Statistical data set

Purpose of travel

Data about why people travel, produced by Department for Transport.

• From: Department for Transport
• Published: 30 July 2013
• Last updated: 10 September 2026
  Show all updates

  1. 10 September 2026

     Tables updated for National Travel Survey: 2025 publication.

  2. 27 August 2025

     Tables updated for National travel survey: 2024.

  3. 28 August 2024

     Data tables updated for the latest National Travel Survey report for 2023.

  4. 30 August 2023

     Data tables updated for the National Travel Survey report for 2022.

  5. 31 August 2022

     Data tables updated for the NTS 2021 annual report.

  6. 22 September 2021

     Data tables updated for the NTS 2020 report.

  7. 5 August 2020

     Data tables updated for the NTS 2019 report.

  8. 31 July 2019

     Updated for 31 July 2019 publication.

  9. 26 July 2018

     Tables updated for the year 2017.

  10. 27 July 2017

      Table 0403 to 0406, 0409 and 0410 updated to 2016 data.

  11. 8 September 2016

      Tables updated to the latest data for the year 2015.

  12. 2 September 2015

      Tables updated to the latest data for the year 2014.

  13. 29 July 2014

      Tables NTS0401 to 0410 updated to include data for the year 2013.

  14. 30 July 2013

      NTS04 - Why people travel (trip purpose) 2012 data added. This replaces previous editions of these tables.

  15. 30 July 2013

      First published.

For the 2025 release, tables NTS9906, NTS9907, NTS9912, NTS9913 and NTS9914 have been discontinued and replaced by tables NTS0413 and NTS0414. The information previously published in these tables has been reorganised into a revised table structure to improve usability.

Trips, stages, distance and time spent travelling

NTS0403: Average number of trips, miles and time spent travelling by trip purpose: England, 2002 onwards (ODS, 61 KB)

NTS0407: Long distance trips within Great Britain by purpose and length: English households, 2002 onwards (ODS, 55.7 KB)

NTS0408: Purpose of next trip by sex and previous trip: England, 2002 onwards (ODS, 68.7 KB)

NTS0409: Average number of trips and distance travelled by purpose and main mode: England, 2002 onwards (ODS, 117 KB)

Employment status

NTS0412: Commuter trips and distance by employment status and main mode: England, 2002 onwards (ODS, 58.1 KB)

Travel purpose by start time and day of the week

NTS0502: Trip start time by trip purpose (Monday to Friday only): England, 2002 onwards (ODS, 161 KB)

NTS0504: Average number of trips by day of the week or month and purpose or main mode: England, 2002 onwards (ODS, 161 KB)

Travel purpose by age and gender

NTS0611: Average number of trips and distance travelled by sex, age and purpose: England, 2002 onwards (ODS, 382 KB)

NTS0710: Average number of trips and distance travelled by mobility status and purpose, aged 16 and over: England, 2007 onwards (ODS, 44.7 KB)

NTS0901: Annual mileage of cars by ownership, fuel type and trip purpose: England, 2002 onwards (ODS, 14 KB)

Travel purpose by region and rural-urban classification of residence

NTS0413: Average number of trips, miles and time spent travelling by trip purpose and region of residence: England, 2002 onwards (ODS, 342 KB)

NTS0414: Average number of trips, miles and time spent travelling by trip purpose and rural-urban classification of residence: England, 2002 onwards (ODS, 238 KB)

NTS9918: Average number of trips and distance travelled by trip purpose, ethnic group, region and rural-urban classification of residence: England, 2002 onwards (ODS, 639 KB)

Contact us

National Travel Survey statistics

Email national.travelsurvey@dft.gov.uk

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