Mobility Reports

In past reports we have shown repeatedly that the change in mobility during the pandemic affects local and long-distance traffic differently. Recently, there has been increased interest in traffic-by-distance, as actual and proposed policies like the “15-km rule” have targeted long-distance travel to limit the spread from COVID-19 hotspots to neighboring areas and beyond.

The last months of 2020 were an eventful time for mobility: The lockdown “light” in November was followed by a more strict lockdown in December. At the same time the holidays had a massive influence on mobility behavior - but in the same way as in previous years?

On 2 November, 2020, comprehensive mobility restrictions took effect in Germany. It is hoped that this “lockdown light” will help flatten the curve of COVID-19 cases. These restrictions have now been in effect for over one week.

We’ve improved the calculation of the mobility change: Until now, the mobility in 2020 was compared to March 2019. This worked well in spring, but especially in summer the seasonal changes in mobility patterns were not reflected well with this method.

In our first report from April 5th, we found a clear decline of mobility in Germany, leveling out at a level of around -39% less mobility compared to normal. Since then, many people started calling for a relaxation of the current mobility restrictions, as the number of new cases in Germany dropped.

Social distancing is on everyone’s mind, and when you go outside in Germany the streets surely feel emptier. But are people actually staying at home more than usual? Using digital data sources, we can measure how people move and if they have changed their behavior in recent weeks.