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* 1,970 878 1,092 565 527
2014* 1,970 861 1,109 579 529
2015* 1,983 853 1,130 597 533
2016* 2,014 876 1,137 599 539
2017* 2,033 878 1,156 615 541
2018* 2,035 885 1,151 619 531
2019* 2,043 901 1,142 621 521
2020* 1,942 874 1,068 585 482
2021* 2,022 891 1,131 616 515
2022* 2,021 876 1,145 637 508
2023* 1,900 824 1,076 595 481
Maritime transport 2013* 559 1 557 386 171
2014* 572 2 570 396 174
2015* 594 2 592 406 186
2016* 589 2 587 398 189
2017* 596 2 594 400 193
2018* 605 3 602 406 196
2019* 608 3 604 410 194
2020* 548 5 543 365 178
2021* 580 3 577 395 182
2022* 590 5 585 414 171
2023* 545 6 539 377 161
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
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
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 35 10 25
2018* 38 3 34 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
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
Pipeline transport cross-border 2013* 382 261 122 21 101
2014* 356 237 119 22 97
2015* 341 223 118 28 90
2016* 347 223 124 31 93
2017* 344 219 125 36 89
2018* 331 205 126 41 85
2019* 332 211 121 41 80
2020* 296 184 112 43 69
2021* 306 187 118 41 77
2022* 311 171 140 59 81
2023* 301 167 134 54 80
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 2023 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 2 October 2024 the provisional figures for 2023 are added and the figures from 2013 up to 2022 have been revised if aplicable for the seperate transport modes.

Changes as of 4 October 2024:
The provisional figures on pipeline transport for 2023 have been revised.

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).