Dutch rudeness on the decline: Stats office

The number of Dutch who were treated rudely declined last year, according to Statistics Netherlands' Safety Monitor 2016. The survey of 80 thousand Netherlands residents were specifically asked whether they feel the were treated rudely or disrespectfully over the course of 2016.

Last year 21 percent of respondents said that they were treated rudely, compared to 25 percent in 2008. Rude behavior decreased the most in store employees and in businesses - 23 percent in 2008 and 14 percent last year. A decrease was also seen in the rude behavior of government employees and public transit workers.

Young people between the ages of 15 and 25 years deal more with rudeness than older people. 27 percent of young people were treated rudely by strangers on the street. Among people over the age of 65 years, only 10 percent dealt with rudeness from strangers.

City dwellers deal with rudeness more often than people who live in villages and towns. Gay men and lesbians are more often treated rudely than their heterosexual counterparts. This happens mostly on the streets and in public transport.