Overview
- Berlin recorded the worst congestion in the broader metro measure, with traffic flowing 40% slower than in free‑flow conditions, while Essen and Hamburg followed at 39% and Kassel and Karlsruhe were lowest at 23%.
- City‑center rankings show a different picture: Nuremberg led inner‑city delays at about 50%, ahead of Hamburg (49%) and Leipzig (48%), with Berlin seventh at 45%.
- Commuters lost substantial time in 2025, including roughly 131 hours in Leipzig, 116 hours in Dresden and about 116 hours in Munich, with Dresden further strained by the loss of the Carolabrücke.
- Regional shifts were pronounced, with NRW cities prominent in the top ten (Essen 39.3% stau‑rate; Cologne up to ~35%; Düsseldorf’s average speed 33.1 km/h) and the north seeing large increases in Bremen, while Kiel and Bochum were rare improvers.
- TomTom cites less home office, longer suburban commutes, a record vehicle fleet in 2025 and widespread construction as key drivers, and it expects little short‑term relief in 2026.