Road freight transport statistics

The total EU road freight transport performance in 2022 remained at the 2021 levels

In terms of tonne-kilometres (tkm)[1], European road freight transport increased by 6.5 % from 2020 to 2021. The lockdowns and the imposed measures by many Member States in 2020 to counter the Covid pandemic had a negative impact on freight transport by road, in particular during the second quarter of 2020 (see Figure 2). In 2022, total European road freight transport performance remained at the same level as in 2021 (1 920 billion tkm - see Table 1 and Figure 1).

International transport, representing one quarter (25.4 %) of total road freight transport in the EU in 2022, rose by 1.0 % from 2021 to 2022, following a strong increase of 8.1 % in 2021 compared with 2020 (see Table 1). National transport, which represented almost two thirds (61.3 %) of the total, decreased by 0.1 %. In 2021, it had increased by 6.3 %.

Cross-trade and cabotage transport, together representing 13.3 % of the EU total in 2022, also decreased by 0.1 % and 8.9 %, respectively. In 2021, both had recorded increases compared with 2020, by 4.0 % and 6.7 %, respectively. In 2022, Poland (20.1 % of EU total tkm) re-confirmed its position as one of the most important countries for road transport in Europe, ahead of Germany (15.8 %) and Spain (13.9 %).

Almost two thirds (63.6 %) of the Polish transport performance were either international transport, cross-trade or cabotage, while over one third (36.4 %) was national transport. Total road freight transport in 2022 fell in 12 EU countries compared with 2021, the most significant decreases being recorded in Estonia (-13.3 %), Belgium (-7.4 %) and Lithuania (-6.9 %). In another 12 EU countries it recorded increases, the highest ones being registered by Cyprus (29.8 %), Luxembourg (6.5 %) and Slovakia (4.3 %).

Total transport in Bulgaria and Portugal was stable during the two years (see Figure 1). Total road freight transport in 2021 fell in three EU countries compared with 2020: Greece (-16.3 %), Slovakia (-4.6 %) and Finland (-0.2 %). In all the other EU countries it recorded increases, ranging from 32.2 % in Portugal to 0.9 % in Germany.

Table 1: Road freight transport by type of operation, 2020-2022(million tonne-kilometres)Source: Eurostat (road_go_ta_tott)[2]Figure 1: Growth rates for total road freight transport, 2020-2021 and 2021-2022(% based on tonne-kilometres)Source: Eurostat (road_go_ta_tott)[3]

The effects on road freight transport performance of the Covid-related restrictions on all types of operations can be clearly seen in the quarterly data presented in Figure 2.

Usually, the second quarter of the year sees the highest number of tkm performed. However, the second quarter of 2020 experienced the height of restrictive measures to counter the Covid pandemic (down to 416.1 billion tkm, compared with 460.9 billion tkm in the same quarter of 2019). In the third quarter of 2020, road freight transport recovered to levels even higher than before the pandemic (at 463.2 billion tkm), and it continued to increase until the second quarter of 2021 when it recorded a new peak (at 496.5 billion tkm).

In 2022, total EU road freight transport was relatively steady, with a higher performance in the first quarter compared with the same quarter of the previous year (2.6 %) and small decreases in the following three quarters (-0.6 %, -0.5 % and -1.6 %, respectively), bringing the overall total transport to the same level as in 2021.

Figure 2: Quarterly road freight transport by type of operation, EU, 2018-2022(billion tonne-kilometres)Source: Eurostat (road_go_tq_tott)[4]

The top goods categories transported in 2022 in terms of both tonnes and tonne-kilometres were the same as in 2021

In terms of tonnage, European road freight transport decreased in 2022 by 0.5 %, compared with 2021 (from 13 688 million tonnes to 13 624 million tonnes - see Table 2). In 2022, as in previous years, 'metal ores and other mining and quarrying products' was the largest product group transported in terms of tonnage, accounting for 3 338 million tonnes.

