School children cycle to school in Africa (credit: World Bicycle Relief)

From road.cc

Earning more, eating better and environmentally resilient: the impact of the bicycle in the developing world shown in new study

A two-year study from the World Bicycle Relief charity showed significant returns on investment and the bike’s power as a “catalytic tool”…

by Callum Devereux

Wed, Dec 03, 2025 11:19

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The distribution of bicycles in Zambia, as part of a recent study, significantly enhanced the life outcomes of its participants.

The trial involved more than 1400 participants, including around 200 community health workers, and was held in Zambia’s rural Mumbwa District, west of the capital city of Lusaka. The study found that when adults gained access to bicycles –and were supported with trained mechanics and spare parts – the improvements were clear.

The two year randomised controlled trial began in 2023 and included Zambia’s most severe drought in decades. But the study showed that households with bicycles were found to have better food security and maintained higher incomes whereas households without bicycles experienced a marked drop in overall living standards.

As seen in the developed world, bicycle users were also found to rely significantly less on motorised transport and experienced productivity gains compared to those without.

Dave Neiswander, CEO of the World Bicycle Relief charity that distributed the bicycles and commissioned the study, said that the results showed the bicycle can be “a catalytic tool” which “gives people back their time, connects them to opportunity, and builds resilience that endures beyond crisis.”

Healthcare worker cycling in Africa (credit: Mana Meadows/World Bicycle Relief)

Nearly 70 percent of participants were women, with the study also examining social mobility and life satisfaction. After one year, women who received bicycles were found to have increased their life satisfaction by 11% compared to the control group who were not provided with bicycles, which WBR describe as “leading to greater self-esteem and decision-making power within households”.

After two years, women with bicycles were found to generate 43 percent more in monthly business revenue than women without.

Over the course of the study, WBR estimate that for every £1 invested in bicycle provision, it amounts to a return on investment of £14.70, measured not only in increased household incomes, but also higher rates of school attendance, and increased accessibility of healthcare.

IDinsight’s Junior Economist Kashif Ahmed, who produced the report on behalf of the WBR and analysed the findings, said “A nearly 15-to-1 return on investment places bicycles alongside the most impactful anti-poverty programs, delivering lasting social and economic benefits at a fraction of the cost.

“For policymakers and funders seeking scalable, evidence-based approaches, bicycles represent a proven, high-value solution.”

It’s not the first time that the bicycle has been seen as a key tool of social mobility, and the findings have also been echoed in the UK.

> Free bike schemes in deprived communities improve people’s health, wellbeing and social mobility, report shows

A Sport England-commissioned report last month found that the trial of distributing bikes for free in the most deprived areas of the country substantially improved people’s health, wellbeing and social mobility.

That study, endorsed by the Active Wellbeing Society, found an economic return of investment of £11.80 for every £1. Those trials also included “wraparound support” of bike lessons, maintenance and group rides free of charge.