Only 10% of Italian adults between 18 and 69 use a bicycle for daily travel, while 39% walk. These figures come from 2023–2024 data by Passi, the health surveillance system coordinated by Italy’s National Institute of Health, released during European Mobility Week (September 16–22), which concludes with “Car-Free Day.”
The trend is discouraging: active mobility habits are declining, and the share of adults who reach the minimum WHO-recommended 150 minutes per week of moderate physical activity thanks to walking or cycling remains steady at just 19%.
Cycling is more common among men (11%), foreign residents (15%), and people in northern Italy (15%, compared to 7% in the south). The Autonomous Province of Bolzano tops the ranking, with one in four residents cycling daily. On average, cyclists use their bikes nearly four days per week, adding up to more than 140 minutes of physical activity.
Walking is a more widespread habit, especially among 18–24-year-olds (47%), women (43%), people with higher education or stable finances, and foreign residents (45%). Once again, the highest rates are in the north, particularly Bolzano and Piedmont, where nearly six in ten people walk daily for commuting. On average, walkers spend over four days a week on foot, reaching a total of 170 minutes. Over time, however, this practice has been slowly decreasing, especially among younger adults.
According to the survey, 19% of adults qualify as physically active through mobility alone, while another 22% are partially active, walking or cycling less than 150 minutes per week. The highest rates of physical activity through mobility are seen among 18–24-year-olds (24%), women (21%), highly educated adults (21%), foreign residents (29%), and people in northern regions (25%). Yet, even this figure has been shrinking, hitting its lowest point in 2023.