Essential amenities disappearing from Dutch towns; 20% lost doctors, schools in 5 years

In 51 percent of Dutch neighborhoods, towns, and villages, the accessibility of essential amenities has deteriorated in the past five years. One in five lost things like schools, doctors, childcare, or supermarkets. In the others, the distance to reach such amenities has increased, NOS and the regional broadcasters report after analyzing figures from Statistics Netherlands (CBS).

CBS tracks the distance to approximately 30 amenities in the 14,574 “neighborhoods” the Netherlands is divided into. The broadcasters analyzed the nine most frequently used amenities that are most essential for the daily quality of life - supermarket, other groceries, primary school, daycare, after-school care, library, house doctor, cafeteria, and café - in 10,517 neighborhoods.

The broadcasters found that the decline in these vital amenities between 2019 and 2024 was not limited to the outermost regions of the country. While villages in Betuwe were most affected, cities also lost struggling local supermarkets, leaving the neighborhoods dependent on larger supermarkets further away, for example.

In Varik, a village of about 1,000 residents in the municipality of West Betuwe, the pub disappeared. Disappearing pubs are one of the main reasons for increasing distances to amenities. The village of Varik now holds its own drinks evening every Friday. In the neighboring village of Ophemert, population 1,650, the supermarket closed to make space for an apartment building. Locals now have to drive almost 5 kilometers for groceries.

In about 15 percent of neighborhoods, accessibility to amenities increased in the past five years. In remarkably many cases, this was because an after-school care facility opened in or near the neighborhood. Maasbommel in Gelderland gained a grocery store, a cafeteria, and an after-school care in five years.

The most remote neighborhood in the Netherlands in 2024 was Castelré in Noord-Brabant. Though Castelré is a strange case. It isn’t really a village, but rather a scattered cluster of homes with 125 residents. The neighborhood is almost entirely surrounded by Belgium. According to the CBS figures, Castelré residents have to travel an average of 10 kilometers to access basic amenities in the Netherlands. The reality is less dramatic, with the Belgian town of Hoostraten being within easy walking distance.

Looking at villages and hamlets with over 250 residents, Ketelhaven in Flevoland is the furthest from amenities. The 625 residents of Ketelhaven have to travel an average of 8.1 kilometers to Dronten for their primary school, childcare, supermarket, and doctor. Ketelhaven is also a bit of a strange case. It used ot be a recreational park, but is now permanently inhabited. The distance to amenities has been over 8 kilometers since the start.