NatGeo Surveys Countries' Transit Use: Guess Who Comes In Last

Americans are far less likely to use public transportation than residents of other countries, according to the National Geographic Society's 2009 Greendex report. Only five percent of Americans surveyed report daily use of public transportation, and only seven percent report taking public transportation at least once a week. 61 percent of Americans report that they never use public transportation.

Internationally, 25 percent of respondents in the 17-nation survey report using public transportation daily, and 41 percent report using it at least once a week. Even Canadians are more than twice as likely to report weekly or more transit usage than Americans; Germans are almost five times more likely to use transit at least weekly, and Russians are over ten times more likely.

Americans were also the least likely of those surveyed to report walking or biking to destinations "often." Overall, 51 percent of the survey respondents reported regular walking or cycling, while only 26 percent of Americans did. 71 percent of Germans report regular walking or cycling, as do 68 percent of Brazilians and 58 percent of Japanese.

Greendex surveyed over 17,000 consumers for indicia of "progress toward environmentally sustainable consumption." Parameters measured included "energy use and conservation, transportation choices, food sources, the relative use of green products versus traditional products, attitudes towards the environment and sustainability, and knowledge of environmental issues."

For more cool graphs, links to the study, and such, go here.