Traffic Congestion in Indian Cities
Traffic congestion remains a significant issue in Indian cities, with motorists often stuck in gridlocks for extended periods. According to 2025 mobility data, Indian cities feature prominently in global congestion rankings, based on data from TomTom, a Netherlands-based location technology firm.
Key Statistics and Rankings
- Bengaluru was the second most congested city worldwide in 2025, with an average speed of 16.6 km/h.
- Motorists in Bengaluru spent 15 minutes to travel 4.2 km on average.
- Mexico had the highest global congestion levels.
- Pune ranked fifth globally and was the second Indian city in the top 10 for congestion.
- Mumbai showed improvement with a 3.3 percentage-point decrease in congestion from 2024, yet commuters still lost 126 hours annually with an average speed of 20.8 km/h.
- New Delhi recorded a congestion level of 60.2% with a 3.5 percentage-point rise, resulting in a loss of 104 hours per year for motorists.
- Out of the top 10 Asian cities with the highest congestion, six were from India: Bengaluru (1), Pune (2), Mumbai (6), New Delhi (7), Kolkata (9), and Jaipur (10).
- Chennai ranked 11th and Hyderabad 15th in the Asian list.
Traffic Index Details
- The TomTom Traffic Index uses anonymized GPS data and real driving speeds worldwide.
- The Index assesses cities on congestion levels, travel times, and speeds based on trip data covering more than 3.65 trillion km.
Yearly Comparisons
- In 2024, a motorist in Bengaluru took 34 minutes and 10 seconds to cover 10 km.
- In 2025, this increased to 36 minutes and 9 seconds, marking a rise of 2 minutes and 4 seconds.
- On average, Bengaluru motorists spent 168 hours in traffic in 2025, equivalent to seven days and 40 minutes.
- Mumbai ranked 18th globally, Delhi 23rd, and Kolkata, which dropped from second globally in 2024 to 29th in 2025, with 150 hours spent in traffic annually.
- Chennai's congestion level rose by 1%, while Hyderabad saw a 1.3 percentage-point improvement, ranking 47th globally.
- Bengaluru experienced a 1.7 percentage-point increase in average congestion in 2025.
