London is Europe’s most congested city

London has been identified as the most congested city in Europe, with traffic jams across the country costing the UK economy £7.5bn per year.

Transportation data and analytics company INRIX has identified and ranked traffic congestion levels in almost 950 cities globally.

The UK capital ranks third overall, for having the worst traffic jams in the world.

London drivers lost 99 hours sitting in congestion during 2023, three percent above pre-pandemic delays and two percent more than 2022. The total cost to London was £3.8 billion, averaging £902 per driver.

For the UK as whole, traffic congestion cost the country £7.5 billion - £718 million more than in 2022. The average UK driver lost 61 hours due to traffic congestion last year – a 7% increase on 2022’s 57 hours lost with the capital accounting for approximately 50% of all UK traffic delay. 

Bob Pishue, transportation analyst and author of the report,said: “We are seeing travel return to pre-Covid levels. The UK and Europe have seen smaller increases in congestion this year than in other parts of the world which indicates that these countries have found their new travel norms.

“While London remains most impacted by congestion in the UK, its drop to third suggests that other large global cities have returned to pre-COVID levels of activity. As an indication of strong economic activity, increased congestion can be a positive sign for cities.”   

Drivers in London (99 hours), Birmingham (60 hours), and Bristol (62 hours) experienced the highest impact from traffic in the UK. The urban areas of Sheffield and Rochester fell off the UK top 10 from 2022, now at 11th and 14th, respectively, while Manchester and Hertford-Harlow both moved up three spots to 8th and 9th. 

The most congested urban areas in the UK:

1. London 
2. Birmingham 
3. Bristol 
4. Leeds 
5. Wigan 
6. Bath 
7. Chelmsford 
8. Manchester 
9. Hertford-Harlow 
10. Burton upon Trent 

Due to the concentration of population, employment and economic activity, London holds most of the top corridors for traffic delays in the UK.  A driver who took London’s most congested corridor – Westbound A40 between the North Circular and Church Road – every day at the 3:00 PM peak hour they would have lost 63 hours sitting in traffic.  

The busiest corridor in Birmingham, the second most-congested urban area in the UK, was the A34 Southbound from Camp Hill Circus to A4040. At 3:PM on the weekday drivers lose about eight minutes a day, or 34 hours annually. 

Like the US and Germany, the UK saw traffic congestion grow in 2023 and reach pre-Covid levels. London’s two percent increase is lower than cities in the global top 25 suggesting that the city rebounded from the effects of Covid sooner and other cities are catching up. The capital is also the only UK city in the global top 25 cities. 

Despite all seeing growth in congestion Birmingham, Leeds and Wigan fell in the impact rankings as congestion in other cities grew faster.