Hiking Statistics Updated November 2026

Human Written & Fact Checked · Updated

100 Netherlands Hiking and Walking Statistics for 2026

If you want to understand Dutch hiking, start by separating recreational walks from walking sport and everyday journeys on foot. The available studies describe these activities differently, and none should be treated as a complete census of mountain hikers.

This hub combines official participation data with original research on walking frequency, local environments and walker preferences. Population estimates remain separate from the walking association's mixed audience sample.

Headline figures

  • Walking sport or Nordic walking participation in 2024: 21.5%. (CBS, Oct 2026)
  • Women, walking sport or Nordic walking in 2024: 23.8%. (CBS, Oct 2026)
  • Poor or very poor health, walking sport or Nordic walking in 2024: 12.33%. (CBS, Oct 2026)
  • Recreational walking frequency, daily: 38% in 2024. (Mulier, Dec 2024)
  • Recreational walking frequency, never: 7% in 2024. (Mulier, Dec 2024)
  • Relaxation cited as a walking purpose: 73% of walkers in 2024. (Mulier, Dec 2024)
  • Home as a usual walk starting point: 88% of walkers in 2024. (Mulier, Dec 2024)
  • Parks or forests important for neighbourhood walking: 55% in 2024. (Mulier, Dec 2024)
  • Long-distance or performance walks undertaken at least occasionally: 35% of surveyed walkers in 2025. (KWbN / Markteffect, Jun 2025)
  • Forest as preferred walking setting: 42% of surveyed walkers in 2025. (KWbN / Markteffect, Jun 2025)
  • Car, usual access to the walk start: 47% in 2025. (KWbN / Markteffect, Jun 2025)
  • Relaxing or clearing the mind as a reason to walk: 66% of surveyed walkers in 2025. (KWbN / Markteffect, Jun 2025)

What do official Dutch walking statistics measure?

Walking sport, recreational walking and pedestrian travel are different measures. The official figures help establish scale, but they should not be relabelled as mountain-hiking participation.

How does walking sport compare with broader pedestrian activity?

  • Walking sport or Nordic walking participation in 2014: 16.5%. (CBS, Oct 2026)
  • Walking sport or Nordic walking participation in 2016: 14.7%. (CBS, Oct 2026)
  • Walking sport or Nordic walking participation in 2018: 19.7%. (CBS, Oct 2026)
  • Walking sport or Nordic walking participation in 2020: 23.6%. (CBS, Oct 2026)
  • Walking sport or Nordic walking participation in 2022: 20.8%. (CBS, Oct 2026)
  • All-purpose pedestrian trips: 3.0 per resident per week in 2019. (CBS, Jul 2024)
  • All-purpose pedestrian trips: 3.8 per resident per week in 2023. (CBS, Jul 2024)
  • Strolling/walking as the purpose: 35.73% of pedestrian trips in 2023. (CBS, Jul 2024)

The annual sport series combines walking sport with Nordic walking and counts any participation during the preceding year. The mobility observations instead count pedestrian trips across purposes. Their different units explain why neither can substitute for the other. The historical mobility baseline is retained for context, instead of presented as the latest national travel estimate. It does not count trail completions.

How do sex and household groups compare?

  • Men, walking sport or Nordic walking in 2024: 19.2%. (CBS, Oct 2026)
  • People living alone, walking sport or Nordic walking in 2024: 21.6%. (CBS, Oct 2026)
  • Members of couples without children, walking sport or Nordic walking in 2024: 27.6%. (CBS, Oct 2026)
  • Members of couples with children, walking sport or Nordic walking in 2024: 23.4%. (CBS, Oct 2026)
  • Single parents, walking sport or Nordic walking in 2024: 22.8%. (CBS, Oct 2026)
  • Children living at home, walking sport or Nordic walking in 2024: 11.8%. (CBS, Oct 2026)

The official survey reports higher walking-sport participation among women than men. Household-position results describe the individual's place in a household, not whole families. Children living at home differ in age from other groups, so comparisons do not isolate household structure. Each percentage uses its own population denominator. The table does not establish whether people walked together, joined a club or visited a particular destination. Group sizes differ, so averaging these percentages cannot reconstruct the national total. These are annual participation estimates, not measures of weekly activity or distance.

