A Dictionary of Dutchness

Jan Modaal

Jan Modaal is the average Dutchman beloved by statisticians and politicians. His wife does not work and his children are aged six and 11 – a family set-up which dates back to the 1970s. Mr Average had an annual income of around €36,000 in 2009, taking home around €2,500 a month. Ministers use him to illustrate the effect of economic policies, but critics say he is an unrealistic picture of today’s households.