What is the National Household Travel Survey (NHTS)?
The National Household Travel Survey (NHTS), commissioned by the National Transport Authority (NTA), is a study of travel habits across the Republic of Ireland. The NHTS is carried out as per the NTA’s legislation outlined in Sections 11, 72, and 73 of the Dublin Transport Authority Act 2008.
The NHTS achieves Goal 8 – Action 69 of the Government of Ireland’s National Sustainable Mobility Policy.
The purpose of the survey is to:
- Gather travel information statistics to support the NTA’s transport planning role;
- Provide essential up to date travel data for regional transport models;
- Facilitate the development of additional transport modelling tools, and;
- Support the continuous monitoring and research on travel and transport patterns.
In total 4,000 households throughout the Republic of Ireland will participate in the survey between September and early December 2025.
Who is Collecting the Data?
The NTA has commissioned Ipsos B&A to conduct the 2025 NHTS. Ipsos B&A is an independent research agency.
How Was My Household Selected?
Households are selected at random from the general population. Random selection is achieved through random digit dialling of mobile and landline phone numbers. All numbers called are randomly generated. At the time of calling, no information is known about the individual or household being contacted.
What Information Will I Be Asked to Give?
The research is conducted among households across the Republic of Ireland, using both a Household Questionnaire and two-day Travel Diaries.
The Household Questionnaire
Your survey pack includes a Household Questionnaire and two-day Travel Diaries. Each must be completed during the survey period.
The Household Questionnaire collects information including:
- The composition of your household, including the age and sex of each household member
- The type of house you live in
- Vehicle and bicycle ownership
- Household income
- The occupation of the Chief Income Earner in your household
- Access to local services
- Internet connectivity
Each member of the household is also asked to complete a two-day Travel Diary, recording information for each trip taken including:
- Trip origin and destination
- Purpose of trip
- Length of time taken and distance
- Mode of transport
- Travelled alone or with others
Do children need to complete a Travel Diary?
Yes, children aged four years or older are asked to complete a Travel Diary. If a child in your household is aged four years or older but is too young to fill out their own travel diary, a responsible adult in the household can complete it for them.
What Will Be Involved If I Take Part?
- A survey pack is sent to each participating home by post. Each pack contains one Household Questionnaire and one or more Travel Diaries – one for each member of your household aged four or older.
- One nominated person in the household completes the Household Questionnaire.
- The Travel Diaries will show the exact two dates for which trip information is required. A Travel Diary is completed by each person in the household (aged four or older).
- Once both the questionnaire and diaries are completed, they are posted back to Ipsos B&A in the pre-paid and pre-addressed envelope provided.
What If I Decide Not to Take Part?
There is no obligation on anyone to agree to take part, and you can decline to do so. Participants are also entitled to refuse to answer any questions they do not want to answer.
The NTA would encourage participants to be thorough in completing the forms as it greatly improves survey quality.
What Will Happen to The Information I Give?
Ipsos B&A and the NTA value and protect the information you provide, and the NHTS research is being conducted in compliance with GDPR.
Ipsos B&A is a member of the Market Research Society. As such, the company abides by the Market Research Society Code of Conduct and associated regulations and guidelines.
Your personal data will be kept confidential. The paper surveys used to collect data from your household for this study will be securely stored by Ipsos B&A and will be destroyed once the information provided by you has been transferred to the Ipsos B&A’s servers.
The NTA publishes grouped anonymous data in the form of the annual NHTS reports.
Security Precautions
Security precautions will be in place to protect your personal data, including appropriate physical security of offices and controlled and limited access to computer systems. Your personal information is securely encrypted while being transferred to the servers and while being retained on the servers.
Privacy Notice
A copy of the NTA NHTS 2025 – Privacy Notice is available.
Further Analysis & Secondary Research
The NTA may share the anonymised NHTS data with research partners, transport project consultants, and personnel from other institutions and organisations for further analysis and/or secondary research.
If I Have Any Questions or Problems, Who Can I Contact?
If you have any questions regarding this research, you can contact Ipsos B&A on 01 4389000 or by email at aisling.corcoran@ipsos.com.
Alternatively, you can contact the National Transport Authority on 01 879 8300 or by email at info@nationaltransport.ie.
