the previous level. Public roads show a halving, but this indicator refers only to public transport: private cars are not included, and the roads themselves have increased in length over these years.

Questions and Answers

How many passengers does transport move in Russia per year?

In 2024, 15,693 million people, that is about 15.7 billion trips. This amounts to roughly 107 trips per year per resident on public transport.

Which transport mode is the most widely used in Russia?

Bus: 9,195 million passengers in 2024, 59% of all trips. Followed by metro (3,148 million), railway (1,295 million) and tram (1,032 million).

Which transport provides the highest passenger turnover?

Air transport. In 2024, 286.2 billion passenger‑kilometers out of 599.5 billion total, almost half. Railway provides 145.6 billion, bus 117.1 billion.

Why are the number of trips falling while passenger turnover is rising?

Because they are different units. Trips count people, passenger turnover multiplies each person by the distance travelled. Short city trips disappear (replaced by private cars), while long air trips multiply, and the latter outweigh the former in kilometers.

Have transports recovered after the pandemic?

Not fully. Passenger turnover in 2024 (599.5 billion passenger‑km) is 94% of the 2019 record (635.1 billion). The number of trips has been growing for the third consecutive year: 14.4 billion in 2022, 15.2 billion in 2023, 15.7 billion in 2024.

In Brief

In a quarter of a century, Russian public transport has lost two‑thirds of trips while increasing passenger turnover by a fifth. All the decline fell on the city: trolleybus and tram lost 86‑90% of passengers, city bus two‑thirds.

All the growth came from the airplane. It grew 4.9 times in passenger numbers and 5.4 times in passenger turnover, overtook the railway and now provides almost half of all passenger‑kilometers covered in the country.

See also

• Inbound tourism in Russia by year
• International migration in Russia