Brisbane Has The Worst Traffic In Australia

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Commuting is an unfortunate fact of life for many of us, especially with Brisbane’s population and rent prices on the rise. So much so, that for the first time, Brisbane is in the top 15 most congested cities in the world, according to a report by leading traffic research group INRIX.

The report calculates that the average Brisbanite commuter spent 81 hours — the equivalent of two full work weeks! — stuck in traffic last year, the most in all of Australia. Melbourne is a distant second place in our country, at number 23 globally.

As bad as this is, it is a slight improvement over last year, when Brisbane had cracked the top 10. Last year, the average speed during peak traffic hours was as low as 34km/h, and this year rose to 37 km/h. However, the last kilometre speed into downtown during the morning commute only improved from 27km/h last year to 29km/h in 2025.

With the 2032 Olympics on the horizon, coming up with ways to reduce traffic has taken on new importance, and solutions such as the new metro, which began its services earlier this year, and improving bus stops and bike lane connectivity may prove crucial.

Top 15 most congested cities in the world

1. Istanbul, Türkiye — 118 hours spent in traffic (+12% from last year)
2. Mexico City, Mexico — 108 hours spent in traffic (+11% from last year)
3. Chicago, USA — 112 hours spent in traffic (+10% from last year)
4. New York City, USA — 102 hours spent in traffic (no change from last year)
5. Philadelphia, USA— 101 hours spent in traffic (+31% from last year)
6. Cape Town, South Africa— 96 hours spent in traffic (+2% from last year)
7. London, UK— 91 hours spent in traffic (-10% from last year)
8. Paris, France — 90 hours spent in traffic (-7% from last year)
9. Jakarta, Indonesia — 83 hours spent in traffic (-7% from last year)
10. Los Angeles, USA — 87 hours spent in traffic (-1% from last year)
11. Dublin, Ireland — 95 hours spent in traffic (+17% from last year)
12. Boston, USA — 83 hours spent in traffic (+5% from last year)
13. Bangkok, Thailand — 76 hours spent in traffic (+3% from last year)
14. Brisbane, Australia — 81 hours spent in traffic (-4% from last year)
15. Miami, USA — 75 hours spent in traffic (+1% from last year)

What do you think? Is it all that bad?