Language

The official language in the Netherlands is Dutch, which is spoken by a large majority of the inhabitants, the exception being some groups of immigrants.

Another official language is Frisian, which is spoken in the northern province of Fryslân. Frisian is co-official only in the province of Fryslân, although with a few restrictions.

Several dialects of Low Saxon (Nedersaksisch in Dutch) are spoken in much of the north and east and are recognised by the Netherlands as regional languages according to the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages.

There is a tradition of learning foreign languages in the Netherlands: about 85% of the total population has basic knowledge of English, 55-60% of German and 25% of French. Courses in Spanish, Arabic, Ancient Greek, and Latin are offered in schools as well.