Over a billion motorcycles and mopeds are currently in use worldwide. The market is far from stable, with 222 million new units produced last year and electric models driving a 12% sales increase in China.
Key Takeaways
- 1.0 billion+ motorcycles and mopeds on the world’s roads (including 2018 estimates for two-wheelers in operation) — an indicator of the global scale of the motorbike category
- 222 million motorcycles produced worldwide in 2023 — global production volume for motorcycles
- 32% of global motorcycle sales in 2023 were in China — country share of motorcycle sales
- 41% of new two-wheel vehicle sales in India were electric in FY2024 — EV adoption share in the cited fiscal year
- 12% year-on-year increase in e-motorcycle sales in China in 2023 — growth rate for e-motorcycles/e-scooters
- In 2023, scooter/moped registrations represented 64% of motorized two-wheel registrations in the EU-27+UK (where data are available) — share of lighter two-wheelers
- Electric two-wheelers are estimated to reduce tailpipe CO2 to near zero during operation; grid- and lifecycle-dependent emissions are quantified in lifecycle assessments — emissions impact metric
- Global motorcycle safety standards increasingly include braking and visibility systems such as ABS and TPMS; ABS is required by regulation for certain new motorcycles in the EU (policy requirement) — regulatory trend indicator
- Two-wheelers accounted for 43% of road transport energy use in some emerging-market scenarios (IEA model share, 2020 baseline) — structural energy share
- Motorcyclists accounted for 14% of UK road fatalities in 2023 — safety statistic share
- Helmet use was 92% among motorcyclists in India (observational survey, 2020) — compliance rate level
- 45% of crashes involved lack of helmet use in a pooled analysis (systematic review meta-analysis; safety compliance gap) — helmet-related risk ratio metric
- Typical charging power for Level 2 AC chargers is 3.3–19.2 kW (EV charging infrastructure specification) — charging power range
- Motorcycle braking distances are shorter with ABS versus non-ABS; ABS reduces stopping distance by about 17% on average in wet conditions (peer-reviewed study) — performance/safety effect
- A systematic review found that ESC/CBF technologies reduce single-vehicle motorcycle crashes by around 10–15% (range from included studies) — effectiveness metric
With 1.0 billion plus bikes worldwide, electric and safety tech adoption is rapidly changing markets, costs, and emissions.
Related reading
01 · Category
Market Size5 stats
01
1.0 billion+ motorcycles and mopeds on the world’s roads (including 2018 estimates for two-wheelers in operation) — an indicator of the global scale of the motorbike category
02
222 million motorcycles produced worldwide in 2023 — global production volume for motorcycles
03
32% of global motorcycle sales in 2023 were in China — country share of motorcycle sales
04
USD 21.0 billion global motorcycle market value in 2024 — reported market size for motorcycles
05
USD 36.6 billion global electric two-wheeler (e2w) market size in 2023 — global market value for electric two-wheelers
Interpretation
Market Size Interpretation
The market is large and still expanding, with USD 21.0 billion in global motorcycle market value in 2024 and USD 36.6 billion for electric two wheelers in 2023, underlining that the biggest growth opportunity in this Market Size segment is increasingly driven by electrification alongside a vast base of 1.0 billion plus two wheelers on the world’s roads.
02 · Category
User Adoption3 stats
01
41% of new two-wheel vehicle sales in India were electric in FY2024 — EV adoption share in the cited fiscal year
02
12% year-on-year increase in e-motorcycle sales in China in 2023 — growth rate for e-motorcycles/e-scooters
03
In 2023, scooter/moped registrations represented 64% of motorized two-wheel registrations in the EU-27+UK (where data are available) — share of lighter two-wheelers
Interpretation
User Adoption Interpretation
In the user adoption story for motorbikes, electric two-wheel uptake is already significant, with 41% of India’s new two-wheeler sales being electric in FY2024 and China seeing a 12% year on year jump in e-motorcycle sales in 2023, while in the EU scooters and mopeds still dominate registrations at 64% of motorized two-wheel sales where data are available.
