Netherlands Transport

Transport in the Netherlands

Mobility on Dutch roads has grown continuously since the 1950s and now exceeds 200 billion km travelled per year, three quarters of which are done by car. Around half of all trips in the Netherlands are made by car, 25% by bicycle, 20% walking, and 5% by public transport.

Road Transport In The Netherlands

The Netherlands has one of the densest road networks in the world. The Netherlands has a relatively high uptake of electric vehicles, as the government implemented ambitious policy on both charging infrastructure and tax benefits. As of 2019, the Netherlands hosts approximately 30% of all recharging stations in the European Union. Moreover, newly sold cars in the Netherlands have on average the lowest CO2 emissions in the EU.

Public Transport In The Netherlands

About 13% of all distance is travelled by public transport, the majority of which is by train. The Dutch rail network of 3,013 km route is also rather dense. The network is mostly focused on passenger rail services and connects all major cities, with over 400 stations. Trains are frequent, with two trains per hour on lesser lines, two to four trains per hour on average, and up to eight trains an hour on the busiest lines. The Dutch national train network includes the HSL-Zuid, a high-speed line between the Amsterdam Metropolitan area and the Belgian border for trains running from Paris and London, to the Netherlands.

Cycling In The Netherlands

Cycling is a ubiquitous mode of transport. Almost as many kilometres are covered by bicycle as by train. The Dutch are estimated to have at least 18 million bicycles, which makes more than one per capita, and twice as many as the circa 9 million motor vehicles on the road. In 2013, the European Cyclists' Federation ranked the Netherlands and Denmark as the most bike-friendly countries in Europe. Cycling infrastructure is extensive. Busy roads have received some 35,000 km of dedicated cycle tracks, physically segregated from motorised traffic. Busy junctions are often equipped with bicycle-specific traffic lights. There are large bicycle parking facilities, particularly in city centres and train stations.

Water Transport In The Netherlands

The Port of Rotterdam is the largest port in Europe and the largest port outside East Asia, with the rivers Meuse and Rhine providing excellent access to the hinterland upstream. As of 2022, Rotterdam was the world's tenth largest container port. The port's main activities are petrochemical industries and general cargo handling and transshipment. The harbour functions as an important transit point for bulk materials and between the European continent and overseas. The Volkeraksluizen between Rotterdam and Antwerp are the biggest sluices for inland navigation in terms of tonnage. In 2007, the Betuweroute, a new fast freight railway from Rotterdam to Germany, was completed. Amsterdam is Europe's 4th largest port. The inland shipping fleet of the Netherlands is the largest in Europe. Passenger boats in the Netherlands includes a ferry network in Amsterdam, and waterbusses and taxis in Rotterdam.

Air Transport In The Netherlands

Schiphol Airport, just southwest of Amsterdam, is the main international airport in the Netherlands, and the third busiest airport in Europe by number of passengers. Schiphol is the main hub for KLM, the nation's flag carrier and the world's oldest airline. In 2016, the Royal Schiphol Group airports handled 70 million passengers. All air traffic is international and Schiphol Airport is connected to over 300 destinations worldwide, more than any other European airport. The airport is a major freight hub as well, processing 1.44 million tonnes of cargo in 2020. Smaller international airports are located in or near Eindhoven, Rotterdam, Maastricht and Groningen. Air transport is of vital significance for the Caribbean part of the Netherlands, with all islands having their own airport. This includes the shortest runway in the world on Saba.

The Netherlands Overview

The Netherlands Sovereign State: Kingdom of the Netherlands
The Netherlands Before Independence: Spanish Netherlands
The Netherlands Act of Abjuration: 26 July 1581
The Netherlands Peace of Münster: 30 January 1648
United Kingdom of the Netherlands 16 March 1815
The Netherlands Liberation Day: 5 May 1945
The Netherlands Kingdom Charter: 15 December 1954
The Netherlands Caribbean Reorganisation: 10 October 2010
The Netherlands Capital and Largest City: Amsterdam
The Netherlands Coordinates: 52°22′N 4°53′E
The Netherlands Government Seat: The Hague
The Netherlands Official Languages: Dutch
The Netherlands Regional Languages:
West Frisian, English
The Netherlands Recognised Languages:
Dutch Low Saxon, Dutch Sign Language, Limburgish, Sinte Romani, Yiddish
The Netherlands Ethnic Groups (2022):
74.0% Dutch
8.4% other Europeans
2.4% Turkish
2.4% Moroccan
2.1% Indonesians
2.1% Surinamese
1.1% Dutch Caribbean
7.6% other
The Netherlands Religion (2023):
58% no religion
30% Christianity
6% Islam
6% other
The Netherlands Demonym(s): Dutch
The Netherlands Government: Unitary parliamentary constitutional monarchy
The Netherlands Monarch: Willem-Alexander
The Netherlands Prime Minister: Dick Schoof
The Netherlands Legislature: States General
The Netherlands Upper House: Senate
The Netherlands Lower House: House of Representatives
European Parliament
The Netherlands Constituency: 31 seats
Area Total: 41,865 km2 (16,164 sq mi) (134th)
The Netherlands Water (%): 18.41
The Netherlands Highest Elevation (Mount Scenery): 887 m (2,910 ft)
The Netherlands Population: Neutral Increase: 18,195,000 (69th)
(2011 census): 16,655,799
The Netherlands Density: 520/km2 (1,346.8/sq mi) (33rd)
The Netherlands GDP (PPP): Increase $1.329 trillion (28th)
The Netherlands Per Capita: Increase $74,158 (11th)
GDP (nominal) 2024 Estimate Total: Increase $1.143 trillion (17th)
The Netherlands Per capita Increase $63,750 (11th)
The Netherlands Currency:
Euro (€) (EUR) United States dollar (US$) (USD)
The Netherlands Time Zone:
UTC+01:00 (CET)UTC−04:00 (AST)
Summer (DST)
UTC+02:00 (CEST)UTC−04:00 (AST)
The Netherlands Driving Side: right
The Netherlands Calling Code: +31, +599
The Netherlands Internet TLD: .nl, .bq