Languages Spoken in the Netherlands
Dutch (Nederlands) is the official and most widely spoken language in the Netherlands. Nearly the entire population speaks Dutch, which is a West Germanic language closely related to English and German
. Dutch is also the main language of instruction in schools and is used in government, media, and daily life. Regional and Minority Languages:
- Frisian : Officially recognized and co-official in the province of Friesland (Fryslân), Frisian is spoken by about 440,000 people
- Dutch Low Saxon : Recognized as a regional language, spoken in the northeast.
- Limburgish : Recognized in the province of Limburg, with several dialects
- Papiamento : An official language in some Caribbean municipalities of the Netherlands, such as Bonaire
- Dutch Sign Language (Nederlandse Gebarentaal, NGT) : Officially recognized since 2021, used by the deaf community
Other Languages:
- English : Widely spoken as a second language by 90–95% of the population, and is an official language in some Caribbean municipalities and on the BES Islands (Bonaire, Sint Eustatius, Saba)
- Immigrant Languages : Languages such as Turkish, Arabic, Berber, Indonesian, and others are spoken within immigrant communities
Summary Table
Language| Status/Region| Approximate Speakers
---|---|---
Dutch| Official, nationwide| ~17 million
Frisian| Friesland province| ~440,000
English| Widely spoken/official in some regions| 90–95% of population (as a
second language)
Papiamento| Caribbean municipalities| ~400,000
Limburgish| Limburg province| ~825,000
Dutch Low Saxon| Northeast Netherlands| ~1.8 million
Dutch is the dominant language, but the Netherlands is linguistically diverse, with several recognized regional and minority languages, and high proficiency in English
