Key Takeaways
- The Netherlands is #1 in the world. Dutch adults top the EF English Proficiency Index 2025 with a score of 624, the highest of any country where English is not a native language.
- Europe dominates the global top 20. Most of the world's most proficient non-native English speakers are European, led by the Netherlands, Croatia, Austria and Germany.
- Croatia's big jump. Croatia climbed to 2nd in the world (617) in 2025, one of the fastest-rising countries in Europe.
- The Nordics stay strong. Norway, Denmark, Sweden and Finland all sit in the very-high band, a result of early English teaching and undubbed media.
- Not the same as native English. This ranks proficiency as a second language. The UK and Ireland are native-English countries and are not scored by the index.
Europe is the most English-proficient region on the planet, even though English is a native language in only a handful of its countries. According to the EF English Proficiency Index (EF EPI) 2025, which ranks adults’ English skills worldwide, the Netherlands is the single most proficient country on Earth, and most of the global top 20 are European. The map below shows how English proficiency varies across the continent.
The EF English Proficiency Index 2025
The EF EPI is the world’s largest ranking of English skills among adults who speak it as a second language, based on test results from millions of people. A score of 600 or above counts as “very high” proficiency. Below are Europe’s leading English-speaking countries in the 2025 index, in order of their score.
1. Netherlands
The Netherlands is the most proficient English-speaking country on Earth, topping the EF EPI 2025 with a score of 624. English is taught from primary school and is near-universal in business, higher education and daily life.
2. Croatia
Croatia has surged up the rankings to second in the world (617), driven by a young, tourism-focused population and strong school-level English teaching.
3. Austria
Austria scores 616, third globally. Despite German being the national language, English is widely spoken in cities and the tourism sector.
4. Germany
Europe’s largest economy ranks fourth worldwide (615). English is a core school subject and the default language of German international business.
5. Norway
Norway scores 613. Like its Nordic neighbours, it dubs little foreign-language TV and teaches English early, producing very high fluency.
6. Portugal
Portugal continues to climb, reaching 612. English is common in Lisbon, Porto and the Algarve, helped by a booming tourism and tech scene.
7. Denmark
Denmark scores 611. Danes are among the world’s most confident English speakers, with the language woven through media and education.
8. Sweden
Sweden scores 609. English is effectively a second working language in much of Swedish business and academia.
9. Belgium
Belgium scores 608. In a country already split between Dutch and French, English often serves as a neutral common tongue, especially in Brussels.
10. Slovakia
Slovakia has risen into the global top 10 (606), one of Central Europe’s strongest performers as younger generations embrace English.
11. Romania
Romania scores 605. A large IT and outsourcing sector and widespread English schooling keep proficiency high, particularly among young adults.
12. Finland
Finland scores 603. With Finnish being notoriously hard for outsiders, English is the go-to language for international work and study.
13. Poland
Poland reaches the very-high band at 600. English has overtaken Russian and German as the dominant foreign language since the 1990s.
14. Greece
Greece scores 592, in the high band. English is the main language of its huge tourism industry and is taught throughout schooling.
Luxembourg
Luxembourg was not measured in the EF EPI 2025 (too few test-takers), but English is widely spoken in this multilingual country alongside Luxembourgish, French and German, especially in its international finance sector.
What about the UK and Ireland?
The United Kingdom, Ireland and Malta are not scored by the EF EPI because English is an official and native language there, not a second language. Malta in particular is a popular destination for English-language study within the EU. Counting these native-English nations, English is spoken across the entire continent as the leading second language.
Why Europeans speak such good English
Several factors explain Europe’s strong showing: English is introduced early in most national school systems, smaller countries dub little foreign-language television (so people hear English constantly), and English is the working language of the European Union’s business, science and travel. The trend has been steadily upward across most of the continent over the past decade.
Data and references (latest available as of June 2026):
