In 2021, more than 14 million people, in 44 major Chinese cities, had to spend more than an hour on their way to work, according to a report released recently by the China Academy of Urban Planning.

Shanghai's figure is worse than the national average, with 18 percent of residents' one-way commuting time exceeding 60 minutes on average last year.

Commuting time

Commuting distance

About half of the commuters in the 44 cities enjoyed "happy commuting distance," which was within 5 kilometers.

Yet the average commuting distance in megacities was 9.4km, with 8.7km in supercities, 7.8km in first-tier cities and 7.6km in second-tier cities.

Transportation

In 2021, 32 cities launched new subway or light-rail lines. Yet only 17 percent of commuters could find a subway station within 800 meters from their homes or offices.

Shanghai commuters

The average one-way commuting time in Shanghai decreased from 42 minutes in 2019 to 40 minutes in 2021. A typical young commuter in the city usually works in downtown but lives in the suburbs.