India’s First National Household Travel Survey 2025–26: Key Findings

The National Statistics Office (NSO) under the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) has released the key findings of India’s first-ever National Household Travel Survey (NHTS), conducted during July 2025 to June 2026.

The survey covered 14,274 villages, 10,377 urban blocks, 4,92,023 households and more than 20.34 lakh persons, making it a major national-level assessment of household travel behaviour in India. Pasted text

Objective of the Survey

The main objective of the NHTS is to provide data-based insights into domestic travel patterns for better transport planning, infrastructure development and policy formulation.

The survey studied:

• Purpose of travel
• Mode of transport
• Travel duration
• Distance travelled
• Travel frequency
• Cost of commuting
• Public transport usage

For the survey, only trips covering a distance of 1 km or more were treated as “travel”. Pasted text Pasted text

Student Mobility

According to the survey, 66.4% of students aged 6 years and above travel at least 1 km to attend their educational institutions.

Among students, the most common modes of transport are:

• Walking – 37.0%
• Bus – 29.5%
• Bicycle – 15.8%
• Auto-rickshaw – 10.5%
• Two-wheeler – 6.7%

Students aged 15–29 years recorded the highest regular trip participation at 77.0% nationally. Pasted text

Two-Wheelers Lead Workforce Mobility

One of the most important findings is that two-wheelers are the most widely used mode of transport by workers, accounting for 42.6% of workplace travel.

The share is:

• 37.1% in rural areas
• 52.3% in urban areas

Overall, 57.6% of workers aged 15 years and above travel more than 1 km to reach fixed or non-fixed workplaces. Pasted text

Travel Time to School and Work

The average travel time is:

• 23 minutes for students
• 25 minutes for workers travelling to a fixed workplace

Around 87.6% of students reach their educational institutions within 30 minutes, while 83.4% of workers reach their fixed workplaces within 30 minutes. Pasted text

Peak Travel Hours

The survey also identified major travel periods.

For students:

• 82% depart between 7 AM and 10 AM
• Peak period: 8 AM to 9 AM

For workers:

• 94.9% leave before 10 AM
• Main peak period: 8 AM to 10 AM Pasted text

Monthly Commuting Expenditure

The average monthly commuting expenditure is:

Students

• All India: ₹443
• Urban: ₹617
• Rural: ₹361

Workers

• All India: ₹785
• Urban: ₹1,044
• Rural: ₹612

Male workers spend an average of ₹835 per month, compared with ₹533 for female workers. Pasted text

Overnight Travel: Buses and Railways Dominate

For household overnight travel, buses and railways together account for 73.5% of journeys.

The major modes are:

• Buses – 55.8%
• Inter-city railways – 17.7%
• Cars – 15.1%
• Two-wheelers – 8.8%

Around 70.2% of overnight trips are undertaken for social, communication and religious purposes.