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EF English Proficiency Index

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

World map
World map representing different levels of English proficiency in the world in 2025:[1]
  600 and above (Very high)
  599 – 550 (High)
  549 – 500 (Moderate)
  499 – 450 (Low)
  Below 450 (Very low)
  No data or English is an official or de facto national language

The EF English Proficiency Index (EF EPI) attempts to rank countries and territories by the equity of English language skills amongst those adults who took the EF test.[2] It is the product of EF Education First, an international education company, and draws its conclusions from data collected via English tests available for free over the internet.[3][4] The index is an online survey first published in 2011[5] based on test data from 1.7 million test takers.[6] The most recent edition was released in November 2025.[7][8]

Methodology

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The EF EPI 2025 edition was calculated using test data from 2.2 million test takers in 2024. The test takers were self-selected. 123 countries and territories appear in this edition of the index. In order to be included, a country was required to have at least 400 test takers.[9]

Report

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The report is composed of a country ranking table, several pages of analysis with graphs correlating other economic and social factors with English proficiency, and analysis of each region or continent. The 2025 report includes English proficiency levels by gender, age group, and region, within countries, and some English proficiency scores by city. The website displays portions of the report and has analysis of English skills in many countries and territories.[9]

Primary conclusions

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  • Exports per capita, gross national income per capita and innovation all correlate positively with English proficiency.[10]
  • English proficiency levels are evolving at different rates in different countries, including a few countries with declining English skills.[11]
  • Europe has the highest proficiency in English, while the Middle East averages the lowest.[12]

2025 country rankings

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Below are the latest country scores, proficiency bands, and rankings as published in 2025. Singapore, which had long ranked highly and was frequently the top performer in Asia in earlier editions, was excluded from the index since 2025 after being re-classified as a native English-speaking country.[1]

