16% of minor roads, 6% of B and C roads and 4% of A roads run by councils in England were in poor condition in 2025-26
Share of the length of roads run by councils that surveys found in poor condition, so that repairs should be considered, by type of road, England, 2007-08 to 2025-26. Per cent.
Latest figures
| Series | Period | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Minor roads (unclassified) | 2025-26 | 16% |
| B and C roads | 2025-26 | 6% |
| A roads | 2025-26 | 4% |
Notes
- Councils survey the surface of the roads they run each year, looking for cracks, ruts, worn texture and other damage, including potholes. A stretch of road in poor condition is one that should be considered for repair; it isn't a count of potholes, and not every stretch will need work once it has been inspected.
- Minor roads are unclassified roads: residential streets, country lanes and other roads without an A, B or C number. They make up most of the road network.
- A, B and C roads are surveyed by machines, mostly to one standard (SCANNER), and measured in 10-metre sections. Councils survey minor roads in different ways, so the Department for Transport says their figures aren't directly comparable with those for A, B and C roads.
- A roads here are those run by councils, including the few motorways they run. Motorways and major A roads run by National Highways are not included.
- Figures for England cover the councils that sent usable data each year, so they can change when different councils report. Derbyshire is left out from 2018-19, as it surveyed its roads differently from other councils. Fewer London boroughs reported from 2020 to 2022, after Transport for London stopped paying for their surveys: for minor roads, 12 to 15 of the 33. Figures are rounded to the nearest whole per cent, and earlier years can be revised.
- Years are financial years, April to March. The Department for Transport says 2025-26 is the last year on this measure: from April 2026 councils survey roads to a new standard (PAS 2161) with five categories of condition, which can't be compared with these figures.
Sources
- Department for Transport, Road condition statistics (RDC0121)
- Department for Transport, Road condition statistics (RDC0131)
More on transport
- 84.7% of passenger trains in Great Britain arrived within 5 or 10 minutes of the timetable in April to June 2026
- Passengers made 461 million rail journeys in Great Britain in April to June 2026
- Trains in Great Britain arrived on time at 68.1% of station stops in April to June 2026
- 4.1% of passenger trains planned in Great Britain were cancelled in April to June 2026, counting part cancellations as half
- After inflation, rail fares in Great Britain were 38% higher on average in 2026 than in 1995
- Motor vehicles were driven 342.6 billion miles on Great Britain's roads in 2025
- Traffic on England's motorways and major A roads averaged 56.7 mph in the year to June 2026