Other important product groups were 'other non-metallic mineral products' (1 759 million tonnes), 'food, beverages and tobacco' (1 599 million tonnes) and 'agricultural, forestry and fishery products' (1 277 million tonnes). The most notable increases between 2021 and 2022 were recorded for 'unidentifiable goods' (up by 14.5 %), 'other goods' (12.9 %) and 'grouped goods' (7.7 %). At the other end of the scale, significant decreases were recorded for 'transport equipment' (-9.7 %), 'wood and products of wood and cork' (-9.1 %) and 'basic metals' (-6.1 %).

In terms of tonne-kilometres, 'food products, beverages and tobacco' continued to dominate road freight transport in 2022, accounting for 317 billion tkm, followed by 'grouped goods' (228 billion tkm) and 'agricultural products' (203 billion tkm). Notable increases between 2021 and 2022 measured in tkm were recorded for 'other goods' (up by 24.8 %), 'equipment and material utilised in the transport of goods' (7.4 %) and 'mail, parcels' (4.7 %), while the highest decreases were recorded for 'furniture' (-6.2 %), 'chemicals, chemical products, and man-made fibres' (-6.1 %) and 'wood and products of wood and cork' (-5.3 %).

Table 2: Road freight transport by group of goods (NST 2007), EU, 2021 and 2022(thousand tonnes and million tonne-kilometres)Source: Eurostat (road_go_ta_tg)[5]

Transport over distances of up to 299 km decreased in 2022

Most of the EU road freight traffic is distributed in three distance classes: from 150 to 299 km, from 300 to 499 km and from 500 to 999 km (see Table 3). In 2022 these three distance classes totalled 1 147 billion tkm of the EU road freight transport, an increase of only 0.2 % compared to 2021.

The highest road freight transport performance over these three distance classes was recorded in Poland (225 billion tkm) and Germany (190 billion tkm), while the lowest were recorded in Estonia (2 billion tkm) and Luxembourg (5 billion tkm).

Table 3: Road freight transport by distance class, 2021 and 2022(million tonne-kilometres)Source: Eurostat (road_go_ta_dctg)[6]

Figure 3 shows the trends in road freight transport for different distance classes in tonne-kilometres since 2018. All distance classes recorded increases in 2019 compared with the previous year, ranging between 1.8 percentage points (pp)[7] (for distance class between 1 000 and 1 999 km) and 5.0 pp (for the distance class over 2 000 km). This was followed by a decrease in almost all distance classes in 2020 due to the pandemic; the only exception was the transport from 300 to 999 km which increased marginally by 0.1 pp compared to the previous year.

The year 2021 was marked by strong increases in all distance classes, ranging from 9.3 pp (for distance class between 1 000 and 1 999 km) to 5.5 pp (for distance class of less than 150 km). Compared with 2021, in 2022 the EU road freight transport decreased for the distance classes of less than 150 km; between 150 and 299 km; as well as for the class between 1 000 and 1 999 km (-1.1 pp, -1.3 pp and -2.2 pp, respectively). The remaining distance classes (from 300 to 999 km; and over 2 000 km) recorded increases of a bit less than 1 pp.

Figure 3: Road freight transport by distance class, EU, 2018-2022(index based on tonne-kilometres; 2018=100)Source: Eurostat (road_go_ta_dctg)[8]

Table 4 shows road freight transport by group of goods for 2021 and 2022, measured in tonnes, split between movements of less than 300 km and movements of 300 km or more. For transport of less than 300 km, 'unidentifiable goods' and 'mail, parcels' were the product groups to record the most significant (18.0 % and 9.6 %, respectively). The highest decreases were recorded for 'transport equipment' and 'wood and products of wood and cork' (-11.5 % and -10.4 %, respectively).

Overall, tonnage transported for less than 300 km decreased by 0.5 % between 2021 and 2022. Tonnage transported for 300 km and more remained constant between 2021 and 2022. The most notable changes were the high increases for 'other goods' and 'goods moved in the course of household and office removals' (up by 31.3 % and 11.8 %, respectively), as well as the high decreases for 'metal ores and other mining and quarrying products' and 'furniture' (both with -8.6 %).