How does participation relate to self-reported health?

  • Good or very good health, walking sport or Nordic walking in 2014: 17.71%. (CBS, Oct 2026)
  • Neither good nor poor health, walking sport or Nordic walking in 2014: 14.22%. (CBS, Oct 2026)
  • Poor or very poor health, walking sport or Nordic walking in 2014: 3.87%. (CBS, Oct 2026)
  • Good or very good health, walking sport or Nordic walking in 2024: 22.80%. (CBS, Oct 2026)
  • Neither good nor poor health, walking sport or Nordic walking in 2024: 18.81%. (CBS, Oct 2026)

Reported walking-sport participation is higher in the healthier groups. The relationship is descriptive: these data do not establish whether walking changed health or health affected participation. The workbook's confidence intervals are retained in the inventory. Smaller health subgroups have wider uncertainty, so displayed precision should not imply certainty. The observations describe separate survey years, not a tracked cohort. They combine walking sport and Nordic walking and cannot be used as a hiking-specific treatment outcome. They describe participation differences with those limits attached.

How often do Dutch residents take recreational walks?

Frequency describes a habit, not a route length. Mulier's population study separates daily, weekly and less frequent walking, making it useful for understanding everyday participation without pretending every walk is a hike.

How are walking frequencies distributed?

  • Recreational walking frequency, weekly: 37% in 2024. (Mulier, Dec 2024)
  • Recreational walking frequency, monthly: 10% in 2024. (Mulier, Dec 2024)
  • Recreational walking frequency, less than monthly: 8% in 2024. (Mulier, Dec 2024)

Daily and weekly walking are separate response categories in this survey. The categories describe usual frequency over the preceding year, instead of a diary of every outing. A weekly respondent is therefore not counted again in the daily category. The figures should not be compared directly with a survey that asks whether someone walked at all during the previous week. The source distinguishes recreational walking from purposeful travel on foot, although its later questions explore motives that can overlap. Rounded category percentages need not reproduce an exact total in every subgroup. These observations do not identify walking intensity, terrain or the number of minutes spent outdoors; those would require separate questions.

How do daily walking rates vary by sex and age?

  • Men, daily recreational walking: 35% in 2024. (Mulier, Dec 2024)
  • Women, daily recreational walking: 39% in 2024. (Mulier, Dec 2024)
  • Ages 16–34, daily recreational walking: 36% in 2024. (Mulier, Dec 2024)
  • Ages 35–54, daily recreational walking: 36% in 2024. (Mulier, Dec 2024)
  • Ages 55–64, daily recreational walking: 41% in 2024. (Mulier, Dec 2024)
  • Ages 65–79, daily recreational walking: 37% in 2024. (Mulier, Dec 2024)

Daily walking rates vary across the reported demographic groups. These are within-group percentages, not the share of daily walkers belonging to each group. They cannot be matched directly to the different age coverage of the official sport survey. Nor do the results demonstrate that one age group walks farther or tackles more demanding routes. A short daily neighbourhood outing and a longer occasional countryside walk can fall into different frequency categories without establishing which contributes more total activity. The data describe frequency alone and do not assign a cause to the observed differences.

How do education and disability groups compare?

