Goods transport; modes and flows of transport to and from the Netherlands

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Transport modes Periods Total goods transport (x mln ton) Domestic goods transport (x mln ton) Cross-border goods transport Total (x mln ton) Cross-border goods transport Incoming goods transport (x mln ton) Cross-border goods transport Outgoing goods transport (x mln ton)
Total all transport modes 2013* 1,972 871 1,100 565 535
2014* 1,967 851 1,117 579 538
2015* 2,006 841 1,166 619 547
2016* 2,037 865 1,172 617 554
2017* 2,062 863 1,199 640 559
2018* 2,070 879 1,191 643 548
2019* 2,076 896 1,180 639 541
2020* 1,979 870 1,109 600 509
2021* 2,061 887 1,175 631 543
2022* 2,046 867 1,178 642 536
2023* 1,913 810 1,103 594 509
2024* 1,930 804 1,127 609 518
Maritime transport 2013* 559 1 557 386 171
2014* 572 2 570 396 174
2015* 622 3 619 429 191
2016* 616 3 612 417 196
2017* 631 4 628 427 201
2018* 639 5 634 432 203
2019* 643 5 638 434 205
2020* 587 5 583 385 197
2021* 622 3 619 416 203
2022* 630 5 626 435 191
2023* 583 6 577 397 180
2024* 577 6 571 392 179
Inland shipping 2013* 300 103 198 64 134
2014* 310 110 200 64 136
2015* 306 110 195 63 132
2016* 306 113 193 65 127
2017* 309 112 197 68 128
2018* 304 119 185 65 120
2019* 296 115 181 65 117
2020* 291 116 175 66 109
2021* 310 119 191 68 123
2022* 301 115 186 61 125
2023* 284 111 174 61 113
2024* 289 112 177 64 112
Road transport 2013* 690 510 181 86 95
2014* 692 509 183 88 96
2015* 701 514 187 90 97
2016* 730 536 194 94 101
2017* 745 542 204 99 105
2018* 756 555 201 96 105
2019* 767 568 199 95 103
2020* 770 567 203 101 102
2021* 785 578 207 101 106
2022* 777 582 195 92 103
2023* 729 534 194 92 103
2024* 746 542 205 98 107
Rail transport 2013* 37 3 34 8 26
2014* 38 3 35 9 26
2015* 40 3 37 9 27
2016* 40 3 37 10 27
2017* 38 3 36 10 25
2018* 38 3 35 10 25
2019* 38 3 35 9 26
2020* 36 3 33 9 23
2021* 39 3 36 10 26
2022* 41 3 38 10 27
2023* 36 2 34 10 24
2024* 35 3 32 10 22
Air transport 2013* 2 0 2 1 1
2014* 2 0 2 1 1
2015* 2 0 2 1 1
2016* 2 0 2 1 1
2017* 2 0 2 1 1
2018* 2 0 2 1 1
2019* 2 0 2 1 1
2020* 2 0 2 1 1
2021* 2 0 2 1 1
2022* 2 0 2 1 1
2023* 1 0 1 1 1
2024* 2 0 2 1 1
Pipeline transport cross-border 2013* 384 254 129 20 109
2014* 354 227 127 22 106
2015* 336 210 126 27 99
2016* 343 211 133 31 102
2017* 336 202 134 36 98
2018* 332 198 134 39 95
2019* 329 205 125 35 90
2020* 293 180 113 37 76
2021* 303 183 120 35 85
2022* 295 162 133 43 89
2023* 279 157 123 34 88
2024* 282 141 141 44 97
Source: CBS.
Explanation of symbols

Table explanation


This table contains figures on transported loading weight of domestic (national) and cross-border (international) goods transport (excluding transport via the Netherlands). Figures are available for all transport modes (maritime transport, inland shipping, road transport, rail transport, air transport and pipeline transport).

Data available from: 1998

Status of the figures:
All figures up to and including 2012 are definitive, except figures on inland navigation for the years 2007-2009. Data on 2013 up to and including 2024 are of a preliminary nature.

