Since the beginning of 2020, we have been producing the Eco-Counter Index four times a year, which analyzes bicycle traffic in 14 countries around the world, to better understand both commuting and recreational bicycle use.
The update has been made recently for the first semester, and here is what to remember about the trends in cycling as we are already half way through 2023!
An increase in weekday bicycle traffic between 2022 and 2023, and a slight decrease on weekends
For all the countries studied, bicycle traffic has remained stable between the first semester of 2023 and 2022. This stability is broken down into a 2% increase on weekdays and a 3% decrease on weekends (still compared to the same period in 2022).
A notable increase in practice in Canada, Ireland & Finland compared to 2022
Out of the 14 countries studied, Canada recorded the largest increase in traffic, followed by Finland and Ireland! Almost half of the countries studied recorded an increase in traffic vs. 2022. USA is stable and the UK traffic is down by 5%.
As the top 3 is trusted by countries with (sometimes) harsh winters, the question is still: are we seeing a weather effect in those trends? An analysis of cycling 2023 trends between weekdays and weekends reveals the following trends:
- In Finland, the increase is visible both on weekdays and at weekends, which could lend credence to the weather hypothesis.
- Conversely, in Canada and Ireland, the increase is visible on weekdays, but traffic remains stable on weekends, which could indicate a growth of commuting bicycle use in the first semester of 2023 (and a weather effect that could therefore be excluded). This increase continues in the first-half analysis, having already been observed in the first quarter.
Evolution of bicycle traffic for American regions
A specific study is done each quarter for North American regions for People for Bikes. The recent update shows a light increase of bicycle traffic in the West, Northeast and Midwest regions.
Bicycle traffic history for the entire panel and examples
A new indicator has been added to this dashboard this year! It gives access to the history of bicycle traffic since 2019, using the 2019 bicycle traffic as a reference point. It allows you to see, year after year, how traffic evolves globally, and each country. At the global level (panel of 14 countries), the trend is as follows:
After a sharp increase in traffic in 2020, linked to the health context (need for physical exercise, outdoor activities), bicycle traffic decreased slightly in the following years but nevertheless remained at a higher level than 2019.
The trend for 2023 is still incomplete, but to date, average first-half attendance is on a par with 2019.
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