Despite housing over half of the world's population, the Asia-Pacific region possesses only 38% of global transport infrastructure, creating a significant gap. Although impressive road development has occurred in recent decades, with 10 million kilometers added, heavy rail and rapid transit expansion has lagged considerably, with only 100,000 km and 12,000 km added, respectively. While Asia has led global road construction and rail expansion since adopting the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in 2015, this growth is unevenly distributed, leaving many subregions with inadequate infrastructure. Consequently, the region's rail infrastructure remains insufficient, with significantly lower per capita availability than Europe and North America.

The lack of access to transport, particularly in urban and rural areas, presents a major challenge, impacting over 1.8 billion people. In urban areas, only 4 out of 10 residents have convenient access to public transit, leaving approximately 1.4 billion people without efficient options. Though rapid transit investments have expanded networks, the gap persists. In rural areas, 18% of the population, or 400 million people, lack all-season road access, hindering connectivity and economic opportunities.

Transport infrastructure availability per thousand population (including road, heavy rail, HSR, and urban rapid transport)

Source: ATO visualization based on country official statistics, UIC, ITDP

Rapid urban transit and GDP / capita

Source: ATO visualization based on country official statistics

Find out more about the associated report here:
Transport Decarbonisation in Asia: A Glass Half-Full or Half-Empty? A Primer for COP-29
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