City of Perth

Local workers - Method of travel to work - All industries

Within the City of Perth, there is a higher proportion of local All industries workers using public transport to get to work than the Western Australia workforce.

This data reveals the main modes of transport used by local workers in a particular industry to get to work. Workforce transport data for the City of Perth is very useful in transport planning as it informs decision-makers about the effectiveness and availability of public transport.

There are a number of reasons why people use different Modes of Transport to get to work including:

  • The availability of affordable and effective public transport options between place of residence and place of work (For instance, industries located near railway stations are likely to have higher public transport use than those located away from main public transport routes);
  • The number of motor vehicles available from within a household; and
  • The travel distance to work, which for example, can allow people to walk or bicycle to their place of employment.

Method of Travel to Work data should be viewed in conjunction with Workers place of residence and resident place of work for a clearer picture of where people come from to work in the City of Perth, and Employment locations for the Destination Zones they work in and how they arrive there.

Data source

Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) – Census 2016 & 2021 – by place of work

Current industry:
Current benchmark:
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Local workers method of travel to work
City of Perth - All industries20212016Change
Main method of travelNumber%. Western Australia%Number%. Western Australia%2016 - 2021
Car, as driver61,41836.162.552,39437.262.9+9,024
Car, as passenger6,9254.14.76,1514.44.9+774
Train35,16120.64.037,66426.74.9-2,503
Bus18,06610.63.417,52612.44.5+540
Ferry790.00.0550.00.0+24
Tram220.00.0220.00.0--
Truck630.00.61260.10.7-63
Motorbike/Motor scooter7760.50.31,0920.80.5-316
Bicycle2,9641.70.73,8282.71.0-864
Taxi/Other9510.60.43120.20.2+639
Other - multiple methods1,8431.11.51,9691.42.1-126
Walked only3,9462.32.24,3913.12.8-445
Worked at home18,94911.17.41,5951.14.2+17,354
Did not go to work18,49810.911.812,5778.910.2+5,921
Not stated6110.40.51,2860.91.1-675
Total 170,272100.0100.0140,988100.0100.0+29,284

Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics, Census of Population and Housing 2016 and 2021. Compiled and presented by .id (informed decisions)

Please refer to specific data notes for more information
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Dominant groups

In 2021, there were 53,249 people who caught public transport to work (train, bus, tram or ferry) in the City of Perth, compared with 69,182 who drove in private vehicles (car – as driver, car – as passenger, motorbike, or truck).

Analysis of the method of travel to work in the City of Perth in 2021 compared to the Western Australia workforce within the City of Perth shows that 31.3% used public transport, while 40.6% used a private vehicle, compared with 7.4% and 68.1% respectively in Western Australia.

The major differences between the method of travel to work of the workforce in the City of Perth and the Western Australia workforce were:

  • A smaller percentage of local workers who travelled by car, as driver (36.1% compared to 62.5%)
  • A larger percentage of local workers who travelled by train (20.6% compared to 4.0%)
  • A larger percentage of local workers who travelled by bus (10.6% compared to 3.4%)
  • A larger percentage of local workers who worked at home (11.1% compared to 7.4%)

Emerging groups

The largest changes in the method of travel to work of the workforce in the City of Perth between2016 and 2021 were:

  • Worked at home (+17,354 local workers)
  • Car, as driver (+9,024 local workers)
  • Did not go to work (+5,921 local workers)
  • Train (-2,503 local workers)

City of Perth

economic profile