In 2019 and 2020, as the Covid crisis followed a massive strike in transportation, the metro became for many the number one enemy, leading to a drastic drop in ridership. However, year after year, it gradually picked up again, eventually reaching a level that hadn't been crossed in many years: 402 million passengers in the last quarter of 2024.
An upward trend
Clearly, Parisians may grumble regularly whenever it comes to the city's metro, but they continue to use it, often more than once. Evidence of this is that in 2024, there is an overall increase in ridership of .6.4%, for a total of 1.48 billion trips, compared to 1.41 in 2023 and 1.34 in 2022. Even better, the end of the year saw a true peak with over 400 million passengers in one quarter. An exceptional figure, since over the last 4 years, the maximum attendance in a quarter was 370 million.
Toujours impressionné par l'incroyable maillage du #métro à #Paris. Partout où tu veux aller, il y a une station pas loin et souvent plusieurs parcours possibles. Et si on ajoute le Vélib', ça fait plein de raisons de ne pas utiliser de voiture dans cette densité. @Metro_Insolite pic.twitter.com/FZewaM2CI6
— Florian BONET (@florian_bonet) February 28, 2025
A Thriving Increase in Visitors
Behind this rise in attendance lies a variety of reasons. On one hand, the Olympics period has encouraged the use of soft mobility options. On the other hand, we can certainly highlight the extension of numerous lines, namely 4, 11, 12, and especially 14, whose extension to Orly Airport is experiencing tremendous success. Lastly, the transport authority mentions the explosion of remote work, which encourages people to use public transport more on weekends, since they are not taking it during the week.
Il y en a des choses intéressantes dans ce rapport de la Cour des Comptes !
— Métropedia (@traminot) May 21, 2024
Tl;dr : le métro de 2030 est conçu avec des données trafic de 2001. Les hypothèses de fréquentation sont perpetuellement revues à la hausse (+50% !), le @GdParisExpress risque d'être sous-dimensionné. pic.twitter.com/b16B3DSVtq
The current popularity of the metro is also reflected in other modes of transport, as the RER A and B have, for instance, seen a similar increase in ridership, with a lovely 2.4% more passengers in 2024 compared to the previous year. The same goes for the T3 (+ 3.7%). We’re experiencing crowds similar to pre-COVID levels, which is prompting the RATP and IDFM to implement measures to boost service, as seen on lines 5, 9, and 12, where additional trains will be running on weekends starting in May.
