Cycling statistics span several different measures: people who ride, trips and miles recorded, access to bicycles, reasons for cycling, and reported road casualties. The figures below keep those populations and definitions separate, covering U.S. surveys, England’s National Travel Survey, and Great Britain traffic and casualty records.
Key Cycling Statistics
The most useful headline figures include:
- In 2024, 112 million Americans ages 3 and older rode a bicycle at least once.
- Between 2016 and 2024, U.S. ridership increased 14% while the U.S. population increased 4%.
- In 2024, 56% of U.S. youth ages 3–17 participated in bicycle riding.
- In 2024, England residents averaged 15 cycling trips per person.
- In 2024, England residents averaged 53 miles of pedal-cycle travel per person.
- In 2024, cycling made up 2% of trips in England.
- In 2024, Great Britain recorded 3.5 billion pedal-cycle vehicle miles.
- In 2023–2024, 76% of people ages 5–10 in England owned or had access to a pedal cycle.
- In 2024, English males averaged 23 cycling trips per person, compared with 8 for females.
- In 2024, leisure accounted for 41% of cycling trips in England.
- In 2022, 11.6% of urban U.S. residents ages 16 and older used a bicycle in the previous 30 days.
- In 2022, 5.7% of rural U.S. residents ages 16 and older used a bicycle in the previous 30 days.
- In 2024, Great Britain recorded 82 reported pedal-cycle fatalities.
- Between 2004 and 2024, Great Britain’s reported pedal-cycle fatality rate per billion vehicle miles fell 55%.
- In 2024, Great Britain recorded 1,084 serious pedal-cycle injuries per billion vehicle miles.
- In 2020–2024, males represented 82% of Great Britain pedal-cycle killed-or-seriously-injured casualties.
- In 2024, 22% of people surveyed in England selected safer roads as a relevant cycling response.
- In 2024, the average PeopleForBikes City Ratings score was 25 out of 100 across rated U.S. cities.
Contents
- How many people cycle and how participation is changing
- Cycling travel volume, distance and modal share
- Access, age and sex differences in cycling
- Why people cycle and how cycling is used
- Cycling safety, casualties and risk outcomes
- Barriers, network conditions and cycling context
How Many People Cycle: Participation Statistics and Trends
PeopleForBikes reported that 112 million Americans ages 3 and older rode a bicycle at least once in 2024. This is a survey measure of at-least-once participation, so it is not the same as a count of frequent riders or trips. More Americans Rode a Bike Than Ever Before in 2024
The same PeopleForBikes summary reported a 14% increase in U.S. ridership from 2016 to 2024, compared with 4% population growth over that period. The comparison combines a participation report with Physical Activity Council data, rather than one government survey series. Great Rides Start at Home
Youth participation also rose in the 2024 study. Bicycle participation among U.S. ages 3–17 increased from 49% in the prior study to 56% in 2024; ridership increased 9% among ages 3–9 and 15% among ages 10–17.
Two perception measures add context to participation. In 2024, 53% of U.S. riders surveyed worried about being hit by a car, while 50% were familiar with local bike lanes, paths and trails. More Americans Rode a Bike Than Ever Before in 2024
Cycling Travel Volume, Distance and Modal Share
England’s National Travel Survey measures England residents travelling within Great Britain through interviews and a seven-day diary. In 2024, residents averaged 15 cycling trips and 16 cycling stages per person, plus 53 miles of pedal-cycle travel per person.
| England cycling measure | 2024 result |
|---|---|
| Trips per person | 15 |
| Stages per person | 16 |
| Miles per person | 53 |
| Share of trips | 2% |
| Share of stages | 2% |
| Share of distance | 1% |
Cycling accounted for 2% of trips and 2% of travel stages in England in 2024, but 1% of distance travelled. The NTS cycling sample can be volatile, and its traffic estimates exclude off-network cycling. NTS 2024: Active travel
Across the longer NTS series, England’s cycling-trip rate remained between 14 and 20 trips per person per year from 2002 through 2024. This range describes annual survey estimates, not a claim that every year had identical travel conditions.
Great Britain’s separate road-traffic measure recorded 3.5 billion pedal-cycle vehicle miles in 2024, 2.4% below 2023. A roads accounted for 0.7 billion vehicle miles, or 19% of Great Britain cycle traffic.