Table 4: Road freight transport by distance class and group of goods (NST 2007), EU, 2021 and 2022(thousand tonnes)Source: Eurostat (road_go_ta_dctg)[9]

In 2022, Germany, France, Spain, Poland and Italy accounted for almost two thirds of the total tonnage transported in the EU

When looking at total transport, the tonnes of goods transported within Germany (national transport) or loaded/unloaded in Germany (international transport) represented almost one quarter of total tonnage (23.5 %), with France and Spain together making up close to another quarter of the total (12.7 % and 11.3 %, respectively).

These countries, along with Poland and Italy accounted for close to two thirds (65.5 %) of the total tonnages transported in the European Union (see Figure 4 - all figures can be seen in Source data for tables and graphs). In terms of transport of goods by road in the national territory (measured in tonnes), Germany, France, Spain, Poland and Italy recorded the highest tonnages among the EU Member States in 2022. Considering international transport (i.e., goods entering and leaving the country, including cross-trade), the pattern has not changed much over the last few years.

International transport of goods loaded/unloaded in Germany remained the highest tonnage, ahead of France. The Netherlands and Belgium, with their large North Sea ports, also recorded relatively high tonnages of goods loaded/unloaded for international transport.

At the level of EU/extra-EU country-to-country freight transport flows (see Table 5), Switzerland, Norway and the United Kingdom were important trading partners.

The main extra-EU flows have generally been between these countries and EU Member States neighbouring them, with the exception of the United Kingdom. In 2022, the three main such traffic flows in terms of tonnes transported were between Switzerland and Germany (17.6 % of the total extra-EU road transport tonnage), followed by the flow between Norway and Sweden (11.4 %) and the flow between Switzerland and France (7.3 %).

Table 6 shows the tonnage transported in the top 20 country-to-country flows within the EU and the share of transport performed for these flows. Germany was one of the origin or destination countries in almost half of the top 20 country-to-country flows in 2022, illustrating the central role of Germany in intra-EU trade flows.

However, German hauliers' share of the volumes transported was less than 50 % in all country-to-country flows shown in Table 6, with as little as 2.8 % in 2022 in the traffic between Germany and Poland. German hauliers recorded their highest shares in the transport between Germany and Denmark (43.4 %) and between Austria and Germany (32.2 %). The share of hauliers from other EU Member States in the country-to-country transport flows varied substantially.

In 2022, hauliers from other Member States carried 59.9 % of the total volume transported between Belgium and Germany, 57.6 % between Germany and Italy, 55.7 % between Germany and France, 53.3 % between Austria and Italy, and 50.1 % between Germany and Denmark. At the other end of the scale, no hauliers from other countries were registered performing road freight transport between Spain and Portugal, while only 0.1 % of the total tonnes between Czechia and Poland, 0.5 % of the total tonnes between Poland and Slovakia and 0.8 % between Germany and Poland were transported by hauliers from other countries. Among hauliers from Member States other than the origin and destination countries, Polish hauliers were by far the most common ones.

Of the top 20 intra-EU country-to-country transport flows in 2022, Polish hauliers were the main transporters from and to other Member States for 12 connections. Of the remaining seven connections with 'other hauliers', Poland was origin or destination country in four.

Source data for tables and graphs

Context

Data presented in this publication were collected in the framework of Regulation (EU) No 70/2012 on statistical returns in respect of the carriage of goods by road (recast). These data are based on sample surveys carried out in the reporting countries, i.e., the EU Member States, Norway and Switzerland, and record the road goods transport undertaken by vehicles registered in these countries.

Reporting countries use their own national surveys for the collection of data based on returns from road hauliers. The results are microdata referring to vehicles and their linked journeys providing detailed information on goods transported. At the European level, common aggregation[10] procedures have been used that might diverge from national practices.

Differences might therefore occur between the figures in this publication and national values. For the distinction between national and international transport, journey information is used at the European level, which might cause differences in corresponding values from those countries that are using goods information for these statistics.

