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Languages

Languages of the Netherlands

AmsterdamLocal time

Languages, writing systems and language context

Nederland
COUNTRY LANGUAGE PROFILE
Nederlands
Dutch
Text direction: LTR

Dutch is the official language of the Netherlands. Frisian is also an official language in the province of Fryslân, while other recognized languages have regional or statutory protection.

1
Core language shown
Country-level reference set
Dutch
First listed core language
Not a speaker-share estimate
1
Writing system represented
Across the core language set
LTR
Primary text direction
Additional directions noted below

Language Overview

Dutch

Read the Characters

Dutch · 26 characters

Dutch · 26 characters
A
a
B
b
C
c
D
d
E
e
F
f
G
g
H
h
I
i
J
j
K
k
L
l
M
m
N
n
O
o
P
p
Q
q
R
r
S
s
T
t
U
u
V
v
W
w
X
x
Y
y
Z
z

How to Read the Language Landscape

PolicyLegal and administrative language status may differ between national and subnational government.
Everyday useA language can be socially dominant without being the only language used at home, school, work or in media.
Community diversityIndigenous, minority, migrant and sign languages can remain important even when they are not part of a short national headline list.

Frequently Asked Questions

What languages are used in the Netherlands?

Dutch is the official language of the Netherlands. Frisian is also an official language in the province of Fryslân, while other recognized languages have regional or statutory protection.

What writing systems are used in the Netherlands?

The represented writing system is Latin and the primary direction shown is left to right.

More about Netherlands

Explore Netherlands across the other DigifyWorld country-data sections.

Public HolidaysPublic holidays 2026 and 2027→Digital AdoptionInternet, payments and digital government→Population & DemographicsPopulation, age structure and projections→Economy SnapshotGDP, trade and economic structure→Currency & ExchangeCurrency, exchange rates and money→Human DevelopmentHDI and quality-of-life indicators→Geography & EnvironmentLand, climate and environment→Practical Country InfoTime, driving, electricity and codes→EducationSchool system and education data→

Sources & methodology

View sources used for this page
Government of the Netherlands: Recognised languages

Government source stating that Dutch is the official language of the Netherlands and that Frisian is also official in the province of Fryslân.

Unicode CLDR: Country/Region Names

Localized country display-name reference. CLDR names are customary UI/display names, not claims about a state’s full constitutional long-form name.

Unicode: Supported Scripts

Reference for the writing-system/script families represented in the character component.

Unicode: Writing Direction and Bidirectional Text

Reference for left-to-right and right-to-left script direction and bidirectional text behavior.

Unicode Character Database: NamesList

Reference for Unicode character names used as small readout labels under selected character samples; these labels are not presented as a complete transliteration standard.