For the first time since records began, Spaniards bought more bicycles than cars. Last year, 780.000 bicycles were sold vs. 700.000 cars in Spain.

While the number of bicycles sold has increased to 4% from the last year, car sales have fallen by over 30%. And numbers are important, as related with economic benefits of cycling,  green jobs would come as an opportunity for a country with more than  25% of unemployment.

According to recent researches, Spain could create 60.000 jobs until 2020 directly related to cycling; bike share schemes, building cycle infrastructure, and industry, etc. 

Is the Southern Europe ready for the cyclist revolution? In 2011, Italy sold more bicycles than cars first time since WWII. Now is the turn of Spain.

About the author

Jesus Freire Valderrama is Policy Assistant in the ECF and part of A Contramano (Seville Cyclists Embassy)