New York, Mexico and London named world’s most congested cities

Three major cities – New York, Mexico City and London – have been named as the world’s most congested.

New York tops the world list for the second year running and London – third globally – is worst in Europe for the third year, according to the 2023 Global Traffic Scorecard from traffic-data analysis company Inrix.

Mexico City beat a host of traffic cloggers, including Chicago, Paris and Istanbul, to claim second in the unwelcome rankings of car use.

“Traffic congestion is both a bane and a barometer of economic health; it symbolises bustling activity yet simultaneously hampers it,” Inrix transport analyst Bob Pishue said.

“The surge in traffic congestion in urban areas indicated a revival of economic hubbub post-Covid, but it also led to billions of dollars in lost time for drivers.”

The report shows congestion cost New York an estimated $9.1 billion (£7.1bn) in lost time during commuting hours.

A typical motorist driving through the city lost 101 hours last year because of traffic. Other US cities in the global top 10 include Los Angeles and Boston.

Mexico was fourth for delays and went up to second for congestion overall.

London’s roads were ranked the most congested in Europe for the third year in a row. In the global rankings it dropped one place from second in 2022.

Drivers in the UK capital spent an average of 99 hours sitting in traffic in 2023. That was up from 97 hours in 2022 and was more than any other city in Europe.

“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 [globally] suggests that other large global cities have returned to pre-Covid levels of activity.”

London has tried to tackle its jammed roads with a congestion charge for drivers entering the central area and has also introduced an air quality fee for older, more polluting cars across all of the city. New York failed last week in its attempt to set up a similar congestion charge.

The report stated that a typical driver in the UK lost 61 hours due to traffic jams in 2023, up from 57 hours in the previous 12 months.

Commute times were calculated by looking at how long it takes to travel to and from major employment centres in an urban area, from surrounding commuting neighbourhoods.

Updated: June 25, 2024, 1:59 PM