June 2025 Mobility & Consumption Minute: bicycles outsell cars as households rethink their holidays

In June 2025, two markets are moving against the tide:

More new bicycles than new cars were sold in France in 2024
one in two French people will not go on holiday this summer, while those who do travel are adjusting their destination rather than giving up their holiday altogether

Mobility Minute: bicycles are gaining ground

A total of 1,956,000 new bicycles, electric or conventional, were sold in France in 2024.

That is more than the number of new cars sold over the same period.

A study by the French Ministry of Transport confirms the growing importance of cycling: 24% of French people say they use a bicycle several times a week, while another 30% describe themselves as occasional cyclists.

What you need to know

– 1,956,000 new bicycles sold in France in 2024, electric or conventional;
– 24% of French people use a bicycle several times a week;
– 30% use one occasionally;
– cycling is most intensive in large metropolitan areas, where infrastructure has developed significantly;
– among people in employment, managers and business owners cycle the most, while among those not in employment, students are the most frequent users.

To understand why cycling remains largely concentrated in metropolitan areas and what the profile of cyclists tells us:

👉 Discover the full analysis on the Cetelem Observatory

Find out about the latest Auto 2025 study by l’Observatoire Cetelem

In 2011, l’Observatoire Cetelem de l’Automobile took an interest in the under-30s, then called the “Generation Y”.

Nearly 15 years later, it looks at Generation Z, who succeeded them, in a new study that evaluates their relationship with the automobile in a context of market downturn, slowing inflation and debates on the transition to electric.

Carried out in 14 countries, among 16,000 people, the study by l’Observatoire de l’Auto 2025 is rich in lessons.

Consumption Minute: one in two French people will not go on holiday this summer

The headline figure sets the tone: one in two French people will not go on holiday this summer, mainly for budget reasons.

Those who do travel expect to spend between €1,500 and €2,000 for a ten-day holiday and are prioritising European destinations in an uncertain geopolitical environment.

What you need to know

– one in two French people will not go on holiday this summer, mainly for budget reasons;
– an average budget of between €1,500 and €2,000 for ten days;
– France remains the world’s leading tourist destination, welcoming more than 100 million visitors a year;
– Spain reached a record 94 million tourists in 2024, while Italy welcomes around 60 million visitors;
– bookings to the United States are down 7% for the summer.

To understand how households are adjusting their holiday budgets rather than necessarily giving up travel altogether:

👉 Discover the full analysis on the Cetelem Observatory

Find out about l’Observatoire Cetelem new 2025 consumer study

In 2023, the Cetelem Consumer Observatory took an interest in the low-cost market and its extension. Today, we look at the evolution of consumption in France, which is very different from that of a few years ago. If you want to dig a little deeper into the subject, discover the complete European study by the Cetelem Observatory on consumption in 2025

Two markets, the same search for alternatives

Cycling and closer-to-home holidays reflect the same underlying behaviour: when faced with constraints, households do not always give something up they substitute.

A car journey can become a bicycle journey.

A long-haul holiday can become a European trip.

In both cases, the underlying need or experience is preserved. What changes is the way consumers choose to fulfil it.