Most people in the Netherlands live within 5 km from a hospital facility

More than six in ten people in the Netherlands live within 5 km from a hospital. The Randstad region has the highest hospital density.

South Holland residents live nearest to hospitals

The average distance to the nearest hospital in the Netherlands is 5.3 km. The distance varies considerably per province. With more than 9 km, residents of Friesland have to cover the largest distance to reach the nearest hospital. For residents of South Holland the average distance to the nearest hospital is less than 4 km.

Average distance to nearest hospital, 2007

Most hospitals situated in Randstad region

Hospitals are not evenly spread across the Netherlands. Hospital density is high in the Randstad region. Many neighbourhoods are less than 5 km away from a hospital facility.

Residents of the Randstad region always live near a hospital and have the widest variety of hospitals to choose from. In many neighbourhoods of Delft, there are 25 or more hospitals within a radius of 20 km.

One in ten people in the Netherlands live in neighbourhoods with only one hospital within a distance of 20 km. These neighbourhoods are mainly found in the northern part of the Netherlands and in the provinces of Flevoland and Zeeland.

Number of hospitals within 20 km at neighbourhood level, 2007

People in the north of the Netherlands live furthest away from the nearest hospital

For one in every 25 people in the Netherlands the nearest hospital is situated at a distance of 15 km or more. People living in the south-western part of Friesland, the northern part of Groningen and four of the fives West Frisian Islands are more than 20 km away from the nearest hospital facility.

With 44 km, people living in the neighbourhood ‘Verspreide huizen Oosterend’ on the West Frisian Island of Terschelling have to travel the greatest distance to the nearest hospital. On the mainland, the greatest distance away from the nearest hospital is ‘Verspreide huizen Bakhuizen’ belonging to the Frisian municipality of Gaasterlân-Sleat.

Distance to hospital at neighbourhood level in metres, 2007

Ingeborg Deerenberg, Chantal Melser and Niek van Leeuwen