Dutch residents rate their mobility 8.1 out of 10

In October 2025, the Netherlands Institute for Transport Policy Analysis (KiM) published the briefing How do residents of the Netherlands view mobility and accessibility?

Using the Netherlands Mobility Panel (MPN), KiM examined how Dutch residents experience their mobility and accessibility. The findings show a positive average picture: Dutch residents give their mobility a score of 8.1 out of 10. However, the figures reveal that this satisfaction is not universal, and that affordability, availability and personal security remain important concerns.

Background and context

The Netherlands faces major mobility challenges. Population growth, housing demand and the climate and energy transitions influence how people travel. At the same time, the need for a well-functioning, affordable mobility system is growing, especially in regions where access to work, amenities and education is difficult.

The survey aimed to understand how residents experience their own accessibility and which issues they consider important or problematic, looking beyond infrastructure to travellers' own experiences.

Research method

The research used the Netherlands Mobility Panel (MPN), with 2,189 respondents taking part between 8 and 18 August 2025. The sample is representative by gender, age, education, household composition and degree of urbanisation. Data from ODiN 2024 was also used to measure perceived accessibility of specific destinations.

A largely positive picture

Dutch residents are generally satisfied with their travel options and accessibility:

• Average score: 8.1 out of 10.
• 89% rate access to their desired activities as good.
• 85% can undertake all their desired activities.
• Only 4.5% rate their own mobility at 5 or lower.

According to KiM, this fits a trend in which most people feel their everyday mobility suits their lifestyle. A minority, however, faces persistent barriers.

One in nine Dutch residents sometimes struggles to reach important destinations

The analysis shows that 11.5% of Dutch residents sometimes struggle to reach an important destination, such as work, school, a hospital, their GP or a supermarket. Including social and leisure activities such as visiting family or playing sport increases this figure to 18.5% of the population.

The main causes are:

• Public transport is inconvenient or difficult (mentioned by 34% of those facing problems).
• No transport of their own (31%).
• Journey times are too long (16%).
• Health problems (11%).

Problems are relatively more common among people on low incomes, those with lower educational attainment, people of non-Dutch origin and those in fair or poor health.

Regional differences

Residents of highly urbanised areas more often report difficulty reaching some destinations than those in less urbanised areas, with the exception of hospitals.

KiM links this to differences between perceived and actual accessibility, social factors such as income, and residential self-selection. People with limited mobility sometimes specifically choose urban locations.

Differences between population groups

Overall satisfaction conceals clear differences:

• Women rate their mobility slightly lower than men.
• People aged 65 and over more often give lower accessibility scores.
• Low-income households, people without work or receiving social assistance, and those with health problems face restrictions significantly more often.

KiM concludes that personal circumstances such as finances, health and digital skills strongly shape people's experience of mobility.

Personal and societal problems

What people experience as a personal problem differs from what they consider important for society.

Personal:

• Aggression on the road (31%)
• Public transport costs (25%)
• Car costs (24%)
• Parking costs (20%)
• Traffic congestion (19%)

Societal:

• Public transport costs (61%)
• Aggression on public transport (58%)
• Aggression on the road (49–50%)
• Traffic congestion (43%)
• Car costs (41%)

Dutch residents therefore tend to see car-related problems as affecting them personally, while public transport problems are more often considered societal issues. This relates to the fact that almost 70% of the distance travelled in the Netherlands is covered by car.

Affordability

The research shows that costs are a major issue both personally and for society.

Specifically:

• One in eleven Dutch residents spends more on transport than they can afford.
• 10% cut other expenditure to be able to travel.
• 16%–20% find travelling by bus, tram, metro or train difficult because of the cost.
• 61% consider public transport costs a major or very major societal problem.

In addition:

• 8% of car owners can barely afford their car costs.
• 11% have to reduce other expenditure to keep using their car.
• 31% consider electric driving financially out of reach.
• Among adults without a car, 40% cite cost as the main reason.

We previously wrote about this issue:
Affordable mobility under pressure – findings from KiM and Nibud research

Personal security

Around four in ten Dutch residents say they sometimes feel personally unsafe while travelling. This occurs across all transport modes, but is strongest among regular public transport users:

• 60% of them feel unsafe sometimes or more often.
• In absolute numbers, drivers (37%), cyclists (35%) and pedestrians (34%) experience this most frequently, simply because these groups are larger.

KiM emphasises that this is not always connected to actual incidents, but often to feelings of vulnerability or unsafe behaviour by others.

Attitudes towards transport modes

Most Dutch residents view their transport modes positively:

• Car, bicycle and walking: more than 80% are positive or very positive.
• Train: 41% positive or very positive.
• Bus, tram or metro: 36% positive or very positive.

Notably, almost one in five Dutch residents has a negative view of public transport. Attitudes towards cars and bicycles, by contrast, are almost unanimously positive.

International travel

Cost is the main difficulty mentioned in relation to international travel.

According to KiM:

• 28% cite air ticket costs as a personal problem,
• 25% cite international rail ticket costs,
• 22% cite aviation emissions,
• 19% cite the availability of international rail connections.

From a societal perspective, more than a third of Dutch residents consider aviation emissions a major or very major problem.
In addition, 26% consider international rail tickets too expensive and 23% say the same about air tickets.

Among Dutch residents who flew in the past year, a smaller share cites aviation emissions as a concern.

Mobility alongside other societal issues

Dutch residents rarely see mobility as the country's greatest problem.
Only 3% name traffic and transport among the three most important societal problems.

By comparison:

• 56% mention the housing market,
• 34% immigration and integration,
• 28% health and care,
• 19% norms and values.

However, KiM stresses that good mobility is a prerequisite for full participation in precisely these other areas, including work, care and housing.

Policy implications

KiM emphasises that people's experience of mobility does not replace objective data, but provides an important guide for policy. Journey time and emissions figures indicate system performance, but say little about how people experience mobility. Considering perceived accessibility, affordability and safety alongside these figures helps policy respond better to residents' everyday lives.

The research shows that Dutch residents are generally satisfied with their mobility, but the average score of 8.1 conceals a nuanced picture. The mobility system works well for the majority, while a substantial minority faces high costs, limited access or feelings of insecurity.

The report identifies public transport costs, personal security and access to transport as persistent concerns.

The KiM study makes clear that high satisfaction does not mean mobility can be taken for granted by everyone. A future-proof mobility approach therefore requires continued attention to affordability, inclusion and people's experiences. These are precisely the issues that will shape mobility in the Netherlands in the coming years.

Read the full KiM study:
How do residents of the Netherlands view mobility and accessibility?