NTS 2023: Factsheet (accessible version)
Published 28 August 2024
Applies to England
© Crown copyright 2024
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This publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/national-travel-survey-2023/nts-2023-factsheet-accessible-version
Travel trends since the 2002
Chart 1: Trends in trips taken, England (2002 to 2023) (NTS0101)
People made 915 trips on average in 2023, or 18 trips a week. This was 6% higher than in 2022, but a 4% decrease on the level in 2019 prior to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, when people made an average of 953 trips per person.
Chart 2: Trends in miles travelled, England (2002 to 2023) (NTS0101)
People travelled an average of 5,974 miles in 2023, an 11% increase from 2022 and an 8% decrease from 6,500 miles in 2019.
Chart 3: Trends in hours spent travelling, England (2002 to 2023) (NTS0101)
On average, people spent around 353 hours travelling in 2023 (around 58 minutes per day), 9% higher than in 2022 but down 5% from the 370 hours of travelling in 2019.
How we travel
Chart 4: Proportion of trips and distance by mode, England (2023) (NTS0303)
| Measure | Car or van | Walk | Local bus | Other | Pedal cycle | Surface rail | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Trip | 60% | 29% | 4% | 3% | 2% | 2% | 100% |
| Distance | 78% | 4% | 3% | 6% | 1% | 8% | 100% |
Rows may not sum to 100% due to rounding.
Cars remained the most popular mode of travel, making up 60% of all trips in 2023 (a decrease of 1 percentage point from 2019), and 78% of all miles travelled (an increase of 1 percentage point from 2019). The proportion of trips that were walked was higher in 2023 than in 2019, with a 3 percentage point increase to 29% of all trips in 2023.
Why we travel
Chart 5: Top 3 most common trip purposes, England (2023) (NTS0403)
| Purpose | Percentage of trips |
|---|---|
| Shopping | 18% |
| Commuting | 13% |
| Other including just walk | 9% |
Percentages have been rounded to the closest whole number.
The most common trip purpose in 2023 was shopping, with 18% of journeys being made for this purpose. Journeys for the purpose of commuting took up 13% of the average person’s trips in this year. ‘Other including just walk’ was the third most common trip purpose in 2023, accounting for 9% of all trips. These 3 were also the most popular purposes in the past 4 years. Similarly, in 2019 the 2 most common trip purposes were shopping and commuting, while the third most common trip purpose was personal business.
Cycling
Chart 6: Trends in cycling trips taken, England (2002 to 2023) (NTS0303)
People made 15 cycling trips on average in 2023. This was similar to 2022, but a 5% decrease on the level in 2019 prior to the coronavirus pandemic, when people made an average of 16 trips per person.
Chart 7: Trends in miles travelled by pedal cycle, England (2002 to 2023) (NTS0303)
People travelled an average of 47 miles by pedal cycle in 2023, this was a 17% decrease compared to 2022 (57 miles) and a 13% decrease from 54 miles in 2019.
Chart 8: Percentage of people with access to a pedal cycle, by age, England (2023) (NTS0608)
| Age | Percentage of individuals who own or have access to a pedal cycle |
|---|---|
| 60 and over | 25% |
| 50 to 59 | 46% |
| 40 to 49 | 44% |
| 30 to 39 | 36% |
| 21 to 29 | 30% |
| 17 to 20 | 44% |
| 11 to 16 | 64% |
| 5 to 10 | 75% |
Percentages have been rounded to the closest whole number.
In 2023, people aged between 5 and 10 were the age group with the highest proportion of people who own or have access to a pedal cycle (75%). While people aged 60 and over were the age group with the lowest proportion of who own or has access to a pedal cycle, with 25%.
