- Top 5 most congested cities in the world: London (156 hours), Chicago (155 hours), Paris (138 hours), Boston (134 hours) and New York (117 hours).
- The average driver in the UK lost 80 hours due to traffic congestion, a 7-hour increase on 2021, down 35 hours from 2019.
- The average London driver spent £1,377 due to lost time congestion in 2022, UK drivers on average lost £707 in time.
- The annual cost of fueling a vehicle for the average commuter in London rose by more than £212. Nationally, Brits spent an additional £122 more at the pump to commute.
- In the UK overall, traffic delays increased in 79 out of 110 urban areas year-over-year.
LONDON – January 10, 2023 – INRIX, Inc., a world leader in mobility analytics and connected car services, today published the 2022 Global Traffic Scorecard that identified and ranked congestion and mobility trends in more than 1,000 cities, across 50 countries. London, for the second year in a row, topped the Traffic Scorecard with drivers losing 156 hours sitting in congestion, five percent above pre-pandemic delays. In fact, 72% (79 of the 110) of the UK urban areas analysed have met or exceeded pre-COVID delays.
Commuting in London cost the average driver £1,377. This was followed by Bristol (£805 lost time) and Manchester (£742 lost time). Yet due to high oil prices, commuters paid as much as £212 more for fuel in 2022 year-on-year, depending on location. While the average UK commuter spent £707 in lost time, they also paid £122 more for fuel due to oil prices.
Bob Pishue, transportation analyst and author of the report: “It is great to see civic and commercial life returning to normal, but unfortunately, we’re seeing congestion inching closer to, if not exceeding, pre- pandemic levels. We must manage congestion while improving mobility and accessibility in cities to avoid it hurting economic recovery and impacting the quality of life of commuters and residents.”
Drivers in London (156 hours), Bristol (91 hours), and Manchester (84 hours) lost the most time to traffic congestion in the UK. The average UK driver lost 80 hours due to traffic congestion last year – up 7 hours from last year but down 35 hours from 2019. The cities of Cambridge, Exeter, and Cheltenham – present on the UK Top 10 list in 2021 – fell out of the top 10, replaced by Edinburgh (7th), Leeds (9th) and Leicester (10th).
Table 1: 10 Most Congested Urban Areas in the U.K.
| 2022 UK
Rank (2021 Rank) |
Urban Area |
2022 Delay (2021) |
Compared to Pre-COVID |
Cost per Driver |
Cost per City |
Downtown Speed (last mile, MPH) |
| 1 (1) | London | 156 (148) | 5% | £1,377 | $5.7bn | 10 |
| 2 (3) | Bristol | 91 (66) | -12% | £805 | £175mn | 14 |
| 3 (6) | Manchester | 84 (66) | -9% | £742 | £191mn | 14 |
| 4 (8) | Birmingham | 73 (53) | -9% | £646 | £346mn | 16 |
| 5 (7) | Belfast | 72 (53) | -36% | £636 | £102mn | 16 |
| 6 (9) | Nottingham | 71 (58) | -9% | £625 | £97mn | 14 |
| 7 (21) | Edinburgh | 67 (45) | -32% | £593 | £150mn | 16 |
| 8 (10) | Hull | 68 (56) | -9% | £604 | £74mn | 16 |
| 9 (13) | Leeds | 60 (50) | -9% | £503 | £196mn | 16 |
| 10 (12) | Leicester | 62 (53) | -15% | £551 | £92mn | 16 |
The top five most congested UK corridors were all found in the capital. London’s most congested corridor – A219 S/B from A304 Fulham Road to A297 Morden Hall Road – saw drivers lose 47 hours in 2022. This major route out of the city often experiences high volumes of traffic at peak times commuting times. In addition, the continued closure of the Hammersmith Bridge has also contributed to increased delay in the area. Outside of London, the busiest corridor was in Birmingham – A45 E/B from Bordesley Circus to Henry Road – costing drivers 37 hours. Much of this congestion occurred due to road works to make improvements to the route that have run throughout the latter part of 2022 and traffic incidents that have occurred on the route.
