Cycling can create over 76 thousand jobs and save 10 thousand lives a year in major European cities.

That's the finding of a new report released by the World Heath Organisation and the UN Commission for Europe.

The publication says cities should emulate Copenhagen - where 26 percent of all city trips are taken by bicycle.

By contrast - only 3 per cent of trips taken in Ireland are taken by bike.

A report last week found that in Dublin, four percent of those commuting into the city travel by bike - but the numbers have been increasing steadily - by 86 percent since 2006.