A new Eurostat data shows that the EU in 2023 has produced 24% less bicycles than in 2022. The highest decrease was recorded in Romania, Italy and Portugal.
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Cycling can be an eco-friendly and health-conscious mode of transportation, enjoyed by many.
However, 2023 was a challenging year for bicycle production in the EU.
According to Eurostat, production fell by 24% compared to 2022, reaching just 9.7 million units.
While the Netherlands and the Nordic countries are known for their cycling culture, Portugal led EU production with 1.8 million bikes, followed by Romania with 1.5 million units, Italy with 1.2 million, and Poland with 0.8 million.
These countries are chosen to manufacture bicycles due to "labour cost" and "environmental laws", according to bike expert Mike Defresne.
Despite their efforts, 14 of 17 reporting EU countries saw declines, with Romania seeing the steepest drop - producing 1 million fewer bikes than last year.
The European cycling industry currently represents over 1,000 small and medium-sized enterprises and accounts for 1 million jobs, according to the European Commission.
Experts warn that drops in production can lead to layoffs.
"Bicycle production is difficult to predict," Defresne said. But encouraging people with bike-sharing schemes and urban cycling initiatives in the EU could help.
"Everything could help," he added.
Pandemic boom in bicycle sales
As many other recreational activities were restricted during the pandemic and public health authorities discouraged the use of shared transport, cycling became a popular mode of exercise and transport.
According to Statista, the increase in bicycle sales in the European Union between 2020 and 2021 was mainly due to the impacts of Covid-19.
This trend was supported by national and local governments, who invested in additional cycling infrastructure.
However, the lifting of pandemic restrictions, coupled with supply chain problems in 2022, heavily affected bicycle sales in 2023.
"The shops are not selling a lot of bikes anymore because, during the Covid period, the shops sold a lot, ordered a lot, and people bought their bikes," Mike Defresne said. "So, now they don't need bikes anymore and no more new customers are arriving."
In April 2024, the EU signed the European Declaration on Cycling to shape future cycling policies and initiatives, with many hailing the move as a "historic milestone".
“The European Declaration on Cycling will be etched in history as a monumental milestone for the advancement of cycling in Europe," said Henk Swarttouw, President of the European Cyclists' Federation. "This inter-institutional declaration commits all European Institutions to support and enhance policies towards more cycling and to place it on the same level as other modes of transport."