Canberra is the Only Australian City in Global Bike-Friendliness Ranking
Canberra has earned a spot on the 2025 Copenhagenize Index, becoming the only Australian city to appear in the global ranking of bicycle-friendly cities.
The index evaluates 100 major cities across 44 countries and measures how well cities support everyday cycling. It looks at everything from bike lanes and safety measures to cycling culture and political support.
How the ranking works
Cities are scored across three key areas.
Safe and connected infrastructure
This includes the quality of bike lanes and paths, bike parking, traffic-calming measures, and safety initiatives.
Usage and reach
This looks at how many people actually ride. Indicators include cycling mode share, whether cycling rates are increasing, the proportion of women who ride, bike-share systems, and cargo bike use.
Policy and support
This measures political commitment, advocacy strength, public attitudes toward cycling and whether bikes are integrated into urban planning.
Each indicator is scored from 0 to 100, and the scores are averaged to produce an overall result.
Europe still leads the pack
European cities continue to dominate the rankings. The top five were:
Utrecht – 71.1
Copenhagen – 70.8
Ghent – 67.6
Amsterdam – 66.6
Paris – 65.0
These cities show what happens when cycling is treated as a serious part of the transport system and supported with consistent investment.
Canberra makes the list
Canberra ranked 80th globally with a score of 28.3.
While the score highlights how far Australian cities still have to go compared with global leaders, it also recognises Canberra’s strong foundations. The city’s extensive shared path network, growing cycling community and continued advocacy have helped place it on the international map.
No other Australian cities made the top 100. Adelaide, Gold Coast, Melbourne, Newcastle and Sydney were not included due to low cycling mode share or insufficient data.
What the index tells us
According to the Copenhagenize Index, the biggest factor behind cycling success is not climate or terrain. It is a long-term investment and coordinated policy.
Cities that treat cycling as a complete system, combining infrastructure, communication and monitoring, consistently achieve stronger results.
Clotilde Imbert, CEO of Copenhagenize, says cycling policy has reached a new level globally.
“Cycling is now understood not as a marginal transport option but as a strategic tool for climate action, public health and improving quality of life.”
A reminder for Australia
Canberra’s appearance on the list is something to celebrate. It also highlights the gap between Australia and the world’s leading cycling cities.
With continued investment in safe infrastructure and strong policy support, Canberra has the opportunity to climb higher in future rankings and show what a bike-friendly Australian city can look like. 🚲