These are public-highway and adjacent-cycle-path estimates, including e-bikes and excluding other locations. Road traffic estimates in Great Britain, 2024: Traffic in Great Britain by vehicle type
Cycling Access by Age and Sex
Access to a cycle varies considerably by age in England. The 2023–2024 factsheet combines ownership and access, so the percentages do not distinguish between personally owned bicycles and bicycles available through another household or arrangement.
| England age group | Owned or had access to a pedal cycle, 2023–2024 |
|---|---|
| Ages 5–10 | 76% |
| Ages 11–16 | 65% |
| Ages 17–20 | 41% |
| Ages 21–29 | 30% |
| Ages 30–39 | 36% |
| Ages 40–49 | 45% |
| Ages 50–59 | 46% |
| Ages 60+ | 25% |
The age pattern shows high reported access among children, lower access among people ages 21–29, and a further decline among people ages 60 and older. NTS 2024: Factsheet
The 2024 NTS also recorded a sex difference in cycling travel. English males averaged 23 cycling trips per person and 87 cycling miles per person, compared with 8 trips and 19 miles for females.
These are NTS estimates for England residents travelling within Great Britain.
Why People Cycle: Trip Purpose and Cycling Use
Leisure was the largest recorded purpose for cycling trips in England in 2024, while commuting was the next largest. The NTS purpose classification also identifies shopping and education-related travel.
| Purpose of cycling trip in England | Share in 2024 |
|---|---|
| Leisure | 41% |
| Commuting | 31% |
| Shopping | 10% |
| Education or escort education | 9% |
Leisure represented 34% of cycling trips in 2019 and 55% in 2020. The 2020 figure reflects a pandemic-period pattern, so it should not be treated as a normal-year baseline. NTS 2024: Active travel
The U.S. National Household Travel Survey provides a different participation definition: bicycle use in the previous 30 days among people ages 16 and older. In 2022, 11.6% of urban U.S. residents used a bicycle under that definition, compared with 5.7% of rural residents; urban and rural status refers to household location. Summary of Travel Trends: 2022 National Household Travel Survey
Cycling Safety Statistics: Casualties and Risk Rates
Great Britain recorded 82 reported pedal-cycle fatalities in 2024. Reported fatalities fell 39%, from 134 in 2004 to 82 in 2024, while adjusted serious pedal-cycle injuries increased 16% over the same period.
| Great Britain measure | 2004–2024 change or 2024 level |
|---|---|
| Reported fatalities | Down 39% |
| Adjusted serious injuries | Up 16% |
| Overall casualty rate per billion vehicle miles | Down 36% |
| Fatality rate per billion vehicle miles | Down 55% |
| Serious-injury rate per billion vehicle miles | Down 15% |
| Slight-injury rate per billion vehicle miles | Down 41% |
In 2024, the reported rate was 23 killed, 1,084 seriously injured, 3,020 slightly injured and 4,128 total pedal-cycle casualties per billion vehicle miles. Rates and counts answer different questions: the count describes reported cases, while the rate relates cases to recorded cycling vehicle miles.
During 2020–2024, males represented 82% and females 18% of Great Britain pedal-cycle killed-or-seriously-injured casualties. Two-vehicle collisions involving a car accounted for 231 pedal-cycle fatalities during the same period. Reported road casualties in Great Britain: pedal cycle factsheet, 2024
These casualty figures are police-reported, and non-fatal cyclist casualties are under-reported. That limitation matters when interpreting changes in serious and slight injuries.
Cycling Barriers, Network Conditions and City Data
England’s 2024 survey included responses about what matters for cycling. Forty-six percent selected “nothing” as the relevant response, 22% selected safer roads, and 10% selected off-road or segregated cycle paths.
These are self-reported attitudes, not measurements of infrastructure supply or quality.
PeopleForBikes’ 2024 City Ratings covered 2,300 U.S. cities. The average score across rated cities was 25 out of 100, and 8% of cities scored 50 or higher, up from 5% in 2023.
The same organization reported that 80% of U.S. cities improved their score between 2023 and 2024. Because the rated-city composition changed, the year-over-year comparison should be read as organization-produced score data rather than a government census measure. Bicycling Is Improving in Cities Across the U.S.
Together, these measures describe cycling context from several angles: perceived road safety, demand for separated facilities, and a composite city-rating system. They should not be combined into a single global cycling score because the populations, methods and definitions differ.