Evolution of motorway construction in European nations

The evolution of motorways construction in European countries by total number of kilometers existing in that year. This is a list of the total number of Motorways by country in Europe. It includes motorways (controlled-access highways), classified as such by the Eurostat and includes countries that are not members of the European Union but geographically are situated in Europe.

Countries by motorways built before 1950

File:German Autobahn 1936 1939.jpg

A German Autobahn in the 1930s.


Country	1924	1932	1935	1936	1937	1938	1939	1940	1941	1942	1943	1944	1945	1950
Austria	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	16.8	16.8	16.8	16.8	16.8	-
Belgium	0	0	0	0	110	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Czech Republic	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	20	-	-	-	-
Cyprus	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	20	-	-	-	-
Denmark	0	0	0	0	0	0	120	-	-	300	300	300	300	300
Germany	0	18	108	1086	1010	3046	3301	3737	3827	3861	3896	-	-	2128
Italy	58.2	58.2	58.2	58.2	58.2	58.2	400	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Poland	0	0	0	93	131	131	131	131	131	131	131	133	133	133
Portugal	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	8	8

Countries by motorways built between 1951 and 1975


Country	1952	1955	1956	1958	1959	1960	1961	1962	1963	1964	1965	1966	1967	1968	1969	1970	1971	1972	1973	1974	1975
Austria	16.8	16.8	16.8	16.8		16.8		16.8			16.8					16.8		292			-
Belgium	50	80	100	150		200		300			400					570		848			956
Croatia	0	0	0	0		0		0			0					0		39.3			39.3
Czech Republic^[1]	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	21.3	29.1	48.6	48.6	64.7
Denmark	300	300	300	509		-		-			-					-		-			-
France	0	14.2	70.4	106		168.5		218.3			246.4					-		-			-
Germany	-	2187	-	-		2551		-			3204					4110		-			5742
Hungary	0	0	0	0		0		0			7					85		107			136
Poland	133	133	133	133		133		133			133					133		133			133
Portugal	8	8	8	8		11.6		36.6			44					59.1		-			-
Romania	0	0	0	0		0		0			0					0		96			96
Russia	0	0	0	0		0		108.9			108.9					108.9		108.9			108.9
Slovakia^[2]	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	29.3	29.3	46.1
Switzerland	0	0	0	0		0		8			-					-		-			-
United Kingdom^[3]	0	0	0	0	13	153	219	243	322	480	566	629	761	884	964	1057	1270	1669	1730	1869	1975

Countries by motorways built between 1976 and 2000


Country	1976	1977	1978	1979	1980	1981	1982	1983	1984	1985	1986	1987	1988	1989	1990	1991	1992	1993	1994	1995	1996	1997	1998	1999	2000
Austria	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-		-	-	-	-	-	1145	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	1633
Belgium	956	1130	1130	1137	1137	1152		-	1395	-	-	-	-	1613	1666	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	1702
Bulgaria	10	10	-	-	120	152	-	-	-	-	-	-		-	273	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	324
Croatia	39.3	39.3	39.3	246	246	246	246	-		-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	411
Czech Republic^[1]	81.7	135.4	166.5	194.4	257.7	257.7	270.6	281.1	305.3	314.8	317.4	317.4	326.4	335.4	355.7	365.1	368.7	391.5	392.3	416.7	425.6	488.2	500.9	500.9	500.9
Cyprus	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	-	154	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	240
Denmark	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-		-	601	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	953
Estonia	0	0	0		0	0	0								41								93	93	96
Finland	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0		225	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	549
France	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	6824	8500	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	9776
Germany	-	7292	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-		-	8198	8822	10854	-	-	-	-	-	-	11143	-	11515	11712
Greece	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	190	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	346	416	553
Hungary	136	168	182	184	213	213	230	245	245	302	310	310	316	346	361	361	361	361	398	398	440	456	533	571	571
Ireland	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	10	10	15	-	-	-	-	26	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	103
Italy	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	6193	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	6478	6478
Lithuania	0	0	0	0	0	0	0								421	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	147
Luxembourg	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	78	-	-	-	-	-	114	115	126	146	147
Netherlands	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	2092	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	2265	2274
Norway	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	143
Poland	133	169	169	190	190	190	190	255	278	321	327	327	348	366	381	399	399	403	405	440	453	456	490	502	592
Portugal	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	316	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	1482
Romania	96	96	96	96	96	96	96	96	96	96	96	113	113	113	113	113	113	113	113	113	113	113	113	113	113
Russia	108.9	108.9	108.9	108.9	108.9	108.9	108.9	108.9	108.9	108.9	108.9	108.9	108.9	108.9	108.9	108.9	108.9	108.9	108.9	108.9	108.9	108.9	108.9	108.9
Serbia	0	355	355	355	355	355	355	355	355	355	355	355	355	355		355	355	355	355	355	355	355	355	355	33
Slovakia^[2]	53.3	67.6	115.6	115.6	115.6	115.6	142.7	150.1	150.1	165.2	173.1	173.1	191.9	191.9	195.4	197.4	197.4	197.4	197.4	197.4	216.1	219.2	288.6	290.6	290.6
Slovenia	0	0	0	0	0	0	0								228	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	427
Spain	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	4693	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	9049
Sweden	0	0	721	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	939	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	1499
Switzerland	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	1270
United Kingdom^[3]	2155	2237	2394	2455	2556	2647	2692	2741	2786	2813	2920	2975	2992	2995	3070	3102	3133	3211	3242	3269	3298	3378	3421	3449	3467