Country or region Score Proficiency band
Image Netherlands 624 Very high proficiency
Image Croatia 617 Very high proficiency
Image Austria 616 Very high proficiency
Image Germany 615 Very high proficiency
Image Norway 613 Very high proficiency
Image Portugal 612 Very high proficiency
Image Denmark 611 Very high proficiency
Image Sweden 609 Very high proficiency
Image Belgium 608 Very high proficiency
Image Slovakia 606 Very high proficiency
Image Romania 605 Very high proficiency
Image Finland 603 Very high proficiency
Image South Africa 602 Very high proficiency
Image Zimbabwe 602 Very high proficiency
Image Poland 600 Very high proficiency
Image Latvia 599 High proficiency
Image North Macedonia 595 High proficiency
Image Bulgaria 594 High proficiency
Image Kenya 593 High proficiency
Image Greece 592 High proficiency
Image Bosnia and Herzegovina 591 High proficiency
Image Hungary 590 High proficiency
Image Czechia 582 High proficiency
Image Malaysia 581 High proficiency
Image Serbia 579 High proficiency
Image Argentina 575 High proficiency
Image Zambia 573 High proficiency
Image Philippines 569 High proficiency
Image Nigeria 569 High proficiency
Image  Switzerland 564 High proficiency
Image Estonia 561 High proficiency
Image Honduras 553 High proficiency
Image Lithuania 543 Moderate proficiency
Image Uruguay 542 Moderate proficiency
Image Georgia 541 Moderate proficiency
Image Ghana 540 Moderate proficiency
Image Spain 540 Moderate proficiency
Image France 539 Moderate proficiency
Image Hong Kong 538 Moderate proficiency
Image Cyprus 537 Moderate proficiency
Image Belarus 533 Moderate proficiency
Image Albania 532 Moderate proficiency
Image Moldova 531 Moderate proficiency
Image Paraguay 531 Moderate proficiency
Image Ukraine 526 Moderate proficiency
Image Israel 524 Moderate proficiency
Image El Salvador 523 Moderate proficiency
Image South Korea 522 Moderate proficiency
Image Bolivia 521 Moderate proficiency
Image Russia 521 Moderate proficiency
Image Venezuela 520 Moderate proficiency
Image Peru 519 Moderate proficiency
Image Uganda 518 Moderate proficiency
Image Chile 517 Moderate proficiency
Image Costa Rica 516 Moderate proficiency
Image Armenia 515 Moderate proficiency
Image Cuba 515 Moderate proficiency
Image   Nepal 514 Moderate proficiency
Image Italy 513 Moderate proficiency
Image Nicaragua 512 Moderate proficiency
Image Guatemala 510 Moderate proficiency
Image Bangladesh 506 Moderate proficiency
Image Dominican Republic 503 Moderate proficiency
Image Vietnam 500 Moderate proficiency
Image Ethiopia 499 Low proficiency
Image Tunisia 498 Low proficiency
Image Pakistan 493 Low proficiency
Image Iran 492 Low proficiency
Image Morocco 492 Low proficiency
Image Panama 491 Low proficiency
Image Turkey 488 Low proficiency
Image United Arab Emirates 487 Low proficiency
Image Sri Lanka 486 Low proficiency
Image India 484 Low proficiency
Image Brazil 482 Low proficiency
Image Colombia 480 Low proficiency
Image Tanzania 479 Low proficiency
Image Lebanon 477 Low proficiency
Image Bhutan 473 Low proficiency
Image Indonesia 471 Low proficiency
Image Qatar 469 Low proficiency
Image Algeria 468 Low proficiency
Image Ecuador 466 Low proficiency
Image Malawi 465 Low proficiency
Image Mozambique 465 Low proficiency
Image China 464 Low proficiency
Image Palestine 463 Low proficiency
Image Laos 461 Low proficiency
Image Egypt 459 Low proficiency
Image Madagascar 457 Low proficiency
Image Syria 456 Low proficiency
Image Turkmenistan 456 Low proficiency
Image Kuwait 455 Low proficiency
Image Azerbaijan 454 Low proficiency
Image Mongolia 447 Very low proficiency
Image Afghanistan 446 Very low proficiency
Image Japan 446 Very low proficiency
Image Cameroon 445 Very low proficiency
Image Haiti 444 Very low proficiency
Image Myanmar 444 Very low proficiency
Image Kyrgyzstan 443 Very low proficiency
Image Senegal 442 Very low proficiency
Image Mexico 440 Very low proficiency
Image Uzbekistan 439 Very low proficiency
Image Jordan 426 Very low proficiency
Image Sudan 421 Very low proficiency
Image Kazakhstan 417 Very low proficiency
Image Rwanda 417 Very low proficiency
Image Angola 413 Very low proficiency
Image Tajikistan 409 Very low proficiency
Image Mali 408 Very low proficiency
Image Oman 407 Very low proficiency
Image Benin 406 Very low proficiency
Image Iraq 406 Very low proficiency
Image Saudi Arabia 404 Very low proficiency
Image Thailand 402 Very low proficiency
Image Yemen 402 Very low proficiency
Image Democratic Republic of the Congo 400 Very low proficiency
Image Somalia 399 Very low proficiency
Image Togo 397 Very low proficiency
Image Libya 395 Very low proficiency
Image Ivory Coast 393 Very low proficiency
Image Cambodia 390 Very low proficiency

