What are some key characteristics of Dutch society?

The people of the Netherlands, the Dutch, are famous for their frankness, independence, self-reliance, tolerance of individual differences and international influence. Their strong egalitarian values permeate many segments of their society.

Dutch egalitarian values contribute to low instances of poverty and fairness in the workplace. The society values ability versus dependencies. Dutch frankness can border on rudeness for the non-Dutch. Living an extravagant lifestyle, using titles and some forms of informal speech like small talk are not a common practice.

The Dutch are not without problems or divisions. The problems include historical divisions between the northern, urban Randstad regions and southern, rural regions; between Protestant and Catholics and between native Dutch and immigrants.