Statistics Explained

Inland transport infrastructure at regional level


Data extracted in June 2023.

Planned article update: 21 June 2024.

Highlights

Between 2011 and 2021, one Romanian region and several Spanish regions had the largest expansion of motorways in the EU.

In 2021, nearly the entire rail network of Luxembourg was electrified; lowest electrification registered in the Baltic States.

Out of the 10 EU regions with the highest inland waterway network density, 8 are located in the Netherlands.



This article presents recent data on the inland transport network of the European Union (EU), EFTA and candidate countries: motorways, railways and inland waterways. The evolution of the transport network is closely linked to the general development of the economy. This is particularly true for goods transport and, to a lesser extent, for passenger transport.


Full article

The densest motorway networks are located around capitals and key economic hubs

The EU has one of the densest transport networks in the world. This reflects a number of factors, including population density and transport demand. Transport demand is particularly high in urban and other densely populated areas, industrial areas and main seaports. The highest motorway densities are found in regions of Germany and the Netherlands as well as in the capital region of Hungary and Austria (see Table 1).

Table showing motorway density as kilometres of motorways per thousand square kilometres in the 20 NUTS 2 regions of the EU Member States, EFTA and candidate countries with the highest density for the year 2021.
Table 1: Motorway density, the 20 regions with the highest density, 2021 (EU, EFTA and candidate countries)
(km of motorways per 1 000 km2)
Source: Eurostat (tran_r_net)

Linking the length of motorways to the area of the regions gives a good picture of the motorway infrastructure and density within the EU (see Map 1). The highest motorway densities are found around European capitals and other big cities, in large industrial conurbations and around major seaports.

Most European capitals and large cities are surrounded by a ring of motorways in order to meet the high demand for road transport in metropolitan areas. Dense motorway networks can be found in regions around capitals: Budapest (120 km/1 000 km2), Wien (109 km/1 000 km2), Madrid (96 km/1 000 km2), Praha (92 km/1 000 km2), and Berlin (86 km/1 000 km2). Region sizes vary across the EU with some capitals being designated as NUTS 2 regions themselves, such as Wien, whereas other capitals are parts of a larger NUTS 2 region, such as Paris being part of the Île-de-France region. As a consequence, small capital regions might have higher motorway densities compared with larger regions that include a capital. For example, the motorway density of the small Wien region is higher than the density of the large Île-de-France region, even though Paris has a larger motorway network than Wien. Other densely populated regions with high motorway density include the Randstad area (an arc-shaped conurbation including the Netherlands' four largest cities and their suburbs) in the western part of the Netherlands (Utrecht: 132 km/1 000 km2 and Zuid-Holland: 125 km/1 000 km2), which is of high economic importance.

High motorway densities are also found around major seaports of northern Europe: the motorway densities of the NUTS 2 regions of Bremen (169 km/1 000 km2) with the port of Bremerhaven, of Zuid-Holland with the port of Rotterdam (125 km/1 000 km2) and of Hamburg (107 km/1 000 km2) are among the highest of all European regions.

Another reason for the high density of the motorway network in some central Europe countries (such as Germany) is the proportionately high volume of transit freight traffic. The density of motorways on islands is generally low, as islands cannot be reached directly by road. Instead, they rely on sea or air transport. Even so, the motorway density of the region of Canarias appears relatively high at 37 km/1 000 km2.

Map showing motorway density by regions in the EU Member States and surrounding countries. Each country is labelled based on the range of kilometres of motorways per thousand square kilometres for the year 2021.
Map 1: Motorway density, by regions, 2021
(km of motorways per 1 000 km2)
Source: Eurostat (tran_r_net)

In terms of motorway expansion, between 2011 and 2021 the most significant expansion took place in certain regions of Spain: extensive motorway segments (between around 150 and 240 kilometers) were built in the south and north of Spain, reflecting still the results of Spain's ambitious road building programme that started in the 1990s. Romanian, Polish, Slovakian, Czech and, Bulgarian regions also show significant network expansions (see Figure 1).

Horizontal bar chart showing motorway expansion between the years 2011 and 2021 as kilometres of motorways in the 15 regions of the EU Member States, EFTA and candidate countries with the highest expansion.
Figure 1: Motorway expansion between 2011 and 2021, the 15 regions with the highest expansion (EU, EFTA and candidate countries)
(km of motorways)
Source: Eurostat (tran_r_net)

In more detail, the most significant motorway expansion between 2011 and 2021 took place in the Turkish region of Istanbul (357 km), followed by the Romanian region Vest (253 km). Three Spanish regions are then listed: the region Castilla y León in north-western Spain (238 km), the region of Andalucia (234 km) in Spain's south and the north-eastern region Cataluña (204 km). Galicia also appears on the top-15 list (see Figure 1). The noticeable increases in many regions of eastern EU Member States (notably Poland, Slovakia, Czechia, Romania) can be explained by the very limited motorway networks in these regions at the beginning of the century and the considerable investments that followed, often (co-)financed by the European Regional Development Fund and Cohesion Fund. Apart from the aforementioned region of Istanbul, the candidate country Türkiye is listed in the Top-15 with four other regions, with expansions ranging between 195 km (Kirikkale, Aksaray, Nigde, Nevsehir, Kirsehir) and 142 km (Izmir).

