National statistics

National Travel Survey 2021: Active travel

Published 31 August 2022

Applies to England

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This publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/national-travel-survey-2021/national-travel-survey-2021-active-travel

About this release

The National Travel Survey (NTS) is a household survey of personal travel by residents of England travelling within Great Britain, from data collected via interviews and a seven-day travel diary, which enables analysis of patterns and trends. This release covers the main findings from these travel behaviours during 2021. The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic from March 2020, has had a substantial impact on travel trends in 2020 and 2021 and has affected the operation of this survey.

Fieldwork for the NTS 2021 survey continued to be impacted by the coronavirus restrictions from March 2020, with data collection combining the approach used in 2020 with interviews being conducted via telephone (push-to-telephone approach) instead of face-to-face, and to increase response rates, doorstep recruitment by trained interviewers with interviews being conducted over the telephone (knock-to-nudge approach).

Response rates to the survey in 2021 were halfway between 2019 levels (14,356 individuals) and 2020 levels (6,239 individuals) with 9,971 individuals participating in the survey, an increase of 60% compared to 2020, but a decrease of 31% compared to 2019. Consequently, caution is needed when interpreting these results for 2020 and 2021 as they are likely to be less representative of residents of England compared to previous years. Please see our technical note for more details.

Chart 13: Average cycling trips made, and miles travelled per person per year: England, 2002 to 2021 (NTS0303)

There has been a general upward trend in the average cycling miles travelled from 2002 to 2019 (54 miles per person) and then a sharp increase in 2020 to 88 miles per person and a decrease in 2021 to 55 miles per person. This is similar to the overall average for 2019, however as chart 14 shows, a greater proportion of the trips in 2021 were for leisure purposes, and a smaller proportion were commuting trips. Overall, average miles cycled in 2021 (55 miles per person) was 43% higher than in 2002 (39 miles per person).

When looking at the number of trips cycled per person the trend has remained broadly similar between 2002 to 2021, but with a slight increase shown in 2020. In 2021, there was an average of 15 cycling trips per person, a decrease of 27% compared to 2020 when there was on average 20 cycling trips per person. The relatively small number of cycling trips in the sample means that this series can be volatile, but it has remained between 14 and 20 trips per person per year since 2002.

Chart 14: Proportion of cycling trips per person per year, by trip purpose: England, 2019, 2020 and 2021 (NTS0409)

The most common purpose for a cycling trip was for leisure with 46% in 2021. This was followed by commuting (27%), shopping (11%) and education or escort education (8%). Despite noticeable changes in the proportions, in 2020 and 2019 the most common cycling trip purposes were the same as in 2021: for leisure (55% and 34% respectively), commuting (20% and 33% respectively), shopping (11% and 12% respectively) and education or escort education (6% and 10% respectively).

Chart 15: Average cycling trips and miles travelled, by age and sex: England, 2021 (NTS0601)

In 2021, males made more cycling trips on average than females in all age groups, with an overall average of 24 cycling trips per person in 2021, compared to 7 cycling trips per person by females. Males aged 50 to 59 made the highest number of cycling trips with 40 trips per person in 2021. For females, those aged 40 to 49 made the highest number of cycling trips with 12 trips per person in 2021.

Overall, males travelled four times the distance on average with 89 miles cycled as opposed to 22 miles cycled by females. The same age groups that made the highest number of cycling trips for males and females also cycled the longest distance with 182 miles cycled on average by males aged 50 to 59 and 49 miles cycled on average by females aged 40 to 49, in 2021.

Chart 16: Percentage of people with access to a pedal cycle, by age group: England, 2021 (NTS0608)

In 2021, 47% of people aged 5 and over had access to a pedal cycle. Young children aged 5 to 10 years old had the highest rates of pedal cycle access at 89%, followed by 11 to 16 year olds (70%) and 40 to 49 year olds (53%).

Chart 17: Frequency of cycling: England, 2021 (NTS0313)

Around 16% of people reported to have cycled at least once a week, and 61% less than once a year or never at the time of interview in 2021. In 2020, 20% of people reported to have cycled at least once a week, and 61% less than once a year or never and in 2019, 14% of people reported to have cycled at least once a week, and 67% less than once a year or never. Figures were broadly stable between 2003 and 2019, however, following a peak in in 2020, the proportion of people cycling at least once a week has reduced in 2021. In 2020, the proportion of people cycling less than once a year or never fell to its lowest since 2003, and this has remained stable in 2021.

