Greater Tokyo had the busiest metro system in 2023, ahead of Moscow and Shanghai. Four of the ten busiest are in mainland China (Shanghai, Beijing, Guangzhou, Shenzhen), and Hong Kong is seventh.
Home › First Time China › China by the Numbers › Busiest Metro Systems by City
First Time China · By the Numbers
Greater Tokyo had the busiest metro system in 2023, ahead of Moscow and Shanghai. Four of the ten busiest are in mainland China (Shanghai, Beijing, Guangzhou, Shenzhen), and Hong Kong is seventh.
Data year 2023
| Rank | City (urban agglomeration) |
|---|---|
| 1 | Tokyo (Greater Tokyo Area) |
| 2 | Moscow |
| 3 | Shanghai |
| 4 | Seoul |
| 5 | Beijing |
| 6 | Guangzhou |
| 7 | Hong Kong |
| 8 | Delhi |
| 9 | Shenzhen |
| 10 | Paris |
Read before you quote
Order read from UITP's chart of the ten busiest networks in 2023; UITP does not print the exact ridership numbers, so this page gives ranks only. UITP counts Greater Tokyo as one agglomeration across all metro operators, which is why Tokyo ranks first here while some lists of single systems put Shanghai first.
In China
Checked 24 October 2026
CC BY 4.0
These figures are compiled by PreeChina from the sources above. You may reuse them under the CC BY 4.0 licence: credit "PreeChina" and link to this page. Download the table as CSV.
Suggested citation:
PreeChina, "Which Cities Have the Busiest Metro Systems?", China by the Numbers, https://www.preechina.com/first-time-china/china-by-the-numbers/busiest-metro-systems/, checked 24 October 2026. Licensed CC BY 4.0. Original data: UITP (International Association of Public Transport).
PreeChina plans private tours, student groups and business groups across China, built around the places on pages like this one.
Plan a trip