South Koreans Favor Public Transportation

International Car-Free Day, or *World Car Free Day*, is observed annually on September 22nd. On this day, drivers worldwide are encouraged to use public transportation or alternative means to address the environmental and health impacts of private vehicle emissions.

The celebration also aims to reflect the level of global enthusiasm for using public transportation in daily life. Statista conducted a survey on this matter in several countries between July 2022 and June 2023.

The results show that South Koreans have the highest rate of public transportation use compared to other countries, with 41% of respondents from that country.

Poland is second with 39%, followed by Austria in third place with 34%.

Another Asian country on this list is Japan, in sixth place, with 30%.

"The United States is at the bottom with only 13% of respondents saying the same," said Statista writer Anna Fleck on Thursday (September 21, 2023).

Statista considers this figure relatively small compared to private transportation users. Even commuters in some countries who travel to work by car can reach 60%.

"The United States is even higher, with 73% of respondents saying they use a car to commute. In Japan, the gap is much smaller, with 41% saying they use a car compared to 30% who use public transportation," said the writer.

This survey was conducted among 764-7,708 respondents aged 18-64 in each country between July 2022 and June 2023. The respondents were commuters, or those who regularly commute to a place (school, office, campus, etc.) daily. However, Statista did not elaborate on the number of countries involved.

(Also read: 10 Cities with the Best Public Transportation in the World, Who's on Top?)