Coventry city centre footfall down 55 per cent compared to pre-pandemic

[dutchman]

City metrics monthly report shows a huge drop when February 2025 is compared to the same period six years ago



A report from Coventry City Council shows city centre footfall is dramatically lower now than it was pre-pandemic. Data from the council's Insight team and its City Metrics Monthly Report shows that footfall in town during February 2025 was just under 55 percent lower than the same month in 2019.

Covid-19 and subsequent lockdowns naturally had an impact on our shopping and socialising habits, and while the reports indicates footfall is increasing year on year, the rise is only small and levels are still much lower than they were. We've approached Coventry City Council for a comment on the data.

The report states: "The post-pandemic recovery showed clear improvement up to the summer of 2023; it has fluctuated since then although February 2025 footfall is still notably higher than two years previously (+12.9%).

"The fact that monthly footfall is ‘up year on year’, and has been for a few months, indicates possible improving trends despite recent seasonal falls.

"However, a key insight remains: Footfall is notably lower than pre-pandemic levels. In February 2025 it was 54.7% lower than the level in February 2019. The pre-pandemic gap is not currently closing significantly."

The report also states: To understand longer trends, the year on year percentage change indicates improvement, February 2025 total footfall being 3.3% higher than it was in February 2024.

"To get a fuller understanding, these headline visitor figures should be combined with dwell data. Lower total visitor numbers doesn't necessarily lead to lower ‘busyness’ in the city centre if visitors spend longer periods in the city centre."