Countries With the Highest Motorbike Usage

When traversing crowded roads, especially during peak hours, motorbikes are convenient means of transport to various destinations within the shortest time possible. For some people, motorcycling is the only affordable means of transport. In developing countries, motorbikes are mainly used because of their fairly low price while in developed countries they are mainly luxury goods and used mostly for recreation and a symbol of personal identity. Of all the motorbikes in the world, 58% are in the Asia Pacific and other regions of Asia such as the Southern and Eastern Asia. Here are the countries with the highest motorbike use in the world.

Countries with Highest Motorbike Use

Thailand

It's no wonder that Thailand is known as “the land of 100 million scooters.” The streets of Thailand are littered with bikes of all makes and designs headed in different directions. According to the Pew Research Center, 87% of the households in the country own at least one motorbike. With 18 million households, there are at least 15 million bikes in the country. According to the BBC, there are up to 20 million registered motorbikes in the country and a million more that are unregistered. Thailand also has the highest motorbike accident deaths in the world with an average of 5,000 motorcyclist deaths recorded annually.

Vietnam

Motorbike is the most popular means of transportation in Vietnam, a country with a population of over 90 million people. There are approximately 45 million bikes in the country, with 86% of the households owning at least one. The sale of the two-wheeler continues to grow despite the talk of a saturated market. Most roads of the capital city Hanoi has been taken over by some 5 million motorbikes. Because of the number of bikes on the street and the congestions caused, the government of Vietnam plans to reduce the number of bikes on the roads.

Indonesia

Jakarta, Indonesia’s capital, is one of the worst places in the world for traffic. About 15 million motorbikes pass through the city every day compared to only 5 million cars. Generally, Indonesia is the largest market for motorbikes and scooters in the world. According to a survey conducted by AISI, there are approximately 80 million bikes in the country. About 85% of the households own at least a motorbike and use it as the main means of transportation for all the family members.

Malaysia

With a population of 32 million people, Malaysia has about 7 million households of which 5.8 million households possess motorbikes. Overall, there are approximately about 13 million bikes in the country, almost the same as the number of cars. However, most road users are motorcyclists. Thus, cyclists form the bulk of road fatalities in the country. Despite their dangers, motorbikes are convenient means of transport in Malaysia.

Motorbike Popularity Explained

Motorbikes relatively cheap and convenient means of transportation. The bikes can also access certain places that cannot be accessed by the vehicles. The two-wheelers have less environmental impact compared to the four-wheelers as they do not emit much gas into the atmosphere. In countries and cities with parking challenges, motorbikes are allowed to park on the sidewalk. In countries such as the UK, the bikes are exempt from toll and congestion charges, making them even cheaper means of transport.