Trends in distance travelled by transport mode
About 2 mins
Key points
- The average distance travelled per person in Great Britain increased from 4,446 kilometres per person in 1952 to 12.071 kilometres per person in 2024. The total distance travelled in Great Britain increased from 218 billion kilometres in 1952 to 813 billion kilometres in 2024.
- In 2024, private transport (car, van, motorcycle and taxi) accounted for 85% of the total distance travelled, compared with just 30% in 1952.
Transport can affect health both directly and indirectly, through its relationship with the wider determinants of health. Aspects of transport that affect our health are active travel (walking or cycling), air and noise pollution, road safety, social and economic mobility and access to public services.
This chart shows the distance travelled by different modes of transport between 1952 and 2024 in Great Britain. These are expressed as the total number of kilometres and kilometres per person, to account for population change.
- Average distance travelled per person and total passenger distance greatly increased from 1952 to 2024.
- The increase in travel is driven by increases in travel by private vehicle. In 1952, people travelled 218 billion passenger kilometres a year and 30% of this distance was attributed to travel by private vehicle. By 2024, private travel had risen to 85% of 813 billion passenger kilometres.
- Between 1952 and 2024, the passenger distance travelled by rail increased from 38 billion kilometres to 77 billion kilometres.
- Between 1952 and 2024, the distance travelled by bus and coach declined from 92 billion kilometres to 29 billion kilometres, and the distance travelled by pedal cycle declined from 23 billion kilometres to 6 billion kilometres.
- Travel by private transport, rail and bus fell sharply as a result of the pandemic, while travel by pedal cycle increased. In 2024, four years after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, travel distances in total were close to returning to pre-pandemic levels. However private transport modes have recovered more quickly than others.
- Private transport modes include: cars, vans, taxis and motorcycles.
- Rail travel includes: national rail, underground and tram.
- Data presented are from multiple sources, collated by the Department for Transport.
- Travel patterns were affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, therefore caution advised when interpreting the data.
- For bus travel, the data source changed in 2004 so comparisons before and after this timepoint should be treated with caution.
Source: Department for Transport, Transport statistics for Great Britain, Modal comparisons (TSGB01), 2025; Office for National Statistics, Estimates of the population for the UK, England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, 1952 to 2024
