More than half of the employees in the Netherlands commute to work

According to figures from Statistics Netherlands (CBS), working in the Netherlands entails taking some form of transportation, as only four out of ten employees live and work in the same municipality.

Daily migration

Daily evacuation is a part of everyday life for almost two thirds of municipalities, as more than 70 percent of inhabitants in paid employment cross the municipal border to journey to their job. The municipality of Onderbanken in the southeast of the Netherlands is an extreme case, with more than 90 percent of residents working outside of Onderbanken.

Least travel in the Netherlands

Those living in areas close to the border of the Netherlands and in large Dutch cities comprise the group with the least travelling distance from their home to their place of employment.

Of the 393 municipalities in 2015 (in 2017 this number has fallen to 388), 28 had more than 50 percent of their citizens, in salaried employment, living and working in the same district.

Average commute

In 2015 the average distance between an employee’s place of employment and home was 22,6 kilometres. However, 38 percent did not have to travel outside of their municipality, as both their job and home were situated in the same borough.

Not that far

Jobs in the Netherlands don’t necessarily mean a long commute. Citizens of the Randstad and Noord-Brabant tend to live closer to their jobs, the region of Twente being the exception to the rule.

Those living in the municipalities of Amsterdam, Westland, Aalsmeer, Amstelveen, Ouder-Amstel, Bunschoten and Edam-Volendam can boast an average commute of 15 kilometres.

For more figures visit the report by CBS.