Overview
- TomTom’s 2025 Traffic Index identifies the greater Berlin area as the worst for delays, with average trips about 40% slower than free flow, followed by Essen and Hamburg at roughly 39%.
- Peak-period losses were substantial, including about 144 hours in Hamburg, roughly 131 hours in Leipzig, and around 116 hours in both Munich and Dresden.
- Year-over-year congestion rose in most cities, with Berlin up seven percentage points and Bremen up about nine, while Kiel and Bochum were among the few to improve.
- Local infrastructure shocks amplified pressures in some places, with Dresden’s higher delays linked to detours after the Carolabrücke collapse in 2024.
- Rankings differ by measurement area, as Nürnberg leads the inner-city delay list ahead of Hamburg and Leipzig, while Berlin ranks seventh in the downtown metric.