Languages spoken in the Netherlands
Europe · Capital: Amsterdam · Population 17.8 million
In the Netherlands, three languages have official status: Dutch, English, and Papiamento. A further one language holds official status at regional level: Western Frisian. Dutch is the most widely spoken language, with an estimated 100% of the population speaking it as a first or additional language, or roughly 17.8 million people. After Dutch, the most widely spoken are English at 90.2% and German at 71%. Dutch belongs to the Indo-European language family. Dutch is also spoken in all two of its neighbours. In total, ten languages are recorded in the Netherlands, and their shares add up to 300.9% of the population, which implies the average resident speaks about 3.0 of them.
What languages are spoken in the Netherlands?
| Language | Share of population | Status | Estimated speakers |
|---|---|---|---|
| DutchIndo-European | 100% | Official | 17.8 million |
| EnglishIndo-European | 90.2% | Official | 16 million |
| GermanIndo-European | 71% | Spoken | 12.6 million |
| FrenchIndo-European | 19% | Spoken | 3.4 million |
| Low German | 11% | Spoken | 2 million |
| Western FrisianIndo-European | 4.3% | Official (regional) | 764,213 |
| IndonesianAustronesian | 1.8% | Spoken | 319,903 |
| Papiamento | 1.2% | Official | 216,653 |
| Riffian | 1.2% | Spoken | 213,269 |
| TurkishTurkic | 1.2% | Spoken | 213,269 |
Percentages are the share of the population that speaks each language, including as a second language, so they add up to well over 100% in multilingual countries. Speaker counts are estimates derived from the percentage and the country's population, not counted figures.
What is the official language of the Netherlands?
In the Netherlands, three languages have official status: Dutch, English, and Papiamento. A further one language is official at regional or state level: Western Frisian. Dutch is spoken by an estimated 100% of the population, or roughly 17.8 million people, counting both first-language and additional speakers.
Official status comes from Unicode CLDR. It distinguishes languages that are official nationwide, those used as de facto official without being named in law, and those official only in particular regions or territories.
How many people speak Dutch in the Netherlands?
An estimated 100% of the Netherlands's 17.8 million people speak Dutch, which works out at roughly 17.8 million speakers. That figure is derived from the population and the reported share, and it counts second-language speakers, so it is an estimate rather than a census count.
Key facts about the Netherlands
- Capital
- Amsterdam
- Population
- 17.8 million
- Continent
- Europe
- Area
- 41,850 km²
- Currency
- EUR
- Languages recorded
- 10
- Land borders
- 2
- ISO codes
- NL / NLD / 528
Which countries border the Netherlands?
The Netherlands shares a land border with two countries: Belgium and Germany. Dutch, the most widely spoken language in the Netherlands, is also spoken in Belgium and Germany.
Explore more
Language shares, population, and official status: Unicode CLDR. Capital, area, borders, and currency: mledoze/countries (ODbL 1.0). Flag image: flagcdn.com. Speaker counts are estimates derived from population and reported share.