2025 capital city rankings

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City 2025 score 2025 proficiency band
Image Copenhagen 644 Very high proficiency
Image Vienna 634 Very high proficiency
Image Stockholm 633 Very high proficiency
Image Amsterdam 630 Very high proficiency
Image Helsinki 628 Very high proficiency
Image Berlin 625 Very high proficiency
Image Athens 616 Very high proficiency
Image Sofia 616 Very high proficiency
Image Zagreb 616 Very high proficiency
Image Oslo 615 Very high proficiency
Image Budapest 613 Very high proficiency
Image Lisbon 612 Very high proficiency
Image Riga 611 Very high proficiency
Image Harare 610 Very high proficiency
Image Bucharest 608 Very high proficiency
Image Cape Town 603 Very high proficiency
Image Manila 603 Very high proficiency
Image Bern 601 Very high proficiency
Image Bratislava 601 Very high proficiency
Image Skopje 600 Very high proficiency
Image Nairobi 595 High proficiency
Image Belgrade 594 High proficiency
Image Buenos Aires 594 High proficiency
Image Lusaka 593 High proficiency
Image Warsaw 591 High proficiency
Image Brussels 588 High proficiency
Image Kuala Lumpur 588 High proficiency
Image Sarajevo 587 High proficiency
Image Abuja 583 High proficiency
Image Paris 583 High proficiency
Image Tallinn 582 High proficiency
Image Santiago 578 High proficiency
Image Prague 576 High proficiency
Image Chișinău 572 High proficiency
Image Vilnius 569 High proficiency
Image Tegucigalpa 565 High proficiency
Image Asunción 563 High proficiency
Image Madrid 560 High proficiency
Image Tirana 557 High proficiency
Image Lima 555 High proficiency
Image Accra 552 High proficiency
Image Nicosia 552 High proficiency
Image Seoul 550 High proficiency
Image Tbilisi 550 High proficiency
Image Minsk 549 Moderate proficiency
Image San José 546 Moderate proficiency
Image Brasília 544 Moderate proficiency
Image Montevideo 544 Moderate proficiency
Image Colombo 543 Moderate proficiency
Image Kyiv 543 Moderate proficiency
Image La Paz 543 Moderate proficiency
Image Rome 538 Moderate proficiency
Image San Salvador 538 Moderate proficiency
Image Moscow 537 Moderate proficiency
Image Dhaka 532 Moderate proficiency
Image Hanoi 532 Moderate proficiency
Image Kathmandu 531 Moderate proficiency
Image Yerevan 530 Moderate proficiency
Image Caracas 529 Moderate proficiency
Image Islamabad 529 Moderate proficiency
Image Havana 529 Moderate proficiency
Image Tunis 528 Moderate proficiency
Image Santo Domingo 526 Moderate proficiency
Image Kampala 525 Moderate proficiency
Image Beirut 523 Moderate proficiency
Image Jakarta 523 Moderate proficiency
Image Managua 523 Moderate proficiency
Image Addis Ababa 522 Moderate proficiency
Image Guatemala City 519 Moderate proficiency
Image Algiers 518 Moderate proficiency
Image Quito 517 Moderate proficiency
Image Rabat 517 Moderate proficiency
Image Beijing 514 Moderate proficiency
Image Bogotá 513 Moderate proficiency
Image Ankara 508 Moderate proficiency
Image Dar es Salaam 508 Moderate proficiency
Image Jerusalem 498 Low proficiency
Image Panama City 492 Low proficiency
Image Vientiane 486 Low proficiency
Image Bishkek 485 Low proficiency
Image Tehran 485 Low proficiency
Image Abu Dhabi 484 Low proficiency
Image Maputo 482 Low proficiency
Image Tokyo 480 Low proficiency
Image Doha 479 Low proficiency
Image Cairo 478 Low proficiency
Image Thimphu 477 Low proficiency
Image Lilongwe 474 Low proficiency
Image Phnom Penh 472 Low proficiency
Image Damascus 470 Low proficiency
Image Tashkent 469 Low proficiency
Image Bangkok 467 Low proficiency
Image Baku 464 Low proficiency
Image Ashgabat 463 Low proficiency
Image Antananarivo 461 Low proficiency
Image Astana 460 Low proficiency
Image Dakar 460 Low proficiency
Image Kabul 457 Low proficiency
Image Ulaanbaatar 454 Low proficiency
Image Yaoundé 450 Low proficiency
Image Amman 447 Very low proficiency
Image Port-au-Prince 444 Very low proficiency
Image Kuwait City 441 Very low proficiency
Image Muscat 441 Very low proficiency
Image Dushanbe 440 Very low proficiency
Image Riyadh 440 Very low proficiency
Image Naypyidaw 438 Very low proficiency
Image Khartoum 432 Very low proficiency
Image Mexico City 428 Very low proficiency
Image Kigali 426 Very low proficiency
Image Bamako 425 Very low proficiency
Image Luanda 421 Very low proficiency
Image Tripoli 411 Very low proficiency
Image Sana'a 410 Very low proficiency
Image Baghdad 407 Very low proficiency
Image New Delhi 407 Very low proficiency
Image Kinshasa 404 Very low proficiency
Image Lomé 402 Very low proficiency
Image Porto-Novo 400 Very low proficiency
Image Abidjan 399 Very low proficiency
Image Mogadishu 391 Very low proficiency