Travel by sex
Chart 9: Average trips and distance per person per year, by the sex of the respondent, England (2023) (NTS0601) (NTS06011)
| Measure | Males | Females |
|---|---|---|
| Trips | 887 | 942 |
| Distance | 6,389 | 5,576 |
Chart 10: Commuting trips per person per year, by age and sex, England (2023) (NTS0601) (NTS0611)
| Age | Males | Females |
|---|---|---|
| All ages | 129 | 106 |
| 0 to 16 | 4 | 4 |
| 17 to 20 | 114 | 125 |
| 21 to 29 | 233 | 209 |
| 30 to 39 | 229 | 146 |
| 40 to 49 | 194 | 170 |
| 50 to 59 | 200 | 184 |
| 60 to 69 | 110 | 85 |
| 70 and over | 11 | 4 |
In 2023, males made 6% fewer trips than females, but travelled 15% further. This is reflected in the type of trips made with males making an average of 129 commuting trips per person (a decrease of 20% on 2019), while females made an average of 106 commuting trips per person (a decrease of 11% on 2019).
Licence holding
Chart 11: Proportion of adults holding a full car driving licence by sex, aged 17 and over, England (2023) (NTS0201)
| Sex | Proportion of full car driving licence holders |
|---|---|
| All individuals | 74% |
| Males | 80% |
| Females | 70% |
Percentages have been rounded to the closest whole number
In 2023, 74% of English residents aged 17 and over held a driving licence. Around 80% of males and 70% of females held a licence. For males, this percentage is unchanged since 2002, but for females, driving licence holding has increased by 8 percentage points in the same period.
Car ownership
Chart 12: Household car availability, England (2023) (NTS0205)
| Household car availability | Percentage of households |
|---|---|
| No car or van | 22% |
| One car or van | 44% |
| 2 or more cars or vans | 34% |
Percentages may sum to more than 100% due to rounding.
Looking at households in England, 78% own at least one car, an increase of 4 percentage points since 2002. In households which own at least one car or van, 65% of adult males are the main driver of a personal vehicle in their household, a figure which has remained unchanged since the 1990s. In comparison, 52% of adult females are the main driver of a personal vehicle in their household, an increase of 7 percentage points since 2002, and an increase of 39 percentage points since 1975.
Trips to and from school
Chart 13: Trips to and from school by main mode and age, England (2023) (NTS0613)
| Year and age | Walk | Car or van | Local bus | Private bus | Pedal cycle | Other transport | Surface rail | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 aged 5 to 10 | 47% | 45% | 2% | 2% | 2% | 1% | 0% | 100% |
| 2023 aged 11 to 16 | 44% | 28% | 14% | 5% | 3% | 2% | 4% | 100% |
| 2019 aged 5 to 10 | 46 % | 47% | 3% | 2% | 1% | 1% | 0% | 100% |
| 2019 aged 11 to 16 | 39% | 26% | 23% | 6% | 3% | 2% | 2% | 100% |
Compared to 2019, before the coronavirus pandemic, in 2023 there was an increase in the percentage of walking trips to and from school that were made by children between the ages of 5 and 16. The percentage of car trips to and from school decreased for children aged 5 to 10 but increased for children aged 11 to 16.
Background information
The 2023 National Travel Survey (NTS) is the latest in a series of household surveys of personal travel by residents of England travelling within Great Britain, from data collected via interviews and a seven-day travel diary. The NTS is part of a continuous survey that began in 1988, following ad-hoc surveys from the 1960s, which enables analysis of patterns and trends.
Some key uses of the data include describing patterns, for example how different groups of people travel, monitoring trends in travel, including sustainable modes; assessing the potential equality impacts of different groups; and contributing to the evaluation of policies.
We always welcome feedback to help ensure that the survey meets the needs of users, and any feedback provided will help inform the future design and development of the survey. If you have any feedback, please email national.travelsurvey@dft.gov.uk.
These official statistics were independently reviewed by the Office for Statistics Regulation in September 2018. They comply with the standards of trustworthiness, quality and value in the Code of Practice for Statistics and are labelled ‘accredited official statistics’.
Further information is available, including:
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