The INRIX 2025 report confirms the increase in congestion in the world. Rome is the 17th busiest city, Milan the 24th. Global, European and Italian data
The 2025 INRIX Global Traffic Scorecard photographs a world which, after years of fluctuations linked to the pandemic, is once again faced with growing congestion. Out of 942 urban areas analysed, over 60% recorded an increase in hours lost in traffic compared to 2024. A figure that confirms how the demand for mobility has started to grow again at a faster rate than the capacity of road infrastructure.
Istanbul remains the most congested city in the world
For the second consecutive year, Istanbul leads the global ranking with 118 hours lost per driver, 12% more than in 2024. It is followed by Mexico City (108 hours) and Chicago (112 hours), which becomes the most congested metropolis in the United States. New York, despite losing two places, remains in the top five with 102 hours lost.
Rome and Milan not in the leading positions
Italy is present in the world rankings, but not at the absolute top. Rome ranks 17thwith 76 hours lostup 7% compared to 2024. Immediately after, Milan is 24thwith 67 hours lost (+5%). In Europe, however, these performances place the two Italian cities among the most congested in the entire continent: Rome is fourth behind London, Paris and Dublin, while Milan is fifth in the 2025 European ranking.
The cost of congestion: states compared
In the United States the problem has a significant economic impact: 85.8 billion dollars of total costs e $894 per motoristboth values increasing compared to the previous year. In the United Kingdom, however, there is a slight improvement: the hours lost drop from 62 to 59 and the average cost per driver drops to 822 pounds. In Germany the situation is less rosy: delays increase to an average of 47 hours and the individual cost rises to 750 euros.
Cities that get worse and those that improve
Philadelphia it is the metropolis that is worsening the most in the USA, with a 31% increase in lost hours and a leap into the top 5 of the cities most affected by congestion. In Europe the increases of Ankara And Izmirwhich enter the top 25 for the first time. On the contrary, very dense cities such as London And Paris show a slight decrease in delays, despite remaining among the most congested on the continent.
Accidents, road safety and new urban policies
The report also highlights an encouraging fact: in the United States iThe road fatality rate returns to pre-pandemic levelsdropping from 1.16 to 1.06 fatalities per 100 million miles traveled in the first six months of 2025. Many cities are strengthening security policiessuch as introducing lower speed limits and expanding automatic control systems. At the same time, new measures — such as congestion pricing launched in New York — are starting to change urban mobility behaviors.
The framework outlined by Traffic Scorecard 2025 it’s clear: congestion is growing again and is forcing administrations and planners to rethink mobility, infrastructure and safety models. Despite some virtuous exceptions, the traffic challenge undoubtedly remains one of the most urgent for the world’s large cities.
