BEIJING - The total number of inter-regional passenger trips across China during the 40-day Spring Festival travel rush, also known as chunyun, reached a record of 9.02 billion, official data showed Sunday.

The figure marked a 7.1 percent increase over the same period in 2024, according to a special work team established to facilitate sound operations during chunyun, which concluded on Saturday.

The travel rush, often referred to as the world's largest annual human migration, highlights China's vast mobility and economic activity. With a steadily recovering economy and rising demand for travel, this year's chunyun saw a robust transportation network handling unprecedented passenger volumes.

Road traffic made up the lion's share of these trips. During the period, about 8.39 billion trips were made by road, increasing 7.2 percent year-on-year.

Railway passenger volume reached 513 million, expanding 6.1 percent year-on-year, setting a new record during the chunyun period, according to the China State Railway Group Co Ltd.

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According to the Civil Aviation Administration of China, the country's civil aviation sector recorded 90.2 million passenger trips and 739,000 flights during the period, both of which reached new historical highs.

The Spring Festival, an occasion for family reunions, fell on Jan 29 this year.