In 2024, Polish manufacturers sold 797,500 domestically produced bicycles, placing the country fourth in Europe, according to Eurostat, the European Union’s statistics agency.
While Poland remained one of Europe’s largest bicycle producers, sales stayed well below the pandemic-era peak.
The figure was almost unchanged from 2023, when 799,000 Polish-made bicycles were sold, but it marked a sharp fall from 2020-2022, when annual sales exceeded 1 million.
Mateusz Pytko, head of the Polish Bicycle Association (PSR), told Poland's PAP news agency that Poland has several large and a dozen or so smaller bicycle producers.
He said the association estimates there are around 80 factories and assembly plants of various sizes in the country.
Pytko said the pandemic had temporarily boosted demand because bicycles offered people a way to exercise outdoors while complying with social distancing rules.
“People needed movement, and it turned out that the bicycle was one of the few ways of getting fresh air while being physically active,” he said. “The bicycle automatically met the requirements of the restrictions at the time, including keeping at least two meters apart.”
He added that private bicycles also helped people avoid closer contact with public transport and other shared urban infrastructure.
“Contrary to appearances, it was very natural behavior, adapted to the situation at the time,” Pytko said. “The later decline was caused by a return to normality.”
Romania led Europe in 2024, with sales of 1.7 million domestically produced bicycles. Germany followed with 1.1 million, and Italy was third with 935,000.
Eurostat did not include 2024 data for Portugal, which has often ranked among Europe’s biggest bicycle-producing countries. In 2019, Portugal sold more than 3 million domestically produced bicycles.
Pytko said Portugal’s strong result was largely linked to a major factory producing bicycles for an international sports retail chain.
Poland ranked sixth in Europe for bicycle exports in 2024, sending 626,000 bicycles abroad, down from 637,000 in 2023.
Its strongest export year in the period covered was 2018, when 871,000 bicycles were exported.
Italy and the Netherlands led European bicycle exports in 2024, each with around 1 million units. Portugal exported 938,000, Germany 705,000 and Romania 676,000.
Poland also remained one of Europe’s larger bicycle importers, ranking fifth in 2024. It imported nearly 548,000 bicycles, up about 9 percent from 498,000 in 2023.
Germany was Europe’s largest bicycle importer in 2024, bringing in 1.6 million units, followed by the Netherlands with 1.5 million. Spain imported 896,000 bicycles and Belgium 784,000.
(rt/gs)
Source: PAP