National Household Travel Survey 2025-26 Key Findings
The National Statistics Office (NSO) under the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation has released the first-ever National Household Travel Survey conducted from July 2025 to June 2026. The survey covered 14,274 villages and 10,377 urban blocks across India, collecting data from 4,92,023 households comprising 20,34,371 persons. The survey defined a trip as travel covering more than 1 km distance, with specific concepts introduced including 'primary mode of travel' (mode used for longest distance), 'travel-day' (3:00 AM to 2:59 AM next day), 'within travel-day trips' (trips under 24 hours), and 'overnight trip' (trips over 24 hours and 50 km).
Student Mobility Patterns
Nearly two-thirds (66.4%) of students aged 6 years and above undertake daily trips exceeding 1 km to attend educational institutions, with slightly higher participation in urban areas (68.1%) compared to rural (65.6%). The 15-29 age group shows peak mobility at 77.0% nationwide (79.1% rural, 73.3% urban). Walking is the predominant mode for student commutes at 37.0%, followed by buses (29.5%) and bicycles (15.8%). Auto-rickshaws serve 10.5% of students overall, rising to 14.4% in urban areas, while two-wheelers account for 6.7% nationally (11.5% urban). Northeastern states including Assam show lower average travel times of 15-19 minutes.
Workforce Commuting Characteristics
Over half of workers (57.6%) aged 15 years and above travel more than 1 km to fixed or non-fixed workplaces, with urban workers showing higher participation (64.1%) than rural (54.5%). A significant gender gap exists, with 61.9% of male workers undertaking daily work trips compared to 41.9% of female workers. Two-wheelers dominate as the primary transport mode for 42.6% of workers nationwide, with substantial urban-rural divergence (52.3% urban vs 37.1% rural). Mass transit systems including monorail, metro, suburban rail, and trams account for 5.0% of urban worker commutes, with particularly high usage in Maharashtra (20.7%), West Bengal (16.5%), and Delhi (14.4%). States like Rajasthan, Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh show average travel times of 20-23 minutes.
Commute Duration and Timing
The average travel time to educational institutions is 23 minutes nationwide (23 minutes rural, 22 minutes urban), while workers take 25 minutes on average to reach fixed workplaces (23 minutes rural, 27 minutes urban). Notably, 87.6% of students complete their journey within 30 minutes (86.6% rural, 89.6% urban), and 83.4% of workers reach fixed workplaces within half an hour (86.1% rural, 79.3% urban), with 13.7% taking 30-60 minutes. Student departures peak between 7:00 AM and 10:00 AM (82.0% total), with the highest concentration between 8:00-9:00 AM (35.7%). For workers, 94.9% leave before 10:00 AM, peaking between 8:00-10:00 AM (56.5%) and 6:00-8:00 AM (33.7%), while 4.7% depart before 6:00 AM.
Expenditure Patterns
The average monthly expenditure for student commutes is ₹443 nationwide, with urban students spending significantly more (₹617) than rural students (₹361). Workers commuting to fixed workplaces spend an average of ₹785 monthly, showing substantial urban-rural disparity (₹1,044 urban vs ₹612 rural). A gender disparity exists in worker travel spending, with male workers averaging ₹835 monthly compared to ₹533 for female workers.
Overnight and Non-Work Travel
Buses (55.8%) and railways (17.7%) collectively account for 73.5% of household overnight journeys, followed by cars (15.1%) and two-wheelers (8.8%). Railway usage for overnight trips is higher among urban households (22.7%) compared to rural (14.0%). Socializing, communication, and religious activities drive 70.2% of overnight household trips (69.7% rural, 70.9% urban), while culture, leisure, sports, and tourism account for 7.4% (9.3% urban) and self-care/maintenance for 6.5% (7.6% rural). For within-day non-work and non-education trips, two-wheelers (32.2%), walking (24.9%), auto-rickshaws (18.9%), bicycles (12.6%), and buses (8.5%) are the primary modes.