When you think of the languages spoken in the Netherlands, you probably think “Dutch”. Yet, what if I told you that the languages of the Netherlands are far more diverse than you’d ever think.
Currently, the Netherlands has a population of 17.28 million, according to the most recent census. Of these 17.28 million people, they speak some of the most spoken languages in the world, as well as some rather unique languages too!
Official Language of The Netherlands
According to the Constitution of the Netherlands, Dutch is the official language of all four countries that make up the Kingdom of the Netherlands (including the Netherlands, Aruba, Sint Maarten and Curaçao).
Serving as the sole official language of the country, Dutch is the language of government, education, healthcare, business and general day-to-day life in the Netherlands.
Beyond just being spoken by the citizens of the Netherlands as a first language.
Indeed, Dutch is also the native language of the South African, Belgian, Surinamese, Luxembourgish and Indonesian immigrant communities in the Netherlands as well, due to Dutch (or a dialect of it) being the official language of those respective countries too!
Today, the Dutch government estimate that a little of 98% of the country’s population, or roughly 16.9 million people, speak Dutch as either a first or second language, with most speaking it as a first language.
For the deaf community in the Netherlands, there is also Dutch Sign Language, which is becoming more popular currently having 17,500 users, even in spite of the fact that it’s not officially recognized by the Dutch Government.
Regional Languages of The Netherlands
Although Dutch is the official language of the Netherlands, there are also several regional languages spoken in the country too. Whilst not an exhaustive list by any means, by far the most spoken are…
West Frisian
Low Saxon
Low Franconian
Central Franconian
Foreign Languages of The Netherlands
Beyond those languages native to the Netherlands, there are also quite a few languages spoken in the country that are not native to the Netherlands. Whilst not an exhaustive list by any means, by far the most spoken are:
English
Due in large part to their geographical proximity, the histories of England (and by extension the UK) and the Netherlands are heavily intertwined, with trade between the two nations going back several thousand years.
Historically, English was spoken in the Netherlands by Dutch traders. Today, however, most of the English speakers in the Netherlands are English/British immigrants who’ve moved to the Netherlands for work.
For the most part, these English/British immigrants work in the petroleum and/or pharmaceutical industries, either for the Dutch subsidiary of a British company, or for a Dutch company itself (eg. Shell).
Today, the number of English/British immigrants in the Netherlands totals around 100,000. Adding to that, there are a further 100,000 English-speaking immigrants also in the country, primarily from the US, Canada, Australia and Hong Kong.
Beyond the English-speaking immigrants in the Netherlands, most Dutch children will learn English as a second language, at school. Whilst not all will remain fluent, the vast majority do (as many employers require it).
According to the Dutch government, there are roughly 200,000 native English speakers in the Netherlands, combined with an estimated 15.3 million people in the Netherlands speak English as a second language too!
Then there’s also the fact that English has official, or co-official status on the BES Islands, Sint Maarten and Curaçao, which all make up part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands…
German
Historically speaking, what’s now the Netherlands is
Mostly thanks to German’s historical significance, as well as the sheer number of German-speaking immigrants in the Netherlands, there are a surprising number of Dutch schoolchildren who learn German at school…
According to the Dutch government themselves, there an estimated 355,000 native German speakers in the Netherlands, as well as 12.2 million people in the Netherlands who speak it as a second language.
French
Looking on a map, the Netherlands is geographically extremely close to the French-speaking countries of France, Belgium and Luxembourg, which have all lent their hand to giving the Netherlands a rather large French-speaking minority.
As a member of the EU, migration from those French-speaking countries is easier than ever.
Immigrating to the Netherlands, these French-speaking immigrants often find work in high-skill fields, usually working for Dutch subsidiaries of Belgian/French companies.
Beyond those French-speaking immigrants from Europe, there are also a number of French-speaking Canadian, Moroccan and Vietnamese immigrants too, all of whom speak different dialects of French.