Table 2: Most Congested U.K. Roads in 2022 (London)
| Rank | City | Road | Peak Hour | Mins lost on average | Annual Peak Hours Lost |
| 1 | London | A219 S/B from A304 Fulham Road to A297
Morden Hall Road |
17:00 | 12 | 47 |
| 2 | London | A202E/B from Neathouse Place to B215
Peckham Hill Street |
17:00 | 11 | 45 |
| 3 | London | A406 North Circular Road E/B from A1
Falloden Way to A110 Bowes Road |
16:00 | 11 | 42 |
| 4 | London | A24 S/B from A205 The Avenue to A238
Merton High Street |
16:00 | 10 | 38 |
| 5 | London | A205 E/B from A215 Norwood Road to
Ravensbourne Road |
16:00 | 9 | 36 |
Table 3: Most Congested U.K. Roads in 2022 (Rest of UK)
| Rank | City | Road | Peak Hour | Mins lost on average | Annual Peak Hours Lost |
| 1 | Birmingham | A45 E/B from Bordesley Circus to Henry
Road |
16:00 | 9 | 37 |
| 2 | Leeds | A6177 S/B from Bolton Road to Great
Horton Road |
16:00 | 8 | 34 |
| 3 | Birmingham | A435 S/B from Haden Circus to Wynfield
Gardens |
16:00 | 8 | 33 |
| 4 | Edinburgh | A902 W/B from A901 Great Junction
Street to A90 Hillhouse Road |
16:00 | 7 | 30 |
| 5 | Leeds | A65 S/B from B6153 Park Road to The
White Horse Roundabout |
16:00 | 7 | 30 |
| 6 | Sheffield | A61 from Moore Street Roundabout to
A6101 Bradfield Road |
16:00 | 7 | 29 |
| 7 | Birmingham | A45 W/B from B425 Hobs Moat Road to
Bordesley Circus |
16:00 | 7 | 28 |
| 8 | Birmingham | A34 Stratford Road S/B from Camp Hill
Circus to Hamlet Road |
17:00 | 7 | 28 |
|
9 |
Bristol |
A4174 Bristol Ringroad N/B from Hicks Gate Roundabout to Bromley Heath
Roundabout |
17:00 |
7 |
28 |
| 10 | Edinburgh | A702 S/B from Brougham Street to the
City of Edinburgh Bypass |
16:00 | 7 | 27 |
How the UK cities compare to top cities worldwide
Many parts of the world have seen relaxations in COVID-19 restrictions in 2022. This is after many in the UK were lifted. This resulted in greater increases in traffic congestion in cities around the world when compared to UK cities. London’s five percent increase is dwarfed by other top 10 cities including Chicago (49%), Boston (72%) and New York City (15%).
Table 3: 10 Most Congested Cities in the World in 2022
| 2022 Impact
Rank (2021 Rank) |
Urban Area |
Country |
2022 Hours Lost | Change from 2021 | Change from Pre-COVID | 2022 Last Mile Speed (MPH) | Change in Last Mile Speed |
| 1 (1) | London | UK | 156 | 5% | 5% | 10 | -1 |
| 2 (6) | Chicago, IL | USA | 155 | 49% | 7% | 11 | -4 |
| 3 (2) | Paris | FRA | 138 | -1% | -16% | 11 | 0 |
| 4 (18) | Boston, MA | USA | 134 | 72% | -10% | 11 | -4 |
| 5 (5) | New York City, NY | USA | 117 | 15% | -16% | 11 | -2 |
| 6 (8) | Bogota | COL | 122 | 30% | -36% | 11 | -2 |
| 7 (22) | Toronto, ON | CAN | 118 | 59% | -13% | 10 | -4 |
| 8 (32) | Miami, FL | USA | 105 | 59% | 30% | 15 | -4 |
| 9 (9) | Palermo | ITA | 121 | 11% | -12% | 9 | 0 |
| 10 (36) | Monterrey | MEX | 116 | 66% | 108% | 19 | -4 |
Access to reliable data is the first step in tackling congestion. Applying big data to create intelligent transportation systems is key to solving urban mobility problems. INRIX data and analytics on mobility, traffic and traffic signals, parking and population movement help city planners and engineers make data-based decisions to prioritise spending to maximise benefits and reduce costs now and into the future.
The key findings of the INRIX 2022 Global Traffic Scorecard provide a quantifiable benchmark for governments and cities across the world to measure progress to improve urban mobility and track the impact of spending on smart city initiatives.
Please visit www.inrix.com/scorecard for:
- Full 2022 Global Traffic Scorecard report, including rankings for the K., US., and Germany
- Interactive webpage with data and information for more than 1000 cities and 50 countries
- Complete methodology
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Notes to Editors:
Data Sources
INRIX fuses anonymous data from diverse datasets – such as phones, cars, trucks, and cities – that leads to robust and accurate insights. The data used in the 2022 Global Traffic Scorecard is the congested or uncongested status of every segment of road for every minute of the day, as used by millions of drivers around the world that rely on INRIX-based traffic services.
Research Methodology
The 2022 Scorecard builds upon the methodology adopted three years ago by identifying multiple commute areas within cities, capturing each city’s own unique mobility profile. Furthermore, the 2022 Scorecard analyses travel times, miles-travelled, trip characteristics and the impact of incidents on congestion within a city. From this multifaceted approach, a holistic understanding is achievable in an increasingly complex landscape.
The INRIX 2022 Global Traffic Scorecard calculates time lost in congestion by employing traffic data across multiple commute sub areas within a city. Commute sub areas are identified based upon the concentration of trips concluding within a defined area. An economic analysis was performed to estimate the total cost to the average driver in a city, and a total cost to the city population. Worst corridors are limited to those that have the highest traffic volume and are ranked by the average hours of delay per driver in 2022. Additional metrics are available online and in the full report.
About INRIX
INRIX is the global leader in connected car services and mobility analytics. We use data and insights to help our customers make mobility smarter, safer, and more efficient. With the ability to offer transportation services on every road in the world, we are the preferred provider of mobility intelligence for leading automakers, transport agencies and businesses. Learn more at INRIX.com.
Media Contacts
Mark Burfeind
+1 425-284-3825
Mark.burfeind@inrix.com
Anthony Avrili
+44 (0)7977 331001
aavrili@currentglobal.com
