Transport Statistics Great Britain: 2022 Domestic Travel
Published 14 December 2023
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About this release
Transport Statistics Great Britain (TSGB) presents an annual summary of statistics for cross-modal transport topics, mostly relating to the calendar year 2022. This condensed set of highlights focuses on domestic travel, and is complemented by other Department for Transport (DfT) releases presenting more detailed and recent statistics. See the Transport Statistics Finder to explore what other statistics are published by DfT.
Other cross-modal topics of TSGB, can be found in separate articles:
The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and transport statistics
Most of the statistics in this release cover the period when national and regional measures were introduced to prevent and reduce the global spread of coronavirus (COVID-19). Transport trends have been affected by these measures, which can be seen in the official statistics in this report.
Headline figures in 2022
How much we travel in Great Britain:
- people travelled a total of 740 billion passenger kilometres
- 86% of all passenger kilometres travelled used cars, vans and taxis
- the average person, in England, completed 862 trips across both private and public modes of transport
- the majority of trips in England were completed using private modes of transport
- buses were the most commonly used public transport mode in both England and Great Britain
Why we travel in England:
- the most common reason for travel was leisure
- the average commuting time in England was 28 minutes
- the most common way to get to and from school was by foot
- the most common way to commute to work was by car
Definitions
For the purpose of purpose of TSGB, public and private modes of transport have been defined as follows:
Public modes of transport: transport modes which are available to the public, for a fare, and typically not privately owned by the user, such as buses, coaches, taxis, trains, light rail, trams, underground and domestic air traffic.
Private modes of transport: transport modes which are typically privately owned by the user such as cars, vans and motorcycles.
Active travel: includes pedal cycles and walking. However, in the How much we travel section, active travel only includes pedal cycles because data on walking is not collected.
How much we travel
Data Source: TSGB0101, TSGB0102
This section covers the distance travelled in Great Britain in passenger kilometres.
Considerations
The following section focuses on distance travelled in terms of passenger kilometres, which are calculated using population estimates. Due to the unavailability of mid-year population estimates, population projections have been used to calculate 2022 figures. The figures will be updated once the mid-year population estimates are published by the Office for National Statistics (ONS).
In this section and in tables TSGB0101 and TSGB0102, the rail data relates to financial years. Other transport modes relate to calendar years.
Definitions
Passenger kilometres are defined as the total distance travelled by all passengers. For example, 4 passengers travelling 10 kilometres each amount to 40 passenger kilometres in total.
How much we travel: By type of transport
Of the 740 billion passenger kilometres travelled in Great Britain in 2022:
- non-ticketed modes of transport accounted for 87% of distance travelled
- ticketed modes of transport accounted for 13% of distance travelled
- active travel (pedal cycles) accounted for 1% of distance travelled
Proportions of distance travelled by type of transport might not sum to 100% due to rounding.
Definitions
In this section:
- active travel only includes pedal cycles because data on walking is not collected
- transport modes are grouped into ticketed and non-ticketed modes of transport
A private and public transport breakdown is not possible for this section because traffic data does not allow to differentiate between taxis (public mode of transport) and cars or vans (private mode of transport).
Ticketed modes of transport include buses, coaches, trains, light rail, trams, underground and domestic air traffic.
Non-ticketed modes of transport include cars, taxis, vans and motorcycles.
Chart 1: Passenger kilometre trends by type of transport in Great Britain, since 2012
Chart 1 is a line chart showing the trends over the past decade in distance travelled by non-ticketed and ticketed modes of transport, and active travel, indexed at 2012 levels. This chart shows that, up to 2019, trends across non-ticketed and ticketed, and active travel modes of transport were relatively stable.
In 2020, the distance travelled via active travel modes saw a noticeable relative increase whereas distance travelled using ticketed modes of transport decreased. Distance travelled using non-ticketed modes of transport also decreased but at a lower rate than ticketed modes. This change in trends is linked to the lockdowns and travel restrictions imposed during the COVID-19 pandemic.
How much we travel: By mode of transport
86% of passenger kilometres travelled were in cars, vans and taxis in Great Britain in 2022.
Chart 2: Passenger kilometres by mode in Great Britain, since 2012
Chart 2 note
Other modes include buses, rail, pedal cycles, motorcycles and scheduled and non-scheduled domestic flights by UK airlines.
