Employment
Travel To Work
About this topic
Method of travel to work shows how employed residents usually got to work on Census day, including private vehicle, public transport, active travel, and working from home. It provides a snapshot of commuting behaviour rather than the full transport system.
This topic supports transport and infrastructure planning and helps show how residents access employment. The 2021 results need caution because many parts of Australia were affected by COVID-19 lockdowns, which increased working from home and reduced some other travel modes.
Interpretation notes
- Method of travel to work captures the journey to work on Census day, not a person's usual weekly travel pattern.
- It applies only to employed people and is most useful with place of work or car ownership when considering transport access.
- The 2021 Census occurred during COVID-19 restrictions in many places, so work-from-home and some travel modes need caution in trend comparisons.
Key insight
In 2021, car driver was the most common travel method among employed residents in Brisbane (C), accounting for 48.1% (318,277 people). This share was lower than Greater Brisbane (55.1%). Since 2016, the biggest change was in working from home, which increased by 114,735 people and 16.6 percentage points.
Section overview
Method of travel to work
Brisbane (C) - Employed persons (Usual residence)
This table summarises travel to work for Brisbane (C) in 2021 for persons, with comparison against Greater Brisbane and change since 2016.
Method of travel to work snapshot
2021 distribution by category for Brisbane (C), with comparison markers for Greater Brisbane.
Train
Bus
Tram
Ferry
Taxi/ride-share
Car - as driver
Car - as passenger
Truck
Motorbike
Bicycle
Walked only
Other
Worked at home
Did not go to work
Not stated
Chart view
Method of travel to work change
Absolute change in category counts between 2016 and 2021.
Train
-14,673
-3.2pp
Bus
-17,607
-3.9pp
Tram
-48
0.0pp
Ferry
-882
-0.2pp
Taxi/ride-share
+1,410
+0.2pp
Car - as driver
+889
-7.5pp
Car - as passenger
-2,720
-1.1pp
Truck
-286
-0.1pp
Motorbike
-933
-0.2pp
Bicycle
-2,560
-0.6pp
Walked only
-2,501
-0.9pp
Other
-229
-0.2pp
Worked at home
+114,735
+16.6pp
Did not go to work
+18,572
+1.5pp
Not stated
-1,321
-0.3pp
Data table
Travel To Work for Brisbane (C). Method of travel to work. 2021 and 2016 counts, percentages, and change compared with Greater Brisbane.
| Category | 2021 | 2016 | Change | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Count | % | Greater Brisbane% | Count | % | Greater Brisbane% | Count | pp | |
| Train | 24,583 | 3.7% | 3.2% | 39,256 | 6.9% | 5.8% | -14,673 | -3.2pp |
| Bus | 30,641 | 4.6% | 2.9% | 48,248 | 8.5% | 5.4% | -17,607 | -3.9pp |
| Tram | 46 | 0.0% | 0.0% | 94 | 0.0% | 0.0% | -48 | 0.0pp |
| Ferry | 1,337 | 0.2% | 0.1% | 2,219 | 0.4% | 0.2% | -882 | -0.2pp |
| Taxi/ride-share | 2,803 | 0.4% | 0.3% | 1,393 | 0.2% | 0.2% | +1,410 | +0.2pp |
| Car - as driver | 318,277 | 48.1% | 55.1% | 317,388 | 55.6% | 61.2% | +889 | -7.5pp |
| Car - as passenger | 24,461 | 3.7% | 4.1% | 27,181 | 4.8% | 5.0% | -2,720 | -1.1pp |
| Truck | 2,404 | 0.4% | 0.7% | 2,690 | 0.5% | 0.9% | -286 | -0.1pp |
| Motorbike | 5,027 | 0.8% | 0.7% | 5,960 | 1.0% | 1.0% | -933 | -0.2pp |
| Bicycle | 7,685 | 1.2% | 0.7% | 10,245 | 1.8% | 1.1% | -2,560 | -0.6pp |
| Walked only | 21,072 | 3.2% | 2.2% | 23,573 | 4.1% | 2.9% | -2,501 | -0.9pp |
| Other | 7,406 | 1.1% | 1.2% | 7,635 | 1.3% | 1.4% | -229 | -0.2pp |
| Worked at home | 141,946 | 21.4% | 17.4% | 27,211 | 4.8% | 4.6% | +114,735 | +16.6pp |
| Did not go to work | 72,345 | 10.9% | 10.9% | 53,773 | 9.4% | 9.6% | +18,572 | +1.5pp |
| Not stated | 2,282 | 0.3% | 0.4% | 3,603 | 0.6% | 0.7% | -1,321 | -0.3pp |
| Total employed persons aged 15+ | 662,315 | 100.0% | 100.0% | 570,469 | 100.0% | 100.0% | +91,846 | 0.0pp |