World metro systems are growing rapidly, according to a new Statistics Brief from UITP, with 45 new systems having being built since 2000.

148 cities currently have a metro system, carrying 150 million passengers per day on 540 lines. Two-thirds of the world’s metros are located in Asia and Europe, with Tokyo metro carrying the most passengers annually (3.2 billion) whilst Shanghai has the longest network (more than 500km).

Two-thirds of the world’s metro systems are located in Asia and Europe (50 and 45 respectively). There are 16 systems in Eurasia, 16 in Latin America, 15 in North America and 6 in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region.

With close to 3.3 billion passenger trips per year, Tokyo has the busiest metro system in Asia and also in the world (see figure 1). Moscow’s metro carries over 2.4 billion per year, making it the busiest outside Asia (and the world’s 3rd). New York City has the highest ridership in North America (1.7 bn, world’s 7th) and Mexico City is the busiest network in Latin America (1.6 bn, world’s 8th).