Accredited official statistics

NTS 2025: Notes and definitions

Updated 10 September 2026

Applies to England

Purpose of this report

This document supports the latest National Travel Survey (NTS) statistics. It is intended to provide analysts with notes on interpretation and usage of the statistics, definitions used in the NTS, and symbols and conventions used in reporting.

Recent changes affecting statistical tables

Access to local services (table NTS0801)

Up to 2012, NTS respondents were asked questions about the time taken to reach a number of types of service (for example grocery shops, schools and hospitals). From 2013, these questions were no longer asked as the intention was to use journey planning software to look up the information.

From 2014, as part of the NTS statistics, some of the tables in the section on accessibility (table NTS0801) now contain figures based on using journey planning software called TRACC to estimate travel times from the postcodes of addresses in the NTS sample to local services. These figures are shown separately from those previously published as they are calculated in a different way. In particular, the figures obtained from TRACC are derived from public transport timetables, road network information and destination datasets as used in the Department’s accessibility statistics. It is likely that, on the whole, the calculation of times is likely to result in more accurate figures than those estimated by respondents, though the calculation relies on the accuracy of the timetable data and destination data used which are known to have some limitations.

For the 2019 release, this table was not produced as we were unable to access the software from the office due to the national lockdown linked to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. For the 2020 release, this table was expanded to show the distance, as well as time taken, to walk to the nearest bus stop, and also to the nearest rail station and backdated for 2019.

This table has not been produced since 2021. It relies on the same underlying data source and methodology as Journey Time Statistics. As of August 2026, the department is exploring options for producing this table.

Road safety questions

In 2021, changes were made to the questionnaire regarding road accidents in order to improve the quality of the estimates around the number of accidents, and to align the statistics on injury and medical attention categories with those used in DfT’s Road Safety Statistics. The changes were implemented following a cognitive testing exercise which suggested that the new questions will produce reliable, high quality data. For more details, see section 4.7.3 of the 2021 Technical Report.

Known issues affecting NTS data

Note on 2007 and 2008 trip data

The travel diary was redesigned for the 2007 survey to make it more appealing to respondents and easier for them to use. However, this change to the diary seems to have caused a fall in short trips reported in 2007. The main modes affected were walks under 1 mile and short car trips under 5 miles.

The main purpose affected was shopping, although there was also a fall in short trips, particularly for other ‘incidental’ purposes, such as personal business and visiting friends. There has been a downward trend in these trip purposes and in short trips over the last ten years, so it is likely that part of the fall in 2007 is genuine. As the apparent under-recording of trips in 2007 mainly affects short trips, it has little impact on the average distance travelled overall, which remained fairly constant in 2007. Under-recording of short trips continued in 2008, although the difference compared with earlier years was less pronounced than in 2007.

GPS pilot (subsample)

In 2011 an experiment was conducted to test the possibility of replacing travel diaries with GPS devices. This pilot was conducted with a randomly selected sub-sample of the main NTS sample for February and March 2011. Across the two months 902 addresses were selected to take part in the pilot. These households were not incorporated into the main NTS results for 2011 and therefore the overall sample size in that year was slightly less than in other years.

Short walks experiment (subsample)

In 2013, an experiment was conducted to measure the impact of recording short walks (those under 1 mile) on day 1 of the travel diary rather than day 7. A split sample design was used - half of the quarter 2 (April to June) sample was asked to provide information on short walks on day 1 and the remaining half were asked to provide the information on day 7 as usual. Diary data from the short walks experiment group was not included in published annual 2013 NTS results, it has been analysed separately to assess any underreporting. However, interview data from those households and individuals who were part of the short walks experiment were included.

In 2015 the experiment was repeated using the same methodology. Diary data from the short walks experiment was again not included in the published 2015 NTS results.

Impact of the covid-19 pandemic

See background quality report for details of the impact of the covid-19 pandemic and associated restrictions on NTS data collection and quality.

2025 introduction of the digital travel diary

The background quality report provides details on the impact of the change in the primary mode of travel data colleciton, from paper to digital.

