Driving licences
Gender gap halves since mid-1970s
Full car driving licence holders: by sex, Great Britain
In 2006, 63 per cent of women and 81 per cent of men in Great Britain held a full car driving licence. This compares with 29 per cent of women and 69 per cent of men in the years 1975 and 1976.
The number of women holding a full car driving licence increased by two and a half times between 1975-76 and 2006, to 15.3 million. The number of men with a licence rose by over a third in the same period, to 18.4 million.
Men aged between 40 and 69 are the most likely to hold licences. Around 90 per cent did so in 2006. Women aged 17 to 20 and aged 70 and over were the least likely, with 31 per cent in both of these age groups holding a full car driving licence.
Growth in licence holding has slowed in recent years. In 1975-76, 48 per cent of British residents aged 17 and over held a licence. This grew to 57 per cent in 1985-86 and 69 per cent in 1995-97. By 2006 it had grown slightly to 72 per cent.
The proportion of young adults holding licences has fallen over the last decade. Half of men aged 17 to 20 held a licence in 1995-97, compared with 37 per cent in 2006. Among women aged 17 to 20, these proportions were 36 and 31 per cent respectively. Possible reasons for this decline include the costs of lessons, insurance and buying a car, the increase in the proportion who are students and the increasing difficulty of passing the driving test.
Source: National Travel Survey, Department for Transport
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National Travel Survey