Denmark
Copenhagen
UMR Index Rank
#13
(-4)
Score: 63%
Sustainable Mobility
#4
(-1)
Score: 73.2%
Public Transit
#4
(=)
Score: 70.2%
Technology Adoption
#33
Score: 43.4%
| Population | 1.5 million |
| Surface area (km2) | 565 |
| Population-density (people/km2) | 2,691 |
| GDP per capita ($) | 68,827 |
UMR Index Rank
#13
(-4)
Score: 63%
Sustainable Mobility
#4
(-1)
Score: 73.2%
Public Transit
#4
(=)
Score: 70.2%
Technology Adoption
#33
Score: 43.4%
What Copenhagen Does Well In Urban Mobility
Copenhagen owes its 13th-place ranking in the latest Urban Mobility Readiness Index to its strength in Sustainable Mobility and Public Transit. It claims the fourth spot in both sub- indices.
Copenhagen is a bright spot for sustainable mobility. It boasts dedicated car-free zones and cycling infrastructure that enable residents to opt for bikes in place of cars. In 2022, Copenhagen opened five additional cycle superhighways — roads that allow commuters to cycle across municipal borders — that collectively span 25 kilometers (16 miles). Copenhagen also uses smart cycle technologies, including messaging boards and traffic signals, to improve safety and the cycling experience. Enabling active mobility has helped reduce noise pollution and improve air quality.
The city boasts one of the world’s strongest multimodal public transit systems, known for its extensive operating hours (24/7) and high density of transit stations. The city is investing in further improvements, such as a new light-rail system that is due to open in 2025. It will serve the greater metro area, with trains running every five minutes in each direction during the day. Similarly, Copenhagen is continuing to expand its metro network. After opening the M3 line (also called the City Circle Line) in 2019, which added 17 stations to the network, five new metro stations will open as part of an M4 extension in 2024. The extension aims to better connect the southern part of Copenhagen to its metro system and give residents broader access to its public transit network.
Urban Mobility Readiness Index, Sustainable Mobility, Public Transit, and Technology Adoption scores
Source: Oliver Wyman Forum and University of California, Berkeley
Challenges And Opportunities For Copenhagen’s Transportation System
Unlike the index’s top performers, Copenhagen performs poorly on innovation, with less government investment in connected and automated vehicle technologies. Copenhagen conducted a seven-month pilot program of an autonomous minibus in 2020 and 2021 as part of a European Union-funded project, but has yet to initiate more bus pilots or test programs. However, automation is starting to gain momentum in the city’s metro and suburban rail networks. The City Circle Line is a fully automated driverless system. Copenhagen in 2024 announced plans to introduce driverless trains by 2030 as part of a modernization of the S-Bane commuter rail network, with a contract for over 200 trains valued at approximately €3.5 billion ($3.8 billion).
Another area where Copenhagen lags is its mobility-sharing economy. Scandinavian peers like Oslo, Stockholm, and Helsinki all outperform Copenhagen on use of sharing modes like car-sharing, bike-sharing, and ride-hailing. Furthermore, Copenhagen lacks government investment in the mobility- sharing economy compared with top performers. For example, the bike-share system Bycyklen filed for bankruptcy at the end of 2022. While other companies are expanding their cycling and car-sharing operations to Copenhagen, this is largely happening without government investment.
Dimensions of the Urban Mobility Readiness Index score
Source: Oliver Wyman Forum and University of California, Berkeley
How Copenhagen Can Improve Its Urban Mobility Performance
Despite its strong offering, Copenhagen’s public transit system is underutilized. The city’s high cycling rates may help explain some of this underutilization, and the metro expansion will boost ridership. The city also can also improve pedestrian walkways. Ensuring walkways are safe for pedestrians, including adding barriers between cycle lanes and roads, can encourage walking to the nearest station and potentially boost ridership.
The electric vehicle (EV) market share in sales has been rising in Copenhagen year-on-year. However, the city lags behind top performers in charging station density. Additionally, Copenhagen has rolled back some of its EV incentives, such as free EV parking. Given Denmark’s ambitions for all new private car sales to be electric by 2030, Copenhagen can invest more in incentives for purchasing EVs and installing charging stations. This can be in the form of direct subsidies, tax rebates, or similar measures.
Urban Mobility Readiness Index relative ranking evolution (2020-2024)
Source: Oliver Wyman Forum and University of California, Berkeley