Countries by motorways built after 2000


Rank	Country	2001	2002	2003	2004	2005	2006	2007	2008	2009	2010	2011	2012	2013	2014	2015	2016	2017^[4]	2018^[4]	2019	2020
1	Spain	9,571	9,739	10,296	10,747	11,432	12,073	13,013	13,518	14,021	14,262	14,531	14,701	14,981	15,049	15,336		15,523	15,585	17,228^[5]
2	Germany	11,786	12,037	12,044	12,174	12,363	12,531	12,594	12,645	12,813	12,819	12,845	12,879	12,917	12,949	12,993		13,009	13,141	13,183^[6]
3	France	10,068	10,223	10,379	10,486	10,800	10,848	10,958	11,042	11,163	11,392	11,413	11,413	11,552	11,560	11,599		11,618	11,671
4	Italy	6,478	6,487	6,487	6,532	6,542	6,554	6,588	6,629	6,661	6,668	6,668	6,726	6,751	6,844			6,943
5	Poland	630	639	639	639	663	663	663	765	849	857	1,070	1,365	1,482	1,556	1,559	1,637	1,637	1,637
6	United Kingdom ^[7]	3,519	3,610	3,611	3,657	3,629	3,665	3,669	3,673	3,673	3,673	3,685.7	3,732.5	3,756	3,759.6	3,768.4	3,764	3,803	3,838	3,838
7	Portugal	1,659	1,835	-	-	-	2,545	2,613	2,673	2,705	2,737	2,737	2,988	3,035	3,065	3,080		3,065	3,065
8	Netherlands	2,499	2,516	2,542	2,585	2,600	2,604	2,582	2,637	2,631	2,631	2,631	2,658	2,666	2,678	2,730	2,758	2,758	2,756
9	Greece	670	845	849	866	1,062	1,233	1,364	1,569	1,744	1,744	1,744	1,744	1,879	2,250			2,503
10	Denmark	971	1,010	1,010	1,010	1,010	1,071	1,111	1,128	1,143				1,216	1,232	1,237	1,255	1,308	1,329
11	Turkey	-	-	-	1,662	1,667	1,908	1,908	1,922	2,036	2,080	2,119	2,127	2,127	2,282	2,159		2,657	2,842
12	Sweden	1,507	1,544	1,591	1,684	1,677	1,744	1,836	1,857	1,923	1,971	1,957	2,004	2,044	2,088	2,119	2,118	2,132	2,132
13	Austria	1,645	1,645	1,670	1,677	1,677	1,678	1,696	1,696	1,696	1,719	1,719	1,719	1,719	1,719	1,719	1,719	1,743	1,743
14	Switzerland	1,305	1,341	1,341	1,341	1,358	1,361	1,383	1,383	1406	1,406	1,415	1,419	1,429				1,458	1,462
15	Belgium	1,727	1,729	1,729	1,747	1,747	1,763	1,763	1,763	1,763	1,763	1,763	1,763	1,763
16	Croatia	429	613	754	925	1,016	1,081	1,156	1,199	1,244	1,244	1,254	1254	1,289	1,290	1,310		1,310	1,310
17	Hungary	571	638	667	717	803	967	1,037	1,113	1,118	1,290	1,321	1,321	1,361	1,382.1	1,447.3	1,480.7	1,937	1,982	1,600
18	Czech Republic^[1]	518.1	518.1	526.4	541.5	558.5	627.2	657	691	729	734	745	751	776	776	776	1,223	1,240	1,252	1306
19	Russia	132.9	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	1,000	1,060.5	1,060.5	1,060.5					1,442	1,524
20	Belarus	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	845	845	903	1021
21	Serbia	55.5	88.7	108.7	113.3	-	201.3	207.3	207.3	236.3	628	633	498	498	-			963		962
22	Finland	591	603	653	653	693	700	700	739	765	779	790	780	810	881	881	890	893	926
23	Ireland	125	125	177	192	247	270	270	423	663	900	900	900	897	897	916	916	916	916
