Cycling participation survey shows 37.4% of Australians rode a bike over the past year, down from 39.6%

This article is more than 6 years old

This article is more than 6 years old

Cycling in Australia has recorded a significant decline in the past two years, with a particularly sharp decrease among young children, new research has shown.

The biannual National Cycling Participation Survey, commissioned by the Australian Bicycle Council, found that 16.6% of the Australian population had ridden a bike in the previous week, with 37.4% riding at least once over the past year.

These totals are down on the 2011 count, where 17.8% of people said they had mounted a bicycle in the past week and 39.6% had done so in the previous year.

While children aged two to nine years old are still, by far, the most frequent cyclists in Australia, this group has experienced the largest decline in participation of any age demographic – from 49.1% in 2011 to 44.4% this year.

Men are more likely to cycle than women, according to the study, with 20.9% of males and 12.4% of females riding a bike in the past week.

The average Australian household has 1.47 bicycles in working order, with more than half having at least one bicycle in good condition.

Across the states, there were notable decreases in Victoria, South Australia and Tasmania.

The proportion of people riding at least once a year in Victoria slid by 3.6% to 38%, while the same metric fell by 7% in South Australia to 31.7%.

NSW recorded an increase in cycling, the at-least-once-a-year rate rising 1.4% to 38% and weekly cycling jumping 1.3% to 15.8%. Sydney mayor Clover Moore has undertaken a high-profile campaign to improve cycling conditions, which has provoked scorn among some media outlets.

Christian Haag, CEO of Bicycle South Australia, told Guardian Australia the results were “surprising and disappointing”.

“We’d certainly query the results given the day-to-day indicators we see in South Australia,” he said. “Bike counts are seeing a rise while event participation is plateauing.

“The decrease in children cycling is mirrored by falling sales in kids’ bikes, which does set alarm bells ringing. We need to be working much harder on education programs, which help children with bicycles but also help them become better drivers later in life. We also need other things to fall in place, such as 40km speed limits.

“Overall, I’d say the message is to invest more money in cycling infrastructure and do so smartly. But cycling is now an established norm in society. It has moved well beyond being a fad.”

Garry Brennan, spokesman for Bicycle Network Victoria, said that while cycling is “booming” in the inner suburbs, it is struggling in the outer suburbs and in rural areas.

"With the rapid population growth in the state, we have to convert new riders faster than population is growing,” he said.

"Research shows that most people would love to ride more, particularly to improve their health. But there are not enough safe facilities and they are scared to ride in traffic. Governments that are prepared to invest in cycling will find a very grateful community."