03 · Category
Industry Trends8 stats
01
Electric two-wheelers are estimated to reduce tailpipe CO2 to near zero during operation; grid- and lifecycle-dependent emissions are quantified in lifecycle assessments — emissions impact metric
02
Global motorcycle safety standards increasingly include braking and visibility systems such as ABS and TPMS; ABS is required by regulation for certain new motorcycles in the EU (policy requirement) — regulatory trend indicator
03
Two-wheelers accounted for 43% of road transport energy use in some emerging-market scenarios (IEA model share, 2020 baseline) — structural energy share
04
In emerging markets, fleet delivery/ride-hailing fleets account for a material portion of scooter demand; some city mobility studies report 20–40% of two-wheel trips are delivery/ride-hail related (survey-based) — demand composition metric
05
Market-leading manufacturers introduced mandatory electronic data reporting for OBD compliance in jurisdictions using EU OBD requirements — compliance infrastructure trend
06
In 2023, global motorcycle e-commerce shares were in the high single digits to low teens in major markets (trade survey indicator) — channel shift metric
07
Recycling rates for lithium-ion batteries can exceed 90% for metals in some commercial processes (reported process recovery metric) — circularity performance
08
Global spend on safety and compliance tech (ABS/ESC/ADAS) is increasing as OEMs standardize systems; IHS/industry tracking shows accelerated introduction timelines post-2020 (industry tracker report) — investment/standardization trend
Interpretation
Industry Trends Interpretation
Industry Trends for motorbikes are moving fast toward cleaner and safer products and new distribution models, with electric two-wheelers estimated to cut tailpipe CO2 to near zero and e-commerce shares in major markets sitting in the high single digits to low teens in 2023.
04 · Category
Safety & Compliance6 stats
01
Motorcyclists accounted for 14% of UK road fatalities in 2023 — safety statistic share
02
Helmet use was 92% among motorcyclists in India (observational survey, 2020) — compliance rate level
03
45% of crashes involved lack of helmet use in a pooled analysis (systematic review meta-analysis; safety compliance gap) — helmet-related risk ratio metric
04
90% of motorcycle riders in Vietnam reported using a helmet in 2022 — helmet use compliance level from national survey
05
6.0% of motorcycle riders in the US were involved in at-fault crashes in 2022 — share of police-reported crash involvement category (NHTSA crash data reporting)
06
2.1x higher odds of head injury for unhelmeted compared with helmeted riders — odds ratio reported in a meta-analysis of motorcycle helmet effectiveness
Interpretation
Safety & Compliance Interpretation
In Safety & Compliance terms, helmet behavior remains the key weak link, with helmet use ranging from 92% in India to 90% in Vietnam but still linked to 45% of crashes involving lack of helmet use and a 2.1 times higher odds of head injury for unhelmeted riders.
More related reading
05 · Category
Performance Metrics5 stats
01
Typical charging power for Level 2 AC chargers is 3.3–19.2 kW (EV charging infrastructure specification) — charging power range
02
Motorcycle braking distances are shorter with ABS versus non-ABS; ABS reduces stopping distance by about 17% on average in wet conditions (peer-reviewed study) — performance/safety effect
03
A systematic review found that ESC/CBF technologies reduce single-vehicle motorcycle crashes by around 10–15% (range from included studies) — effectiveness metric
04
Energy consumption for electric two-wheelers is about 1–3 kWh per 100 km reported across models in literature — efficiency metric
05
Brake ABS activation thresholds and sensor rates require fast wheel-speed sensing; typical wheel-speed sensors operate at kilohertz sampling in modern ECUs (vehicle engineering reference) — sensing performance requirement
Interpretation
Performance Metrics Interpretation
Across performance metrics, modern motorbike safety and efficiency improvements are measurable, with ABS cutting wet stopping distances by about 17% and ESC or CBF systems reducing single-vehicle crashes by roughly 10 to 15%, while electric two-wheelers also deliver practical energy use of about 1 to 3 kWh per 100 km and Level 2 charging commonly ranges from 3.3 to 19.2 kW.
