Fewer households biking in 2026 --SWS

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The Social Weather Stations (SWS) found that the number of households that used bicycles has declined to 26% in 2026.

This is a 10% decline from the cycling peak in 2023, which was 36% of households nationwide.

In a survey taken from June 20 to 29, only 26% or 7.3 million households were “cycling households,” or those who have at least one member who cycled for any activity.

The previous years recorded the cycling households as follows:

• 2021: 24% (6.2 million households)
• 2022: 29% (7.3 million households)
• 2023: 36% (10 million households)
• 2024: 28% (7.7 million households)

Most cyclists do so for recreational purposes rather than essential activities, according to the SWS. However, there has been a reduction in both types of cyclists.

When asked why they cycled, 35% of respondents said that it was to improve health, while 32% said that it was for work or transportation. Other reasons cited included recreation, to save money, to socialize, and more.

For households that did not cycle, most of them (58%) cited not having a bike as a reason.

As of June 2026, there were 23% of Filipino households that owned a bicycle, which led to a ratio of bicycle owners to car owners being 5:1.

“Twenty-six national SWS surveys from May 2020 to June 2026 show that there were more bicycle owners compared to car owners nationwide. In all twenty-six surveys, the bulk of motor vehicle owners nationwide own 2-wheeled types, such as motorcycles,” the SWS said.

The SWS said that 46% of households nationwide owned a 2-wheeled motor vehicle, 17% owned a 3-wheeled motor vehicle, and 5% owned 4-wheeled motor vehicles.

According to the SWS, electronically-assisted bicycles comprised a small portion of bicycle-owning households, with only 681,000 owning them. While this number is a small part of the sample, the polling firm has noted an increase in electronically assisted bikes since 2024.

For motor vehicles, electric models are also the minority, with an estimated 871,000 households owning electric 2-wheeled motor vehicles. Gas-powered models still account for the majority of two-wheel, three-wheel, and four-wheel vehicles.

The survey interviewed 1,200 adults, with 300 each from Metro Manila, Balance Luzon (Luzon areas outside of Metro Manila), Visayas, and Mindanao. The survey has a sampling error of ±3% for national percentages. —LDF, GMA News