After a marked decline in 2020, transport performance in Switzerland rose again in 2021, in the second year of the COVID-19 pandemic. In total, on the road, rail and cable car network 124.5 billion person-kilometres were travelled – 6% more than in 2020 but still 10% less than in 2019. Of the overall performance, four-fifths, i.e., 98.0 billion person-kilometres, were accounted for by private motorised transport (cars, motorcycles and private buses). This was nearly seven times the number of person-kilometres accounted for by the railways (14.3 billion). Human-powered mobility (on foot and by bicycle) accounted for 8.3 billion person-kilometres and public road transport (trams and buses) for 3.6 billion. Since 1970, the transport performance of motorised private transport and public transport has almost doubled.
Transport performance
| Billion person-km (except aviation) | Year | Change from 2019 (before the pandemic), as % | Change from 2000, as % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total land transport performance | 124.5 |
2021 | –10 | +22 |
| Private motorised road transport | 98.0 | 2021 | –5 | +24 |
| of which passenger cars | 92.7 | 2021 | –5 | +24 |
| Public road transport (tramway, trolley bus, bus) |
3.6 | 2021 | –23 | +5 |
| Railways | 19.3 | 2022 | –11 | +53 |
| Cog railways and cable cars | 0.4 | 2021 | –23 | –6 |
| Human-powered mobility (on foot, by bike) |
8.3 | 2021 | +2 | +28 |
| Aviation (scheduled and charter flights) |
43.6 million passengers1 | 2022 | –26 |
+27 |
Kilometre performance
In 2021, private motorised transport realised a kilometre performance of 59.0 billion vehicle-kilometres. This corresponds to an increase of 6% compared to 2020 and a decrease of 5% compared to 2019, the year before the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. For railways the corresponding value in 2022 was 209 million train-kilometres (+2% compared to 2021 / +4% compared to 2019). In the passenger air transport segment, the use of means of transport is usually expressed in terms of the number of flight movements (take-offs and landings). In the scheduled and charter flight segment, 355 915 flight movements were registered in 2022 (+86% compared to 2021 / –24% compared to 2019).
| Billion vehicle-km or train-km (except aviation) | Year | Change from 2019 (before the pandemic), as % | Change from 2000, as % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Private motorised road transport | 59.0 | 2021 | –5 | +24 |
| of which passenger cars | 56.7 | 2021 | –5 | +24 |
| domestic vehicles | 49.1 | 2021 | –3 | +20 |
| foreign vehicles | 7.6 | 2021 | –17 | +59 |
| Railway | 0.2 | 2022 | +4 | +48 |
| Aviation (scheduled and charter flights) | 355 915 take-offs and landings |
2022 | +113 | –34 |
Statistical concepts
Contact
Federal Statistical Office Section MobilityEspace de l'Europe 10
CH-2010 Neuchâtel
Switzerland
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Monday - Friday:
09.00 - 12.00 / 14.00 - 16.30