Passenger traffic by water is excluded in this section.
Chart 2 is a line chart showing the total passenger kilometres travelled by cars, vans and taxis against all other modes, since 2012. This chart shows that a very large majority of passenger kilometres are travelled by cars, vans and taxis. From 2012 to 2019 the number of passenger kilometres travelled by cars, vans and taxis fluctuated between 649 to 698 billion, compared to 130 to 138 billion for all other modes. In 2020, the distance travelled cars, vans and taxis decreased by 28% compared to 2019. Between 2021 and 2022, the figures have increased, but remained below pre-pandemic levels.
Chart 3: Passenger kilometres by mode (excluding cars and taxis) in Great Britain, since 2012
Chart 3 note
Passenger traffic by water is excluded in this section.
Chart 3 is a line chart presenting total passenger kilometres travelled since 2012, broken down by transport mode, excluding cars, vans and taxis. This chart shows that, for all modes, apart from pedal cycles, the total passenger kilometres travelled decreased in 2022 compared to 2019, with rail usage experiencing the sharpest decrease. In 2020, the distance travelled by rail decreased by 80% compared to 2019. Between 2021 and 2022, the figures have been steadily increasing, but remained below pre-pandemic levels.
Until 2019, the distance travelled on pedal cycles stayed relatively stable with figures remaining around 6 billion passenger kilometres. In 2020, it increased by 46% to 9 billion passenger kilometres compared to 2019, in line with introduction of lockdowns and travel restrictions due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2022, the figures returned to pre-pandemic levels. Further information into cycling trips over this period are explored further in the walking and cycling statistics release.
Further information about how COVID-19 and the associated restrictions impacted transport modes over 2020 can be found in Transport Statistics Great Britain: 2021.
How we travel
Data Source: TSGB0103
This section explores the number of trips the average person made in England. Journeys made on public transport modes are also included in this section.
Definitions
A trip is defined in the National Travel Survey as a one-way course of travel with a single main purpose and can include multiple forms of transport. For example, driving to a train station, catching the train and walking to one’s workplace counts as 1 trip. Further information can be found in the National Travel Survey (NTS) notes and definitions.
A passenger journey is defined as a count of the total number of boardings of each public transport vehicle. For example, a trip which requires a change from a bus to another would be counted as 2 journeys in this section, whenever one uses a mode of public transport to travel to a destination. Journeys differ from trips in that they exclude private or active travel modes of transport.
Further information on how bus, light rail and tram and rail define passenger journeys can be found in the relevant notes and definitions.
How we travel: Main points
On average, a person in England completed 862 trips in 2022, of which:
- 59% were made using private transport modes
- 33% were made using active travel (walking and cycling)
- 8% were made using public transport modes
Considerations
The following section focuses on the number of trips people made in England.
Due to changes in the methodology of data collection, changes in travel behaviour and a reduction of data collected during 2020, 2021 and 2022, because of the COVID-19 pandemic, care should be taken when interpreting this data and comparing to other years.
Statistics in this section are sourced from the National Travel Survey, which relates to England only.
How we travel: By type of transport
Chart 4: Proportion of trips by type of transport in England, since 2012 (NTS0409)
Chart 4 is an area chart showing the proportion of all trips made by private, public and active travel modes of transport, between 2012 and 2022. This chart shows that the majority of trips were completed using private transportation, although this proportion has slowly been declining over this time period, from 65% in 2012 to 60% in 2022. In 2020, there was an increase in the proportion of active travel compared to public transportation, from 28% in 2019 to 35% in 2020. The proportion of active travel trips has declined slightly since 2020, but has remained above 2019’s levels (33% in 2022).
Using public transport
Data Source: TSGB0102
Local buses accounted for 58% of ticketed public transport journeys in Great Britain in the year ending March 2023.
Considerations
The following section focuses on the number of journeys made on ticketed public transport.
Non-ticketed modes of public transport, such as taxis and minicabs, are excluded from this section.
Air figures in this section relate to calendar years, of which the latest year of data relates to 2022. All other series are on a year ending March basis.
