NRW Sees Slight Increase in Inter-City Commuting in 2024

More people are commuting between cities in NRW. While cars are still king, public transport, cycling, and walking are gaining traction. But which city has the most inbound commuters?

, and Administrator

2025 October 23 . 10:01 AM

1 min read

There are so many people walking and there is a car and truck on road.

Around five million commuters in NRW - NRW Sees Slight Increase in Inter-City Commuting in 2024

In 2024, North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) saw a 0.1% increase in commuters from other municipalities. Around five million people travelled to work in a different city within the region. However, the city with the highest number of inbound commuters remains unclear.

Nearly five million people in NRW commuted to work in a different city in 2024. This marks a slight increase from the previous year. Around 14% of these commuters used public transportation, while 10% cycled, and 6% walked. Ford cars remained the dominant mode of transport, with nearly seven in ten employees driving to work.

The most popular commuter destinations were Cologne, Düsseldorf, and Essen. Meanwhile, Holzwickede, in the district of Unna, had the highest proportion of incoming commuters. Most commuters (69%) spent less than half an hour getting to work, while 6% faced journeys of over an hour. In contrast, 4.4 million workers both lived and worked in the same municipality.

The commuting landscape in North Rhine-Westphalia continues to evolve, with a slight increase in inter-city travel in 2024. While ford cars remain the primary mode of transport, there's a notable usage of public transport, cycling, and walking. The city with the highest number of inbound commuters, however, remains unidentified.