Purpose of travel
Source: gov.uk (2025-08-27)

Data about why people travel, produced by Department for Transport.

Accessible Tables and Improved Quality

As part of the Analysis Function Reproducible Analytical Pipeline Strategy (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/standards-for-official-statistics-published-by-the-department-for-transport/analysis-function-rap-strategy-2023-implementation-plan-at-dft), processes to create all National Travel Survey (NTS) statistics tables have been improved to follow the principles of Reproducible Analytical Pipelines (RAP). This has resulted in improved efficiency and quality of NTS tables and therefore some historical estimates have seen very minor change, at least the fifth decimal place.

All NTS tables have also been redesigned in an accessible format where they can be used by as many people as possible, including people with an impaired vision, motor difficulties, cognitive impairments or learning disabilities and deafness or impaired hearing.

If you wish to provide feedback on these changes then please contact (#contact) us.

Trips, stages, distance and time spent travelling

NTS0403: Average number of trips, miles and time spent travelling by trip purpose: England, 1995 onwards (https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/68a43711f49bec79d23d298f/nts0403.ods) (ODS, 59.3 KB)

NTS0407: Long distance trips within Great Britain by purpose and length: English households, 2002 onwards (https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/68a43711f49bec79d23d2990/nts0407.ods) (ODS, 43.8 KB)

NTS0408: Purpose of next trip by sex and previous trip: England, 2002 onwards (https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/68a43712246cc964c53d2995/nts0408.ods) (ODS, 66.1 KB)

NTS0409: Average number of trips and distance travelled by purpose and main mode: England, 2002 onwards (https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/68a4371232d2c63f869343d1/nts0409.ods) (ODS, 112 KB)

Employment status

NTS0412: Commuter trips and distance by employment status and main mode: England, 2002 onwards (https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/68a4371250939bdf2c2b5e7e/nts0412.ods) (ODS, 55.9 KB)

Travel purpose by start time and day of the week

NTS0502: Trip start time by trip purpose (Monday to Friday only): England, 2002 onwards (https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/68a43712a66f515db69343de/nts0502.ods) (ODS, 145 KB)

NTS0504: Average number of trips by day of the week or month and purpose or main mode: England, 2002 onwards (https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/68a43712246cc964c53d2996/nts0504.ods) (ODS, 148 KB)

Travel purpose by age and gender

NTS0611: Average number of trips and distance travelled by sex, age and purpose: England, 2002 onwards (https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/68a43712f49bec79d23d2991/nts0611.ods) (ODS, 366 KB)

NTS0710: Average number of trips and distance travelled by mobility status and purpose, aged 16 and over: England, 2007 onwards (https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/68a43712cd7b7dcfaf2b5e86/nts0710.ods) (ODS, 42.5 KB)

NTS0901: Annual mileage of cars by ownership, fuel type and trip purpose: England, 2002 onwards (https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/68a4371132d2c63f869343ce/nts0901.ods) (ODS, 13.1 KB)

NTS9906: Average number of trips by trip purpose, region and rural-urban classification of residence (trips per person per year): England, 2002 onwards (https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/68a43711a66f515db69343db/nts9906.ods) (ODS, 98.1 KB)

Travel purpose by region

NTS9907: Average distance travelled by trip purpose, region and rural-urban classification of residence (miles per person per year): England, 2002 onwards (https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/68a43711cd7b7dcfaf2b5e85/nts9907.ods) (ODS, 101 KB)

NTS9912: Average trip length by trip purpose, region and rural-urban classification of residence: England, 2002 onwards (https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/68a4371132d2c63f869343cf/nts9912.ods) (ODS, 99.3 KB)

NTS9913: Average time spent travelling by trip purpose, region and rural-urban classification of residence (hours per person per year): England, 2002 onwards (https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/68a43711a66f515db69343dc/nts9913.ods) (ODS, 95.6 KB)

NTS9914: Average trip duration by trip purpose, region and rural-urban classification of residence (minutes): England, 2002 onwards (https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/68a4371132d2c63f869343d0/nts9914.ods) (ODS, 93 KB)

NTS9918: Average number of trips and distance travelled by trip purpose, ethnic group, region and rural-urban classification of residence: England, 2002 onwards (https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/68a43711a66f515db69343dd/nts9918.ods) (ODS, 557 KB)

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National Travel Survey statistics

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