ECF

Read the full report here

This report was ECF’s second calculation of the internal and external benefits of cycling linked to the current level of cycling in the EU-28. It was an extended and updated version of the first report published in 2013. The calculations have been updated with the latest available figures; in some cases, the methodologies for calculating the benefits have been refined taking into account the feedback received; and more benefits have been added in a systematic way. For a number of benefits, where detailed data was not available, estimations were made to determine the monetary value. Summing up calculated and estimated benefits of cycling in all of these sectors, we arrived at the following aggregate figures: Every year, cycling in 28 EU Member States (MSs) creates economic benefits of 513 billion €, that is more than 1000€ per inhabitant!

The report demonstrates that the benefits of cycling occur not only in specific, isolated fields like transport or environmental policy, but in many other areas where the EU has competences as well, like industrial policy, employment, health and social policy. Benefits of cycling even extend to such societal areas as integration of refugees, access to mobility, employability, etc. ‘These findings once again prove that cycling pays a great contribution to the EU economy in general, at the same time contributing to many different policy fields, therefore, it is an interest of the EU to reap these benefits’ – commented ECF Advocacy Director Ádám Bodor. ‘In order to do that, we need a common EU Cycling Strategy that would integrate all the different policy fields. In addition, the Strategy could also increase the economic benefits in Europe, especially in those MSs where cycling modal share is now rather low’.

What is more, the estimation of benefits could be even higher if more data was available. Holger Haubold, ECF Fiscal and Economic Policy Officer, one of the authors of the report said: ‘In some areas, we have identified benefits of cycling but we were not able to give any calculation or estimation yet. More qualitative and quantitative research is needed in those fields to quantify these benefits’. Therefore, the aim of the report is also to encourage further research on the subject in order to draw a more precise picture of the economic benefits of cycling in the future.

A study commissioned by the European Parliament in 2012  estimated that there are over 2.2 billion cycle tourism trips and 20 million over-night cycle trips made every year in Europe. These have an estimated economic impact of €44 billion.

Read more on our tourism page.

Despite the fact that many retailers are unfoundedly hesitant about the benefits that cyclists could bring, the studies show that clients who are coming by bike spend more money than those coming by car. It is the truth that car drivers might spend more per visit, but they shop less often.

For example, a survey in France has demonstrated that cyclists weekly spend  24.35 EUR in shops, while drivers - only 21.65 EUR; in Copenhagen cyclists bring a 2.05 billion EUR revenue for the shops and supermarkets, in comparison of 2.04 billion EUR brought by the car drivers. 

Therefore, the EFC has calculated that in the EU Member States consumers coming to shop by bike bring 111 billion EUR revenues. What is more, if the cycling modal share were to be doubled, it would generate additional 27.389 billion euros for local retailers. 

In addition, retailers also under-estimate the share of customers who come by bicycles – they perceive that 6% of shoppers arrive by bike and 41% - by car. Eventually, only 22% of them are using cars, and 10% come by bike.

Besides, cyclists tend to do their shopping locally, thus profiting domestic retailers, and they are more loyal customers. Therefore, customers going shopping by bike are increasingly becoming an important source of turnover in retail, and they have a potential to become a source of growth for the local retail sector. However, it is important to keep in mind that in order to achieve these benefits, the streets have to be transformed in a way that gives more space to cyclists and pedestrians and less to cars, better cycling facilities have to be created around the shops and supermarkets, etc.

See our overview of the studies on cycling and local retail here.