On a historical note, Napoleon conquered what’s now the Netherlands in 1795, where it was reorganized into the Batavian Republic, and later the Kingdom of Netherlands – with Napoleon’s brother, Louis, as king.
Thanks to this, French does also have some historical significance in the Netherlands too, even if this significance is only minor.
Due in part to this historical significance, as well as the sheer number of French speakers in the Netherlands and French’s position as one of the world’s most spoken languages, many Dutch schoolchildren learn French at school.
All in all, there are an estimated 125,000 native French speakers in the Netherlands, not to mention the five million Dutch citizens who also speak French as a foreign language.
Spanish
Although it may seem weird today, in the 1970’s, Spain was one of the least developed nations in Western Europe. As such, over the course of the late 1970’s and 1980’s, many Spaniards immigrated to the Netherlands.
Here, many of them found work in mid-skilled, and in some cases high-skilled, trades. For the most part, this saw them living and working in the major cities in the Netherlands, such as The Hague, Amsterdam and Rotterdam, among others.
Beyond the Spanish-speaking immigrants from Spain, recent years have also seen an influx of Colombian immigrants, who’ve fled to the Netherlands due to the rapid inflation and political unrest that’s currently sweeping the country.
In part due to the number of Spanish speakers in the country, as well as Spanish being one of the most spoken languages in the world, many Dutch schoolchildren learn Spanish at school, often after mastering the aforementioned English.
According to the most recent Dutch government estimates, there are a total of 70,000 native Spanish speakers in the Netherlands, not to mention the 800,000 Dutchmen who are also fluent in the language!
Interestingly enough, the Netherlands was once owned by the Spanish (as the Seventeen Provinces), meaning that Spanish is also a major historical and cultural language too.
Arabic
As one of the most economically developed countries in the world, the Netherlands doesn’t just attract immigrants from other highly economically developed nations, but also those from countries that aren’t that economically developed as well.
Indeed, in search of a better life, a number of Arabic-speaking Pakistanis, Egyptians and Moroccans have left their home country in favor of the Netherlands, often immigrating with their families.
Here, these Arabic-speaking immigrants often live and work in the inner city of almost all the major towns and cities in the Netherlands, creating neighborhoods of almost entirely Arabic-speaking households.
Beyond searching for a better life, many Arabic-speakers have also fled to the Netherlands to escape war in their home countries too!
An unintended byproduct of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as the still ongoing civil wars in Syria and Somalia (all of which are majority Arabic-speaking countries), has been the creation of millions of refugees, many of whom have fled to the far more stable Europe.
Facing an aging population, the Netherlands has welcomed these Arabic-speaking refugees with open arms.
All in all, when you combine all the people who speak all the various different dialects of Arabic who live in the Netherlands, there are roughly 260,000 Arabic speakers spread throughout the country.
Polish
After joining the EU in May 2004, Polish citizens emigrated to other countries in the EU en masse in search of a better life for themselves and their families. Whilst not their only stop, many Polish citizens settled in the Netherlands.
Primarily settling in the agricultural regions of North and South Holland, many of these Polish immigrants have found work as farm laborers, as farmers often pay them less than they would their Dutch counterparts.
Due to this, many Polish immigrants live in accommodation provided by the farmer they work for, which they usually share with the other farm laborers that work with them (who are similarly Polish immigrants).
Alternatively, these Polish immigrants tend to live in cheap housing in the centers of nearby towns or villages. This is especially common with those Polish immigrants who’ve immigrated to the Netherlands with their children too.
Whilst the majority of Polish immigrants work on farms, a growing number of Polish immigrants who live and work in major cities such as Rotterdam, Amsterdam and The Hague, where they often do low-skilled jobs such as dock worker.
Today, it’s estimated that there are around 170,000 native Polish speakers in the Netherlands, most of whom are Polish immigrants or their children.
What do you think of the languages of the Netherlands? Do you speak any of them (besides English of course)? Tell me in the comments!