Similar reports

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The European Commission performed a language survey, SurveyLang, which tested a representative sample of 15-year-old European students on their foreign language skills. The report and data sets were released for 13 European countries in June 2012.[13]

Criticisms

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The EF English Proficiency Index has been the subject of criticism in literature. From the point of view of methodology, it suffers from self-selection bias. Instead of testing the level of English proficiency in the population, it tests the level of English of those who self-select.[14] Moreover, the countries at the top of the rankings are often those whose official languages are gradually subject to 'domain loss' in favour of English, because they are being used less and less in scientific research, academic teaching and multinational corporations.[15] The selection bias is noted but not mitigated in EF's analysis.[16]

See also

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References

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  1. 1 2 "EF EPI 2025 - EF English Proficiency Index". 2025. Retrieved 20 November 2025.
  2. ↑ English: Who speaks English? Archived 2 December 2017 at the Wayback Machine. The Economist. Retrieved on 2011-05-29.
  3. ↑ Study Offers Snapshot of Global English-Language-Learner Trends Archived 16 November 2015 at the Wayback Machine. Education Week. Retrieved on 2017-01-17.
  4. ↑ The EF SET powers the EF EPI Archived 24 March 2019 at the Wayback Machine. EF SET. Retrieved on 2017-10-05.
  5. ↑ The EF EPI Archived 30 August 2018 at the Wayback Machine. ef.com. Retrieved on 2017-10-05.
  6. ↑ Low English Levels Can Hurt Countries' Progress Archived 17 February 2017 at the Wayback Machine. New York Times. Retrieved on 2017-01-17.
  7. ↑ "EF English Proficiency Index" (PDF). ef.com. Archived (PDF) from the original on 30 May 2021. Retrieved 23 November 2025.
  8. ↑ Women and managers are better at speaking English, study on proficiency finds Archived 16 April 2019 at the Wayback Machine. Business Insider. Retrieved on 2018-11-09
  9. 1 2 EF English Proficiency Index – Comparing English skills between countries – EF EPI Archived 18 June 2015 at the Wayback Machine. Ef.com. Retrieved on 2018-11-09.
  10. ↑ Minh Tran: Countries with High English Proficiency Are More Innovative Archived 2 February 2017 at the Wayback Machine. Harvard Business Review. "Minh Tran is Director of Research and Partnerships for EF Education First and a member of the team that launched the EF Standard English Test." Retrieved on 2017-01-17.
  11. ↑ How Well Does Your Country Speak English? . Voice of America. Retrieved on 2017-1-17.
  12. ↑ Which countries are best at English as a second language? Archived 8 August 2017 at the Wayback Machine. World Economic Forum. Retrieved on 2017-1-17.
  13. ↑ SurveyLang project Archived 23 November 2015 at the Wayback Machine. European Commission. Retrieved on 2012-09-20.
  14. ↑ Archived 28 April 2023 at the Wayback Machine. Michele Gazzola & Daniele Mazzacani, "Il valore economico del plurilinguismo". Retrieved on 2023-01-17.
  15. ↑ Archived 8 March 2023 at the Wayback Machine. "English takes over at Dutch universities, just 40% of courses still in Dutch", DutchNews.nl. Retrieved on 2016-08-26.
  16. ↑ Bolton, Kingsley; Bacon-Shone, John (2020). "The Statistics of English across Asia". The Handbook of Asian Englishes. Wiley. pp. 49–80. doi:10.1002/9781118791882.ch3. ISBN 978-1-118-79180-6.
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