SDG 9.1 Infrastructure and mobility
The first part of SDG 9 is about the facilities used to transport people (infrastructure) and how they are used (mobility). Mobility enables people to work, maintain social connections and enjoy their leisure time. Mobility also increases time lost due to traffic congestion, reduces road safety and puts pressure on the environment.
- The investments required for infrastructure maintenance and improvement are decreasing.
- The proportion of the population frequently experiencing parking issues or nuisance from speeding and/or aggressive behaviour from other road users is no longer increasing.
- Passenger cars are becoming cleaner and more sustainable.
Dashboard and indicators
Resources and opportunities
in EU
in 2022
Use
Outcomes
in EU
in 2022
in EU
in 2023
Subjective assessment
| Theme | Indicator | Value | Trend | Position in EU | Position in EU ranking |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Resources and opportunities | Gross fixed capital formation in infrastructure | 2.0% of gross domestic product in 2024 | decreasing (decrease well-being) | ||
| Resources and opportunities | Household spending on transport | 12.4% of total household consumption expenditure (current prices) in 2023 | 15th out of 27 in 2022 | Middle ranking | |
| Resources and opportunities | Car availability | 62.1% is licenced to drive, and a passenger car available in the household in 2023 | increasing (increase well-being) | ||
| Resources and opportunities | Electric cars | 17.5% of the total number of cars at the end of 2024 | increasing (increase well-being) | ||
| Use | Recreational trips | 37.8% of trips in 2023 | increasing (increase well-being) | ||
| Use | Emission-free traffic passenger cars | 7.1% of total kilometers travelled by Dutch passenger cars in 2023 | increasing (increase well-being) | ||
| Use | Travelling by passenger car | 8,086 passenger kilometres per person on average in 2023 | |||
| Use | Travelling by public transport | 1,491 passenger kilometres per person by train, tram, bus or metro on average in 2023 | |||
| Use | Travelling by bicycle | 1,065 kilometres per person on average in 2023 | |||
| Outcomes | Time lost due to traffic congestion and delays | 3.46 vehicle hours lost per capita in 2023 | |||
| Outcomes | Traffic deaths | 3.8 per 100,000 of the population in 2023 | 8th out of 27 in 2022 | Middle ranking | |
| Outcomes | CO2-emissions by passenger transport vehicles in The Netherlands | 910.2 kg per capita in 2023 | decreasing (increase well-being) | ||
| Outcomes | CO2-emissions by commercial vehicles in The Netherlands | 603.8 kg per capita in 2023 | |||
| Outcomes | Particulate matter emissions mobile sources (PM10) | 0.45 kilos per person in 2023 | decreasing (increase well-being) | ||
| Outcomes | CO2 emissions by national air carriers A) | 589.9 kg per capita in 2024 | 23rd out of 27 in 2023 | Low ranking | |
| Subjective assessment | Perceived traffic nuisance | 31.6% of the population experience a lot of nuisance in 2023 |
Colour codes and notes to the dashboards in the Monitor of Well-being
Infrastructure facilitates mobility. People can travel by air, car, public transport, bike, or on foot.
Resources and opportunities refers to the resources available for infrastructure maintenance and development, and the opportunities this offers for the mobility of people and goods. In 2024, investment in civil engineering, which is necessary to maintain and improve infrastructure, stood at 2.0 percent of GDP. This figure is trending downwards after peaking at 2.7 percent in 2011.
More than half of the population aged 6 or over are able to travel by car. In 2023, 62.1 percent of the population had a driving licence and access to at least one passenger car in the household. Emissions from road traffic are decreasing. At the end of 2024, 17.5 percent of cars were powered mainly by electricity, and this figure is growing. Electric cars are more economical and cleaner than conventional cars. One disadvantage is that these vehicles require rare metals such as lithium and cobalt to produce, and these metals are not always mined under safe and acceptable working conditions.
Use refers to the extent to which people travel by different means of transport. Many of the time series for this metric are relatively short, and the measures taken during the coronavirus pandemic had a substantial impact on traffic. While these measures were in place, there was relatively little air, rail and road traffic. The Netherlands’ position compared to other EU countries is difficult to determine for the indicators in this dashboard because there are few internationally comparable data sources.
The number of passenger-kilometres travelled by car (as a driver or passenger) or public transport has been increasing since 2021, but remains below pre-pandemic levels. Most passenger-kilometres are travelled by car: in 2023, this figure was 8,086 kilometres per person. That same year, the average person travelled 1,065 passenger-kilometres by bicycle (including electric bicycles). Public transport (train, bus, metro and tram) accounted for 1,491 passenger-kilometres per person.
The share of kilometres driven in emission-free cars in the total number of kilometres driven by Dutch passenger cars is growing. In 2015, only 0.1 percent of vehicle kilometres driven by Dutch passenger cars were driven by electric and hydrogen-powered passenger cars. This share subsequently increased to 2.2 percent in 2020 and 7.1 percent in 2023. Fully electric passenger cars and hydrogen-fuelled cars are considered emission-free because there are no emissions from the exhaust. They do produce small amounts of particulate matter due to tyre wear, but not from fuel combustion.
Mobility enables people to enjoy their leisure time. In 2023, 37.8 percent of all trips were leisure-related, and this figure is rising. The remaining 62.2 percent of journeys were accounted for by work commutes, travel for other business or occupational activities, and grocery shopping and other shopping trips. The number of journeys to workplaces away from home is still lower than before the pandemic.
Outcomes refers to traffic and transport impacts. Particulate emissions from mobile sources (means of transport and combustion-engine mobile machinery) are falling. PM10 particles can enter the upper respiratory tract, raising the risk of respiratory diseases and, with prolonged exposure, acute heart attacks, strokes and diabetes.
CO2 emissions from passenger vehicles (passenger cars, buses, motorcycles and mopeds) are also falling. CO2 emissions from commercial vehicles increased almost continuously until last year, but declined in the most recent year. In 2023, passenger traffic caused 910.2 kilograms of CO2 emissions per inhabitant, while commercial vehicles were responsible for 603.8 kilograms. In 2024, national air carriers emitted 589.9 kilograms of CO2 per inhabitant. Dutch airlines have relatively high per capita CO2 emissions compared to national carriers in other EU countries.
Subjective assessment refers to how much disruption people experience as a result of traffic. In 2023, 31.6 percent of the population reported experiencing high levels of disruption from parking issues (incorrectly parked vehicles and insufficient spaces), speeding and/or aggressive behaviour from other road users. These levels have now stabilised, after trending upwards for some time.