According to a groundbreaking report on young people’s active transportation, boys cycle nearly twice as often as girls in the UK. The study, conducted by the charity Sustrans, discovered strong support among children for measures that encourage cycling and walking, such as designated bike lanes, reduced traffic speeds, and restrictions on motor vehicles outside schools.
In a nationwide survey of children aged six to 15, 23% reported cycling at least five times in the previous week, with 28% of boys and 17% of girls engaging in this behavior. When asked if they considered themselves regular cyclers, 17% of boys and only 8% of girls agreed.
These findings come amidst concerns about children’s physical activity levels, as recent studies have shown that over half of children and young people in England fail to meet guidelines for physical exertion. In this group, girls are less active than boys, especially as they enter their teenage years.
The research, titled the Children’s Walking and Cycling Index, presents a more positive picture for other forms of active transportation. It reveals that 86% of children have walked, wheeled, or used a scooter in the previous week, with 62% doing so at least five times. The gender gap is much smaller for this type of activity, with 61% of girls and 63% of boys engaging in these behaviors at least five times.
Despite the benefits of active travel for long-term health, especially cycling, there remains a notable discrepancy in cycling rates. Studies have shown that the advantages of cycling, as compared to walking, are particularly pronounced when it comes to health benefits.
Several children surveyed expressed a desire to cycle more, but highlights issues such as the lack of “cool” perception and limited availability of gear designed for women. However, the majority of children surveyed supported initiatives to encourage cycling, such as separated bike lanes, quiet cycling paths, slower traffic speeds, and closed streets outside schools during peak hours.
Rachel Toms of Sustrans emphasized the importance of investing in traffic-free and quiet cycle paths to provide safety and encourage more children to take up cycling. Chris Boardman, the head of the government’s cycling and walking body for England, Active Travel England, emphasized the urgent need for action, citing the decline in physical activity levels and the increasing dominance of car-based transportation.
Source: https://www.theguardian.com/society/2025/feb/26/almost-twice-as-many-boys-as-girls-cycle-in-uk-sustrans-report-finds
