What Are The Characteristics Of Dutch Women?

In many European nations, familial bonds are incredibly strong between family members. However, this may be somewhat different in the Netherlands, and the household structure is often based more closely on economics than emotional ties. Indeed, it’s not uncommon for children to remain at home for many years, often well into their early to mid-twenties. However, the leading cause is usually an inability to move out due to financial restrictions. Nevertheless, some degree of family loyalty and bonds have grown in recent years. Indeed, sociologists have often considered the Dutch family structure to be weak in terms of emotions since around the 1970s / 1980s. A growing trend toward independence in the 1990s furthered this disconnect in the family. The Dutch community often welcomes the recent change to a slightly more bond-centric family model. As many as 50% of children live within ten kilometers of their main families and loved ones after moving out. This figure indicates strong ties to the regions where they grew up and their family. And while it might not be as high as for some other European nations, it’s worth considering that familial bonds in the Netherlands are becoming more robust with each generation. Presently, the average fertility for Dutch women is around 1.7 children per woman.

 While Dutch families might not be relatively as tight-knit as families from other countries, it’s still worth considering that many women in the Netherlands have a solid bond with their partners. There may be several reasons behind this, including their mentality towards honesty and spontaneity, which can help dispel arguments and create a more vibrant, exciting family life. However, the most apparent reason is that many Dutch women are hesitant to settle down until they’ve genuinely found “the one.” This point may help ensure that bonds between a Dutch woman and her partner are strong; it may also be why a shrinking number of Dutch people are getting married at a young age in the Netherlands. Dutch women’s age at first marriage is now 31.5 years, substantially higher than in previous years.

 While the age of first marriage for Dutch women has increased, the divorce rates in the Netherlands are more moderate compared to many other countries. Fewer than half of all marriages in the Netherlands (47.3%) end in divorce. So, if you marry a Dutch woman, you’re more likely to stay together than you are to get divorced. Moreover, the number of divorces per 1000 couples typically falls at around 9 per year, indicating less than 1% of married couples divorce each year. Still, the annual marriage rate in the Netherlands has been falling and dipping below 70,000 marriages per year in 2013. As such, if you plan on proposing to your Dutch partner, be sure you’re confident it’s the right thing for both of you; chances are, she may turn down your proposal if she’s not quite ready for marriage yet.

As is common in European countries, education in the Netherlands is held in high regard, and this has helped contribute to an impressive literacy level in the country. When considering the number of people over the age of fifteen who are fully capable of reading and writing, the literacy rate in the Netherlands falls at around 99.0%, ensuring that many people in the region are literate and increasing job and employment prospects accordingly. In line with many other nations in Europe, the state also subsidizes education in the Netherlands. Approximately €32 million is spent annually on supporting the educational system. Notably, many Dutch schools teach their students bilingually; while Dutch is usually the main primary language, other languages used in Dutch schools include English, German, French, and Western Frisian. This feature often means that many Dutch students, from a young age, have a varied knowledge of different languages, setting them up well for a career both in the Netherlands and abroad if they should so choose.

 The Netherlands’ educational system is typical of many European nations but with a few significant differences. Children can attend kindergarten initially, but this is non-compulsory. However, from the age of five years, children must begin compulsory education at a basisschool, otherwise translating to a “foundation school.” Foundation school is divided into eight grades, with the first grade similar to kindergarten. Meanwhile, the second grade introduces children to school life, while education begins heavily in the third grade with reading, writing, and basic mathematics. Secondary education commences at twelve years when students attend a school called a Voortgezet Onderwijs or a Continued Education facility. Without a specific “middle school” structure, students instead attend a so-called Bridge Class between the two school structures, which helps transition them to the secondary education model. However, students may also be demoted to a lower level if they fail to achieve basic requirements for the year, which may be why education in the Netherlands is often so successful. 

 Vocational and higher education are also available in the country; to achieve the Dutch equivalent of a Bachelor’s degree program, women and men must have reached a minimum of 180 credits (equivalent to three years of study). Meanwhile, HBO Bachelor’s Education in the Netherlands may require an additional year of education, accounting for 240 credits. The average income for Dutch workers is around €36,500 per annum, which is nothing to scoff at; however, with a gender pay gap of roughly 14%, women still earn substantially less than men on average for comparable job roles. Nevertheless, higher education is often well taken up and may have contributed to the employment rate in the Netherlands has been climbing steadily, with current employment rates at an all-time high of 81.60%. Hence, if you plan to move to the Netherlands, there could be plenty of valuable opportunities to consider. Furthermore, it’s worth considering that, since many Dutch women and men already speak almost fluent English, you should be able to fit in easily into an employment field – but learning Dutch would help your career prospects in the country.

