diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index d3e4a991..cdd3f5e9 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@ and this project adheres to [Semantic Versioning](https://semver.org/spec/v2.0.0
 ### Fixed
 
 - **internal** conda upload CI script.
+- **public** fix person attributes type conversion bug ([#263](https://github.com/arup-group/pam/issues/263))
 
 ### Added
 
diff --git a/pam/read/matsim.py b/pam/read/matsim.py
index 52e19ad2..c424468d 100644
--- a/pam/read/matsim.py
+++ b/pam/read/matsim.py
@@ -469,7 +469,7 @@ def get_attributes_from_person(elem):
         elif attribute_type == "java.lang.Integer":
             attributes[attribute_name] = int(attr.text)
         elif attribute_type == "java.lang.Double":
-            attributes[attribute_name] = float(attr)
+            attributes[attribute_name] = float(attr.text)
         elif attribute_type == "org.matsim.vehicles.PersonVehicles":
             attributes[attribute_name] = parse_veh_attribute(attr.text)
         # last try:
diff --git a/tests/test_03_read_matsim.py b/tests/test_03_read_matsim.py
index 17198fe7..cee8a7bc 100644
--- a/tests/test_03_read_matsim.py
+++ b/tests/test_03_read_matsim.py
@@ -210,3 +210,14 @@ def test_get_attributes_from_person():
     assert pid == "chris"
     assert attributes["hid"] == "A"
     assert attributes["vehicles"] == {"car": "chris"}
+
+
+def test_get_float_attribute_from_person():
+    text = """<person id="chris">
+        <attributes>
+            <attribute name="age" class="java.lang.Double">10.0</attribute>
+        </attributes>
+    </person>"""
+    elem = et.fromstring(text)
+    pid, attributes = get_attributes_from_person(elem)
+    assert isinstance(attributes["age"], float)