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- Traffic congestion is something that commuters around the world have to face every day, costing enormous amounts of both time and money.
- From New York, to Paris, to Manila, commuters spend hundreds of hours sitting in traffic, with the United States alone spending nearly $300 billion yearly in traffic-related costs.
- We found some of the most congested cities to see what the daily commute is like around the world.
From bumper to bumper traffic to broken down subways, we all know the struggle of the morning commute. Even when everything goes as planned, it can take as long as two or three hours to get anywhere at rush hour, and even longer when there are accidents, strikes, and storms. In the United States alone, traffic congestion cost
nearly $300 billion
in gas and time in 2016, according to
Inrix Global Traffic Scorecard
. All over the world, traffic congestion is escalating and costing consumers time and money.
Keep scrolling to see some of the most congested cities in the world, and feel a little more grateful for your morning commute:
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Los Angeles, California:
According to a 2016 study by the Inrix Global Traffic Scorecard, Los Angeles has the worst traffic congestion in the world.
Sao Paulo, Brazil:
When everything runs smoothly, it can take up to three hours to get anywhere via public transportation in Sao Paulo, Brazil. The subways and buses are extremely crowded, and are known to break down and leave commuters stranded.
According to a report on TomTom, commuters typically spend an extra 108 hours a year sitting in traffic.
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil:
Traffic in Rio de Janeiro was ranked at number 8 for cities on a list of global cities with the most traffic, according to the TomTom Traffic Index, which measures congestion in major cities around the world.
Jakarta, Indonesia:
Jakarta is currently ranked as the 3rd most congested city in the world by TomTom. And it's estimated that Jakartans spend an average of 22 days a year in traffic, according to a 2017 study conducted by Boston Consulting Group.
(Source: The Jakarta Post)
New Delhi, India:
Traffic in New Dehli has become such an issue that's there's essentially no difference between congestion during peak and non-peak hours, according to a 2017 study by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), which is a public interest research group.
New Delhi, India:
Even when traveling by foot, commuters in New Delhi get stuck in traffic jams.
Moscow, Russia:
In the evening rush, commute times increase by almost 100%, according to the TomTom Traffic Index.
Manila, Philippines:
Traffic in Manilla is expected to hit “standstill levels” by 2022, according to a study by the Boston Consulting Group. This means cars will average 5 mph or less at peak hours.
Hanoi, Vietnam:
Hanoi is also at risk of coming to a standstill by 2022 if the number of vehicles added to the road each year doesn't change, according to the BGC report.
Paris, France:
On average, Parisians spend about 154 hours a year stuck in traffic, according to TomTom's Index.
What's more, it's estimated that every household in Paris will spend $5,525 per year by 2030, according to a 2014 study by the Centre for Economics and Business Research.
Athens, Greece:
People commuting in Athens spend an extra 131 hours per year sitting in traffic at peak hours, according to TomTom data.
New York, New York:
New York City business lost almost $70 million per year due to traffic congestion, according to a TomTom data.