Length of motorways and e-roads in United Kingdom
United Kingdom: Length of motorways and e-roads was 3,865 Kilometre in 2024. ▲ Rising
Length of motorways and e-roads in United Kingdom, 1970–2024
Source: Eurostat. Measured in Kilometre.
Analysis
In 2024, length of motorways and e-roads in United Kingdom stood at 3,865 Kilometre. That is the highest value across all 46 years on record.
The figure is up 2.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, length of motorways and e-roads in United Kingdom peaked at 3,865 Kilometre in 2024 and was at its lowest, 1,133 Kilometre, in 1970.
United Kingdom ranks 5th of 52 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 46 years of available data.
Length of motorways and e-roads in United Kingdom, year by year
| Year | Kilometre | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 1,133 Kilometre | — |
| 1975 | 2,082 Kilometre | +83.8% |
| 1979 | 2,578 Kilometre | +23.8% |
| 1980 | 2,694 Kilometre | +4.5% |
| 1981 | 2,748 Kilometre | +2.0% |
| 1982 | 2,765 Kilometre | +0.6% |
| 1983 | 2,822 Kilometre | +2.1% |
| 1984 | 2,895 Kilometre | +2.6% |
| 1985 | 2,951 Kilometre | +1.9% |
| 1986 | 3,038 Kilometre | +2.9% |
| 1987 | 3,092 Kilometre | +1.8% |
| 1988 | 3,104 Kilometre | +0.4% |
| 1989 | 3,093 Kilometre | -0.4% |
| 1990 | 3,181 Kilometre | +2.8% |
| 1991 | 3,211 Kilometre | +0.9% |
| 1992 | 3,246 Kilometre | +1.1% |
| 1993 | 3,324 Kilometre | +2.4% |
| 1994 | 3,360 Kilometre | +1.1% |
| 1995 | 3,380 Kilometre | +0.6% |
| 1996 | 3,408 Kilometre | +0.8% |
| 1997 | 3,491 Kilometre | +2.4% |
| 1998 | 3,535 Kilometre | +1.3% |
| 1999 | 3,564 Kilometre | +0.8% |
| 2000 | 3,581 Kilometre | +0.5% |
| 2001 | 3,591 Kilometre | +0.3% |
| 2002 | 3,592 Kilometre | +0.0% |
| 2003 | 3,592 Kilometre | +0.0% |
| 2004 | 3,638 Kilometre | +1.3% |
| 2005 | 3,633 Kilometre | -0.1% |
| 2006 | 3,670 Kilometre | +1.0% |
| 2007 | 3,674 Kilometre | +0.1% |
| 2008 | 3,673 Kilometre | -0.0% |
| 2009 | 3,674 Kilometre | +0.0% |
| 2010 | 3,672 Kilometre | -0.1% |
| 2011 | 3,686 Kilometre | +0.4% |
| 2012 | 3,733 Kilometre | +1.3% |
| 2013 | 3,756 Kilometre | +0.6% |
| 2014 | 3,760 Kilometre | +0.1% |
| 2015 | 3,768 Kilometre | +0.2% |
| 2016 | 3,764 Kilometre | -0.1% |
| 2017 | 3,803 Kilometre | +1.0% |
| 2018 | 3,838 Kilometre | +0.9% |
| 2021 | 3,851 Kilometre | +0.3% |
| 2022 | 3,859 Kilometre | +0.2% |
| 2023 | 3,864 Kilometre | +0.1% |
| 2024 | 3,865 Kilometre | +0.0% |
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Length of motorways and e-roads in United Kingdom changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1975 | +83.8% | 1,133 Kilometre | 2,082 Kilometre |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 1,931 Kilometre | 1,133 Kilometre | 2,578 Kilometre | 3 |
| 1980s | 2,920 Kilometre | 2,694 Kilometre | 3,104 Kilometre | 10 |
| 1990s | 3,370 Kilometre | 3,181 Kilometre | 3,564 Kilometre | 10 |
| 2000s | 3,632 Kilometre | 3,581 Kilometre | 3,674 Kilometre | 10 |
| 2010s | 3,753 Kilometre | 3,672 Kilometre | 3,838 Kilometre | 9 |
| 2020s | 3,860 Kilometre | 3,851 Kilometre | 3,865 Kilometre | 4 |
Countries ranked near United Kingdom
More reference data data for United Kingdom
- Cooling and heating degree days by NUTS 2 regions - annual data -3.65 % change on previous year (2025)
- Cooling and heating degree days by NUTS 2 regions - monthly data 1.57 % change on previous year (2025)
- Cooling and heating degree days by NUTS 2 regions - annual data 2,710 Number (2025)
- Cooling and heating degree days by NUTS 2 regions - monthly data 358.44 Number (2025)
- R&D personnel by sector of performance and region — R&D Personnel 739,816 Persons (2017)
- Victims in road accidents by NUTS 2 region 1,860 Number (2016)
- Stock of vehicles by category and NUTS 2 region 36.71 million Number (2018)
- Deaths (total) by NUTS 3 region 614,313 Number (2018)
- Establishments, bedrooms and bed-places in tourist accommodation, by 84,580 Number (2016)
- Deaths by age, sex and NUTS 2 region 614,313 Number (2018)
Frequently asked questions
- What is length of motorways and e-roads in United Kingdom?
- Length of motorways and e-roads in United Kingdom was 3,865 Kilometre in 2024, according to Eurostat.
- What is the highest length of motorways and e-roads recorded in United Kingdom?
- The highest recorded value was 3,865 Kilometre in 2024.
- What is the lowest length of motorways and e-roads recorded in United Kingdom?
- The lowest recorded value was 1,133 Kilometre in 1970.
- How does United Kingdom rank for length of motorways and e-roads?
- United Kingdom ranks 5th out of 52 countries with data for 2024.
- Is length of motorways and e-roads rising or falling in United Kingdom?
- Over the last ten years it is up 2.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this United Kingdom data come from?
- The figures come from Eurostat, published as part of Length of motorways and e-roads. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 46 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Eurostat).