Notes for analysts

This section outlines important features of the NTS data and is intended to support analysts when using NTS statistics or producing further analysis.

Diary sample

Analysis of travel data is based on the diary sample. This comprises all ‘fully cooperating households’, defined as households for which the following information is available: a household interview, an individual interview for each household member, a 7-day travel diary for each individual and, where applicable, at least one completed vehicle section. Weights were produced to adjust for non-response, and also for drop-off in recording observed during the 7-day travel week.

Interview sample

Analyses at household, individual and vehicle level presented in this publication are based on the interview sample. This sample comprises all fully co-operating households included in the diary sample, together with some additional ‘partially co-operating households’. Generally, these partially co-operating households had co-operated fully with the various interviews but not all household members had completed the travel diary. Prior to the introduction of the weighting methodology, data from partially co-operating households was not included in NTS analyses but the weighting strategy offers the opportunity to use this expanded data set for analyses which do not require data from the 7-day travel record.

All published tables show the unweighted sample size on which the weighted results are based. For trip data these are based on the unweighted diary with short walks grossed up, unless otherwise stated.

Small samples

In general, it should be remembered that for estimates of households, individuals and vehicles, unweighted samples of under 100 should not be used, while samples of under 300 should be used cautiously. For trip and stage estimates, even more caution should be exercised: samples of under 300 should not be used, whilst samples of under 1,000 should be used cautiously.

Combined years

As the sample size for some types of analysis can be small for one year, some tables show a number of years of combined data to ensure the results are robust. Due to changes in the methodology of data collection, changes in travel behaviour and a reduction of data collected during 2020, 2021 and 2022, as a result of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, combining data from these years with any other is not recommended.

Standard errors

As estimates made from a sample survey depend upon the particular sample chosen, they generally differ from the true values for the population. This is not usually a problem when considering large samples but may give misleading information when considering data from small samples, such as cyclists in a particular age group. A full set of standard errors has been produced for 2025 data. The quality report contains further details on standard error calculations.

Symbols and conventions in NTS data tables

Symbols

The following symbols have been used throughout:

[x] denotes data not collected in the year

[b] denotes break in time series where data before the break cannot be directly compared with data after the break

[low] denotes rounds to 0

[note] denotes footnotes to table

[u] denotes  data of low quality due to small sample sizes

[r] denotes figures that have been revised since the previous publication

Units

Tables includes information on the measures used, whether numbers or percentages. Where both numbers and percentages are used, these are clearly labelled on column headings.

Weeks

It is assumed that there are 52.14 weeks in a year.

NTS definitions

Coverage

Personal travel

The subject of the National Travel Survey is personal travel. This is travel for private purposes or for work or education, provided the main reason for the trip is for the traveller himself or herself to reach the destination.

Geographical coverage

The NTS covers private households within England. Therefore, it excludes people not living in households, such as students in halls of residence and tourists. Since 2013 residents of Scotland and Wales are not sampled.

Only travel within Great Britain is included. Trips to other places are included only up to the ticket control point at which the boat, plane or train using the Channel Tunnel, is boarded. Travel by road vehicle away from the public highway is excluded, but travel on public roads in parks and on cycleways is included.

Trips in course of work

Trips made in the course of work are included provided that the purpose of the trip is for the traveller to reach a destination. Travel to deliver goods, or to convey a vehicle or passengers (for example, as a bus driver or taxi driver), is not covered, neither is travel as a conductor, guard, or other member of a crew of public transport vehicles. Also excluded is:

• travel as a driver or a member of a crew of public vehicles

    - fire engines or ambulances  

    - travel in industrial or agricultural equipment (cranes, bulldozers, tractors)

• travel in specially equipped vehicles used in the course of a person’s work

    - police patrol cars

    - AA or RAC repair vehicles

    - parcel delivery vans

• trips in course of work by people paid to walk or cycle

    - police officers on the beat

    - traffic wardens

    - leaflet distributors

    - messengers

    - postal workers

Leisure travel

Travel for a leisure purpose is normally included. However, trips which are themselves a form of recreation are not. Examples are yachting or gliding, which are done for the pleasure of going in a boat or plane rather than to get somewhere. Travel by foot away from the public highway is excluded unless both the surface is paved or tarred and there is unrestricted access. Thus, walks across open countryside on unsurfaced paths are excluded; and so are walks in pedestrian precincts or parks that are closed at night. Children’s play on the street is not included as travel.

