Bicycle industry in France - statistics & facts
The bicycle boom has slowed in French cities and even stagnated outside of urban areas. France became one of the focal points of the bicycle boom in Europe during the COVID-19 pandemic. Particularly, the city of Paris made headlines by reallocating road space to cyclists and boosting the number of people riding bikes for recreation and for transport during this period. This is also reflected in the large number of relatively new cyclists in France, two fifths of regular and occasional cyclists in the country have only picked up the habit in the past four years. However, this pattern of growth has slowed in cities and rural areas even saw a small decline in bicycle trips between 2021 and 2022 before stabilizing. The boom followed by the slowdown in cycling activity has had follow-on effects for the bicycle industry in the country.
Average prices for a bicycle meanwhile, are projected to continue rising from around 970 euros in 2023 to 1,100 euros by 2029. This is largely driven by the change in the type of bicycles that are being sold. E-bikes, which are substantially more expensive than their manual counterparts, are becoming increasingly popular in France. In 2017, only one in ten new bikes had been an e-bike but by 2023, nearly one in three bikes was equipped with electric assistance.
However, France also has its own domestic e-bike production. In 2023, France produced around 644,000 bikes, out of which more than half were e-bikes. Some of the bikes produced in the country are destined for export, largely to its immediate neighbors Belgium, Switzerland, and France. More than half of all e-bikes produced in the country, though, are manufactured for the domestic market. This compares to around a third of the cargo bikes produced in France and less than a fifth of conventional bikes produced in France will also be sold in France. As demand for e-bikes grows, domestic manufacturers can hope to benefit from their existing manufacturing capacities by supplying the French market, as well as the growing e-bike markets across the EU.
Declining sales but increasing prices
Bicycle sales in France totaled close to 2.8 million units in 2021, the peak during the COVID-19 pandemic and have been falling since. By 2023, sales had dropped by a tenth compared to two years previously and are expected to level out at around 2.3 million units annually.Average prices for a bicycle meanwhile, are projected to continue rising from around 970 euros in 2023 to 1,100 euros by 2029. This is largely driven by the change in the type of bicycles that are being sold. E-bikes, which are substantially more expensive than their manual counterparts, are becoming increasingly popular in France. In 2017, only one in ten new bikes had been an e-bike but by 2023, nearly one in three bikes was equipped with electric assistance.
Domestic bike production dominated by e-bikes
Despite increasing demand, e-bikes make up only around a quarter of the over 1.7 million bicycles imported to France in 2023. Most of the e-bikes imported to the country come from fellow EU countries, primarily from Portugal.However, France also has its own domestic e-bike production. In 2023, France produced around 644,000 bikes, out of which more than half were e-bikes. Some of the bikes produced in the country are destined for export, largely to its immediate neighbors Belgium, Switzerland, and France. More than half of all e-bikes produced in the country, though, are manufactured for the domestic market. This compares to around a third of the cargo bikes produced in France and less than a fifth of conventional bikes produced in France will also be sold in France. As demand for e-bikes grows, domestic manufacturers can hope to benefit from their existing manufacturing capacities by supplying the French market, as well as the growing e-bike markets across the EU.
