Annual Bus Statistics

The DfT provides statistics on the local bus sector in Great Britain, presenting information on passenger journeys, vehicle miles, levels of revenue, costs and government support, the vehicle fleet, staff employed and other indicators including punctuality. The department also collects statistics on concessionary travel, covering pass holders, journeys, expenditure and reimbursement to operators.

The majority of these statistics are updated annually, with information on bus fares available quarterly.

Bus statistics year ending March 2023

Annual Bus Statistics 2023

The number of local bus passenger journeys in England saw an increase of 0.5 billion (19.3%) to 3.4 billion in the year ending March 2023.

This was lower than before the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic when passenger journeys in the year ending March 2020 for England were 4.1 billion.

Statistical Tables for 2023

Annual bus statistics, year ending: March 2023 data tables.

Concessionary travel statistics 2023

In England, comparing the year ending March 2023 with the year ending March 2022, there were:

  • 8.7 million older and disabled concessionary travel passes, no change

  • 567 million concessionary bus journeys, up 15%

  • £715 million reimbursed to bus operators by TCAs, down 17% (constant prices)

  • £877 million in net current expenditure on concessionary travel, down 19% (constant prices)

Bus statistics year ending March 2022

Annual Bus Statistics 2022

The number of local bus passenger journeys in England saw an increase by 1.3 billion or 79.6% to 2.8 billion in the financial year ending March 2022. This was however still far lower than 2 years ago where passenger journeys in the financial year ending 2020 for England were 4.1 billion.

Bus mileage in England saw an increase when compared to the financial year ending 2021 by 93.3 million miles or 9.6%. Bus mileage has been less severely impacted than passenger journeys over the last couple of years, largely due to the COVID-19 Bus Service Support Grant (CBSSG) and then the Bus Recovery Grant (BRG) which was introduced to keep services running that may have otherwise operated at a loss, or not operated at all.

Statistical Tables for 2022

All bus data tables for the year ending: March 2022.

Earlier Bus Statistics

Annual Bus Statistics 2021

The number of local bus passenger journeys in England fell by 2.5 billion or 61% to 1.57 billion in the year ending March 2021. The fall can largely be attributed to nationwide movement restrictions introduced throughout 2020/21 in response to the coronavirus pandemic.

Bus mileage in England decreased by 16% when compared with 2019/20. Bus mileage was less severely impacted than passenger journeys, largely due to the COVID-19 bus service support grant (CBSSG) which was introduced to keep services running that may have otherwise operated at a loss, or not operated at all.

Statistical Tables for 2021

All bus data tables for the year ending: March 2022.

Historical Bus Data

All DfT bus data tables from circa 1950 onwards are available here.