India, Oct. 5 -- The Government of India has issued a release:
Snapshots
Table (1): Percentage of students (according to CWS) of age 6 years and above performing within-travel-day trips to attend educational institution pertaining to basic course
Sector
percentage of students who undertook within-travel-day trip in the age group
Male
Female
Person
6-14 years
15-29 years
6 years & above
6-14 years
15-29 years
6 years & above
6-14 years
15-29 years
6 years & above
Rural
60.4
79.3
66.8
57.4
78.8
64.2
59.0
79.1
65.6
Urban
65.3
73.2
68.6
63.4
73.5
67.5
64.4
73.3
68.1
Rural+Urban
61.8
77.2
67.3
59.1
76.8
65.2
60.6
77.0
66.4
Table (2): Percentage of students of age 6 years and above using different primary mode of transport among those students who performed within-travel-day trips to attend educational institution pertaining to basic course
Primary mode of travel
percentage of students among those reporting within-travel-day trips to educational institution in the age group
6-14 years
15-29 years
6 years and above
Walk
47.3
22.2
37.0
Bicycle
11.9
21.4
15.8
Cycle rickshaw/pull rickshaw
0.2
0.2
0.2
Two-wheeler
5.1
9.0
6.7
car
0.5
0.9
0.7
Auto-rickshaw
7.7
14.6
10.5
Bus
28.4
31.0
29.5
Train/Monorail/tram
0.1
1.7
0.8
Rail
0.0
0.3
0.1
Water
0.0
0.0
0.0
Others
0.1
0.0
0.1
Table (3): Percentage of workers (according to CWS) of age 15 years and above performing within-travel-day trips to fixed or non-fixed workplace in different State/UT
Sector
gender
percentage of worker who undertook within-travel-day trip to fixed/ non-fixed workplace in the age group
15-29 years
15 - 59 years
15 years & above
Rural
Male
57.7
61.0
59.6
Rural
Female
34.3
38.0
37.7
Rural
Person
53.4
55.6
54.5
Urban
Male
66.7
67.7
66.6
Urban
Female
60.3
53.9
52.9
Urban
Person
65.5
65.1
64.1
Rural+Urban
Male
60.7
63.3
61.9
Rural+Urban
Female
43.5
42.5
41.9
Rural+Urban
Person
57.5
58.7
57.6
Table (4): Percentage of workers of age 15 years and above using different primary mode of transport among those workers who performed within-travel-day trips to fixed/ non-fixed place of work
primary mode of transport
percentage of workers among those reporting within-travel-day trips to fixed/ non-fixed place
Rural
Urban
Rural+Urban
Walk
36.6
13.5
28.3
Bicycle
13.4
5.8
10.7
Cycle rickshaw/ pull rickshaw
0.2
0.2
0.2
Two-wheeler
37.1
52.3
42.6
Car
1.5
5.7
3.0
Auto-rickshaw
5.0
8.8
6.4
Bus
5.3
9.2
6.7
Train/Monorail/tram
0.4
5.0
2.1
Rail
0.2
0.3
0.2
Water
0.0
0.0
0.0
Others
1.4
0.3
1.0
Table (5): Percentage of persons of age 6 years and above performing within-travel-day trip for different purposes (excluding attending educational institution of basic course and employment) among those who reported such trips
Purpose of trip
percentage of persons among those who undertook within-travel-day trip by purpose of the trip
rural
urban
rural+urban
seeking employment/ setting up business
0.5
0.4
0.5
Own use production of goods
2.0
1.5
1.8
Unpaid domestic services for household members
51.5
60.1
54.1
Unpaid caregiving services for household members
2.2
2.2
2.2
unpaid volunteering, training, work
0.2
0.2
0.2
Learning
1.0
1.3
1.1
Socializing, communication and religious activities
6.4
7.5
6.8
Culture, leisure, sports practice, tourism
0.7
1.4
0.9
Self-care and maintenance
4.4
5.0
4.6
return home from out of home activity
99.3
99.6
99.4
The National Statistics Office (NSO) under the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) has released the key indicators and findings from the first ever National Household Travel Survey (NHTS), conducted during July, 2025 - June, 2026 through a Factsheet. For the purpose of the survey, a trip is defined as travel covering a distance of more than 1 km.
Primary objectives of the survey
The primary objective of the survey is to generate robust, data-driven insights into domestic travel patterns and dynamics to support regional transport planning, infrastructure development and evidence-based policy formulation. The survey captures key aspects of domestic travel, including:
In addition to meeting the specific data requirements of the Ministry of Railways, the survey is expected to provide valuable insights into how, when and why people travel. The information collected on travel patterns and public transport usage will help identify gaps in existing transport systems, assess accessibility, optimise transport routes and improve service frequency and scheduling. The findings will also provide an important evidence base for regional transportation planning, infrastructure investment and the formulation of informed transport policies.
Major Findings
The major findings of NHTS on four central aspects of commuting, namely, (i) mobility, (ii) duration & peak hours, (iii) expenditure involved, and (iv) overnight and non-work travel are summarised below:
Student Mobility
Workforce Mobility
Commute Duration & Peak Hours
Monthly Commute Expenditure
Overnight & Non-Work Travel
Estimates of indicators of the related parameters at all-India level for both rural and urban sectors are given in the enclosed Appendix.
Appendix
Key features and conceptual framework of the survey
The survey collected data on regular travels of one kilometre or more performed by Indian people. It was aimed at collecting information on the modes of transport they use, trip purposes, travel frequency, average cost incurred for regular trips and other related parameters. Covering both rural and urban areas across all States and Union Territories of India, this nationwide survey will be a comprehensive benchmark for understanding characteristics of household travel behaviour in the country.
The following new concepts have been introduced in this first ever all India survey.
Estimates of Indicators of Travel Characteristics
Note: Estimates for some of the parameters in one or more of the above tables is reported as 'zero', due to rounding off of negligible values.
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Disclaimer: Curated by HT Syndication.
