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 is a burden on the environment.

• The number of electric cars is increasing, and a growing proportion of the kilometres travelled in passenger cars is covered by zero-emission vehicles.
• Time lost due to traffic jams and delays has risen sharply.
• Emissions of particulate matter from mobile sources are decreasing. 

Dashboard and indicators

Colour codes and notes to the dashboards in the Monitor of Well-being

Infrastructure facilitates mobility. People can travel by car, public transport or bike, on foot or by air.

Resources and opportunities refer to the resources available for infrastructure construction and maintenance, and the effect this has on the mobility of people and goods. In 2025, investment in civil engineering stood at 2.2 percent of GDP. This investment is necessary to maintain and improve infrastructure. Investment had been falling for a number of years, but has remained stable in recent years, with the exception of 2021 and 2022.

More than half of the population aged 6 or over live in households with the ability to travel by car. In 2024, 61.9 percent of the population had a driving licence and access to at least one car in the household. An increasing proportion of these vehicles are electric. At the end of 2025, 21.5 percent of cars were powered mainly by electricity. The Netherlands is one of the leaders in the use of electric vehicles within the EU (3rd out of 27 in 2024). Electric cars are more energy efficient and cleaner than conventional cars. However, they also require rare metals such as lithium and cobalt to manufacture, and those metals are not always mined under safe and acceptable working conditions. In addition, vehicles powered by electricity do emit some particulate matter from tyre and road surface wear, but not due to combustion within the engine.

Use describes to the extent to which people travel using different means of transport. Many of the time series for use are relatively short. Additionally, the measures taken during the coronavirus pandemic had a significant impact on traffic. The Netherlands’ position compared to other EU countries is difficult to determine for the indicators in this dashboard, because there are few data sources available for international comparison.

The number of passenger-kilometres travelled by car (including both drivers and passengers) and public transport have both been increasing since 2020, but remain below pre-pandemic levels. Most passenger-kilometres are travelled by car (including both drivers and passengers): in 2024, this figure was 8,146 kilometres per person. In the same year, the average person travelled 1,111 passenger-kilometres by bicycle (including electric bicycles) and 1,522 kilometres by public transport (train, bus, metro and tram)

The share of the total number of kilometres driven by Dutch passenger cars accounted for by emission-free cars is growing rapidly. In 2015 (the first measurement year), only 0.1 percent of vehicle kilometres driven by Dutch passenger cars were completed in electric and hydrogen-powered passenger cars. Over the following years, this share increased to 9 percent by 2024. Fully electric cars and hydrogen-fuelled cars are considered emission-free because there are no emissions from the exhaust. However, as stated, there are emissions of particulate matter.

Mobility enables people to enjoy their leisure time. In 2024, 38 percent of all trips were leisure-related. The trend is rising, but the level has been stable since 2021. The remaining journeys were accounted for by work commutes, grocery shopping and other shopping trips, and travel for other business or occupational activities.

Outcomes concern traffic and transport impacts. Particulate emissions from mobile sources (means of transport and mobile machinery with combustion engines) have been falling for decades. At 0.46 kilograms per capita, 2024 saw the lowest level since these emissions have been measured. PM10 particles can enter the upper respiratory tract, increasing the risk of respiratory diseases and, with prolonged exposure, acute heart attacks, strokes and diabetes.

Time lost as a result of traffic congestion and delays also increased from 2023 to 2024 (by 4.4 percent) to 5.63 vehicle hours lost per capita. This was primarily due to heavy traffic at peak times, but there was also a slight increase in the number of queues caused by roadworks.

CO₂ emissions from passenger vehicles (cars, buses, motorcycles and mopeds) are approximately 15 percent lower than before the coronavirus pandemic. CO₂ emissions from commercial vehicles have remained stable in recent years. The most recent data (from 2023 to 2024) shows that emissions from passenger and commercial vehicles have fallen. In 2024, passenger vehicles caused 905.2 kilograms of CO₂ emissions per capita, while commercial vehicles were responsible for 599.7 kilograms of CO₂ per capita. In 2025, national air carriers emitted 614.5 kilograms of CO₂ per capita. These emissions have increased every year since the coronavirus pandemic. Dutch airlines have relatively high per capita CO₂ emissions compared to national carriers in other EU countries (23rd out of 27 countries).

In 2024, there were 3.8 road traffic fatalities per 100 thousand inhabitants. That is relatively few compared to other EU countries (4th out of 16 countries). In the period from 2000 to 2025, the number of road traffic fatalities fell by more than 40 percent. In 2000, the majority of road traffic fatalities were aged below 30, while in 2024 the majority were aged 80 or older. No trend is discernible in the medium term (2018-2025).

Subjective assessment concerns the adverse effects that people experience as a result of traffic. In 2025, 32.6 percent of the population reported experiencing significant adverse effects from problems with parking (incorrectly parked vehicles and insufficient spaces), speeding and/or aggressive behaviour from other road users. The extent of adverse effects experienced has remained stable in the medium term, but increased by one percentage point between 2023 and 2025.