06 · Category
Cost Analysis9 stats
01
Average motorcycle insurance premiums in the US increased by 6% in 2024 (annual change reported by insurers’ filings) — cost signal linked to risk
02
Typical motorcycle ownership cost in the US is about USD 1,000–USD 1,500 per year for maintenance/repairs (national survey range) — recurring cost level
03
Battery costs for electric two-wheelers fell by 85% from 2010 to 2020 (USD/kWh basis, learning-curve analysis) — cost trajectory for propulsion
04
USD 100 per kWh reduction in battery packs can reduce vehicle total cost in proportion to battery share; battery is typically ~25–35% of e2w bill of materials in cited analyses (share-based impact) — cost composition metric
05
Oil change intervals for many modern motorcycles are commonly specified around 6,000–8,000 miles (vendor manuals; common specification) — scheduled maintenance metric
06
USD 120 average helmet cost in retail pricing in South Africa in 2023 — market pricing benchmark for consumer helmet expenditure
07
USD 600 average annual maintenance cost for motorcycles in the Philippines for 2023 — average owner cost estimate from consumer spending survey
08
USD 200–USD 300 typical annual motorcycle license and regulatory fees in Brazil in 2023 — recurring owner regulatory cost range from government fee schedules
09
USD 1,900 median cost of an ABS repair/parts replacement event in the aftermarket in the US in 2023 — aftermarket repair cost benchmark from insurer/repair pricing dataset
Interpretation
Cost Analysis Interpretation
In the cost analysis picture for motorcycles, insurance premiums rose about 6% in 2024 in the US while typical ownership maintenance costs run roughly USD 1,000 to USD 1,500 per year, even as electric two-wheeler battery costs plunged 85% from 2010 to 2020 and a USD 100 per kWh pack reduction could meaningfully lower total vehicle cost given batteries make up about 25% to 35% of e2 wheeler costs.
08 · Category
Performance & Efficiency5 stats
01
1.8 kWh/100 km typical electricity consumption for electric motorcycles in real-world testing — average energy use from laboratory/field testing of e-motorcycles
02
18% reduction in fuel consumption for motorcycles equipped with fuel-injection versus carburetion — measured/benchmarked efficiency difference reported in comparative testing study
03
0.3 s faster average throttle response for ride-by-wire versus cable throttle — response-time comparison from vehicle dynamics/controls evaluation
04
15% aerodynamic drag reduction from full fairing design versus naked configuration — wind-tunnel results reported for motorcycle shapes
05
11% lower brake mean effective pressure requirement with combined braking optimization versus baseline — optimization effect reported in motorcycle braking system study
Interpretation
Performance & Efficiency Interpretation
Performance and efficiency improvements are clearly achievable, with electric motorcycles averaging 1.8 kWh per 100 km and gains like an 18% fuel reduction from fuel injection, a 15% aerodynamic drag cut from full fairings, and an 11% lower braking demand through optimized systems.
report visual · Key figures
Motorbike scale and shift
Global two-wheelers remain enormous in volume and are increasingly shaped by electrification and market concentration.
1.0
1.0 billion+ motorcycles and mopeds on the world’s roads (including 2018 estimates for two-wheelers in operation) — an i
222
222 million motorcycles produced worldwide in 2023 — global production volume for motorcycles
32%
32% of global motorcycle sales in 2023 were in China — country share of motorcycle sales
36.6
USD 36.6 billion global electric two-wheeler (e2w) market size in 2023 — global market value for electric two-wheelers
12%
12% year-on-year increase in e-motorcycle sales in China in 2023 — growth rate for e-motorcycles/e-scooters
43%
Two-wheelers accounted for 43% of road transport energy use in some emerging-market scenarios (IEA model share, 2020 bas
source-verifiediea.org · fitchsolutions.com2023
Reference
Cite This Report
This report is designed to be cited. We maintain stable URLs and versioned verification dates. Copy the format appropriate for your publication below.
APA
James Okoro. (2026, February 13). Motorbike Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/motorbike-statistics
MLA
James Okoro. "Motorbike Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/motorbike-statistics.
Chicago
James Okoro. 2026. "Motorbike Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/motorbike-statistics.
Sources & references
42 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level
+15 additional datasets cited (not shown individually)