Mobile phone data shows changes in mobility behavior

Key facts

  • The choice of transportation has changed significantly over the last five years.
  • Compared to 2019, the number of rail journeys has risen by eight percent, while the number of air journeys within Germany has halved.
  • The number of trips by car and bus has also fallen by seven percent compared to 2019.
  • Overall, even fewer trips than before the coronavirus pandemic.
  • Long-term analysis based on anonymized and aggregated mobile network data

People in Germany are still traveling less than before the coronavirus pandemic. Accordingly, travel activity has fallen by around six percent overall compared to the 2019 level. At the same time, the choice of means of transport has changed significantly - with one winner. This is now shown by an analysis of mobile phone data from the provider O2 Telefonica.

Growth in rail travel, significantly fewer domestic flights

The data analysis shows, among other things, that more and more people in Germany are switching to rail travel, while the number of domestic flights has plummeted and travelers are also using their cars less than before the pandemic.

The number of rail passengers also fell drastically during the pandemic. However, the 9-euro ticket, which was introduced in 2022 for the summer months, is likely to have contributed to a 16% increase in train travel during this period. The introduction of the Deutschlandticket in May 2023 also led to an increase in rail travel. A study published at the beginning of October had already shown that the Deutschlandticket resulted in fewer car emissions.

This increase in rail travel was only temporarily curbed in January 2024 by the strikes of the train drivers' union GDL. This was followed in the summer of 2024 by the European Football Championship, during which many domestic and foreign fans traveled to the games by train in addition to the numerous commuters.

Overall, the number of rail passengers increased by eight percent compared to the level before the coronavirus pandemic.

By contrast, the number of air travelers within Germany has halved in the same period, with the decline in air traffic being particularly pronounced at Cologne-Bonn and Düsseldorf airports, where there was a 65% drop compared to 2019. One reason for the decline in domestic German air traffic is likely to be higher location costs and increased fees and taxes. Many airlines have reduced their services.

Less travel by car and bus

In the same period, people also traveled more than seven percent less by car or bus. Compared to the previous year 2023, however, the number of journeys by road increased by two percent in 2024.

More rail travel, less domestic flights - Source: O2 Telefonica

Mobile data shows change in mobility

Experts from the analysis company Teralytics explain the fact that overall travel activity has not yet reached the level of 2019 by the fact that business trips have decreased and companies are increasingly relying on video conferencing.

On behalf of O2 Telefonica, Teralytics examined mobile phone data from trips over 30 kilometers. The experts looked at the movement of smartphones between mobile phone cells, which allowed conclusions to be drawn about the chosen mode of transport. The digital tracks have their own pattern depending on the mode of transport. The analysts anonymized the data so that no conclusions can be drawn about specific individuals.

The result of the analysis shows above all a change in mobility with a clear winner: rail travel is the only mode of transport to enjoy increasing popularity.

Stefan Wendering
Stefan is a freelance writer and editor at NAVIT. Previously, he worked for startups and in the mobility cosmos. He is an expert in urban and sustainable mobility, employee benefits and new work. Besides blog content, he also creates marketing materials, taglines and content for websites and case studies.