High-Speed Rail: China vs World 2025 (Latest Data & Historical Trends)
High-speed rail network length comparison between China and the rest of the world (2008-2025). China now operates 70%+ of global high-speed rail, transforming transportation infrastructure.
Quick Answer
China operates 49,000 km of high-speed rail in 2025, representing 86% of global high-speed rail. From zero in 2008, China built the world's largest HSR network in just 17 years. The network serves 95% of cities with 500,000+ population. Data from UIC and China Railway covers 2008-2025.
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High-Speed Rail: China vs World
Data table
Latest data preview
Showing the latest 5 observations from 2008 to 2025. Use CSV or API for the complete machine-readable series.
| Period | China | World total | World minus china | China share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 49000 | 57000 | 8000 | 86.0 |
| 2024 | 47000 | 55000 | 8000 | 85.5 |
| 2023 | 45000 | 53000 | 8000 | 84.9 |
| 2022 | 42284 | 50000 | 7716 | 84.6 |
| 2021 | 40474 | 48000 | 7526 | 84.3 |
Show full historical table
| Period | China | World total | World minus china | China share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 672 | 2500 | 1828 | 26.9 |
| 2009 | 2699 | 5000 | 2301 | 54.0 |
| 2010 | 5136 | 8000 | 2864 | 64.2 |
| 2011 | 6601 | 10000 | 3399 | 66.0 |
| 2012 | 7735 | 11500 | 3765 | 67.3 |
| 2013 | 10463 | 14000 | 3537 | 74.7 |
| 2014 | 16456 | 21000 | 4544 | 78.4 |
| 2015 | 19838 | 25000 | 5162 | 79.4 |
| 2016 | 22980 | 28500 | 5520 | 80.6 |
| 2017 | 25164 | 31000 | 5836 | 81.2 |
| 2018 | 29900 | 36000 | 6100 | 83.1 |
| 2019 | 35388 | 42000 | 6612 | 84.3 |
| 2020 | 37900 | 45000 | 7100 | 84.2 |
| 2021 | 40474 | 48000 | 7526 | 84.3 |
| 2022 | 42284 | 50000 | 7716 | 84.6 |
| 2023 | 45000 | 53000 | 8000 | 84.9 |
| 2024 | 47000 | 55000 | 8000 | 85.5 |
| 2025 | 49000 | 57000 | 8000 | 86.0 |
About This Dataset
High-speed rail network length comparison between China and the rest of the world (2008-2025). China now operates 70%+ of global high-speed rail, transforming transportation infrastructure.
The latest row (2025) reports China: 49,000 Kilometers and world total: 57,000 Kilometers. The dataset spans 18 data points from 2008 to 2025, updated yearly.
API
curl https://chinadata.live/api/v2/data/high-speed-rail-china-vs-world 📚 How to Cite This Data
Citation Format:
China Data Portal (2026). High-Speed Rail: China vs World. Retrieved from https://chinadata.live/data/high-speed-rail-china-vs-world/
Primary Source:
International Union of Railways (UIC), China Railway, National Statistics
Data as of:
2025
API Access:
GET https://chinadata.live/api/v2/data/high-speed-rail-china-vs-world Frequently Asked Questions
What does the High-Speed Rail: China vs World dataset report for 2025?
The latest row (2025) reports China: 49,000 Kilometers and world total: 57,000 Kilometers. This dataset includes 18 data points covering 2008 to 2025.
Where does High-Speed Rail: China vs World data come from?
High-Speed Rail: China vs World data is sourced from International Union of Railways (UIC), China Railway, National Statistics and structured by China Data Portal for charting, CSV download, and API access.
Where can I download High-Speed Rail: China vs World data?
You can download High-Speed Rail: China vs World data from China Data Portal via our free API at https://chinadata.live/api/v2/data/high-speed-rail-china-vs-world. Data is available in JSON and CSV formats.
What is the data range for High-Speed Rail: China vs World?
The High-Speed Rail: China vs World dataset covers 2008 to 2025, with 18 data points. Data source: International Union of Railways (UIC), China Railway, National Statistics.