Frisian is recognised as the official language of the province besides Dutch, and is also spoken elsewhere in the Netherlands. From 1956 Frisian became accepted as a language of evidence and argument in Dutch courts of law. A study in 1995 showed that 94 percent of the population in Fryslân understood the Frisian language. Seventy three percent speak Frisian, but only 17 percent are literate in the language.