24	Romania	113	113	113	228	228	228	281	281	321	332	350	550	644	683	733	733	763	823	850	910
25	Bulgaria	328	328	328	331	331	394	418	418	418	437	458	541	605	610			734	757	812
26	Slovenia	435	456	477	483	569	579	579	696	747	768	768	769	769	770	773		618	623
27	Norway	143	173	-	193	264	271	239	253	344	381	393	393	407	514			523	599
28	Slovakia^[2]	290.6	297.1	307.8	314.6	326.5	326.5	363.7	381.6	389.6	414.8	417.8	417.8	417.8	417.8	463	463	482	482	498
29	Lithuania	309	309	309	309	309	309	309	309	309	309	309	309	309	309	309	314	324	324
30	Ukraine	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	17	200	280	317
31	Cyprus	257	257	257	257	257	257	257	257	257	257	257	257	257	257	257		257	257
32	North Macedonia	145	208	208	208	216	216	221	237	242	251	251	251	251	251	251		259	287	317
33	Bosnia and Herzegovina	0	0	11.5	11.5	11.5	20	27.6	27.6	37	42.7	69.2	80.6	81.8	126.1	129.6	166.2	188.1	215		222
34	Luxembourg	115	126	147	147	147	147	147	147	152	152	152	152	152	152	157		165	165
35	Albania	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	250	86.5	86.5	86.5	86.5	86.5	152.5			333.5
36	Azerbaijan	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	148
37	Georgia	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	13	69	69	75	75	90
38	Armenia	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	-	-	-	88
39	Kosovo	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	36	76	80	80	109	119	140
40	Andorra	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
41	Estonia	93	96	98	99	100	104	115	124	0	0	0	0	0	0	0		154	154
42	Iceland	11	11	11	11	11	8	8	8	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
43	Latvia	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
44	Liechtenstein	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
45	Malta	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
46	Moldova	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
47	Monaco	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
48	Montenegro	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
49	San Marino	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
50	Vatican City	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0

* Note: Due to the new European standards in 2011 some European countries had their total number of motorways diminished. Examples being Iceland form 11 to 0, or Estonia 115 to 0, they became either expressways or national highways.
** Note: This table includes countries that are geographically situated in Asia but are integrated into the European Road System (example E80 in Turkey): Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia and Turkey.

