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AustraliaCommunity profile

Victoria

Method of travel to work

On Census day 2021 in Victoria, 53.4% of people travelled to work in a private car, 4.3% took public transport and 3.0% rode a bike or walked. 25.7% worked at home.

Victoria's commuting statistics reveal the main modes of transport by which residents get to work. There are a number of reasons why people use different modes of transport to get to work including the availability of affordable and effective public transport options, the number of motor vehicles available within a household, and the distance travelled to work.

Commuting data is very useful in transport planning as it informs decision-makers about the availability, effectiveness and utilisation of local transport options, particularly when analysed with Residents Place of Work data and Car Ownership.

WARNING: Method of travel to work relates to Census day, which for the 2021 Census occurred during COVID-19 lockdowns for large parts of Australia. In lockdown, many occupations were required to work from home if possible, and some industries were closed, so people did not go to work. For this reason, these categories may have increased, with corresponding declines in other methods of travel. Use the data with caution when comparing over time. For more details, please refer to the data notes.

Q:

Derived from the Census question:

'How did the person get to work on Tuesday, 10 August 2021?'

Method of travel to work
Victoria - Employed persons (Usual residence)20212016Change
Main method of travelNumber%Canberra %Number%Canberra %2016 to 2021
Train90,7502.90.1252,0899.20.2-161,339
Bus24,0700.84.936,4211.36.9-12,351
Tram20,5030.60.951,1421.90.0-30,639
Ferry6020.00.06000.00.0+2
Taxi/ride-share6,4610.20.24,8780.20.2+1,583
Car - as driver1,578,21049.959.01,691,49261.863.6-113,282
Car - as passenger110,1233.55.0110,5004.06.0-377
Truck16,4030.50.416,7240.60.5-321
Motorbike7,6540.20.79,8800.41.0-2,226
Bicycle22,2670.72.133,9651.22.6-11,698
Walked only72,3732.34.087,7973.24.5-15,424
Other30,9381.01.432,9211.21.3-1,983
Worked at home814,08225.710.9126,9184.63.1+687,164
Did not go to work353,06711.29.9254,2549.39.6+98,813
Not stated15,3910.50.226,5451.00.6-11,154
Total employed persons aged 15+3,162,894100.0100.02,736,126100.0100.0+426,768
Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics, Census of Population and Housing 2016 and 2021. Compiled and presented by .id (informed decisions).
Please refer to specific data notes for more information

Dominant groups

In 2021, there were 135,925 people who caught public transport to work (train, bus, tram or ferry) in Victoria, compared with 1,712,390 who drove in private vehicles (car – as driver, car – as passenger, motorbike, or truck).

Analysis of the method of travel to work of the residents in Victoria in 2021, compared to Canberra, shows that 4.3% used public transport, while 53.4% used a private vehicle, compared with 6.0% and 64.0% respectively in Canberra.

The major differences in persons between the method of travel to work of Victoria and Canberra were:

  • A larger percentage of persons who worked at home (25.7% compared to 10.9%)
  • A larger percentage of persons who travelled by train (2.9% compared to 0.1%)
  • A smaller percentage of persons who travelled by car (as driver) (49.9% compared to 59.0%)
  • A smaller percentage of persons who travelled by bus (0.8% compared to 4.9%)

Emerging groups

The number of employed people in Victoria increased by 426,768 between 2016 and 2021.

The largest changes in the method of travel to work by resident population in Victoria between 2016 and 2021 were for those nominated:

  • Worked at home (+687,164 persons)
  • Train (-161,339 persons)
  • Car - as driver (-113,282 persons)
  • Did not go to work (+98,813 persons)

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