Worldwide Bike Ownership Halved Over 30 Years
A sobering new study released by Johns Hopkins University reveals a sad fact: Since 1981, the number of bike-owning households in the world has decreased by half.
Related: The United States of Bike Commuting
The study, published in the Journal of Transport & Health, analyzed data from 1.25 billion households; while 32 percent of households have at least one bike—down from 60 percent in 1989—that leaves 68 percent of households without one. Perhaps most drastic was the drop in bikes per household in China, where in 1992, 97 percent of households had a bike, compared to 63 percent in 2009.
However, the study also shows that there are countries and regions where bike ownership has remained high, including northern Europe. The study's authors believe that looking at these places may offer insight into ways to increase the number of bike commuters in the world. For example, if a state with lots of incentives for biking, easily navigable bike lanes, and plenty of bike parking has more commuters, it could be a good legislation and infrastructure model for other states looking to increase cycling participation.
Related: 'Bikes vs Cars' Documentary Explains Why Bikes Are King
Lead author Olufolajimi Oke explains that the news isn’t all bad: "Everyone is focused on what's happening now, but looking to the past can really help policy makers—it can show them what worked and what did and didn't give them ideas. By pulling together and analyzing many sources of data, we have produced a database that we hope will give policy makers the information they need to take action."
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