An annual survey by the city of Amsterdam has revealed that a majority of residents in the Dutch capital think that the city centre is deteriorating.
Cleanliness, crowding and accessibility worry Amsterdam residents
In the 2025 survey conducted by the Dutch municipality in September last year, 6.000 residents, entrepreneurs and commuters who work in the city were asked to give their input on the development of Amsterdam’s city centre.
Based on the results shared by the municipality, respondents believe Amsterdam is deteriorating despite the municipality’s efforts to make the city more liveable and attractive. The main concerns among participants were cleanliness (51 percent), crowding (38 percent) and accessibility issues, mainly related to roadworks (35 percent). What’s more, 20 percent of people avoid the city centre due to these negative aspects.
On the other hand, 40 percent of participants still see the capital in a positive light, mainly visiting the city centre for catering establishments such as restaurants and bars, cultural activities at museums and shopping.
Majority of Dutch residents frustrated with overtourism
Almost two-thirds of residents feel that there are too many foreign tourists in the city, with 60 percent finding it annoyingly busy. 2023 saw 10 visitors to the city for every resident. In comparison, just one in four participants find it pleasantly busy.
When it comes to the Red Light District, six in 10 people would like to have more art and cultural institutions available, while over 60 percent are of the opinion that there should be fewer or even no coffee shops. Eight in 10 respondents also want the number of souvenir shops, mini markets and sex shops to be reduced or completely removed.
Earlier closing times possible in Amsterdam
As part of the city’s new catering policy to reduce nuisance and crowding, catering establishments in Amsterdam will have to start closing at least an hour earlier on weekends from the beginning of 2026. This and other measures put into place by the municipality to limit mass tourism have resulted in conflicting feelings.
While people who live in the city centre feel more positively about these measures, businesses do not. Especially when it comes to earlier closing times, more than half of entrepreneurs are not happy with the idea, while residents were generally more positive about the reform.