Change in distance travelled by car

  • The average distance travelled by car has increased between 2021 and 2023 (+3%/year at EU level) after a sharp decrease in 2020 in most countries (-13% at EU level). In 2023, it was still under its 2019 level (-4% for the EU).
  • Previously, the distance travelled by car slightly decreased between 2010 and 2019 in most countries (around -140 km/year at EU level) with a very sharp reduction above 20% in Italy, Czechia and Latvia; it had however increased in Poland and Croatia. In Poland, this growth is mainly due to the post-crisis recovery since 2013 (+6%/year). 
  • Large discrepancy of the average annual distance travelled by car between countries: from a maximum around 17,000 km/year for Ireland in 2023 to around 6,000 km/year in Lithuania, and on average 10,800 km/year for the EU.
  • The distance travelled is around 1,300 km lower at EU level in 2023 than in 2010, with the largest reduction observed in Latvia (around 4,100 km).

Change in distance travelled by car

Change in distance travelled by car for selected countries