According to survey data released by the consulting firm Spherical Insights, Brazil, while not having subway systems in all states, still ranks among the top globally in the size of its subway network.

On December 23, the Brazilian website "Exame" reported that the survey, considering factors like subway track length, passenger traffic, technology, and sustainability investments, selected the top 10 countries with the largest subway infrastructure in the world.

Brazil ranks tenth on the list with approximately 400 kilometers of operational metro lines, largely attributed to the contribution of the São Paulo Metro network. As the largest metro system in Latin America, the city sees over 5 million passengers daily. By the end of next year, the city is set to add two new subway lines—the Orange Line 6 and Gold Line 17.

Furthermore, Rio de Janeiro is actively integrating its metro system with Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) and ferries. Through public-private partnerships, the city has attracted significant international investments and made significant progress in smart ticketing, bicycle connectivity, and climate adaptive construction.

Additionally, cities like Salvador, Recife, Fortaleza, and Belo Horizonte are continuously expanding their urban rail transit systems.

In the global subway rankings, China leads by a significant margin, followed closely by the United States and India, with all three countries having subway networks spanning thousands of kilometers and transporting billions of passengers annually.

The survey also points out that driven by the dual forces of urbanization and low-carbon transportation transformation, the global subway industry market is projected to exceed $81 billion by 2033, nearly double the figure from 2023. Modernized systems, applications of artificial intelligence, integrated transfers, and the utilization of renewable energy are becoming core drivers of the global urban transportation transformation.