Public transport

  • The mobility by public transport has increased between 2000 and 2019 in almost 70% of EU countries (+5% at EU level or 114 km). It has decreased in some Eastern and Southern countries (Hungary, Slovenia, Greece, Bulgaria, Slovakia, Spain, Portugal and Poland).
  • The use of public transport fell in all EU countries in 2020 due to travel restrictions and social distancing measures to fight COVID outbreak (-43% at EU level). It recovered only partially in 2021 and 2022 (+23%/year), which means a 2022 level still 13% lower than 2019. The result is that only in 10 countries the use of public transport was higher in 2022 than in 2000.
  • Austria, Ireland, Luxembourg, Hungary and Czechia have the highest use of public transport in 2022 (above 2,500 km/year), compared to an EU average of around 1,900 km/year, whereas Bulgaria and Lithuania have the lowest use (below 1,000 km/year).

Mobility of public transport per capita

  • The Covid outbreak resulted in a general reduction of the share of public transport in total passenger traffic in all countries (-5 points, to 19% in 2020 at EU level), with the highest reduction in Czechia (-11 points), Estonia and Poland (around -8 points for both). Since 2020, the share of public transport has increased in most EU countries (except Romania and Bulgaria), bringing it back to pre-covid levels in 16 MS.
  • Before Covid, the share of public transport decreased at EU level and in 19 EU countries (- 1 point at EU level since 2000 to 18.7% in 2019). It decreased the most rapidly in all Central and Eastern European countries, where public transport used to be dominant (especially in Estonia, Poland and Bulgaria).
  • The share of public transport however increased in 8 countries between 2000 and 2019, mostly in Western European countries, especially in Sweden (+6.5 points) and Luxembourg (+3 points). In 7 other countries, there was a growth in the share of public transport from 2010 to 2019, following a decrease in the previous decade, but not counterbalancing the long-term decreasing trend.
  • Czechia, Hungary and Austria had the highest share of public transport in 2019 (around 30%). 

      • Share of public transport in total passenger traffic