  • Lower education, daily recreational walking: 37% in 2024. (Mulier, Dec 2024)
  • Middle education, daily recreational walking: 36% in 2024. (Mulier, Dec 2024)
  • Higher education, daily recreational walking: 39% in 2024. (Mulier, Dec 2024)
  • Disability or chronic condition, daily recreational walking: 38% in 2024. (Mulier, Dec 2024)
  • No disability or chronic condition, daily recreational walking: 37% in 2024. (Mulier, Dec 2024)

The daily-walking percentages are similar across several of these groups, but a single frequency category does not describe their whole walking pattern. The source's stacked chart also shows less frequent participation and non-participation. Education categories follow the study's classification of highest completed education. Disability and chronic-condition status is self-reported and groups together people with different circumstances. These results do not measure whether particular routes are accessible or whether respondents receive support when walking. They also do not establish statistically significant differences merely because the displayed values differ. For accessibility planning, the figures are a starting point for more specific questions about barriers, destinations and the kinds of assistance people need.

What makes neighbourhood walking appealing?

Walking opportunities begin close to home. The population study links reported starting points with the features walkers value, while keeping preferences separate from evidence that a particular intervention changed behaviour.

Which purposes do walkers report?

  • More exercise cited as a walking purpose: 55% of walkers in 2024. (Mulier, Dec 2024)
  • Reaching a destination cited as a walking purpose: 41% of walkers in 2024. (Mulier, Dec 2024)
  • Walking the dog cited as a walking purpose: 21% of walkers in 2024. (Mulier, Dec 2024)
  • Sport cited as a walking purpose: 10% of walkers in 2024. (Mulier, Dec 2024)
  • Going to work cited as a walking purpose: 8% of walkers in 2024. (Mulier, Dec 2024)
  • Other purpose cited as a walking purpose: 3% of walkers in 2024. (Mulier, Dec 2024)

Relaxation is the most frequently cited purpose. Respondents could give several answers, so percentages overlap and should not be added into a distribution. Some answers involve destinations or work, illustrating that motives can span leisure and hands-on needs. The sport answer is a stated purpose instead of the official walking-sport participation measure. Mentioning exercise does not quantify intensity or prove a health benefit. These figures concern walkers, excluding non-walkers. That denominator counts when comparing them with the earlier population frequency estimates.

Where do walks usually begin?

  • Forest or recreation area as a usual walk starting point: 30% of walkers in 2024. (Mulier, Dec 2024)
  • Park as a usual walk starting point: 18% of walkers in 2024. (Mulier, Dec 2024)
  • City or shopping centre as a usual walk starting point: 17% of walkers in 2024. (Mulier, Dec 2024)
  • Other starting point as a usual walk starting point: 4% of walkers in 2024. (Mulier, Dec 2024)

Home is the dominant reported starting point, while other respondents also identify parks, forests or town centres. Because people can have several usual starting points, the answers are not exclusive shares of all walking trips. A walk beginning at home can reach a green area, while one beginning in a town centre can remain urban. These observations should not be read as visitor counts for parks or evidence of the transport mode used to reach a trailhead. The sample covers walkers and the percentages describe their answers to the question, instead of the share of national walking distance in each setting.

Which local features matter to walkers?

  • Little traffic important for neighbourhood walking: 35% in 2024. (Mulier, Dec 2024)
  • Attractive walking routes important for neighbourhood walking: 31% in 2024. (Mulier, Dec 2024)
  • Trees, flowers and shrubs important for neighbourhood walking: 28% in 2024. (Mulier, Dec 2024)
  • Safe walking routes important for neighbourhood walking: 26% in 2024. (Mulier, Dec 2024)
  • Water features important for neighbourhood walking: 18% in 2024. (Mulier, Dec 2024)
  • Enough destinations important for neighbourhood walking: 18% in 2024. (Mulier, Dec 2024)
  • Benches or rest places important for neighbourhood walking: 16% in 2024. (Mulier, Dec 2024)
  • Well-maintained public space important for neighbourhood walking: 15% in 2024. (Mulier, Dec 2024)
  • Attractive or varied buildings important for neighbourhood walking: 8% in 2024. (Mulier, Dec 2024)
  • Wheelchair-accessible routes important for neighbourhood walking: 3% in 2024. (Mulier, Dec 2024)

Green space leads the neighbourhood question. The chart specifies walkers as its base and permits several answers. Importance is not causal evidence. A less frequently chosen feature can still be essential for a subgroup, so overall ranking cannot determine accessibility needs.

