Cycling Statistics for the UK in 2024 - How Popular is Cycling? 

 

Key cycling statistics for 2024: A wheelie fast summary

Jump on your saddle and get stuck into this speedy run through of our key cycling stats and facts for 2024:

• In 2022 the average person went on 15 bike rides, and covered a distance of 57 miles. 
   
• Cycling participation peaked in 2020, when on average, people cycled more than twice as far as they did in 2002. 
   
• 12.5% of UK adults say that better cycling path infrastructure would or has encouraged them to cycle to work.
   
• 11.5% say cycle to work schemes would get them commuting via a bike instead of other forms of public transport. 
   
• And 11% say better bike storage options at the workplace are what would encourage them to ride to work.
   
• Nearly 1 in 3 (29.7%) UK adults say they don’t cycle to work, and nothing would encourage them to do so.
   
• On average, cyclists take 15% less days off sick than non-cyclists.
   
• Dutch people cycle 2.6km per day on average, and if this was replicated by all other countries, annual global carbon emissions would reduce by 686 million tonnes.

Biking trends: Cycling popularity overtime in England

Many countries across the globe have a love for cycling, from the beautiful bridges of Amsterdam to the rugged mountain trails of Nepal. Cycling has become more than just a means of transportation. For many, it's a lifestyle, a sport, and a way to explore the world. So to find out just how popular cycling is in England and how its popularity has changed overtime, we delved deep into the government’s Walking and Cycling reports dating back to 2016. 

Our analysis of the data found: 

• By far and away, the year that saw the most participation in biking in England over the last 5 years was 2020. This was also when the first Coronavirus lockdown took place. 
   
• During this time, people cycled more than twice as far over the course of the year as they did in 2002.
   
• In 2020, an average of 20 bike rides were taken per person, covering an average of 88 miles.
   
• This has since decreased back down to normal rates, with the average person taking 15 cycle trips covering a distance of 57 miles in 2022. 

Cycling to work statistics - How many people cycle to work in 2023?

Cycling to work isn’t always the most glamorous transportation option. Especially with the UK’s cold, blistery mornings and busy main roads! But jumping on your bike rather than behind the wheel can be great for your health and the environment, and can even make you feel more energised when you get to work. 

Cycling to work incentives - What factors encourage people to cycle to work in the UK? 

Finding the motivation to get into your cycling gear and brave the cold is never easy, especially when you know you have a full day of work ahead of you. But what, if anything, do the general public say would motivate them to do so? 

To find out, we used the market research company Censuswide to ask a nationally representative sample of 2,008 UK adults: 

‘What encourages you to cycle to work, if anything? (Tick all that apply)’

• I do not work
• I don't cycle to work and nothing would encourage me to
• Living closer to work would encourage me to cycle
• Better cycling path infrastructure
• My employer using a cycle to work scheme to help me pay for a bike
• Better bike parking/storage at my place of work
• Provision of showers at work
• The use of an electric bike
• Other (please specify)

The results revealed that: 

• The biggest incentive for commuting to work on a bike (aside from living closer to work) is better cycling infrastructure, with 12.5% of UK adults stating that an improvement in this would encourage them to do so.
   
• This is then followed by cycle to work schemes, with 11.5% of the population stating that if their employer was to contribute towards the cost of a bike, this would help encourage them to ride a bike to work.
   
• Better bike storage options at the workplace comes in close third place, with 11% of people citing this as something that does, or would encourage them to cycle on their commute, such as bike stands and bike racks.
   
• And last but not least is showering facilities at work and the use of e-bikes, with 8% of people saying that this would help persuade them to ride into work.

Cycling demographics: Who’s most (or least) likely to go for a spin?

Let’s face it - cycling is not for everyone. Which is why one of the answer options we provided in the survey was ‘I don’t cycle to work and nothing would encourage me to’.

• In total, 30% of our survey’s respondents opted for this answer, stating that no matter how different their circumstances were or how much their workplace tried, they still wouldn’t choose to cycle to work. 
   
• More women than men appear to have a lack of interest in commuting via bike, with women forming 58% of those who said this, vs 42% of men.

Our survey also revealed some interesting findings with regards to age: 

• Those aged 35-44 are the least interested in cycling to work, with 40% of this age group stating that nothing would encourage them to do so.
   
• This is followed by those aged 45-54 (39%).
   
• Whilst on the other end of the spectrum, those aged 16-24 appear to be the most motivated to cycle to work, with just 17% saying that nothing would convince them to do so.

Cycling to work incentives by age:

• It appears that affordability is one of the biggest factors in determining whether or not young people cycle to work, with more people aged 16-24 stating that if their employer used a cycle to work scheme to help them pay for a bike, they’d be more likely to do so.
   
• Whilst cycling path infrastructure is more of a concern to 25-34 year-olds.

The table below shows how each age-group answered our survey.

Health benefits of cycling to work - facts, figures and statistics

How does cycling to work benefit your health?

• One of the most significant health benefits of cycling to work is a reduction in BMI, with one report finding that those who cycled to work for a year had lower BMIs than those who had never done so. 
   
• A study conducted in Denmark found that people who cycle to work have a 28% lower mortality rate than the rest of the population.
   
• What’s more, a study conducted by Cycling UK found that cyclists take 15% less days off sick than non-cyclists.

Environmental impact of cycling to work 

One key motivating factor for cycling to work as opposed to driving or using public transport is reducing your carbon footprint. But just how much of a benefit does cycling have on the environment compared to other modes of transport? 

• Given that 50% of the journeys we make in a day are less than 2 miles, switching some of these out for bike rides can have a real impact on reducing carbon emissions.
   
• In fact, studies have found that just moderate increases in bicycle use each year can save between 6 and 14 million tons of CO2.
   
• A study from the University of Southern Denmark found that Dutch people cycle 2.6km per day on average, and if this was replicated worldwide, annual global carbon emissions would reduce by 686 million tonnes.

More cycling facts, figures and statistics for 2023 

Ready to take things up a gear? Check out these facts, figures and statistics on all things cycling in the UK! 

• Every year in the UK, Google searches spike for the term ‘Bikes for sale’ just as we’re entering into the summer months, around May and June time.
   
• A huge surge in online searches related to cycling took place in April and May 2020, just after the first coronavirus lockdown hit the UK.

• Search interest has now returned back to a normal rate, with around 8,800 searches being conducted per month on average in the UK.

Cycling statistics in summary 

We hope this overview of all of the most up-to-date statistics facts and figures on cycling in 2023 has been useful! If you’d like to see the raw data from our survey please just email us at emmap@barriersdirect.co.uk.  

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