Study suggests New Zealand is the most car-dependent country in the world
Words: Harrison Wade
A study by car insurer Confused.com has found that New Zealand is the most car-dependent country in the world, ahead of countries like Australia and the US.
Factors like railways, public transport, and taxis were taken into account when ranking each country’s reliance on cars to get around.
At the top of the list is New Zealand with an overall average score of 8.48 out of 10.
It was discovered that our access to public transport and its efficiency were two of the main factors when it comes to Kiwis favouring their cars.
The study suggests this is because transport funding is more skewed towards roading projects rather than a focus on buses or trains.
It also found that we have a low railway density of 1.5km per 100km squared, meaning there’s less ways to get around by train, and our taxi fares are some of the highest seen in the world, costing an average of $23.54 for a 20 minute journey.
Due to our car obsession, New Zealand has also become one of the most expensive countries to buy and run a car. A car here can cost as much as $20,000 more than the same car in the US according to the study.
Next on the list of the most car-dependent countries is Greece due to its low public transport efficiency and rail transport kilometers per capita.
Argentina, Canada, and Turkey follow while our neighbour Australia sits in sixth with an overall dependency score of 6.58 out of 10.
Other insights found that Denmark has the most expensive public transport in the world, taxis are the most expensive in Switzerland at a price of $47.91 for a 20-minute journey, and Canada has the least used rail transport with 45 passengers per capita.
