Multilingualism

A considerable number of EU citizens can take part in a conversation in another language than their mother tongue. However, as the following graph shows, there are wide variations between the Member States. The multilingualism of the Dutch labour force is an important reason for many international companies to set-up operations in the Netherlands. Most of the Dutch speak English and many also speak German and/or French.

Percentage of the total population of a country mastering a foreign language well enough for conversation: 

Source: Euro barometer 55, 2001