World Bank sees Trans-Caspian corridor investment tripling freight and adding 2 million jobs by 2040

September 28, 2026 at 08:06 PM2 min

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Strategic investment in the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route could more than triple freight volumes, halve delivery times, and add 2 million jobs by 2040, according to a World Bank report released September 28. The report says reforms alongside infrastructure spending could quadruple volumes and cut delivery times by two-thirds across nine corridor countries. The corridor links East Asia, Central Asia, the South Caucasus, Turkey, and Europe.

Key Facts

The World Bank report projects that strategic investment in the Trans-Caspian corridor could more than triple freight volumes by 2040.
Infrastructure investment combined with trade and transport reforms could quadruple volumes and cut delivery times by two-thirds by 2040.
The corridor spans nine countries: Azerbaijan, Armenia, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, Tajikistan, Turkey, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan.
The report estimates the corridor could add 2 million jobs and increase GDP by 3.3% across corridor countries by 2040.
Nearly 200 million people in the corridor countries could gain improved market access and new economic opportunities.

World Bank Projections

The World Bank report, titled “Integration: World-Class Trade Logistics along the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route,” was released on September 28, 2026. It projects that strategic investment in the corridor, also known as the Middle Corridor, could more than triple freight volumes, halve delivery times, increase GDP by 3.3%, and create 2 million additional jobs by 2040. If infrastructure investment is accompanied by reforms that improve trade and transport efficiency, freight volumes could quadruple and delivery times could fall by two-thirds by 2040. These outcomes would be achieved by removing transport bottlenecks, improving supply chain reliability, and expanding market access in the nine corridor countries.

Corridor Geography and Economic Impact

The Trans-Caspian corridor connects East Asia, Central Asia, the South Caucasus, Turkey, and Europe. The nine countries along the corridor are Azerbaijan, Armenia, Georgia, Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic, Tajikistan, Turkey, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. For nearly 200 million residents of these countries, the corridor means improved transport access to markets and new economic opportunities. Many Middle Corridor countries are major producers of energy, critical minerals, raw materials, and food, and the corridor offers a way to reduce vulnerability to external shocks while using rising transit demand to attract investment and create jobs.

Regional Trade Context

The report highlights that growing regional trade, especially between developing countries, provides additional momentum for the corridor's development. It examines how trade corridors help reduce logistics costs, attract investment, raise productivity, and create jobs. The report notes that fast and reliable trade routes are particularly important amid global supply chain disruptions and climate shock risks.