Which countries have the strongest English skills, and what can a country ranking tell you? This guide compares the top 20 countries in the EF English Proficiency Index, published by EF Education First, and explains how to use the results for study, work, and travel. The latest edition available when checked on 27 September 2026 was EF EPI 2025.
The Netherlands ranks first in EF EPI 2025 with 624 points, followed by Croatia and Austria. The index compares adult test performance across 123 participating countries and regions; it does not measure the percentage of people who speak English or rank every country in the world.
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Top 20 Countries in the English Proficiency Rankings
The table below reproduces the top 20 entries in the official EF EPI 2025 ranking. Read the rank, score, and band together: a position tells you the order, while the score shows how close neighbouring countries are.
| Rank | Country | EF EPI score | Proficiency band |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Netherlands | 624 | Very high |
| 2 | Croatia | 617 | Very high |
| 3 | Austria | 616 | Very high |
| 4 | Germany | 615 | Very high |
| 5 | Norway | 613 | Very high |
| 6 | Portugal | 612 | Very high |
| 7 | Denmark | 611 | Very high |
| 8 | Sweden | 609 | Very high |
| 9 | Belgium | 608 | Very high |
| 10 | Slovakia | 606 | Very high |
| 11 | Romania | 605 | Very high |
| 12 | Finland | 603 | Very high |
| 13 | South Africa | 602 | Very high |
| 13 | Zimbabwe | 602 | Very high |
| 15 | Poland | 600 | Very high |
| 16 | Latvia | 598 | High |
| 17 | North Macedonia | 595 | High |
| 18 | Bulgaria | 594 | High |
| 19 | Kenya | 593 | High |
| 20 | Greece | 592 | High |
For example, Croatia and Austria are separated by just one point. That is a reason to be cautious about treating second and third place as distinctly different language environments. The table describes these countries’ index results, not how every conversation in either country will go.
Which Countries Lead Each Region?
A global top 20 can obscure useful comparisons elsewhere. The table below shows the highest-scoring countries within each of EF’s five regions, using the same 2025 edition. These are leaders among the countries included in the index.
| EF region | Leading country | Global rank | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Europe | Netherlands | 1 | 624 |
| Africa | South Africa and Zimbabwe | 13, tied | 602 |
| Asia | Malaysia | 24 | 581 |
| Latin America | Argentina | 26 | 575 |
| Middle East | Israel | 46 | 524 |
Malaysia and Argentina sit outside the global top 20 but lead their respective regions. A regional lead does not imply a particular proficiency band: Israel leads the included Middle Eastern countries while its score falls in the Moderate band.
What Do the Scores and Proficiency Bands Mean?
EF groups scores into five bands, making it easier to compare countries with similar results. The score is an index value, not a percentage: 600 points does not mean that 60% of residents speak English.
| EF EPI score | Proficiency band |
|---|---|
| 600 and above | Very high |
| 550 to 599 | High |
| 500 to 549 | Moderate |
| 450 to 499 | Low |
| Below 450 | Very low |
Band boundaries can make small differences look larger. Poland’s 600 and Latvia’s 598 fall in different bands despite being only two points apart. A band is a broad grouping, not evidence of a sudden jump in ability at the boundary.
Country bands also cannot establish your personal CEFR level. If you want to understand individual learning goals, our B2 English level guide and C1 English level guide describe relevant skills. Your own performance needs to be assessed separately from your country’s result.
How Are the English Proficiency Rankings Calculated?
The 2025 report uses results from more than 2.2 million adults who took the EF SET in 2024. National scores combine that year’s average test result with the two preceding published EF EPI scores. Countries need at least 400 participants to qualify; see EF’s current methodology.
Keep three dates separate: 2024 is the year of the new test data, 2025 is the report edition, and 27 September 2026 is this article’s verification date. The national result also reflects earlier editions through the rolling calculation, so it is not a snapshot of testing conducted in September 2026.
Who takes the tests?
Participants choose to take an online test. The sample favours younger adults and people interested in English, and excludes those without internet access. It is not a random sample of all residents.
This makes the index useful as a shared international reference, with limits on the conclusions you can draw. For example, a national average cannot show whether an individual colleague can explain a technical issue clearly or whether a particular university course is taught in English.
Do These Rankings Measure Speaking Skills?
The phrase “best English-speaking countries” can suggest a speaking-only test, but the EF EPI covers a broader set of skills. The 2025 release introduced speaking and writing results alongside reading and listening. Those separate results help explain differences hidden by a single overall score.
| Country | Overall score | Reading | Speaking |
|---|---|---|---|
| Malaysia | 581 | 596 | 534 |
| Argentina | 575 | 592 | 489 |
In both examples, the published reading score is higher than the speaking score. This does not describe every Malaysian or Argentinian learner, but it illustrates why an overall result cannot answer every skills question. Someone preparing for an interview should practise spoken responses, even if reading feels comfortable.
