London has emerged as Europe’s most congested city in 2024, with drivers spending a staggering 101 hours stuck in traffic, according to new analysis.
The gridlock came at a hefty price for the capital, with congestion costing an estimated £3.85billion, averaging £942 per driver.
The figures represent a two per cent increase from 2023, highlighting the growing challenge of traffic congestion in the capital.
In the European rankings, Paris claimed second place with 97 hours of delays per driver, while Dublin followed in third position with 81 hours.
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London was ranked as having the worst traffic in Europe
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Globally, London ranked as the fifth most congested city worldwide, trailing behind Istanbul (105 hours), New York City (102 hours), Chicago (102 hours) and Mexico City (97 hours).
The ranking methodology was based on the length of delays, weighted according to each city’s population size.
Transport experts Inrix attributed London’s high congestion levels to the “concentration of population, employment and economic activity” in the capital.
Across the UK, drivers spent an average of 62 hours in traffic congestion during 2024, marking a one-hour increase from the previous year.
Bristol emerged as the UK’s second most congested city, with drivers facing 65 hours of delays, while Leeds secured the third position with 60 hours of traffic delays per driver.
Manchester saw one of the most significant increases in congestion, with delays rising by 13 per cent from 54 hours to 61 hours, placing it fourth among UK cities.
Major infrastructure works, such as the M25 Wisely interchange improvements, contributed to substantial traffic delays on key routes into London.
Inrix transportation analyst Bob Pishue, who authored the report, said: “While the UK did see a slight increase in congestion again this year, overall congestion has remained steady.
“Interestingly it was cities outside of the capital that saw the greatest increase in congestion with Manchester seeing a large increase, up 13 per cent.
“While London only had a modest increase in time lost, it still represented half of the entire country’s delay.”
The data also found that drivers in the UK were spending less in 2024 on wasted fuel as they did in 2023, with a £24 drop, thanks to global oil prices falling.
A spokesperson for Transport for London said: “We are committed to making sure Londoners can move around the capital as safely, sustainably and efficiently as possible.
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London was also ranked as having the fifth worst traffic rates in the world
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“We support the movement of everyone across London and our investment in walking, cycling and public transport is making it easier to choose sustainable ways of travelling, helping to cut congestion.
“Our network includes some of the busiest roads in the country and we continue to invest in world-leading programmes to make sure roads are used as efficiently as possible.”
