Explore Public Transport Data from 53 Cities Worldwide
Take a trip around the world in our latest edition of Global Urban Mobility Indicators.
Public transport is diverse. And while our global sector shares the same mission and vision – accessible, seamless, and sustainable mobility for all – the solutions and approaches can often be local.
This year, like every year, Global Urban Mobility Indicators gathers a world of public transport data to give context to international developments and trends. The data cover all traditional public transport modes, with highlighted indicators for sustainable and on-demand mobility.
And the diversity of urban mobility comes across clearly in data from 53 major cities around the globe. That’s seven more than last year’s edition.
Some cities like Doha or Copenhagen offer fully automated metros, while others like Melbourne and Berlin have extensive LRT networks.
Equally, one can see the difference in fares globally. When you adjust for Purchasing Power Parity (PPP) using a conversion factor from the World Bank, in Hamburg or Stockholm one trip might cost you close to $5, whereas a fare in Jakarta or Hong Kong is priced at just $0.40.
For the first time, Global Urban Mobility Indicators also takes into account cableways and demand-responsive transit (DRT). That is recognition of how important both modes are to global urban mobility.
Let’s highlight just a few key insights revealed in the latest Global Urban Mobility Indicators:
Top 10 cities by public transport network length by population
Of the cities analysed, Prague, Budapest, and Vienna have the most extensive public transport networks when controlling for population size. Central Europe stands out in this statistic, as noted in our feature on mobility trends in Central Europe.
In fact, Prague and Budapest are the only two cities in the top 10 that offer metro, light rail (LRT), and trolleybuses. Looking purely at the top 10 biggest cities, it is Beijing and Mexico City that stand out, uniquely offering four key modes – metro, LRT, trolleybus, and BRT.
Metro ridership is up year-on-year
Evolving ridership has been a hot topic of the past few years. Five years on from the lows of 2020, the data shows it clear: in the majority of cities, ridership is rising again.
Take the metro, for instance. An increase in ridership is seen across the board, such as in the cities that lead annual metro ridership:
Ridership is rising steadily in other modes too
Although metro ridership was still at 93% of 2019 levels, that’s a world away from 2020 when that figure was just 52%. And the story is similar for other modes too, like LRT. Light rail ridership is rising steadily, just like metro ridership.
And more riders means more confidence in public transport as the best way to get around.
Showing these trends is only possible because UITP collects data from its members worldwide. As the world’s largest public transport community, UITP brings together the global sector to share insights, learn best practices, and help advance sustainable mobility.
