More than half of the German population are regular or semi-regular cyclists. About 54 percent of Germans ride a bicycle, including e-bikes, once per month or more often. However, just over 30 percent of the population never cycle, and around 16% of Germans only cycle rarely.
Germany: A cycling nation?
Germany has a relatively well-established cycling culture compared to many other European countries. One-fifth of Germans use a bicycle as their primary mode of transport for short journeys of around two kilometers. This is approximately on par with Sweden and Belgium. Regarding the regularity of cycling, the share of Germans riding a bike at least once a week is comparable to cycling habits in Poland. However, Germany is vastly outranked in both metrics by the Netherlands, where 66 percent of the population rides a bike weekly, and 45 percent considers the bicycle their primary mode of transport for short trips.
The private car dominates the commute to work
Despite efforts by German federal, state, and many local governments to encourage more people to travel to their place of work by bike or on public transport, the German commute remains dominated by private car travel. Nearly a tenth of the German workforce ride their bicycle to work, and around six percent of the population walk, while public transport accounts for about a quarter of all journeys to work. Meanwhile, over 60 percent of commuters arrive at work by car, most as the driver and a small proportion as passengers.
Reported frequency of travel by bicycle and e-bike in Germany in 2022
(in percent)
Characteristic
Share of population by frequency of use
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Total population over 14 years at time of survey 64.395 million
Method of interview
Online interview
Supplementary notes
Survey conducted over a three month period during the fourth quarter of 2022 as an online interview.
Responses to the question 'How often do you usually use the below mentioned modes of transport?' (Wie häufig benutzen Sie in der Regel die unten aufgeführten Verkehrsmittel bzw. Fortbewegungsmittel?). Modes of transport listed included: Car (including as passenger or carsharing); Bicycle (including electric bike); E-scooter; Bus or tram in your region; Subway, suburban rail or regional rail in your region; Train for longer distances; Bus on longer distances; On foot. Response options included: Daily; Multiple times per week; About once per week; Multiple times per month; About once per month; More seldomly; Never.
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RMS. (January 30, 2023). Reported frequency of travel by bicycle and e-bike in Germany in 2022 (in percent) [Graph]. In Statista. Retrieved July 22, 2024, from https://www.statista.com/statistics/1367193/frequency-travel-by-bike-germany/
RMS. "Reported frequency of travel by bicycle and e-bike in Germany in 2022 (in percent) ." Chart. January 30, 2023. Statista. Accessed July 22, 2024. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1367193/frequency-travel-by-bike-germany/
RMS. (2023). Reported frequency of travel by bicycle and e-bike in Germany in 2022 (in percent) . Statista. Statista Inc.. Accessed: July 22, 2024. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1367193/frequency-travel-by-bike-germany/
RMS. "Reported Frequency of Travel by Bicycle and E-bike in Germany in 2022 (in Percent) ." Statista, Statista Inc., 30 Jan 2023, https://www.statista.com/statistics/1367193/frequency-travel-by-bike-germany/
RMS, Reported frequency of travel by bicycle and e-bike in Germany in 2022 (in percent) Statista, https://www.statista.com/statistics/1367193/frequency-travel-by-bike-germany/ (last visited July 22, 2024)
Reported frequency of travel by bicycle and e-bike in Germany in 2022 (in percent) [Graph], RMS, January 30, 2023. [Online]. Available: https://www.statista.com/statistics/1367193/frequency-travel-by-bike-germany/