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Global Growth: Cycling Traffic Up by 5% in 2025
Across all studied countries, cycling usage increased by 5% between 2024 and 2025, with consistent growth observed on both weekdays and weekends. This trend underscores a global shift toward sustainable mobility and active lifestyles, and is interesting to observe as it is the second consecutive year of increase after a post-COVID decrease (2020-2023).
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Spotlight on Top Performers: Ireland, Belgium & France
Ireland leads the way with a 15% increase in cycling traffic in 2025 compared to 2024. The country’s commitment to cycling is evident in its National Cycle Network, a €677 million initiative aiming to create 3,500 km of safe cycling corridors by 2030, connecting 200 towns and villages and serving 2.8 million people.
Belgium saw a 10% increase in 2025, thanks to its BeCyclist 1.0 plan, which introduced cycling allowances and a national bike registry. The upcoming BeCyclist 2.0 plan promises further improvements, including mandatory bike registration, better infrastructure at train stations, and a focus on cycle tourism.
France continues to experience strong growth, with an 11% increase in weekend cycling and a 9% overall rise in 2025. The combination of national cycling plans, post-pandemic habits, and favorable weather conditions has solidified cycling as a preferred mode of transport.
What About North America? United States & Canada Trends
In the US, cycling traffic grew by 4.7% in 2025, with regional variations. The West Coast and Northeast regions showed significant gains, reflecting ongoing investments in cycling infrastructure and urban planning.
Canada’s cycling traffic grew by 5% in 2025, with both the West Coast and East Coast regions showing resilience despite a cold end to the year.
Key Insights by Country (2025 vs. 2019)
Using 2019 as a baseline, global cycling traffic has increased by 20.4% in 2025. After a surge in 2020—driven by the pandemic and a need for outdoor activity—traffic stabilized at around 8% above 2019 levels in subsequent years, before rising again in 2024 and 2025.
| Country | % Evolution 2019-2025 Weekdays | % Evolution 2019-2025 Weekends |
% Evolution 2019-2025 Full Week |
|---|---|---|---|
| Belgium | 59% | 46% | 56% |
| France | 54% | 51% | 53% |
| England | 20% | 41% | 26% |
| Ireland | 14% | 42% | 22% |
| Italy | 13% | 39% | 21% |
| Spain | 18% | 13% | 17% |
| Poland | 16% | 16% | 16% |
| Austria | 14% | 18% | 15% |
| Sweden | 13% | 18% | 15% |
| Canada | 6% | 11% | 7% |
| Germany | 4% | 9% | 6% |
| USA | 4% | 4% | 4% |
| Portugal | 3% | 4% | 3% |
| Finland | -7% | 3% | -4% |
| All countries | 18.6% | 24.8% | 20.4% |
What’s Driving the Growth?
- Policy Support: National cycling plans, such as Ireland’s National Cycle Network and Belgium’s BeCyclist 2.0, are accelerating infrastructure development and public engagement.
- Climate and Health Awareness: The global shift toward sustainable mobility and active lifestyles continues to drive cycling adoption.
- Urban Planning: Cities are increasingly prioritizing cycling infrastructure, making it safer and more convenient for daily use.
Explore the Data Further
Eco-Counter provides tailored studies and real-time data to help cities, regions, and organizations understand and promote cycling. Whether you need a global overview or a localized analysis, our team is here to support your goals.
Let’s keep the conversation going!
Want to dive deeper into the trends for other countries or discuss a customized study for your region? Contact us to explore how Eco-Counter’s data and analysis can support your initiatives.
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