Belgium named world's most traffic-congested country

Belgium is the worst country in the world for traffic jams, according to the annual Traffic Scorecard of US company Inrix, a world leader in real-time traffic data. The Scorecard shows that Belgians spent an average of 51 hours stuck in traffic last year, compared with 58 hours in 2013, writes Het Laatste Nieuws.

Of the 13 countries that were analyzed in the report, more than half (53%) saw an increase in traffic congestion between 2013 and 2014, in line with the steady economic growth there. Countries that suffered from higher unemployment and slower economic growth between 2013 and last year, however, showed decreased traffic congestion in the same period.

Of the 94 European cities analyzed in the report, nearly half (48%) saw an increase in traffic congestion compared to 2013. London takes over the unenviable top position in the list of European cities with the most traffic jams, bumping Brussels down to second place. 

Brussels drivers last year spent an average of 74 hours in traffic jam, nine less than in 2013. Antwerp drops from third to fourth place last year with 64 hours, 14 less than the previous year. Ghent drops from ninth to 10th place with 52 hours, two less than in 2013.