Total length of public roads in China 2008-2023
China’s urban and economic development was tied to the enhancement of its road system. Since 2008, the scale of its public road network has been on an ascending trend, reaching 5.44 million kilometers by 2023.
China’s road network
China's road network is divided into five main types of roads, namely national roads, provincial roads, county roads, township roads, and village roads. As of 2022, the country’s national roads measured approximately 384,000 kilometers while the township roads spanned over 1.24 million kilometers. On average, China's road network density exceeded 56.6 kilometers per 100 square kilometers in 2023.
Daily commute on Chinese roads
China's rapid economic growth has also led to a dramatic increase in daily traffic volumes. However, the number of passengers on public road transport has been on the decline since 2012 and reached a new low of only around 3.55 billion in 2022, mainly due to the COVID-19 pandemic that disrupted inter-and intra-city travel.
