Uncovered: The cities with the worst traffic congestion and how much time drivers spend stuck in jams – London and New York face grim picture

The world’s most congested cities have been revealed with London bagging a shocking place in the top five, steaming ahead of Paris and New York.

Recent data from 2024, provided by transport analytics company Inrix, showed that Istanbul ranked as the most congested city, while Toronto found itself at the bottom of the top 25 list.

The analysis of traffic patterns in different cities revealed that drivers in London, UK, spent a staggering 101 hours stuck in traffic jams last year, which marked a two per cent increase from the previous year.

Despite London securing the fifth spot on the global ranking, it continues to hold the unwelcome title of being Europe’s most congested city, a position that has not changed.

Inrix said London contained most of the worst corridors for traffic delays in the UK because of the ‘concentration of population, employment and economic activity’.

A spokesperson for Transport for London, which is responsible for a network of red route roads carrying a third of the capital’s traffic, said: ‘We are committed to making sure Londoners can move around the capital as safely, sustainably and efficiently as possible.

Across the UK, the average driver spent 62 hours in congestion last year, an increase of one hour from 2023. 

In second place was New York City, followed by Chicago and Mexico City, with 97 to 102 hours of delay per driver recorded for 2024.

A large number of cars pictured stuck in traffic on the A102 towards northern approach in Greenwich. Drivers in London spent 101 hours sitting in traffic in 2024

Heavy traffic on the way to the July 15 Martyrs’ Bridge over Bosphorus in the Besiktas district of Istanbul, Turkey. Istanbul claimed the top spot in the world’s most congested cities 2024

New York City was named the city with the second worst traffic in 2024 

Paris came sixth in the world, and second in Europe, with a huge 97 hours of traffic tallied on its clogged-up roads.

Jakarta, Los Angeles, Cape Town, and Brisbane made up the final four of the top 10 most congested cities in the world ranging from a total of 84 to 89 total hours of delay per driver.

Cape Town also placed ninth in the 2023 Inrix Global Traffic Scorecard, sparking the city to set aside billions to improve its public transport services and its road network.

‘The Urban Mobility Directorate’s capital budget over the medium-term, starting on 1 July 2024 until 30 June 2027, amounts to nearly £382million,’ councillor Rob Quintas, the city’s mayoral committee member for urban mobility said last year. 

This sees the city setting aside £20million for road projects, which include sidewalks and cycle lanes to relieve traffic congestion at pressure points across the city.

Bangkok claimed 11th place with 74 hours of delay per driver, followed by Boston with 79, Philadelphia with 77, Miami with 74, and Dublin came 15th with 81 hours recorded.

However, the Irish capital emerged in third position in Europe’s most congested cities after London and Paris.  

The Irish Times reported that this year’s ranking also marks a startling year-on-year increase of 13 per cent.

Heavy traffic jam in Jakarta downtown and financial district in Indonesia

Heavy commuter traffic heading out of Cape Town along the N2 highway towards the airport

Philadelphia claimed the 13th spot with 77 hours of delay per driver recorded in 2024

Feljin Jose, a Green Party Councillor for Dublin City Council said: ‘It’s not surprising, I think it’s a result of decades of poor policy choices and lack of investment in public transport.’

He added: ‘Thankfully, we are kind-of seeing that being reversed. I think things like the Dublin City Centre transport plan which is being implemented right now, is making some positive changes.’

Ranking 16th to 20th, is Rome with 71 hours noted, Houston with 66, Brussels with 74, Atlanta with 65 and Warsaw with 70.

The Polish capital, according to the data, saw a huge 15 per cent increase from 2023.

Making up the final five are Melbourne, with 65 hours of delays, Washington DC with 62, Seattle with 63, Milan with 64, and Toronto came last with just 61. 

However, The Canadian Centre of Economic Alliance (CANCEA) recently reported that congestion cost Ontario nearly £7.3billion in direct economic opportunities in 2024. 

The latest study also found that Bristol was the second worst UK city for traffic, with 65 hours of delays per driver, ahead of Leeds in third spot with 60 hours.

Manchester was in fourth position after a 13 per cent year-on-year rise in delays, from 54 hours to 61 hours.

Heavy traffic in Brisbane, Australia. Brisbane is one of the major business hubs in Australia and one of the country’s fastest-growing state economies

Several scooters and cars waiting at traffic lights on the Ratchadamri Road in Bangkok, Thailand

People drive downtown on June 26, 2013 in Chicago. Chicago ranked third in the list

Bob Pishue, Inrix transportation analyst and author of the report, said: ‘While the UK did see a slight increase in congestion again this year, overall congestion has remained steady.

‘Roadworks in key corridors such as M25 Wisely interchange caused considerable traffic on a main artery into the capital.

‘Interestingly it was cities outside of the capital that saw the greatest increase in congestion with Manchester seeing a large increase, up 13 per cent.

‘While London only had a modest increase in time lost, it still represented half of the entire country’s delay.’