According to research, there are more than a billion bicycles, twice the number of cars in the world, and in recent years, bicycle production has increased to more than 100 million per year. Shocking right?
While some of us make bike riding to be just a recreational part of our lives, some countries in the world have taken bike riding to be part of their lifestyle that they can’t do without. These countries are the top-riding countries in the world not just because bicycle making and selling is a lucrative business there, but because almost every single person in the population has one or two bikes.
So imagine there are two hundred million people in this country, in every home you enter you find a bike, that means 1 person equals one bike meaning there are two hundred million or more bikes ridden in the country. And yes there are countries like this! These countries use bicycles as the most basic means of transportation.
In this article, we will be unveiling the top 10 bicycle riding countries in the world in no particular order. These countries have more bikes than most countries in the world joined together, and they include;
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1. Netherlands
- Population: 16,652,800
- Bikes: 16,500,000
From as far back as 1911, the Netherlands has had more bikes per capita than any other European country. This country is known for its extensive cycling infrastructure and culture, with approximately 27% of all trips in the country made by bicycle. It’s been seen as a convenient and healthy way to move around and the country has invested in building cycling paths for the country.
About 1.3 million bicycles were sold in the Netherlands in 2009, at an average price of 713 euros ($1,008) each. Amsterdam is one of the most bicycle-friendly large cities in the world and has 400 km of bike lanes and nearly 40% of all commutes in Amsterdam are done on bike.
2. Copenhagen, Denmark
- People: 5,560,628
- Bicycles: 4,500,000
In Denmark, cycling is seen as a healthier, cheaper, environmentally friendlier, and faster way to move around than car or public transport. The average traveling speed in this country is 16 kph for cyclists and 27 kph for cars. Every local town hall here offers visitors rental bikes for free. Copenhagen was named the world’s most bike-friendly city in 2015, and has also made has made immense investments in cycling infrastructure and has a strong cycling culture.
3. Germany
- People: 81,802,000
- Bicycles: 62,000,000
9% of all trips are made by bicycle in Germany. It has a strong cycling culture, with an estimated 74 million bicycles in the country. Cycling is a popular mode of transportation for both commuting and recreational purposes, and many cities have invested in dedicated cycling paths and facilities. Cycling is embedded in German culture. It is very rare and almost impossible to find an adult German who did not grow up riding a bike and whose children, parents, and even grandparents probably still ride bikes.
4. Finland
- People: 5,380,200
- Bicycles: 3,250,000
At least 9% of all trips here are made by bike. It is said that the Finnish people value bikes more than TV. A family in this country has more than two bicycles depending on the number of members of a family and their age. Both the young and old in this country ride bikes. Although the cycling season in this country traditionally starts in spring or summer, some fans of bikes are not afraid of the rain or winter snowstorms.
5. Sweden
- People: 9,418,732
- Bicycles: 6,000,000
Sweden is a country with strong cycling culture and extensive cycling infrastructure. Approximately 12% of all trips in Sweden are made by bicycle, and many cities have invested in dedicated cycling paths and facilities.
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6. Norway
- People: 4,943,000
- Bicycles: 3,000,000
4% of all trips in Norway are made by bike. In a country with this amount of bicycles in circulation, they are also known to have the most stolen bicycles. Most of these bicycles are stolen from people’s homes. The value of a stolen bicycle here is approximately 5-10% of the bicycle’s original value, and 10% of these stolen bicycles are exported to Russia and Eastern Europe.
7. Japan
- People: 127,370,000
- Bicycles: 72,540,000
In the past few years in Japan, more than 10 million bicycles are sold each year.
Bikes are a popular mode of transportation in many Japanese cities, especially in urban areas where traffic congestion is common. These days, more Japanese are taking up cycling to work for health reasons and to avoid traffic jams and crowded trains.
8. Switzerland
- People: 7,782,900
- Bicycles: 3,800,000
Switzerland is a cycling country and 5% of all trips are made by bike. Here this is more than just an activity, it is a healthy way to enjoy nature and the hospitality of local people. The Swiss also have “Bike to Work“ campaigns where employees ride their bikes to work and have approximately 700,000 daily bicycle trips.
9. Belgium
- People: 10,827,519
- Bicycles: 5,200,000
In this country, 8% of all trips are made by bicycle as cycling is a national sport for Belgians and they are very serious about their bikes. A real Belgian keeps an expensive, quality bike well maintained with functioning breaks and inflated tires and always wears a helmet and a bright yellow vest to make him or herself visible to the car.
10. China
- People: 1,342,700,000
- Bicycles: >500,000,000
China houses 450 million bicycles, and 60% of local cyclists in Shanghai pedal to work every single day. This country has the highest number of bicycle users in the world, which is not a surprise.
In all truth, cycling is extremely popular around the world, and that popularity is only going to grow as the world moves towards a fully green economy. Still, thinking about starting cycling? Start today as it is great for you, and the environment, and it’s a convenient way to cut through traffic on a busy commute.
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