Walking facts

Dutch people are walking more frequently and longer distances

Between 2010 and 2017, walking increased by 4.1% among Dutch people. This is a key finding from the brochure ‘Walking Facts’ of the Netherlands Institute for Transport Policy Analysis (KiM). In particular, Dutch people are walking more frequently and longer distances for leisure purposes. The growth in walking for leisure purposes is much stronger for women than for men (1.75 times). The growth in walking is mainly due to people over 50 years old. For children up to 12 years and adults between 30 and 50 years old, there is a small decrease in walking.

Large differences between cities
In South Limburg and the Randstad, the share of walking for inner-city trips is significantly higher than in the east of the Netherlands. Although there is relatively much walking in the Randstad, the average walking distance in the Randstad is much shorter compared to the rest of the Netherlands. This is partly due to differences in trip motives. Relatively speaking, the less urban areas are, the more people walk for leisure and the less they walk for shopping, with leisure activities being more than twice as far as shopping activities.

Overview of walking facts
After the brochure ‘Cycling Facts’ published in 2018, KiM now presents the brochure ‘Walking Facts’. The brochure provides an overview of current knowledge and trends regarding walking. Nearly 18% of all trips are travelled on foot. Children and young adults account for a large proportion of walking trips. However, the trend shows that walking among children somewhat decreased in recent years. Walking is good for health and the environment. Pedestrians do appear to be a vulnerable group in traffic.