Portugal overtakes Italy in bicycle production

Portugal was the largest manufacturer of bicycles in the European Union in 2019, overtaking the usual top contender, Italy.

According to Eurostat, which made a comparison between the production of EU member states, around 2.7 million bicycles were produced in Portugal in 2019, overtaking Italy for the first time, which is normally Europe’s major producer and made 2.1 million.
In previous years, Portugal was always the second major producer of bicycles in the European Union.
In 2012 Portugal produced 1.1 million bicycles, last year saw an increase on 2012 of 138% — a difference of around 1.5 million bikes.
Compared to 2018, when 1.9 million bikes were manufactured, Portugal upped production in just one year by 730,000 bikes.
Gil Nadais, the President of ABIMOTA (National Association of Two-Wheel Industries, Hardware, Furniture and the like) said the sale numbers are “proof of the qualitative international market response from Portugal where in recent years Portugal has produced bicycles with increasing value added.”
The association president mentions that in 2019, “The exports turnover was over €400 million”. Of this amount more than 10% refers to electric bikes, worth €52 million. If between 2017 and 2019 the turnover of exports of this type of bicycles went from €19 million to €52 million, the expansion does not mean people are abandoning traditional bikes.
“Unlike other countries, where the production of conventional bikes has fallen, in Portugal it actually increased by 3%.”
The five major European producers secured 70% of European bicycle production in 2019. With a total production number of 11.4 million, bicycle production numbers have grown annually: 5% and 10% on 2018 and 2014, respectively.
However, the production turnover in 2019 was 17% below peak production registered in 2015.