Number of bicycle sales in the European Union 2015-2023

European cyclists bought around 17.7 million bicycles (including electric battery-powered bicycles) in 2023. This figure represents a year-on-year fall from the roughly 18.8 million units that were sold in 2022.

Pandemic boom in cycling falters

The rise in bicycle sales in the European Union in 2020 and 2021 was largely driven by the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. As many other recreational activities were restricted during this period and public health authorities discouraged the use of shared transport, cycling became a popular mode of exercise and transport. This was supported by national and local governments, who invested in additional cycling infrastructure. However, easing of pandemic restrictions coupled with supply chain problems in 2022, heavily affected the sales of bikes that year and bicycle sales have continued to drop in 2023.

E-Bike market share increasing

While total bike sales dropped, e-bikes continued on their upward trajectory of recent years. In 2019, the market share of electric bicycles in the EU still stood at around 18 percent but had grown to over a quarter by 2023. Bicycles with electric assist, also known as EPACs, are particularly popular among consumers. These bicycles provide electrically powered assistance while pedaling, but motor assistance is capped at a speed of 25 kilometers per hour, which allows them to be legally treated as pedal cycles.