Country specific notes

Croatia: While Croatia had no obligation prior to their accession in 2013, it started to report data for the reference year 2008. Malta: Regulation (EU) No 70/2012 does not apply to Malta, so long as the number of Maltese-registered goods road transport vehicles licensed to engage in international transport does not exceed 400 vehicles.

Finland: National and international surveys have been harmonised and follow a common methodology from Q1 2011 onwards, leading to a break in time series in 2011. Sweden: A break in series occurred in 2014 following a change in methodology. On the basis of a specific survey, Sweden corrected the European road freight survey results for trucks participating to the sample which were not in use over the surveyed period.

Liechtenstein: Liechtenstein reports only international road freight transport. Starting with the reference year 2014, Liechtenstein is exempted from the reporting of road freight data.

Methodological notes

EU totals calculated in this publication refer to road freight transport reported by the EU Member States, excluding Malta which is exempted from reporting road freight statistics. Total transport

Total transport includes national transport, international transport of goods loaded in the reporting countries, international transport of goods unloaded in the reporting countries, cross-trade and cabotage transport. National transport Road transport between two places (a place of loading and a place of unloading) located in the same country, by a vehicle registered in that country.

International transport, loaded and unloaded International transport as presented in this publication is based on goods loaded and unloaded in the reporting Member States. Each reporting country reports all activities of a road motor vehicle inside and outside its national territory.

There is thus no risk of double counting at European level. Breakdown by goods groups Starting with the reference year 2008, Regulation (EC) No 1304/2007[11] establishes NST 2007[12] as the sole classification for goods carried in road freight transport.

For detailed information on the NST 2007 classification, please refer to 'Metadata classification[13]', Eurostat's Metadata Server. Transport by distance class Eurostat disseminates road freight transport according to the following distance classes: less than 50 km; 50-149 km; 150-299 km; 300-499 km; 500-999 km; 1 000-1 999 km; 2 000-5 999 km; over 6 000 km.

More detailed data and metadata are available in the Eurostat dissemination database[14]. Goods entering a country The volume of goods entering a country is the sum of international transport and cross-trade unloaded in the country by hauliers from all reporting countries.

Goods leaving a country The volume of goods leaving a country is the sum of international transport and cross-trade loaded in the country by hauliers from all reporting countries. Table 1 vs Table 2

The dissemination tables providing transport performance (in tkm) with a breakdown by group of goods are derived from basic goods transport operations (goods-related information) whereas dissemination tables without a breakdown by group of goods are derived from journey-related information. This may lead to small differences in the total tkm presented in different dissemination tables. Figure 4

This figure presents volumes moved on the territory of each country if there is loading or unloading of the goods. Transit, where neither loading nor unloading takes place in the country traversed, is not included in this figure. The weight of goods in international transport is accounted for both in the country of loading and in the country of unloading.

The weight of goods in national transport is accounted for only once.

Data availability: The figures presented in this publication have been extracted from Eurostat's free dissemination database and reflect the state of data availability on 25/07/2023.

In this article:

• 1 billion = 1 000 000 000
• "- "not applicable
• ": "not available

References

1. ^ Glossary:Tonne-kilometre (tkm) (ec.europa.eu)
2. ^ (road_go_ta_tott) (ec.europa.eu)
3. ^ (road_go_ta_tott) (ec.europa.eu)
4. ^ (road_go_tq_tott) (ec.europa.eu)
5. ^ (road_go_ta_tg) (ec.europa.eu)
6. ^ (road_go_ta_dctg) (ec.europa.eu)
7. ^ Glossary:Percentage point (ec.europa.eu)
8. ^ (road_go_ta_dctg) (ec.europa.eu)
9. ^ (road_go_ta_dctg) (ec.europa.eu)
10. ^ Glossary:Aggregation (ec.europa.eu)
11. ^ Regulation (EC) No 1304/2007 (eur-lex.europa.eu)
12. ^ Glossary:Standard goods classification for transport statistics (NST) (ec.europa.eu)
13. ^ Metadata classification (ec.europa.eu)
14. ^ Eurostat dissemination database (ec.europa.eu)