In many cases, people in the Netherlands can often seem like exceptions to the norm, which is equally valid in terms of religion. While religion is hugely important in many European nations, for Dutch women and men, it often holds less significant importance; in fact, a whopping 54.1% of people in the Netherlands have no religion. As such, when it comes to meeting Dutch women, it’s most likely that your new partner will not be religious, and as such, defining this at the outset could be a valuable step. However, the country’s exact religious level is often hard to define and could potentially be even higher than this. Research has found that approximately  50.1% to 67.8% of Dutch women and men have no religious affiliation. This fact is vastly different from traditional religion in the Netherlands, in which Christianity dominated on the whole. In fact, in the 1800s, it was estimated that around 95% of the population was either Catholic or Calvinist.

 Christianity is one of the oldest remaining religions in the Netherlands and first appeared between the fourth and sixth centuries at the time of the Great Migration, which resulted in three dominant tribes: the Saxons, Franks, and Frisians. Of these, approximately 500 Franks became Christian in line with their King, King Chlodovech’s belief, which would foster Christianity in the Netherlands. However, following the split from Spanish lands and the formation of the Netherlands in 1579, and Spain’s subsequent acceptance of this in 1648, other varieties of Christianity began to spread in the country. Moreover, since the Netherlands was somewhat more tolerant of other religions than other European nations at the time, it became a safer refuge for Protestant and Jewish refugees. For example, by 1849, around half of the Netherlands by landmass followed Calvinist Protestantism. However, the decline in Catholicism and Protestantism began in about 1880; now, only approximately 20% of people in the Netherlands are Catholic.

Outside of irreligion and Christianity, the next most common faith is Islam, which is believed to account for around 4.9% of Dutch women and men, proportionately higher than in some other European nations where Islam accounts for about 3% of the population. Nevertheless, this is typically lower than in other European countries, such as the United Kingdom and Italy, where Christianity is still a strong faith. Most of these belong to the Sunni denomination, first migrating in higher numbers to the Netherlands in the 1970s (although a minimal number of Muslims living in the country prior). This fact was further boosted in the 1990s when the Netherlands opened up for immigrants, which resulted in immigration from many countries, including Bosnia, Herzegovina, Iran, Iraq, Morocco, and Somalia. In addition, around 0.6% of the population follows Hinduism, 0.4% follows Buddhism, and other minority religions such as Sikhism and Judaism are also welcomed within the country. However, these minority religious groups sometimes see a degree of racism in the country.

Before dating or meeting any new women, including Dutch women, it’s always valuable to consider their main mentalities. Fortunately, when it comes to Dutch women, several vital traits come through strongly. One of the strongest of these is perhaps their honesty – indeed, in many cases, Dutch women are loyal to a fault. This can be both a positive and negative trait. For example, in many cases, Dutch women won’t hesitate to tell you whether something is awry or if they are unhappy about something, which can help avoid such issues from developing into a more severe conflict. However, this can also come across as unkind or uncaring in some cases, so it’s essential to keep an open mind if you meet Dutch women. Most likely, they’re not trying to insult you or cause offense – they’re just being honest, which is incredibly common throughout the country and its population. Of course, she’ll likely expect the same from you, so don’t try to hide anything when dating a woman from the Netherlands – it won’t end well.

In line with this abrupt nature, it’s also worth considering that Dutch women can sometimes appear spontaneous or harsh. Again, while this isn’t necessarily a negative personality trait of hers, it may not always be something people are used to. And so, it’s worth considering this carefully before you begin meeting Dutch women. In many cases, their spontaneity may be a surprise, especially if this is something you’ve not encountered before. However, we highly recommend you keep this in mind and try to go along with her surprises, especially on first dates, as you get to know her a little better. While this may not be true for every Dutch woman, for many, their honesty and spontaneity can be enough to keep anyone on their toes – and she’ll likely be packed full of excitement as a result! (But that’s only part of what makes dating Dutch women so much fun).

However, despite both of the traits above, one factor still sets Dutch women apart that makes them excellent dating options for many people: their empathy. Dutch women are well known for their compassion, despite their somewhat energetic and bluntly honest exterior, making them incredibly kind, caring, and loving. They hold relationships extremely close to them and will work hard to ensure that the people in their lives are well looked after. We should point out that it may take quite a bit of time to work up to this stage of the relationship, where you can see her caring side – she may be much more stoic upfront about things, especially when getting to know you. Still, it’s worth the wait once you’ve found a Dutch woman you’d like to spend your life with. She’ll do her utmost to please you and those around her. Many Dutch women will take steps to ensure you know how much you mean to them. However, don’t let her work herself into the ground on your behalf!