National Household Travel Survey July, 2025 – June, 2026

Key Highlights:

• The first-ever all-India National Household Travel Survey (NHTS) was conducted by the National Statistics Office (NSO) under the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI).
• The survey, conducted during July 2025 – June 2026, covered 4.92 lakh households and over 20.34 lakh persons across 14,274 villages and 10,377 urban blocks.
• Two-wheelers are the predominant mode of transport for commuting to fixed workplaces, accounting for 42.6% of workers.
• Overnight trips are primarily undertaken for social and religious purposes (70.2%), with buses (55.8%) and inter-city railways (17.7%) being the main modes.
• A significant majority of students (87.6%) and workers (83.4%) complete their commute to educational institutions or fixed workplaces within 30 minutes.
• The average monthly expenditure on commuting to a fixed workplace is ₹785 per worker, with urban workers incurring ₹1,044 compared to rural workers' ₹612.

Detailed Insights:

• The survey's primary objective is to generate robust data for regional transport planning, infrastructure development, and evidence-based policy formulation.
• A "trip" in the context of this survey is defined as travel covering a distance of more than 1 km.
• 66.4% of students and 57.6% of workers undertake daily trips of at least 1 km to their educational institutions or workplaces.
• A gender gap exists in workforce travel, with 61.9% of male workers undertaking daily work trips compared to 41.9% of female workers.
• For students, walking (37.0%), buses (29.5%), and bicycles (15.8%) are the most frequently used modes of transport.
• Urban mass transit systems like monorail, metro, and suburban rail account for 5.0% of urban worker commutes nationally, with higher usage in Maharashtra, West Bengal, and Delhi.
• The average travel time is 23 minutes for students and 25 minutes for workers commuting to a fixed workplace.
• Peak school departure hours are between 7:00 AM and 10:00 AM, while workers primarily leave before 10:00 AM, with a peak between 8:00 AM and 10:00 AM.
• Male workers spend significantly more on fixed-workplace commutes (₹835/month) than female workers (₹533/month).
• For other daily trips (non-education/employment), two-wheelers (32.2%), walking (24.9%), and auto-rickshaws (18.9%) are the most common modes.

Key Concepts Involved:

• National Household Travel Survey (NHTS): The first comprehensive all-India survey designed to understand domestic travel patterns, dynamics, and related expenditures.
• National Statistics Office (NSO): The central statistical agency responsible for conducting large-scale sample surveys and compiling national accounts in India.
• Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI): The nodal ministry for statistical activities and program implementation in India.
• Primary Mode of Travel: The mode of transport used to cover the longest distance during a single trip.