Young Danes cycling less has become a growing public health concern in Denmark, after new figures showed a marked decline in the share of teenagers and young adults using bicycles for school or work between 2020 and 2025.
The data come from the population survey Danmark i Bevægelse (Denmark in Motion), carried out by the University of Southern Denmark (Syddansk Universitet, SDU) and supported by the Nordea Foundation. According to the figures reported by DR, the share of 15- to 19-year-olds who cycle at least three days a week has fallen by 16 percent since 2020. Among 20- to 29-year-olds, the decline is 11 percent.
The trend is notable in a country where the bicycle has long been part of everyday mobility. Denmark’s cycling culture is often presented internationally as a model of active transport, urban design and low-carbon mobility. The new figures suggest that this image is under pressure among younger generations.
Young Danes cycling less could reshape everyday mobility
Jens Høyer-Kruse, project manager at SDU’s Centre for Research in Sport, Health and Civil Society, said cycling for transport remains an important source of daily physical activity. In comments released with the survey, he warned that the decline could have long-term consequences for young people’s movement habits.
The concern is not only about how teenagers travel to school. It is about whether active transport continues to be a normal part of daily life. When young people replace cycling with car trips, public transport or lifts from parents, they lose a routine form of exercise that does not require organised sport, extra time or specific facilities.
For public health researchers, that matters because small forms of movement accumulated during the week can have a significant impact. Cycling to school or work can help young people meet recommended levels of physical activity while also supporting independence and everyday resilience.
More cars and longer commutes are changing Danish cycling habits
Kenneth Øhrberg Krag, director of the Danish Cyclists’ Federation (Cyklistforbundet), described the development as critical. He linked part of the decline to the fact that Danish households have more cars than before, making car use more available to teenagers and young adults.
In many families, convenience now often wins in the morning. According to Krag, young people who choose not to cycle often mention practical obstacles such as sweating, the need to wear a helmet or the feeling that cycling has become more complicated than being driven.
Structural changes may also play a role. In several areas, schools and educational institutions have been merged, leaving some students with longer commutes. Longer distances can make cycling less attractive, especially when weather, time pressure or safety concerns are added to the decision.
The decline therefore reflects more than individual preference. It points to changes in family routines, school geography and transport infrastructure.
Denmark’s cycling culture is under pressure among teenagers
The SDU survey, based on responses from more than 143,000 adults aged 15 and over, shows a broader decline in cycling to school or work across Denmark. But the fall is most visible among young people.
For the Danish Cyclists’ Federation, this raises a generational question. Transport habits are often formed early. If young people do not experience cycling as a normal and practical part of everyday life, they may be less likely to pass that habit on to their own children later.
That is why the current decline is being framed not only as a transport issue, but also as a cultural one. Denmark’s reputation as a cycling country depends on infrastructure, but also on social transmission: children and teenagers need to see the bicycle as a natural way to move around.
Parents’ safety concerns are also reducing children’s independence
The decline is not limited to older teenagers. Fewer younger children are also cycling to school, according to the Danish Cyclists’ Federation. Krag said one reason is that parents’ perception of safety has changed: routes that previous generations considered acceptable may now be viewed as unsafe.
This makes safe cycling routes to schools and leisure activities central to the debate. Better cycle paths, safer crossings and traffic-calmed school areas can reduce parental concerns and make independent mobility more realistic for children.
The issue also connects to wellbeing. Allowing children and young people to move independently can support confidence, responsibility and freedom. In this sense, the bicycle is not only a transport tool, but also part of how Danish children have traditionally learned to navigate public space.
A public health question with Nordic and European relevance
The Danish debate reflects a wider Nordic and European challenge: how to protect active mobility in societies where car ownership, longer commutes and parental safety concerns can gradually reshape daily habits.
For Denmark, the figures are particularly significant because cycling is closely linked to the country’s urban identity and public health model. If the decline among young people continues, it could affect not only transport patterns, but also physical activity, climate goals and the cultural continuity of cycling.
The next step will depend on whether municipalities, schools and transport planners can make cycling feel safe, practical and socially normal again. The warning from researchers and cycling advocates is clear: once everyday cycling habits disappear, rebuilding them may be much harder than preserving them.
