Cycling facts & figures related to Amsterdam
So cycling is a big thing in the city of Amsterdam. In fact, it’s the transportation of choice for many inhabitants of the city. The city is well adapted to these amounts of people riding their bikes. For a better understanding of this concept we’ve highlighted some staggering facts concerning biking in Amsterdam;
- More bicycles than inhabitants; Amsterdam is known to have more bikes than inhabitants – 881,000 bicycles vs. 834,713 inhabitants to be more precise.
- 63% of the Amsterdam citizens cycle on a daily; where in other countries cycling is more of a hobby, something to do on a day off, for the Amsterdam citizens it’s the prefered form of transport in daily life.
- An estimated 2 million kilometres is cycled by Amsterdammers on a daily; that’s correct on a daily, all Amsterdammers together cycle a distance equal to approximately 5 times the distance to the moon.
- 767 kilometres is the total length of all Amsterdam cycle paths and bicycle lanes together; in Amsterdam, almost all roads are fitted with either bicycle lanes or a piece of the 513 dedicated cycle paths.
- Over 10,000 bicycle parking spots at Amsterdam Central Station; believe it or not, you’ll still have a very hard time finding a spot as there’s still a shortage of parking spots.
| Number of bikes in Amsterdam |
An estimated 800,000. 63% of Amsterdammers use their bike on a daily basis. |
| Number of cars in Amsterdam |
263,000 |
| Modal split |
32% of traffic movement in the city is by bike compared to 22% by car and 16% by public transport. In the city centre, 48% of traffic movement is by bike. |
| Total length of bike paths |
500 km |
| Total length of roads with 30 km/ph zones |
900 km |
| Bike rental companies |
35 |
| Bike shops |
157 (estimated) |
| Percentage of schools and individual children that participate in the theoretical traffic examination |
90% |
| Percentage of schools and individual children that participate in the practical traffic examination |
70% |
| Official bike ‘parking’ places near Amsterdam Central Station |
Parking facilities in public space: 250.000 racks
Supervised storage (paid): 13.000 racks
Municipal supervised storage (free): 4.000 racks |
Source: Iamsterdam
Bike thefts popular in Amsterdam as well
Please bear in mind to always lock your bike and lock it well! We can’t stress this point enough, no matter what kind of bike; rental or owned or how fast you’ll be back to pick up your bike. With bikes being so popular, so are bike thefts among criminals. Bikes are fairly easy to steal and sell. Therefore, bicycles are a popular quick score amongst sneak thieves, pilferers and junkies. Exact numbers of bike thefts are difficult to calculate; many victims don’t bother filing a stolen bike as it’s such a common practice and chances of getting your bike back are slim. According to the Amsterdam newspaper Parool, based on numbers provided by the police, in 2017 there were 8113 reported bike thefts. On that same year, the Dutch Cyclists’ Union reported that nationwide, only one out of three bike thefts is actually reported to the police. Our expectation is that this percentage in Amsterdam is lower than the nationwide average, somewhere between 25% and 33%. Based on this estimation and the factual information somewhere around 24,339 and 32,452 bikes are stolen every year. Make sure not to become a victim!
Video impression of cycling in Amsterdam
Watching the video below (almost) can’t be skipped, to be prepared for your biking experience in Amsterdam. With many thanks to the Dutch Survival Guide for creating the video below! It provides an impression of what cycling in Amsterdam is.
Note: some parts in the video are of course a bit gushy. In addition, it depends on where you cycle in Amsterdam. It’s definitely not everywhere in the city very crowded.
Cycling in Amsterdam
For foreign visitors it is sometimes incomprehensible, but cycling is the most logical way for true Amsterdam locals to get from point A to B. The 17th-century city center of Amsterdam is in fact poorly geared to cars. The narrow streets and canals are especially suitable for pedestrians and cyclists. Add to that all cycle paths — with a total length of 400 kilometers — and it may be clear that Amsterdam is a real cycling city.
Like a true Amsterdammer
Almost every Amsterdammer has a bicycle. The 750,000 inhabitants of Amsterdam together have around 600,000 bicycles. The city is therefore full of it: cyclists on their way to school and work, shopping cyclists, bicycle couriers, police on bicycles, cargo cyclists, delivery cyclists, pedal cyclists and of course tourists on bicycles.
For tourists, the bicycle is an attractive and adventurous way to explore the city and surroundings. The bicycle is often faster and cheaper than public transport and moreover you can easily combine different activities. And funny is: on the bike every tourist suddenly feels a bit like an Amsterdammer.
Tips for cycling in Amsterdam as a tourist
- Take others into account and give each other the space
- Always stop at zebra crossings
- Park neatly
- Follow traffic rules
- No use of mobile phones while cycling
- Lights on in the evenings or at night
- Always signal when making a turn
