It’s a reality no one living in a big city can escape: traffic congestion and the minutes — eventually hours — lost behind the wheel.

But while the symptoms are similar everywhere, some cities, especially large ones that expanded chaotically in recent decades, are “champions” on this dark list.

Experts admit that measuring which city is the most congested is not simple.
However, the TomTom index — compiled by the navigation and mapping company — ranks Athens in the top 10 in Europe and 37th worldwide.

The worst city in Europe for traffic is London, where an average of 113 hours are lost during peak periods. It is followed by Dublin, Barcelona, Bucharest, and Bordeaux in France. Brussels is sixth and Rome seventh.

Athens records an average of 111 lost hours — equivalent to a 10-minute journey taken twice a day during peak hours, roughly the daily commute of an average worker.

A 10-kilometer trip in Athens takes 29 minutes and 39 seconds, a time that increased by 30 seconds compared to 2023, according to TomTom.

The European top 10 is completed by Vienna and Wrocław in Poland.

For the record, Thessaloniki ranks 131st globally and 68th in Europe, with 80 lost hours and nearly 23 minutes required for peak-time routes.

Globally, TomTom’s top 10 most congested cities include:
Barranquilla in Colombia, followed by three Indian cities — Kolkata, Bengaluru, Pune — and then London.
In sixth place is Kyoto, followed by Lima (Peru), Davao (Philippines), Trujillo (Peru), and finally Dublin.

The problems are universal: reduced productivity, increased transport costs, higher fuel consumption — and above all, the psychological burden on residents, drivers and non-drivers alike. Other rankings confirm that traffic congestion is now a global issue.

In the ranking by Detrack, Manila (Philippines) is first, followed closely by Mumbai (India).
Third, at some distance, is São Paulo, followed by Istanbul, Jakarta, Bangkok, Mexico City, Moscow, Los Angeles, and Rio de Janeiro.

A similar approach is used by Jackwin, also specializing in transport, which measures vehicle “density” and hours lost.

Its top 10 begins with Mexico City, followed by Bangkok, Davao, Kumamoto (Japan), and Bucharest. They are followed by Plovdiv (Bulgaria), Łódź (Poland), Bandung (Indonesia), Lima (Peru), and Dublin.

What is the “sin” of cities like Dublin, Bucharest, or Plovdiv?
The same one Athens suffers from: many small, narrow central streets crowded with (many) cars — and tourists.

Some usual suspects also appear in the INRIX global traffic ranking (which does not include Greece), covering 36 countries.

At the top is Istanbul, with more than 100 hours lost to traffic jams on average. It is followed by Chicago, Mexico City, New York, and Philadelphia.
In sixth place is Cape Town, followed by Dublin, London, Paris, and Los Angeles.