Trips, stages and distance

Definition of a trip

The basic unit of travel, a trip, is defined as a one-way course of travel with a single main purpose. Outward and return halves of a return trip are treated as two separate trips. A trip cannot have two separate purposes, and if a single course of travel involves a mid-way change of purpose then it, too, is split into two trips. However, trivial subsidiary purposes (for example a stop to buy a newspaper) are disregarded.

Stages

A trip consists of one or more stages. A new stage is defined when there is a change in the form of transport or when there is a change of vehicle requiring a separate ticket.

Distance travelled

The length of any trip stage is the distance actually covered, as reported by the traveller, and not the distance ‘as the crow flies’.

Series of calls trips

In order to reduce the burden on respondents, travel involving a number of stops for the same main purpose and using the same form of transport are treated as one continuous series of calls trip from the first such call to the last one. Only shopping and ‘in course of work’ travel can be treated in this way. A doctor’s round would therefore consist of one trip to the first patient, one series of calls trip to the other patients and one trip from the last call back to the surgery or home. In general, series of calls trips are excluded from published tables.

Modes of travel

Main mode of travel

The main mode of a trip is that used for the longest stage of the trip by distance. With stages of equal length, the mode of the latest stage is used.

Walks

Walking includes all travel on foot. It is also used when respondents ride in non-motorised wheelchairs, prams or pushchairs, as well as when they ride on toy pedal cycles, roller-skates, skateboards, non-motorised scooters, or when they jog. For example, children who accompany their parents on a visit to the shops on toy pedal cycles (where the parents are walking) are coded as having walked there. Walks of less than 50 yards are always excluded.

Car

Car and car or van both include 4-wheeled and 3-wheeled cars, 4x4 vehicles, light vans, and lorries.

Rail

Rail includes both surface rail (National Rail) and London Underground, but not any other rail service. In some tables surface rail and London Underground have been presented separately.

Light Rail

Light rail includes the Tyne and Wear Metro, Docklands Light Railway, Manchester Metrolink, Glasgow Subway, Sheffield Supertram, Blackpool Tramway, Croydon Tramlink, Nottingham Express Transit (NET), Midland Metro and Edinburgh Trams. It has been possible to distinguish these modes since 1998, but the number of cases is small, and they are included in tables under ‘other public’ transport.

Local bus

Local bus includes all ‘local’ services, and in some tables, this is split into London and non-London bus services, but excludes express services, excursions, and tours (non-local bus).

Pedal cycle

A pedal cycle is capable of use on the public road, but not children’s pedal cycles that are intended as toys.

Other

Other modes depend on the context, but may include other types of bus (works or school bus, private hire, express bus and tours and excursions), two-wheeled motor vehicles, minibuses, motorcaravans, dormobiles, taxis or minicabs, domestic air travel and other private and public transport.

Trip purpose

The purpose of a trip is normally taken to be the activity at the destination, unless that destination is ‘home’ in which case the purpose is defined by the origin of the trip. The classification of trips to ‘work’ is also dependent on the origin of the trip. Purposes include:

Commuting

Trips to a usual place of work from home, or from work to home.

Business

Personal trips in course of work, including a trip in course of work back to work. This includes all work trips by people with no usual place of work (for example site workers) and those who work at or from home.

Other work

Trips to work from a place other than home or in course of work, for example coming back to work from going to the shops during a lunch break. In most tables this is included with ‘personal business’.

Education

Trips to school or college, by full time students, students on day-release and part time students following vocational courses.

Shopping

All trips to shops or from shops to home, even if there was no intention to buy.