Since data were compiled based on various statistics, in which there may have been slight adjustments, the figures may show minor deviations from the results published previously.

Figures on goods transport on Dutch roads by foreign vehicles are based on Eurostat data. Figures over the 4th quarter of 2020 on foreign road transporters from the United Kingdom have been estimated based on the data over the first three quarters.

Figures on maritime transport up to and including 2010 are based on gross-gross weight. As of 2011, this is gross weight, i.e. excluding the tare weight of the transport unit (e.g. containers).

As of 3 April 2024 the figures on pipeline transport from 2013 onwards have been adjusted. A new observation and processing method on pipeline transport has started resulting in adjusted figures on cross-border pipeline transport from 2013 to 2022, and data on domestic pipeline transport has been added. For the years 1998 to 2012, international pipeline transport data is based on the old processing method and can only be used as an indication of the transport.

On 16 February 2026 the provisional figures for 2024 are added and the figures from 2013 up to 2023 have been revised if aplicable for the seperate transport modes.

When will new figures be published?
New figures will become available in the third quarter following the end of the previous calendar year.

Description topics

Total goods transport
The total transported loading weight in domestic and cross-border goods transport.

This concerns goods transport with both Dutch and foreign means of transport in relation to the Dutch territory with a loading or unloading place in the Netherlands.

This also includes domestic transport by foreign vehicles (cabotage by foreigners).
Cross-border goods transport does not include transport by Dutch vehicles that takes place entirely abroad (cabotage transport and cross-trade transport).

The loading weight of the transported goods is the gross-gross weight of goods:
The total weight of the goods carried, all packaging, and including the tare weight of the transport unit (e.g. (air) containers, swap bodies and pallets for containing goods, as well as road goods vehicles, wagons or barges carried on or in the vehicle, vessel or aircraft).
Domestic goods transport
Goods transport where both the place of loading and the place of unloading are in the Netherlands.

This also includes domestic transport by foreign vehicles (cabotage by foreigners).

The loading weight of the transported goods is the gross-gross weight of goods:
The total weight of the goods carried, all packaging, and including the tare weight of the transport unit (e.g. (air) containers, swap bodies and pallets for containing goods, as well as road goods vehicles, wagons or barges carried on or in the vehicle, vessel or aircraft).
Cross-border goods transport
Goods transport between the Netherlands and abroad, where either the place of loading or the place of unloading is outside the Netherlands.

Cross-border goods transport does not include transport by Dutch vehicles that takes place entirely abroad (cabotage transport and cross-trade transport).

The loading weight of the transported goods is the gross-gross weight of goods:
The total weight of the goods carried, all packaging, and including the tare weight of the transport unit (e.g. (air) containers, swap bodies and pallets for containing goods, as well as road goods vehicles, wagons or barges carried on or in the vehicle, vessel or aircraft).
Total
Goods transport between the Netherlands and abroad, where either the place of loading or the place of unloading is outside the Netherlands.

Cross-border goods transport does not include transport by Dutch vehicles that takes place entirely abroad (cabotage transport and cross-trade transport).

The loading weight of the transported goods is the gross-gross weight of goods:
The total weight of the goods carried, all packaging, and including the tare weight of the transport unit (e.g. (air) containers, swap bodies and pallets for containing goods, as well as road goods vehicles, wagons or barges carried on or in the vehicle, vessel or aircraft).
Incoming goods transport
International goods transport between a foreign place of loading and a Dutch place of unloading.

The loading weight of the transported goods is the gross-gross weight of goods:
The total weight of the goods carried, all packaging, and including the tare weight of the transport unit (e.g. (air) containers, swap bodies and pallets for containing goods, as well as road goods vehicles, wagons or barges carried on or in the vehicle, vessel or aircraft).
Outgoing goods transport
International goods transport between a Dutch place of loading and a foreign place of unloading.

The loading weight of the transported goods is the gross-gross weight of goods:
The total weight of the goods carried, all packaging, and including the tare weight of the transport unit (e.g. (air) containers, swap bodies and pallets for containing goods, as well as road goods vehicles, wagons or barges carried on or in the vehicle, vessel or aircraft).