Highest railway line density often in capital regions and around transport hubs

Railway line density is especially high in the regions of Germany, Czechia, Hungary, the Netherlands and Poland (see Map 2). Unsurprisingly, the highest rail density ratios are often observed in capital regions, such as Berlin, Île-de-France (which includes Paris), Praha, Budapest and Bucuresti-Ilfov where network nodes have developed. Regional rail density is also driven by the presence of economic activities such as heavy industries or seaport infrastructures.

The density of railway lines is high in western and central parts of Europe and lower in the peripheral areas. The highest network densities, above 300 km/1 000 km2, can be found in three regions in Germany, one in Czechia and one in Hungary, followed by 27 other regions in Czechia, Poland, Germany, Romania, France, Croatia, the Netherlands, Slovakia, Luxembourg and Hungary (above 100 km/1 000 km2).

Looking at individual regions, the densest railway networks are observed in two capital regions: Berlin (736 km/1 000 km2) and Budapest (502 km/1 000 km2). These regions are followed by Praha (437 km/1 000 km2), Hamburg (420 km/1 000 km2) and Bremen (361 km/1 000 km2). Hamburg and Bremen are two smaller NUTS 2 regions where extensive freight lines to and from seaports contribute to a high density.

Freight transport railway lines also play a leading role in several regions where coal and steel industries have long remained predominant, such as the Saarland region in western Germany (134 km/1 000 km2 and Śląskie in southern Poland (154 km/1 000 km2).

Map showing the railway line density by regions in the EU Member States and surrounding countries. Each country is labelled based on the range of kilometres of railway lines per thousand kilometres for the year 2021.
Map 2: Railway line density, by regions, 2021
(km of railway lines per 1 000 km2)
Source: Eurostat (tran_r_net)

Focusing on railway infrastructure at country level, there are significant differences among countries with respect to the share of the network that is electrified. Luxembourg (97 %), Sweden (75 %), the Netherlands and Bulgaria (74 %), Italy (72 % - in 2020) and Austria and Portugal (71 %) registered the highest shares, while Ireland, and the Baltic States are the only EU Member States where less than 20 % of the network is electrified.

Horizontal bar chart showing share of electrified lines in total railway network length as percentages for individual EU Member States, Liechtenstein, Norway, North Macedonia, Albania, Serbia and Türkiye for the year 2021.
Figure 2: Share of electrified lines in total railway network length, 2021
(%)
Source: Eurostat (tran_r_net)

Very high density of inland waterways in the Netherlands

Inland waterway transport concerns mainly goods transport. This network is unequally spread over the EU, with some regions completely lacking navigable inland waterways and others having a very long waterway system, such as the regions of the Netherlands. In the Netherlands, while the Rhine delta constitutes a natural feature for inland navigation, for most regions man-made canals constitute the main share of navigable inland waterways. There is only a single Dutch region (Gelderland) where rivers and lakes constitute the majority of inland waterways.

A very high density of more than 200 km/1 000 km2 is observed in seven regions of the Netherlands: Zeeland (285), Zuid-Holland (281), Flevoland and Noord-Holland (both 248), Utrecht (238), Friesland (NL) (227) and Groningen (213) (see Table 2). The lowest density in the Netherlands was registered in the Drenthe region (64 km/1 000 km2), which still ranked 16th amongst all regions for which data are available. A part of this dense inland waterway network plays a strategic role for freight transport between both the ports of Rotterdam (located in the Zuid-Holland region) and Amsterdam (Noord-Holland) and regions in Germany and Belgium.

Table showing inland waterway density in navigable canals, rivers and lakes as kilometres of inland waterways per thousand square kilometres in the 20 NUTS 2 regions of the EU Member States, EFTA and candidate countries with the highest density for the year 2021.
Table 2: Inland waterway density (navigable canals, rivers and lakes), the 20 regions with the highest density, 2021
(km of inland waterways per 1 000 km2)
Source: Eurostat (tran_r_net) and (reg_area3)

Three of the top 20 regions with the highest density belong to Germany: Berlin (190 km/1 000 km2 - essentially composed of canals) and Bremen (145 km/1 000 km2 - entirely composed of rivers) and Hamburg (70 km/1 000 km2 - essentially composed of rivers).

Other regions with a dense inland waterway network are found in Czechia (Praha: 65 km/1 000 km2), Hungary (Budapest: 57 km/1 000 km2, Közép-Dunántúl: 49 km/1 000 km2) and France (Nord-Pas-de-Calais: 54 km/1 000 km2, Île de France: 53 km/1 000 km2). The network in most French regions is a mix between rivers and canals, except for Champagne-Ardenne, Picardie, Haute-Normandie, Basse-Normandie, Centre (FR), Midi-Pyrénées and Auvergne, where canals take a 100 % share, in contrast to Poitou-Charentes where the inland waterways are entirely composed of rivers.

