Bicycle manufacturing in the European Union fell by nearly 25% in 2023, according to new figures released by Eurostat, with the drop prompting concern, as well as pro-cycling messaging and calls for improved local supply chains for key components.
The latest data (which is limited for certain countries due to confidentiality protocols around sales) suggests that the number of bikes produced in EU member states fell by 24% in 2023, from 12.7 million in 2022 down to 9.7 million.
Biggest drops occured among biggest producers
Among the countries where data is available, the greatest decrease in the number of bicycles produced was recorded in Romania, Eurostat said, where 1 million fewer units were manufactured in 2023 than the previous year. Next came Italy with 0.7 million fewer and Portugal with almost 0.4 million fewer units.
Even though those three countries saw the most significant drops in production, they remain the top three bike producers in the European Union in 2023. Portugal made 1.8 million units in 2023, Romania produced 1.5 million, and Italy produced 1.2 million. Fourth in the list is Poland, which made 800,000 units.
14 out of 17 countries saw a decrease in bike production
However, 14 out of 17 reporting EU nations witnessed a decrease in cycle manufacturing, a situation lamented by authorities. Cycling is an “eco-friendly and health-conscious mode of transportation,” Eurostat noted.
The European Commission meanwhile put out pro-cycling social media messaging which declared: “Cycling is not just about saving energy – it’s about creating a healthier, more sustainable future. With our European Declaration on Cycling, signed this year, we recognise cycling as a sustainable and affordable mode of transport. We call for safe cycling networks, better links with public transport, and secure parking. This future is within pedalling reach.”
Calls for European suppliers
At the same time, specialists in sustainable innovation and value chain optimisation have questioned the detail behind the statistics. Matei Sarivan on LinkedIn, asked: “Can we please get more data about the supply chain of these bicycles? I am sure all these bicycles are ASSEMBLED in the mentioned EU countries, but what about the subcomponents without which most of these bikes could not exist?”
Sarivan went on to argue that European cycling and bike production would benefit from more local suppliers of essential parts, rather than the bloc being reliant on items sourced from overseas, noting that “most of the important bike subcomponents (cranks, cassettes, chains, derailers, rims etc.) are dominantly produced in the far east (China, Taiwan, Malaysia). Out of the three most popular brands for bike subcomponents (Shimano, Sram and Compagnolo), Compagnolo is headquartered in Italy but their products come delivered with the classic “MADE in Ch… ” label.” He called on the European Commission to “start the serious discussion about encouraging local supply chains in Europe and the “en-masse” #reshoring of our manufacturing companies!”
