Country rankings

Bicycle Helmet Laws by Country

Cyprus has the highest Most Recent Change (2,022), followed by Philippines (2,021) and France (2,017). New Zealand has the lowest (1,993).

Law51 countries · 3 metricsUpdated Nov 6, 2023Original page
2 sources
Most Recent ChangeBetter directionWhether a higher or a lower value is better. A green arrow means higher is better, a red arrow means lower is better, and no arrow means neither.More in the glossary →
30 of 235 countries
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Most Recent Change

Darker means higher. Click a place to highlight it.

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All 30 ranked

Highest first.

Distribution Median and middle halfThe median is the middle value: half of places are above it, half below. The middle half is the range holding the central 50% of places.More in the glossary →

Each dot is one country; the lines mark the median and the middle half.

Median
2,010
Middle half 2,004 – 2,013
Average
2,009
30 countries
Highest
2,022
Cyprus
Lowest
1,993
New Zealand

Data

Click a column to sort, a row to highlight that place on the charts.

39 countries · # = rank by Most Recent Change
#
1CyprusAll2,022Mandatory for all riders.
2Philippines—2,021No requirement nationwide, but some cities such as Quezon City have helmet mandate laws, with non-compliance punishable with fines.
3France122,017Mandatory for children below 12 year old (passenger or driver), fines apply.
4Uruguay—2,015—
5Russia—2,014No requirement except for users of electric power-assisted bicycles with more than 250W engine or electric powered speed excess 25 km/h.
5Latvia122,014—
5Jersey132,014Failure to comply with the Law could result in a fine being issued.
8Portugal—2,013—
8TogoAll2,013Mandatory helmet policy was enacted by the National Assembly of Togo, since 1975 but the enforcement by the National Police only started in Jun 2013 upon enactment of a new road code.
10Costa RicaAll2,012—
11Israel182,011Starting from 2011, only applies under 18 years of age, in interurban ways and during sport events.
11Austria122,011—
11Croatia162,011Mandatory for children below 16 only if riding on a road.
11Estonia162,011—
15Mexico—2,010Mexico City repealed mandatory helmet laws in 2010.
15United Arab EmiratesAll2,010—
15Hungary—2,010Wearing a helmet increases the speed limit for bicycles outside populated areas from 40 km/h to 50 km/h.
18ChileAll2,009Mandatory in urban zones and suggested in rural zones.
19Japan132,008Article 63-11 of the Road Traffic Act requires that persons responsible for children under 13 must ensure that the children wear helmets. However, there is no penalty associated with this article.
20South Korea132,006—
20Czechia182,006—
23South AfricaAll2,004Compulsory for all cyclists but in practice the law is not enforced. No fine had been agreed.
23ArgentinaAll2,004Mandatory. Fines are collected by the provinces.
23Malta102,004Bicycles: Only under 10 year olds riding as passengers on an adult's bicycle are required to wear a helmet.
27Slovenia152,000—
29Brazil—1,997—
—AustraliaAll1990–92Compulsory for all ages in public spaces except for those older than 17 in the Northern Territory that are not using car carriageways (e.g: footpaths, cycle paths, trails).
22Sweden152,005No penalty for children cycling alone who do not obey the law. Also applies to Segway use.
26Finland—2,003Not required, but recommended.
28Iceland151,998Iceland has considered – but not pursued – extending its helmet law to adults.
30New ZealandAll1,993—
—United States——21 states and the District of Columbia have statewide mandatory helmet laws for children. 29 US states have no statewide law, and 13 of these states have no such laws in any lower-level jurisdiction either.
—SpainAll (interurban roads)——
—Canada——Laws vary by province and territory. Helmets are compulsory in British Columbia, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, and Prince Edward Island. Helmets are mandatory for cyclists under the age of 18 in Alberta, Manitoba, and Ontario. Helmets are not required …
—Hong Kong——In 2009, Transport Secretary announced that government had no intention of introducing mandatory helmet law, based partly on "international views that a mandatory requirement may lead to a reduction in cycling activities."
—SingaporeAll—Since 2018, all cyclists (power-assisted or not) must wear a helmet.
—Slovakia15—Only cyclists under 15 years of age (no fines apply).
—NamibiaAll——
—Isle of Man——Cyclists "should" wear helmets, but they are not compulsory.

What correlates with Most Recent Change?

Pearson r against 1,833 other country metrics sharing at least 18 countries. Ranks are read by standing: a better rank counts as higher, whether rank 1 is the best place on a list or the worst. Correlation is not causation.

Higher together

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  2. Male Cigarette SmokersSmoking Rates by Country
    r = +0.56 · strong · n = 29
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  3. Male Tobacco UsersSmoking Rates by Country
    r = +0.56 · strong · n = 29
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  4. Year of last caseCountries with Polio
    r = +0.53 · strong · n = 27
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  5. Popularity Rank In Play StoreTelegram Users by CountryA rank: rank 1 is the best
    r = +0.51 · strong · n = 24
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  6. External InterventionFailed States
    r = +0.51 · strong · n = 29
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Opposite directions

Places that have a higher Most Recent Change tend to score lower on these (or rank worse)

  1. Global Promiscuity Index (GPI) Total ScoreMost Promiscuous Countries
    r = −0.60 · strong · n = 18
    Plot
  2. O- Blood TypeBlood Type by Country
    r = −0.56 · strong · n = 27
    Plot
  3. GDI Male Expected SchoolGender Development Index by Country
    r = −0.55 · strong · n = 29
    Plot
  4. Nursing and Midwifery PersonnelDoctors per Capita by Country
    r = −0.53 · strong · n = 29
    Plot
  5. CPC RatesAdsense CPC Rates by Country
    r = −0.52 · strong · n = 27
    Plot
  6. Local Purchasing Power Index (Numbeo)Cost of Living by Country
    r = −0.51 · strong · n = 28
    Plot

Quick answers

Which country has the highest Most Recent Change?
Cyprus has the highest Most Recent Change, at 2,022, followed by Philippines (2,021) and France (2,017).
Which country has the lowest Most Recent Change?
New Zealand has the lowest Most Recent Change, at 1,993.
What is the median Most Recent Change across countries?
The median is 2,010 across the 30 countries with data.
Where does this bicycle helmet laws by country data come from?
Rankodex compiles it from World Population Review and the primary sources it cites: Bicycle helmet laws by country - Wiki; Bicycle helmets in the United States - Wiki.

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