Table showing inland waterway density in navigable canals, rivers and lakes as kilometres of inland waterways per thousand square kilometres by NUTS 2 region of the EU Member States, EFTA and candidate countries for the year 2021.
Table 3: Inland waterway density (navigable canals, rivers and lakes), by region, 2021
(km of inland waterways per 1 000 km2)
Source: Eurostat (tran_r_net) and (reg_area3)


Source data for tables and graphs

Data sources

Eurostat collects regional statistics on the infrastructure of road, railways and inland waterways, as well as vehicle stocks and road accidents. The data are provided on a voluntary basis by the EU Member States, some candidate countries and EFTA countries. The data are collected at NUTS 0, NUTS 1 and NUTS 2 levels.

Density calculation : the reference area for the calculation of motorway and railway line density is the land area of the regions (e.g. excluding lakes and rivers): this is the area where such infrastructure can be built; the reference area for the calculation of inland waterway density is the total area of the regions (e.g. area including lakes and rivers).

Rankings in figures and tables: as the data collection is performed on a voluntary basis, data are not available for some countries; consequently, the rankings presented are based on the available data and they should be analysed with caution.

Country coverage:

  • Motorways: 2021 data on the length of the motorway network are not available for Denmark, Greece, Italy and Portugal. In certain cases, 2020 or 2019 data have been used, as mentioned in the footnotes. A certain number of countries do not feature a motorway network: Malta, Latvia, Iceland and Liechtenstein.
  • Railways: 2021 data on the length of the railway network are not available for Belgium, Denmark, Germany Italy and Switzerland. In certain cases, 2020 or 2019 data have been used instead, as mentioned in the footnotes. A certain number of countries do not feature a rail network: Cyprus, Malta and Iceland.
  • Inland waterways: 2021 data on the length of the network (navigable rivers and lakes, navigable canals) is not available for: Belgium, Denmark, Ireland, Spain, Cyprus, Latvia, Malta, Portugal, Slovenia, Sweden, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, Albania, North Macedonia and Türkiye. Most countries do not have navigable inland waterways at all; others may have a network, but it does not meet the minimum requirements in terms of minimum carrying capacity according to the 1992 UNECE/ECMT Classification of European Inland Waterways, canals, navigable rivers.

Country-specific notes:

  • Estonia: data on motorways refer to 1st class roads.
  • Italy: data for motorways and railway lines declared for Provincia Autonoma di Bolzano/Bozen (ITH1) include the network for the Provincia Autonoma di Trento (ITH2). For the purpose of the maps, the total area of the two regions has been considered and the density figures have been equally spread between these two regions.
  • Serbia has reported transport infrastructure data for the year 2021. The network density indicators could however not be calculated as the area information (land area for motorways and rail, total area for inland waterways) was not available at the time of publishing.

Regional breakdown

The Nomenclature of Territorial Units for Statistics (NUTS) was established by Eurostat around 50 years ago in order to provide a single uniform breakdown of territorial units for the production of regional statistics for the Community. Since then, it has been updated regularly. Five smaller EU Member States (Estonia, Cyprus, Latvia, Luxembourg and Malta) are not sub-divided into NUTS regions. Very similar to the EU-specific NUTS classification, a statistical regions breakdown also exists for the EFTA countries and the candidate countries. Here too, the smaller countries Liechtenstein, Iceland and North Macedonia are not sub-divided into regions.

Context

Efficient transport services and infrastructure are vital to exploiting the economic strengths of all regions of the European Union, to supporting the internal market and growth, and enabling economic and social cohesion. They also influence trade competitiveness, as the availability, price, and quality of transport services have strong implications on production processes and the choice of trading partners.

Transport investments enable economic growth and job creation. Investing in transport infrastructure, particularly in railways and inland waterway navigation, also contributes to the decarbonisation of transport. The sector currently accounts for a quarter of the EU's greenhouse gas emissions, of which 70 % comes from road transport (see: Transport emissions).

Transport, however, faces a wide range of challenges across the EU: underinvestment, lack of suitable financing solutions, continuous growth of urban populations, and various regulatory and administrative barriers. The European Commission is addressing these issues, paving the way for the competitive and sustainable EU transport system of tomorrow. The Strategy for Sustainable and Smart Mobility sets the actions needed in each transport mode for delivering on the European Green Deal, enabling in this way smoother connectivity and a more resilient Single European Transport Area. Efficient connectivity for all EU citizens is a critical aspect of social inclusion and an important determinant of well-being. It stimulates economic growth, territorial cohesion and helps reduce our impact to the environment. Transport is the only economic sector in which greenhouse gas emissions are higher than in 1990, despite the mitigation efforts undertaken. The European Green Deal has therefore set the key objective to deliver a 90 % reduction in transport-related greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.

Building missing links at borders between EU Member States and along key European routes, as well as removing bottlenecks or interconnecting transport modes in terminals, is vital for the Single Market and for connecting Europe with external markets and trade partners. The smooth functioning of the European network requires integration and interconnection of all modes of transport.

The adaptation of infrastructure to new mobility patterns and the deployment of infrastructure for clean energy sources pose additional challenges that require new investments and a different approach to the design of networks.

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Multimodal data (tran)
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