Personal business

Visits to services, for example hairdressers, launderettes, dry-cleaners, betting shops, solicitors, banks, estate agents, libraries, churches; or for medical consultations or treatment; or for eating and drinking, unless the main purpose was entertainment or social.

Social or entertainment

Visits to meet friends, relatives, or acquaintances, both at someone’s home or at a pub, restaurant; all types of entertainment or sport, clubs, and voluntary work, non-vocational evening classes, political meetings.

Holidays or day trips

Trips (within GB) to or from any holiday (including stays of 4 or more nights with friends or relatives), or trips for pleasure (not otherwise classified as social or entertainment) within a single day.

Just walk

Walking trips for pleasure or exercise along public highways, including taking the dog for a walk and jogging.

Escort trips

Escort trips used when the traveler has no purpose of his or her own, other than to escort or accompany another person; for example, taking a child to school. ‘Escort commuting’ is escorting or accompanying someone from home to work or from work to home. Similarly, other escort purposes are related to the purpose of the person being escorted. Note that the purpose of a trip for a small child accompanying older children to school would be ‘escort education’.

Households and individuals

A household consists of one or more people who have the sampled address as their only or main residence and who either share at least one main meal a day or share the living accommodation.

Work status

A person is described as working if in paid employment, or self-employed, during the previous week. Persons absent on holiday, on strike, temporarily sick, on study leave, maternity leave, or absent for similar reasons, are included. Sandwich students and students working during vacation are excluded. The distinction between full-time and part-time work is determined by the respondent.

Household income

Household income is the total gross income of all members of the household, from whatever source, before deduction of income tax, National Insurance, or pension contributions. Household income is captured by asking the household reference person to identify which band the household’s total income falls into. Using the median income from each band, this is then both adjusted to reflect the household’s size and composition using the McClements Scale and adjusted for inflation using the RPI value from the month the interview was carried out. This allows analysis of trip behaviour by income on a comparable basis for different household types and different time periods.

Household vehicles

Household cars

The term ‘car’ and ‘car or van’ is used for all 3 or 4 wheeled vehicles with a car body type, and also light vans, 4x4 vehicles, minibuses, dormobiles and motorcaravans. Such vehicles are regarded as household cars if they are either owned by a member of the household, or available for the private use of household members. Vehicles used only for the carriage of goods, as public service passenger vehicles, or solely for hire by other people are excluded. Hired or borrowed vehicles are included only if they were available to the household over the whole of the sample travel week. Company cars provided by an employer for the use of a particular employee (or director) are included, but cars borrowed temporarily from a company pool are not.

Main driver of a household car

The main driver of a household car is the household member that drives the furthest in that car in the course of a year. Households with two or more cars are likely to have two or more main drivers, one for each car.

Other drivers of a household car

The other drivers of a household car are people in car-owning households, who have a full driving licence to drive a car but are not main drivers of a household car. No account is taken of whether they actually drive a household car.

Non-drivers of a household car

Non-drivers are all other people in car-owning households. They include children below driving age and adults with provisional driving licences.

Area type - Rural-Urban classification

A Rural-Urban Classification is used to distinguish residents of rural and urban areas from the 2013 publication onwards. Urban areas are determined as settlements with populations of 10,000 or more, based on the 2021 Census. Rural areas are everywhere else and will include rural towns, villages, hamlets, isolated dwellings and open countryside.

Prior to 2024 rural-urban classification of residence is based on the 2011 ten-category breakdown. There is a break in series from 2024 as these are based on the 2021 six-category rural-urban classifications. A number of output areas have been reclassified from 2024 due to the new methodology, therefore the new categories are not directly comparable to the old ones.

The 2021 classification consists of:

Urban

Urban: Further from a major town or city.

Urban: Nearer to a major town or city.

Rural

Smaller Rural: Further from a major town or city.

Smaller Rural: Nearer to a major town or city.

Larger Rural: Further from a major town or city.

Large Rural: Nearer to a major town or city.

More information is available.

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Contact details

National Travel Survey statistics

Email national.travelsurvey@dft.gov.uk