Which routes and settings appeal to surveyed Dutch walkers?

The walking association's study offers detailed audience finding, but its recruitment counts. Its combined sample includes market-panel respondents and the association's own audience, so the results are preferences among surveyed walkers instead of population prevalence.

Which forms of walking do respondents undertake?

  • Short walks from home undertaken at least occasionally: 91% of surveyed walkers in 2025. (KWbN / Markteffect, Jun 2025)
  • Walking routes undertaken at least occasionally: 83% of surveyed walkers in 2025. (KWbN / Markteffect, Jun 2025)
  • Organised walks or events undertaken at least occasionally: 46% of surveyed walkers in 2025. (KWbN / Markteffect, Jun 2025)
  • Organised group or club walks undertaken at least occasionally: 15% of surveyed walkers in 2025. (KWbN / Markteffect, Jun 2025)

Short local walks and established routes are widely reported in this audience. The question asks which forms respondents undertake at least occasionally, so one person can appear in several categories. The results do not describe the percentage of all Dutch residents participating, because the sample was recruited among walkers. Nor does selecting a long-distance category establish how frequently someone completes such walks. The association's audience may be more engaged with organised walking than the general public, making the combined result especially unsuitable for estimating national event participation. It is useful for understanding the range of experiences represented in the study.

Which environments do surveyed walkers prefer?

  • Rural market as preferred walking setting: 17% of surveyed walkers in 2025. (KWbN / Markteffect, Jun 2025)
  • Mountains or hills as preferred walking setting: 14% of surveyed walkers in 2025. (KWbN / Markteffect, Jun 2025)
  • City as preferred walking setting: 5% of surveyed walkers in 2025. (KWbN / Markteffect, Jun 2025)
  • Beach as preferred walking setting: 5% of surveyed walkers in 2025. (KWbN / Markteffect, Jun 2025)
  • Dunes as preferred walking setting: 4% of surveyed walkers in 2025. (KWbN / Markteffect, Jun 2025)
  • Heathland as preferred walking setting: 4% of surveyed walkers in 2025. (KWbN / Markteffect, Jun 2025)
  • Estates or castles as preferred walking setting: 3% of surveyed walkers in 2025. (KWbN / Markteffect, Jun 2025)
  • Other place as preferred walking setting: 5% of surveyed walkers in 2025. (KWbN / Markteffect, Jun 2025)

Forests lead the preferred-setting question. Preference differs from actual trip frequency. Mountain or hill preferences can concern trips outside the Netherlands and are not domestic mountain-use estimates. These choices do not establish visitor totals. The other-location category remains.

How do respondents reach a walk's starting point?

  • Public transport, usual access to the walk start: 12% in 2025. (KWbN / Markteffect, Jun 2025)
  • Bicycle, usual access to the walk start: 11% in 2025. (KWbN / Markteffect, Jun 2025)
  • Scooter or motorcycle, usual access to the walk start: 0.6% in 2025. (KWbN / Markteffect, Jun 2025)
  • Shared transport, usual access to the walk start: 0.6% in 2025. (KWbN / Markteffect, Jun 2025)
  • Start directly from home, work or another location, usual access to the walk start: 27% in 2025. (KWbN / Markteffect, Jun 2025)

The car is the most frequently reported transport option in this question. The denominator is respondents who do more than short local walks, including people who start directly from an existing location. It is not restricted to respondents who use transport. Omitting the direct-start option would therefore misrepresent the base and exaggerate the transport shares. These answers cannot establish the carbon footprint of walking trips without distance and vehicle information, and they should not be applied to the whole Dutch population.

Why do surveyed walkers choose to walk?

