Dutch people are taking more time to get to work and travelling longer distances than they used to, according to new figures from the Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency.

In 1995 commuters travelled an average of just under 15 kilometres to get to work, but this had gone up to 19 kilometres by 2016, the PBL said on Wednesday.

And 25 years ago, just over 25% of people would travel to another town or region for work, but this has now risen to at least one third.

PBL researcher Jan Ritsema says there are various reasons for the increase. ‘More people have a car and so can take a job which is further away,’ he told broadcaster NOS. ‘And there are more dual income households, which makes it more likely that at least one partner will have to travel to work.’

The rise in home working also means people find it easier to accept a job which is further away. And problems with finding affordable housing also have an impact, he said.