In the year ending (YE) March 2023 in Great Britain, a total of 6.5 billion passenger journeys were completed using public transport vehicles, of which:
- 3.7 billion passenger journeys were completed using local buses
-
2.5 billion journeys were completed by rail, of which:
-
1.4 billion journeys on the National Rail
-
1.1 billion journeys on the London Underground and Glasgow Subway
-
- 0.2 billion passenger journeys were completed on light rail and tram systems
- 0.01 billion (15 million) passenger journeys were completed on domestic flights
Chart 5: Passenger journeys, in billions, by mode: Great Britain from the year ending March 2013 to the year ending March 2023
Chart 5 note
Underground includes passenger journeys on the London Underground and Glasgow Subway.
Light rail and tram includes passenger journeys on light rail, and modern and first generation trams.
Chart 5 is a line chart showing the number of passenger journeys by public transport from 2013 to 2023. This chart shows that:
- passenger journeys across all modes of public transport increased since YE March 2022
- journeys on the National Rail increased the most (up 46%) out of all the modes
- the volume of passenger journeys across all modes of public transport remained lower than 2019’s levels
Why we travel
Data Source: TSGB0104
This section explores the reasons why people travel in England, by the number of trips travelled across modes of transport. A specific focus on travelling to school and to work is included in this section.
Why we travel: Main points
In 2022:
- leisure was the most common reason for travel in England, followed by work and education
- the most common way to get to and from school was by foot
- the most common way to commute to work was by car
- the average usual commuting time was 28 minutes, broadly similar to previous years
Considerations
Due to changes in the methodology of data collection, changes in travel behaviour and a reduction of data collected during 2020, 2021 and 2022, because of the COVID-19 pandemic, care should be taken when interpreting this data and comparing to other years.
During 2022, fewer pandemic-related restrictions were placed on personal travel, and while patterns of travel were returning towards pre-pandemic trends they were still not back to the 2019 levels.
Definitions
Active travel in this section includes pedal cycle and walking trips.
Why we travel: Purpose of travel
Over a quarter (26%) of all trips in England were for leisure purposes in 2022, the same proportion as before the pandemic.
Other purposes of travelling in 2022 were:
- shopping, accounting for 18% of all trips
- commuting and education, each accounting for 14%
- other escort, accounting for 9%
- personal business, accounting for 8%
- business, accounting for 2%
- other purposes, including just walking, accounting for 11% of all trips
Most modes of travel are used for a mixture of purposes, however, nearly half (45%) of all trips by rail were for either commuting or business purposes in 2022.
Why we travel: By type of transport
Chart 6: Average number of trips per person, by type of transport and reason for travel in England, in 2022
Chart 6 is a stacked bar chart showing the average number of trips per person for each reason for travel, broken down by type of transport. This chart shows that in 2022, the most common trip purpose was leisure (221 trips), followed by:
- shopping (151 trips)
- commuting (119 trips)
- education (118 trips)
- other including just walks (92 trips)
- other escort (74 trips)
- personal business (69 trips)
- business (18 trips)
For all travel purposes, except for education and ‘other, including just walk’, a large majority of those trips are completed using private modes of transport, followed by active travel modes and public transport. For education, a higher proportion of trips are completed using active travel modes.
Why we travel: Travelling to school
Chart 7: Trips to and from school by main mode and age (aged 5 to 16) in England, since 2019 (NTS0613)
Chart 7 note
The legend for Chart 7 is in the same order as the categories in the chart.
Chart 7 is a bar chart showing the proportion of trips to and from school, broken down by transport mode, from 2019 to 2022. The chart shows that, in 2022, children aged 5 to 16 made 47% of trips to and from school by foot and 33% by car. Compared to the pre-pandemic period, walking trips have increased (from 43% in 2019) while car trips have decreased (from 37% in 2019). In 2022, around 10% of trips to and from school were made by local bus. This proportion has nearly doubled since 2020 (6%), but remains below pre-pandemic levels (13% in 2019).
For more information on travel to school, visit the ‘Travel to and from school’ section in the National Travel Survey 2022.
For more information, please visit the ‘NTS notes and definitions’ page.
Why we travel: Travelling to work
Data Source: TSGB0108 to TSGB0112
Considerations
The data source of statistics in this section is the Office for National Statistics’ (ONS) Labour Force Survey (LFS). In October to December of each year, the LFS contains questions on travel to work patterns, and the resulting data are then provided to DfT by the ONS for further analysis.