Motives overlap. The association's research can explain what respondents value, but a stated desire to become healthier or relax is not proof of a measured clinical outcome.

How important are enjoyment, fitness and flexibility?

  • Enjoying nature or surroundings as a reason to walk: 77% of surveyed walkers in 2025. (KWbN / Markteffect, Jun 2025)
  • Enjoyment as a reason to walk: 73% of surveyed walkers in 2025. (KWbN / Markteffect, Jun 2025)
  • Becoming or staying fit as a reason to walk: 67% of surveyed walkers in 2025. (KWbN / Markteffect, Jun 2025)
  • Choosing when, how often and how far as a reason to walk: 60% of surveyed walkers in 2025. (KWbN / Markteffect, Jun 2025)
  • Improving general health as a reason to walk: 58% of surveyed walkers in 2025. (KWbN / Markteffect, Jun 2025)
  • Discovering new places as a reason to walk: 45% of surveyed walkers in 2025. (KWbN / Markteffect, Jun 2025)

Enjoyment and surroundings are prominent motivations in this sample. Respondents can select multiple reasons, so these are not competing segments. Fitness and health answers describe motivations, not measured improvements. Relaxation is likewise a reported reason instead of a clinical outcome. The combined sample includes the association's audience and cannot represent non-walkers.

Which performance and social motives appear?

  • Moving without performance pressure as a reason to walk: 45% of surveyed walkers in 2025. (KWbN / Markteffect, Jun 2025)
  • Flexibility and accessibility as a reason to walk: 44% of surveyed walkers in 2025. (KWbN / Markteffect, Jun 2025)
  • Difficult personal limits as a reason to walk: 25% of surveyed walkers in 2025. (KWbN / Markteffect, Jun 2025)
  • Being active with other people as a reason to walk: 24% of surveyed walkers in 2025. (KWbN / Markteffect, Jun 2025)
  • Training for distance or an event as a reason to walk: 23% of surveyed walkers in 2025. (KWbN / Markteffect, Jun 2025)
  • Walking dogs as a reason to walk: 16% of surveyed walkers in 2025. (KWbN / Markteffect, Jun 2025)

The survey includes low-pressure and performance-oriented motivations. Respondents can endorse both, depending on the outing. Event training differs from difficult personal limits, and social contact can accompany either. Dog walking is another possible reason instead of a separate participant population. These percentages measure stated motives, not registrations or completed training plans.

What other reasons do walkers mention?

  • Moving during work or breaks as a reason to walk: 15% of surveyed walkers in 2025. (KWbN / Markteffect, Jun 2025)
  • Getting the best from oneself as a reason to walk: 14% of surveyed walkers in 2025. (KWbN / Markteffect, Jun 2025)
  • Feeling one ought to exercise as a reason to walk: 7% of surveyed walkers in 2025. (KWbN / Markteffect, Jun 2025)
  • Rehabilitation as a reason to walk: 6% of surveyed walkers in 2025. (KWbN / Markteffect, Jun 2025)
  • Others nearby also walk as a reason to walk: 3% of surveyed walkers in 2025. (KWbN / Markteffect, Jun 2025)
  • Other reason as a reason to walk: 1% of surveyed walkers in 2025. (KWbN / Markteffect, Jun 2025)

Work breaks, rehabilitation and social influence are less common answers. Lower shares do not make them unimportant to respondents who selected them. Rehabilitation is a stated motive, not evidence of prescribed treatment or success. Feeling one ought to exercise can coexist with enjoyment. The unspecified other-reason category is preserved without inventing a new theme.

Glossary

Methodology and sources

Every figure on this page comes from the organisation that produced it: regulators, statistics offices, public bodies, research institutes, and companies reporting their own data or surveys. Each one links to the original report or dataset and carries its release date. Survey results keep their population and fieldwork period, and financial figures keep the measure the producer used. Figures from different producers are not added together or ranked against each other. The page is reviewed monthly and updated when a producer releases newer data.