Match the evidence to the task you care about. Reading a report, understanding a call, explaining a decision aloud, and writing a clear reply each provide different information about a person’s English.
English Proficiency vs. the Number of English Speakers
“Which country speaks English best?” and “Which country has the most English speakers?” are different questions. The first needs a defined measure of ability; the second needs population data with a clear definition of an English speaker.
EF EPI scores cannot be converted into speaker counts or population percentages. Those comparisons require census or survey evidence that specifies the year, population covered, and whether it counts first-language, second-language, or conversational speakers.
Why are the UK and US not in this table?
The index is not a complete ranking of all English-speaking destinations. The United Kingdom, United States, Canada, Australia, Ireland, and New Zealand do not appear in the 2025 country list. Their absence is not a low score, and the Netherlands’ first place does not establish a comparison with countries outside the index.
For the same reason, do not use this table to decide where “everyone speaks English.” Language use can vary between workplaces, neighbourhoods, services, and individuals within the same country.
How to Compare Countries and Editions Fairly
Start with the same report edition. Combining one country’s 2025 result with another country’s older score produces a comparison that the current ranking does not make. Keep the edition, rank, score, and band together in your notes.
Next, distinguish movement in rank from movement in score. In a hypothetical example, a country could keep exactly the same score yet move down because other countries score higher or new countries enter the table. A lower position alone does not prove that its test performance declined.
Finally, check the method and coverage before interpreting a trend. The addition of speaking and writing results in 2025 is a reason to read the edition notes carefully. Even a real score change cannot, by itself, prove that a particular teaching policy, app, or economic change caused it.
A useful comparison note might read: “Both countries are in the High band in the same edition; I still need to check the language requirements of the two courses I am considering.” That keeps the ranking connected to your actual decision.
How to Use the Rankings for Study, Work, or Travel
Studying abroad
Use the country result as background, then check the language of instruction for your specific programme. Look at the institution’s accepted tests, minimum overall result, and any separate skill requirements. The admissions page for that course matters more than a national rank.
For example, being comfortable reading textbooks does not necessarily mean you are ready to follow a fast seminar or contribute to a group presentation. Ask what students are expected to do in English and plan practice around those tasks.
International work
Identify what the role requires: customer calls, technical reports, negotiations, or presentations. A national average cannot demonstrate an applicant’s ability to perform those tasks. Assess the person’s relevant work and communication directly.
When preparing yourself, use a realistic task: explain a delayed delivery, summarise a project update, or answer a follow-up question without reading a script. This gives you something concrete to improve.
Travel and relocation
Check language support with the services and places you will actually use, such as accommodation, transport providers, and local administration. A national result cannot guarantee English-language service at a particular address. Learn useful local-language phrases and keep essential details, such as your destination address, available in writing.
Turn the Rankings into a Personal Learning Plan
Your next step should come from your own strengths and difficulties. Choose a task you need to perform, attempt it, and identify what prevents you from completing it clearly. The examples below are practice ideas, not tests that assign a CEFR level.
| Skill | Practice task | What to review |
|---|---|---|
| Reading | Read a short work update and write its three main points. | Did you identify the action, deadline, and reason accurately? |
| Listening | Listen to a short talk, take notes, then check a transcript. | Which details did you miss, and which phrases caused difficulty? |
| Speaking | Record a one-minute explanation of a familiar problem. | Is the main point clear? Can you explain it again without a script? |
| Writing | Write a short email requesting a change to an arrangement. | Are the request, reason, and next step easy to understand? |
Repeat a similar task with new material after practising the phrases you needed. Compare the two attempts for clarity and accuracy, rather than measuring progress only by how quickly you finish. Feedback from a teacher or conversation partner can help identify problems you overlook yourself.
For a starting point, try our English level test and use the result in the context of the skills it assesses. GET results and EF country scores come from different assessments and cannot be directly converted. If a university or employer requires a particular test, check its current acceptance requirements.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Which country has the highest English proficiency?
The Netherlands leads the countries included in EF EPI 2025, scoring 624 in the Very high band. That answer refers specifically to this index and edition, not a universal ranking of every English-speaking population.
Are these 2026 English proficiency rankings?
No. This guide was checked on 27 September 2026, when EF EPI 2025 remained the latest available edition. An article update date does not change the year of the underlying report.
Why is Singapore missing?
Singapore does not appear in the published 2025 list. Do not insert a position from an older edition into this table or interpret its absence as evidence of declining English skills.
Which country leads Asia in this edition?
Malaysia is the highest-ranked Asian country included in EF EPI 2025, placing 24th globally with 581 points. It is in the High proficiency band.
Does living in a highly ranked country make me fluent?
No. Your ability depends on what you can understand and communicate yourself. A country result cannot replace an individual assessment or demonstrate that you can complete a specific study or work task.
Where can I see the full ranking?
The official EF EPI country list links to country profiles, while the 2025 report PDF preserves the edition used here. Consult those sources when comparing results beyond the top 20.
