Belgian employees spend an average of one hour (57 minutes, to be specific) traveling to and from work. Some even spend more than an hour and a half commuting. This is evident from international research by human resources specialist SD Worx among 16,000 employees in 15 European countries and the UK.
According to a survey among 1,000 Belgians, one in five Belgian employees commutes more than an hour and a half per day. Employees in Sweden (54 minutes), the Netherlands (52 minutes), Ireland, Germany (both 51 minutes), and the UK (50 minutes) also face long journeys. Slovenians spend the shortest time commuting: 40 minutes.
The more travel time, the more dissatisfaction
Belgians are clearly on the road the longest. We also generally live the furthest from work. “With almost 20 km, we are also champions in that respect,” explains Veerle Michiels, mobility expert at SD Worx. In Poland, Romania, the UK, and Croatia, they live an average of ten kilometres from work.
Dissatisfaction with commuting increases as commuting time increases: six in ten (62%) of those whose commute takes longer than two hours per day are dissatisfied. As long as the daily commute remains under 45 minutes, fewer than 10% of people are dissatisfied. The English are the most satisfied with their commute, the French the least.
Private car most popular
Belgium has the highest number of ‘top commuters’, and many of them (45%) commute by train. More than one in three (36%) come by car, and about one in five (22%) also take the metro, tram, or bus. Belgium ranks in the top three for bicycle commuting.
In all the countries surveyed, people commute most often by private car. The train scored remarkably well in Belgium in this survey (11%), almost double the European average (6%), because civil servants were also included in the study. Most civil servants travel for free by train.
Less dependent
The Netherlands remains the leader when it comes to cycling, but Belgium also ranks in the European top three, with 18%. Those who come by bike or on foot are more satisfied. They are less dependent on external factors and have more control over their time.
Top commuters work from home more often: more than two out of three indicate that they have worked from home at some point.