Differences in methodology, and sampling error, may mean that figures presented here differ from those found in other data sources, such as DfT’s National Travel Survey statistics.
The ONS are currently in the process of transforming the LFS, which most of the analysis in this section is based on. The intention is for the Transformed LFS to replace the LFS from March 2024 onwards, which would mean this analysis would be based on the Transformed LFS in future years. For more details on the LFS transformation programme, please see the ONS user guidance on the Transformed Labour Force Survey.
It is therefore expected that this section will change in future years, given the expected switch to the Transformed LFS, and also in line with DfT’s wider work to develop Reproducible Analytical Pipelines (RAPs). For more details, please see DfT’s RAP Strategy Implementation Plan.
Travelling to work: Time spent commuting
It took on average 27 minutes to commute to work in Great Britain in 2022. This was broadly similar to previous years.
Commuting time varied substantially, depending on the mode of transport chosen:
- 15 minutes by foot
- 25 minutes by car
- 39 minutes by bus or coach
- 63 minutes by rail (National Rail)
Travelling to work: By mode of transport
The 3 most common modes of travel for commuting in Great Britain, in descending order, were:
- car (68%)
- walk (11%)
- all rail (9%)
Chart 8: Usual method of travel to work, Great Britain, 2022
Table 1: Usual method of travel to work by mode in Great Britain, 2022 (Chart 8)
| Mode | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Car | 68 |
| Walk | 11 |
| All rail | 9 |
| Bus or coach | 6 |
| Other | 5 |
Notes for Chart 8 and Table 1
Percentages may not sum to 100% due to rounding.
All Rail includes travel by National Rail, underground and light railway systems and trams.
Other includes bicycle, motorcycle and taxi or private hire vehicle.
Travelling to work: Commuting by car
Across Great Britain, 68% of commuters used a car to get to work, which was similar to previous years.
At least 70% of people travelled to work by car in most regions, but in London this figure was much lower, at 29%. This was a similar trend to that seen in previous years.
Map 1: Percentage of workers usually travelling to work by car by region of workplace in Great Britain, 2022
Table 2: Percentage of workers usually travelling to work by car by region of workplace in Great Britain, 2022 (Map 1)
| Region or country of workplace | Percentage of workers usually travelling by car |
|---|---|
| North East | 76 |
| North West | 76 |
| Yorkshire and The Humber | 75 |
| East Midlands | 78 |
| West Midlands | 78 |
| East of England | 77 |
| London | 29 |
| South East | 74 |
| South West | 74 |
| England | 67 |
| Wales | 79 |
| Scotland | 70 |
Safety when travelling
The National Travel Attitudes Study (NTAS) is a survey that gathers responses from individuals aged 16 and over in England. The latest study, conducted between March and April 2023 and collected just over 2,000 responses, focused on individual’s perceptions of safety when walking, cycling, and using public transport.
The latest survey found that:
- the majority of adults tend to feel safe when using public transport, however 21% report that they have been the victim of an incident of assault or harassment whilst travelling
- almost two-thirds of females (63%) say they avoid travelling alone when it’s dark, compared to a third (34%) of males
- females tend to take more safety precautions than males when travelling via any mode of transport
For more details, please see National Travel Attitudes Study (NTAS) Wave 8.
Related statistics
Use the Transport Statistics Finder to explore, download and view the statistical content published by the department.
| Chapter section | Related topics |
|---|---|
| How much we travel |
Aviation Buses National Travel Survey Public attitudes towards transport Rail Taxis Vans Walking and cycling |
| How we travel |
Buses Light rail and tram National Travel Survey Public attitudes towards transport |
| Why we travel |
National Travel Survey Public attitudes towards transport Walking and cycling |
Background Information
We would welcome any feedback on these statistics by email. We will attempt to address any comments in a subsequent release.
Notes and definitions for each of the topics covered in TSGB are available.
The majority of the annual statistics in this release are National Statistics. This means they are produced to high professional standards set out in the Code of Practice for Statistics. They undergo regular quality assurance reviews to ensure they meet customer needs.
These annual statistics were designated as National Statistics in July 2010.
Details of ministers and officials who receive pre-release access to these statistics up to 24 hours before release are available.
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