Michael Johansson
Researcher
The Sweden Ticket : An overview of the “German Ticket” and possibilities for a similar ticket in Sweden
Author
Summary, in Swedish
This paper examines the impact of Germany’s 9-Euro-Ticket and its
successor, the German Ticket (49 €), on public transportation usage,
environmental benefits, and social equity, while exploring the feasibility of
implementing a similar model in Sweden. The 9-Euro-Ticket, introduced in
2022 as a temporary measure to alleviate economic strain from rising energy
costs, significantly increased public transport ridership by 42%, reduced car
usage by 16%, and saved 4.2–6.5 million tons of CO₂ emissions. Despite its
success, the ticket disproportionately benefited higher-income groups and
urban areas, underscoring infrastructure gaps in rural regions. The transition
to the 49 € German Ticket maintained positive effects, with 14 million users
by 2024, demonstrating sustained demand.
Economically, the German Ticket generated a net benefit of at least 3 billion
euros for society. This includes savings from reduced car traffic (2.37–3.69
billion €), lower CO₂-related damages (1.3–2 billion €), and a subsidy effect
where users saved more than the state spent on compensation for transport
providers. Dynamic effects, such as 1.34 million users considering car
ownership unnecessary, further amplified long-term economic and
environmental gains.
For Sweden, Germany’s experience highlights the potential of affordable,
unified public transport tickets to boost sustainability and equity. Key
takeaways include the importance of stakeholder coordination, targeted
rural investments, and pilot projects to assess feasibility. The success of
Germany’s model suggests that similar initiatives could drive meaningful
change in Sweden’s transport sector.
successor, the German Ticket (49 €), on public transportation usage,
environmental benefits, and social equity, while exploring the feasibility of
implementing a similar model in Sweden. The 9-Euro-Ticket, introduced in
2022 as a temporary measure to alleviate economic strain from rising energy
costs, significantly increased public transport ridership by 42%, reduced car
usage by 16%, and saved 4.2–6.5 million tons of CO₂ emissions. Despite its
success, the ticket disproportionately benefited higher-income groups and
urban areas, underscoring infrastructure gaps in rural regions. The transition
to the 49 € German Ticket maintained positive effects, with 14 million users
by 2024, demonstrating sustained demand.
Economically, the German Ticket generated a net benefit of at least 3 billion
euros for society. This includes savings from reduced car traffic (2.37–3.69
billion €), lower CO₂-related damages (1.3–2 billion €), and a subsidy effect
where users saved more than the state spent on compensation for transport
providers. Dynamic effects, such as 1.34 million users considering car
ownership unnecessary, further amplified long-term economic and
environmental gains.
For Sweden, Germany’s experience highlights the potential of affordable,
unified public transport tickets to boost sustainability and equity. Key
takeaways include the importance of stakeholder coordination, targeted
rural investments, and pilot projects to assess feasibility. The success of
Germany’s model suggests that similar initiatives could drive meaningful
change in Sweden’s transport sector.
Department/s
- Department of Service Studies
Publishing year
2025-10-03
Language
English
Full text
- Available as PDF - 582 kB
- Download statistics
Document type
Report
Topic
- Political Science
- Environmental Studies in Social Sciences
Status
Published