Chart 18: Average walking miles travelled and trips made, including walking of over a mile, per person per year: England, 2002 to 2021 (NTS0303)

In 2021, the average number of walking trips remained similar to 2020 with 235 trips per person but this was a decrease of 6% compared to 2019 (250 trips per person) and an overall decrease of 11% compared to 2002 (264 trips per person). The number of walking trips of over a mile decreased compared to 2020 to 82 trips per person in 2021, a decrease of 6%, however, this is still an increase of 26% compared to 2019 (65 trips per person) and an overall increase of 9% compared to 2002 (75 trips per person).

The average miles walked per person per year decreased by 4% to 210 miles per person in 2021 compared to 2020 (220 miles per person), however, this is a slight increase of 3% compared to 2019 (205 miles per person). The distance travelled for walks of over a mile also decreased, by 7% to 126 miles per person in 2021 compared to 2020 (135 miles per person), however, this is an increase of 26% compared to 2019 (100 miles per person), and an overall increase of 8% compared to 2002 (117 miles per person).

Chart 19: Proportion of walking trips per person per year, by trip purpose: England, 2019, 2020 and 2021 (NTS0409)

The most common purpose for walking trips was other including just walk, with 45% in 2021. This was followed by education or escort education (18%), shopping (15%) and leisure (8%). In 2020 and 2019 the most common walking trip purposes were the same as in 2021, for other including just walk (48% and 24% respectively), followed by education or escort education (16% and 21% respectively), shopping (15% and 18% respectively) and leisure (8% and 16% respectively).

Chart 20: Average walking trips and miles travelled, by age and sex: England, 2021 (NTS0601)

Overall females made more walking trips on average in 2021 with 256 trips per person, compared to males with 213 trips per person. This was seen across all age groups apart from those aged 17 to 20. For both males and females, those aged 40 to 49 made the most walking trips on average with 292 trips per person by males and 320 trips per person by females.

For both males and females, those aged 40 to 49 also walked the longest distance with 281 miles per person by males and 286 miles per person by females in 2021. Overall, females also walked the longest distance over the course of the year when compared with males with 218 miles per person, compared to 202 miles per person by males in 2021.

Chart 21: Frequency of walks of 20 minutes or more: England, 2002 to 2021 (NTS0312)

The proportion of people who reported to have walked for a mile or more 3 or more times a week increased from 35% in 2002 to 60% in 2020, but has fallen slightly in 2021 to 58%. The proportion of people who reported to have walked for a mile or more less than once a year or never has decreased from 23% in 2002 to 12% in 2020 and has remained stable in 2021 with 12%.

Chart 22: Frequency of walks of 20 minutes or more: England, 2021 (NTS0312)

Around 78% of people reported to have walked for 20 minutes or more at least once a week, and 12% of people reported to have walked for 20 minutes or more less than once a year or never in 2021. These proportions were similar in 2020 and 2019.

Background information

The 2021 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 Travel Survey statistics.

Have your say in influencing future NTS regularly published content through this short user consultation survey!

The NTS statistics team are conducting a review of our publication to better meet users’ needs. This short survey invites NTS users to provide details of how NTS data are used, help us understand whether we can safely discontinue some publication content, and whether other information collected within the NTS questionnaire or travel diary would be useful to have regularly published. The information collected from this survey will form evidence for the discontinuation or the addition of regular published NTS statistics.

Please complete this short survey, which should take around 10 minutes to complete, for your chance to influence future NTS publication content.

National Statistics

These statistics are designated as National Statistics. National Statistics are produced to high professional standards as set out in the Code of Practice for Statistics. The Code of Practice for Statistics plays an essential role in ensuring that statistics published by government inspire the public confidence through demonstrating trustworthiness and providing high-quality statistics. These statistics were designated as National Statistics in July 2011. The continued designation was confirmed in September 2018.

Further information about these statistics is available, including:

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