The Travel Survey for Northern Ireland In-depth Report 2021 has been published today

The publication is produced by the Analysis, Statistics and Research Branch (ASRB) of the Department for Infrastructure and contains information on a variety of travel modes including walking, cycling, public transport, cars, a variety of journey purposes including travelling to work and shopping and key tables by urban–rural. The publication is available on the Travel Survey for Northern Ireland website.

Key points

The key points for 2021 are:

- Each person travelled, on average, 4,940 miles in 2021 (approximately 13.5 miles per day), no real change from 2020 (4,550 miles per person).

- On average, 838 journeys were made per person in 2021 (just over two journeys per day), around the same as 2020 (826 journeys per person).

- In 2021, the average time each person spent travelling was 291 hours (approximately 48 minutes per day), similar to 2020 (279 hours per person).

- On average, in 2021, people living in urban areas made around the same number of journeys as people living in rural areas (urban: 840 journeys; rural: 836 journeys). However, rural residents travelled further (urban: 3,967 miles; rural: 6,292 miles) and spent more time travelling than urban residents (urban: 274 hours; rural: 314 hours).

- In 2021, 69% of all journeys were made by car, 24% by walking and 2% by public transport (Ulsterbus, Metro, Other Bus, Northern Ireland Railways, Black Taxi), similar to 2020.

- More than one third (36%) of all journeys were less than two miles long in 2021. Half (50%) of these journeys were on foot and a similar proportion (47%) were by car. The car was the dominant mode of transport (82%) for journeys of two miles and over.

- In 2021, nearly two fifths (39%) of all journeys were made for leisure and other purposes (visiting friends, entertainment, social activities, sports activities, holiday, day trips, just walking, other), 18% for shopping and 17% for commuting and business, no real change from 2020.

- Just over three quarters (76%) of all respondents took a walk lasting at least 20 minutes once a week or more.

- In 2021, 15% of all respondents cycled once a week or more.

- Around five times as many respondents travelled on the bus once a week or more (11%) as travelled on the train once a week or more (2%).