References

^ ^a ^b ^c "Uvádění jednotlivých dálničních úseků do provozu" [Commissioning of individual motorway sections] (PDF). ceskedalnice.cz (in Czech). Archived (PDF) from the original on 2020-05-01. Retrieved 2020-05-01.
^ ^a ^b ^c "História diaľníc na Slovensku" [History of Highways in Slovakia]. historiadialnic.sk (in Slovak). Archived from the original on 2020-05-01. Retrieved 2020-05-01.
^ ^a ^b "Road length statistics (RDL)". GOV.UK. Retrieved 2019-12-08.
^ ^a ^b "Eurostat - Tables, Graphs and Maps Interface (TGM) table". ec.europa.eu. Retrieved 2020-05-14.
^ https://www.mitma.gob.es/carreteras/catalogo-y-evolucion-de-la-red-de-carreteras
^ https://www.mitma.gob.es/carreteras/catalogo-y-evolucion-de-la-red-de-carreteras
^ Peter, Peter (23 January 2020). "Road length statistics (RDL)". GOV.UK. Retrieved 1 February 2020.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)

External links

https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/tgm/refreshTableAction.do?tab=table&plugin=1&pcode=ttr00002&language=en The total length of motorways according to Eurostat
https://web.archive.org/web/20180301201930/https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/resources/the-world-factbook/fields/2085.html CIA, The world factbook
http://www.gddkia.gov.pl/pl/1037/sprawdz-na-mapie-przygotowanie-drog-i-autostrad Map of motorways and expressways in Poland built, under construction, planned
https://stats.oecd.org/glossary/ "Glossary of Statistical Terms". Retrieved 2020-05-01.
http://www.realitatea.md/clasamentul-european-al-autostrazilor-ara-cu-cei-mai-mul-i-kilometri-de-autostrada_9998.html
http://www.manager.ro/articole/analize/analizele-managerro-autostrazile-romaniei-comparatii-cu-alte-tari-9071.html
http://old.econtext.ro/dosar--2/analiza/topul-autostrazilor-cati-kilometri-de-autostrada-a-construit-fiecare-stat-din-ue-in-ultimii-20-de-ani-vezi-unde-se-plaseaza-romania.html
http://www.gandul.info/financiar/romania-o-are-mica-cum-au-ajuns-romanii-sa-aiba-2-4-centimetri-germanii-15-cm-chiar-si-bulgarii-6-cm-de-autostrada-pe-cap-de-locuitor-10805033
http://www.motorway.cz/motorways
https://web.archive.org/web/20150224222020/http://www.realitatea.net/cati-kilometri-de-autostrada-a-construit-fiecare-tara-din-ue-in-ultimii-20-de-ani-vezi-topul_877963.html
http://forum.peundemerg.ro/index.php?topic=251.0
Richard J. Overy. "Cars, Roads, and Economic Recovery in Germany, 1932–1938". In: War and Economy in the Third Reich. Oxford: Clarendon / New York: Oxford University, 1994. ISBN 9780198202905. pp. 68–89
https://web.archive.org/web/20150225171636/http://www.sntv.kva.se/files/Polhem%202006%E2%80%932007%20Boge.pdf
http://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/tgm/table.do?tab=table&init=1&language=en&pcode=ttr00002&plugin=1

[cze-1] "Uvádění jednotlivých dálničních úseků do provozu" [Commissioning of individual motorway sections] (PDF). ceskedalnice.cz (in Czech). Archived (PDF) from the original on 2020-05-01. Retrieved 2020-05-01.

[svk-2] "História diaľníc na Slovensku" [History of Highways in Slovakia]. historiadialnic.sk (in Slovak). Archived from the original on 2020-05-01. Retrieved 2020-05-01.

[gbr-3] "Road length statistics (RDL)". GOV.UK. Retrieved 2019-12-08.

[:0-4] "Eurostat - Tables, Graphs and Maps Interface (TGM) table". ec.europa.eu. Retrieved 2020-05-14.

[5] ttps://www.mitma.gob.es/carreteras/catalogo-y-evolucion-de-la-red-de-carreteras

[6] ttps://www.mitma.gob.es/carreteras/catalogo-y-evolucion-de-la-red-de-carreteras

[7] Peter, Peter (23 January 2020). "Road length statistics (RDL)". GOV.UK. Retrieved 1 February 2020.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)

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