Statistics published on walking and cycling in Northern Ireland

The Walking and Cycling in Northern Ireland 2022/23 report has been published today. This report, produced by the Analysis, Statistics and Research Branch (ASRB) of the Department for Infrastructure (DfI), presents findings from the 2022/23 Continuous Household Survey (CHS).

The publication is available on the new Active Travel and Public Transport webpage.

Key PointsActive Travel

• In 2022/23 around 9 in 10 (88%) respondents said they considered ‘walking' to be active travel, while around 4 in 5 (79%) said the same for ‘cycling'.

Walking in Northern Ireland

• Just under two thirds (65%) were satisfied with walking facilities in their area, down from 74% in 2020/21.
• 64% of respondents said that they would be likely to walk short journeys (up to 3km  / 2 miles).

Cycling in Northern Ireland

• Over half (52%) of respondents are satisfied with cycling facilities in their area, up from 45% in 2021/22.
• 19% of respondents said they would be likely to cycle short journeys (up to 5km / 3 miles)

Notes to editors: 

1. The information presented in this publication derives from the 2022/23 Continuous Household Survey (CHS) in relation to Walking and Cycling.  The CHS is considered to be a representative sample of the population at household level.
2. A total of 2,527 adults aged 16 and over were surveyed in 2022-23.
3. The report provides information on people aged 16 and over in Northern Ireland who walk and cycle to work, their levels of satisfaction with walking and cycling provision in their local area and their willingness to walk journeys of up to 2 miles (3km), cycle journeys of up to 3 miles (5km).
4. The information will be used to assist the Department in focusing its policies on addressing the key issues that prevent people from taking up active and sustainable travel and to encourage more people to use active and sustainable methods of travel, where possible.
5. Note: Due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, NISRA suspended all face-to-face household interviews in March 2020. In the reporting periods, April 2020 - March 2021 and April 2021 - March 2022, all interviews carried out on the Continuous Household Survey (CHS) were conducted by telephone. For this reporting year, April 2022 - March 2023, face to face interviewing was reinstated alongside telephone interviewing in July 2022, thus making the survey dual-modality. There are a number of factors. which users should take into consideration when interpreting the 2022-23 results and care should be taken when comparing these to previously published findings from the survey.

Official Statistics

6. The statistical report has been produced in accordance with the Code of Practice for Statistics, complying with the pillars of Trustworthiness, Quality and Value. You can find further information about the Code of Practice on UK Statistics Authority website(external link opens in a new window / tab).