Belgium ranks sixth most bike-friendly country in Europe

Denmark is the most bicycle-friendly country in the world, according to the second cycling barometer published by the European Cyclists' Federation (ECF). Out of 28 countries, Belgium ranks sixth, making it one of Europe’s most bike-friendly countries, after Denmark, the Netherlands, Sweden, Finland and Germany.

In the first edition of the cycling barometer, in 2013, Denmark tied for first place with the Netherlands, but this year Denmark holds first place on its own. The rankings take into account five factors: how widespread is the use of bicycles, bicycle safety, the number of bicycle tourists, the number of bikes sold annually and the number and size of interest groups for cyclists.

Several countries made huge strides since the last study two years ago, including Slovenia which rose considerably in the rankings from number 12 to 7, Luxembourg (19 to 13), Lithuania (20 to 15) and Spain (23 to 18). Romania, in last place, was deemed Europe’s least bike-friendly country, according to the barometer.

Overall, the northern and western European countries score well in terms of bicycle friendliness. "In the southern and eastern European countries, however, there is still plenty of room for improvement," says the ECF.