Australian Cycling Participation 2017

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Publication no: AP-C91-17
Published: 19 June 2017

The National Cycling Participation Survey (NCPS) is a standardised survey that has been repeated biennially since March/April 2011, with minor changes to the survey structure between 2011 and 2013. The NCPS provides data on cycling participation at a national level and allows for estimates of participation for each state and territory, and the capital cities and non-capital areas within each state and territory.

Cycling participation rates across Australia are measured over the previous week, month and year.

The survey suggests that 15.5% (95% CI: 14.4% - 16.6%) of Australians ride a bicycle in a typical week. More than a third (34.1%, 95% CI: 32.8% - 35.4%) had done so in the past year. This equates to around 3.74 million Australians riding in a typical week, and 8.23 million doing so over a year.

Measured over the previous week the cycling participation rate has declined from 18.2% in 2011 (95% CI: 17.6% – 18.8%), to 15.5% (95% CI: 14.4% - 16.6%) in 2017. The decline measured over the previous week is mirrored when measured over the past month and year:

• Cycling participation over the past month has declined from 27.1% (95% CI: 26.4% - 27.8%) in 2011 to 21.8%
  (95% CI: 20.6% - 23.0%) in 2017.
• Cycling participation over the past year has declined from 40.2% (95% CI: 39.4% - 40.9%) in 2011 to 34.1%
  (95% CI: 32.8% - 35.4%) in 2017.

These changes are statistically significant at the 5% level. Moreover, the general downward trend appears to be supported by the survey results from 2013 and 2015.

Separate reports provide an overview of the national results and detail the results form each state and territory. Single page summaries are also available.

"Download PDF" will download a zipped folder of all reports and summaries. Individual files can be downloaded by selecting from the list under "Additional Download Files".

Note: a revised version of the NSW report was uploaded at 2:35pm AEST 22/06/2017 with a correction to the text explaining  Figure 2.7.

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