Public transport satisfaction varies dramatically across European capitals, according to the European Commission's 2023 Quality of Life in European Cities report. The survey, which polled over 71,000 residents across 83 cities, found that while roughly seven in ten Europeans are generally content with their local transit, the gap between best and worst performers is stark.
Among capital cities, Vienna tops the list with a 91% satisfaction rate, while Rome and Tirana share the lowest at 29%. This disparity extends beyond capitals: Zurich in Switzerland achieved 95% satisfaction, while Palermo in Italy managed only 22%.
Geographic Divide
The data reveals a clear north-south divide. Nordic capitals—Helsinki, Oslo, and Stockholm—all exceed 85% satisfaction, with Copenhagen close behind at 81%. Reykjavik is an outlier in the region at 56%. In contrast, six capitals saw more than half of residents dissatisfied: Rome, Tirana, Podgorica, Belgrade, Nicosia, and Skopje.
Neighbouring countries can show stark contrasts. Austria's Vienna (91%) and Italy's Rome (29%) are separated by just a few hundred kilometres but represent the extremes of European transit experience.
Key Factors: Safety, Reliability, and Frequency
The survey assessed five indicators: affordability, safety, ease of access, frequency, and reliability. Correlation tests show that safety, accessibility, reliability, and frequency are strongly linked to overall satisfaction—with correlation coefficients of 0.87 for both ease of access and frequency, 0.83 for reliability, and 0.79 for safety. Affordability, however, shows only a weak correlation.
Rome recorded the lowest scores in safety, ease of access, frequency, and reliability. Only 45% of Romans consider public transport safe, compared to 71% in Paris. Capitals of EU candidate countries, except Ankara, also report lower safety perceptions.
Affordability perceptions vary widely: from 48% in Riga to 93% in Tallinn. Interestingly, Nordic cities like Oslo, Helsinki, and Stockholm have high overall satisfaction but relatively low affordability perception—suggesting residents value reliability and frequency over cost.
Among Europe's five largest economies, affordability perception ranges from 62% in London to 81% in Berlin, with Paris at 66%.
Capitals vs. Other Cities
Non-capital cities slightly outperform capitals, with 73% satisfaction versus 69%. Nine of the ten lowest-ranked cities are in Southern EU member states or the Western Balkans, where satisfaction averages 59% and 39% respectively. Turkey also scores 59%.
Within countries, disparities can be large. In France, Paris and Marseille both score 67%, while Lille reaches 84% and Strasbourg 87%. In Romania, Cluj-Napoca achieves 83% but Bucharest only 54%.
The European Commission is promoting active mobility and clean transport solutions to make public transit more attractive. As cities like Vienna demonstrate, high satisfaction is achievable—but for many European capitals, there is still a long way to go.
