Frisians are proudest of all about their province while the people of Zuid-Holland are least proud about where they come from, according to research by I&O for public broadcaster NOS.

While 57% of the people polled said they are first and foremost a Dutch national, people from the two northern provinces of Friesland and Groningen and from Limburg in the south were more likely to opt for their provincial home first.

Asked what they were most proud of, people were likely to refer to the nature and the mentality of the local population. Sport was rarely mentioned, with the exception of Zuid-Holland, where 14% said football club Feyenoord was a reason to be proud of where they come from.

The research has been published 10 days ahead of the provincial election, in which Dutch nationals vote to elect new provincial governments for each of the 12 Dutch provinces.