New research has confirmed London's unenviable position as the world's slowest capital city for drivers, with motorists spending more than five full days stuck in rush hour traffic during 2025. The comprehensive study by navigation technology company Tomtom reveals that London has maintained this dubious distinction for three consecutive years, highlighting persistent challenges in the city's transport network.
Global Traffic Rankings Paint Grim Picture
The data analysis, which Tomtom states incorporates an astonishing 3.65 trillion kilometres of travel information, shows London drivers endured an average of 136 hours in traffic congestion throughout last year. This places the British capital ahead of notoriously congested Indian cities Bangalore and Calcutta in the global rankings for slow travel times.
Only one city worldwide recorded slower travel times than London: Barranquilla, Colombia's fourth most populous urban centre. The research indicates that completing a typical six-mile journey in London now takes drivers an average of 35 minutes and 7 seconds, representing an increase of 38 seconds compared to 2024 figures.
Historical Infrastructure Meets Modern Demands
Tomtom's marketing director Andy Marchant attributes much of London's traffic woes to its historical urban layout, explaining that streets originally constructed during the Middle Ages and expanded in the Georgian period were never designed to accommodate today's volume and diversity of traffic. "The city simply wasn't built for the volume and variety of traffic we see today," Marchant stated.
Marchant identified several contributing factors to the worsening congestion, including increased office attendance as major employers return to four or five-day working weeks, ongoing disruption from Tube strikes, and changing travel patterns as more residents embrace cycling and alternative transport methods. He noted that initiatives like 20mph speed limits are beginning to influence both travel behaviour and journey safety across the capital.
National Comparison Reveals Surprising Results
Despite London's global ranking as the slowest capital city, the Tomtom data reveals an interesting national perspective: when measuring overall congestion levels, London actually ranks only eighth within the United Kingdom. Belfast claims the unfortunate title of Britain's most congested city, followed closely by Edinburgh and Cambridge in the national rankings.
This traffic analysis emerges alongside ongoing efforts to transform London's transport landscape, including recent experiments with pedestrianisation. A one-day trial on Oxford Street conducted by the Mayor of London in September demonstrated potential economic benefits, suggesting alternative approaches to managing the city's chronic congestion problems.
The persistent traffic challenges underscore the complex balance between historical infrastructure limitations and contemporary mobility demands in one of the world's great global cities.
