Study: German commuters spent average of 43 hours in traffic in 2024

The average commuter in Germany spent 43 hours stuck in traffic jams in 2024, a rise of three hours compared to the previous year.

According to an analysis by the traffic data service provider Inrix, the western city of Dusseldorf was worst affected by busy traffic, with the average driver losing 60 hours to traffic jams due to a number of roadworks on busy motorway sections.

Berlin was second on 58 hours, followed by Stuttgart, Cologne and Munich.

The company also recorded a noted rise in journeys to city centres, "workers are returning to the office and city centres have almost recovered from the Covid-19 pandemic."

Despite the rise in commuting hours, traffic in Germany remains markedly better than in other industrialized nations across the world.

"Compared to other large urban centres in America and Europe, German commuters still reach their destinations relatively quickly by international standards," Inrix said.

The city most plagued by traffic jams across the world in 2024 was Istanbul, where drivers spent an average of 105 hours in traffic - almost 4.5 days.

New York was second-worst on 102 hours, with London and Paris narrowly behind on 101 and 97 hours.

In 53 of the 73 areas analysed in Germany and in 69 of the 100 most affected cities worldwide, delays increased compared to the previous year.

"The results for 2024 illustrate that traffic growth continues unabated worldwide, while the infrastructure of many cities is reaching its limits," said Bob Pishue from Inrix.