English has become the world’s default language for business, travel, science, and increasingly for everyday online life. Yet fluency varies enormously from one country to the next, and the nations that top the charts each year are rarely the ones people expect. According to the EF English Proficiency Index, the largest ongoing study of English skills among non-native speakers worldwide, a handful of countries consistently pull ahead of the pack.
The rankings below draw on the newest EF EPI 2025 edition, which analyzed test results from millions of adult participants. It is worth noting that Singapore, long a fixture near the top of these lists, was removed from the 2025 edition after being reclassified as a native English-speaking country, which reshuffled the leaderboard somewhat. What follows is a country-by-country look at the ten nations currently leading the world in English fluency among non-native speakers.
1. Netherlands
The Netherlands remains the undisputed champion of English proficiency, and it isn’t particularly close. The Netherlands topped the 2025 rankings with a score of 624 out of 123 countries and regions assessed. This marks yet another year at the summit for a country that has held the top spot for the better part of a decade, a streak that reflects just how deeply English has been woven into daily Dutch life.
Part of the Dutch advantage comes from cultural habits rather than classroom drilling alone. Their success is largely attributed to early English education, widespread media exposure, high-quality teaching standards, and strong international orientation. Dutch television rarely dubs foreign content, universities increasingly teach in English, and the country’s small domestic market pushes businesses to operate internationally from the start.
2. Croatia
Croatia has quietly climbed into second place, a notable jump from its earlier rankings. Croatia scored 617 points in the 2025 index, placing it just behind the Netherlands. This continues a trend of steady improvement that has seen the country outperform many wealthier European neighbors.
The EF report specifically flagged Croatia’s rise as one of the standout stories of this year’s edition. The Netherlands remained number one, followed by Croatia and Austria, both of which improved their rankings this year. A tourism-driven economy that relies heavily on English-speaking visitors, combined with strong exposure to English-language media, has likely helped drive this upward momentum among younger Croatians in particular.
3. Austria
Austria rounds out the podium with a score that puts it firmly in the “very high” proficiency band. Austria posted a score of 616 in the 2025 EF EPI, narrowly trailing Croatia. This is a meaningful improvement that reflects the country’s long-standing emphasis on multilingual education.
Austria’s rise was explicitly highlighted as part of a broader pattern among German-speaking European nations this year. Croatia and Austria both improved their rankings compared to previous editions. Proximity to Germany and Switzerland, along with a robust tourism and finance sector, gives Austrians frequent, practical reasons to use English beyond the classroom.
4. Germany
Germany has made one of the more dramatic leaps in this year’s index, breaking into the global top five for the first time in recent memory. Germany scored 615 points, landing at fourth place overall in the 2025 rankings. This is a significant shift for Europe’s largest economy, which had previously sat further down the leaderboard.
EF researchers were quick to call out this movement as one of the report’s key findings. Germany climbed to fourth place with one of the biggest gains recorded anywhere in Europe. Strong investment in English-language higher education programs and a business culture increasingly geared toward international clients appear to be paying off for German speakers.
5. Norway
Norway has been a perennial fixture near the very top of the EF EPI for years, and it remains firmly in the elite tier. Norway earned a score of 613 in the 2025 edition, placing it fifth globally. This continues a long pattern of Nordic countries dominating the upper reaches of the ranking.
Norway’s earlier performances have been just as strong, if not stronger, at times even challenging the Netherlands for the top spot. In the 2024 edition, Norway came in second place overall, just behind the Netherlands. Widespread subtitling rather than dubbing of foreign television, combined with an education system that introduces English early and often, keeps Norwegian proficiency consistently high.
6. Portugal
Portugal has emerged as one of southern Europe’s strongest performers, a fact that might surprise those who associate high English scores mainly with northern European nations. Portugal scored 612 points, placing it sixth in the 2025 rankings. This solidifies a trend that has seen Portugal steadily climb the charts over the past several editions.
Portugal’s strong showing lines up with its growing reputation as a hub for international remote workers and digital nomads, many of whom cite ease of communication in English as a reason for relocating there. The country’s universities have also expanded English-taught degree programs considerably in recent years, feeding a pipeline of young adults who are comfortable operating professionally in English well before they enter the workforce.
7. Denmark
Denmark continues to anchor the Nordic bloc near the very top of global English proficiency. Denmark posted a score of 611, ranking seventh overall in the 2025 index. This keeps Denmark firmly within the “very high” proficiency band that has defined Scandinavian countries for over a decade.
Among its Nordic peers, Denmark has managed to edge out close competitors by a slim margin in several recent editions. Denmark led the Nordic region, edging out Sweden and Norway by a fraction of a point, with differences between the Nordic countries remaining small but Denmark holding a consistent edge. A national culture that treats English almost as a de facto second language, reinforced through media, business, and higher education, keeps Danish scores remarkably stable year after year.
8. Sweden
Sweden rounds out the Nordic dominance of the upper rankings, sitting just below Denmark and Norway. Sweden scored 609 points, placing it eighth in the 2025 EF EPI. This is consistent with Sweden’s long history of strong showings, having ranked even higher in some previous editions of the index.
Swedish schools introduce English instruction at an early age, and much like its Nordic neighbors, the country avoids dubbing foreign films and television, exposing viewers to English audio from childhood onward. Combined with a highly international business sector centered around companies with global operations, this environment gives Swedes consistent, real-world reasons to build and maintain strong English skills throughout adulthood.
9. Belgium
Belgium rounds out the upper tier of Europe’s English speakers, buoyed by its position as a hub for European Union institutions and international diplomacy. Belgium earned a score of 608, placing it ninth in the 2025 rankings. This reflects the country’s unique linguistic situation, where fluency in multiple languages is often treated as a practical necessity rather than an academic achievement.
Belgium’s multilingual society, split primarily between Dutch and French speakers, tends to foster comfort with additional languages generally, and English often serves as a practical bridge between the two main linguistic communities. Brussels’ role as home to major EU institutions and countless international organizations adds further pressure and opportunity for residents to sharpen their English in professional settings.
10. Slovakia
Slovakia closes out the global top ten, marking a strong showing for a country not always associated with elite English proficiency. Slovakia scored 606 points, securing tenth place in the 2025 EF EPI. This places Slovakia ahead of several larger and wealthier European nations, a testament to its education system’s focus on foreign language instruction.
Slovakia’s steady climb reflects a broader pattern seen across much of Central and Eastern Europe, where younger generations have grown up with far greater exposure to English-language media, travel, and international education opportunities than their parents did. As the country’s economy has become more integrated with Western European supply chains and services, fluency in English has increasingly become a practical asset rather than simply a school subject.
Looking at this list as a whole, a clear pattern emerges. Smaller European nations with strong education systems, multilingual traditions, and heavy exposure to English-language media consistently outperform much larger economies. It’s also worth remembering that these rankings measure non-native speakers specifically, since major English-speaking nations like the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, and Australia are excluded from the comparison entirely. What’s striking is how much movement there has been in just the past couple of years, with Germany’s rapid climb and Croatia’s rise into the top three showing that these rankings are anything but static. For anyone learning English today, the takeaway is simple: consistent exposure through media, education, and everyday practical use matters far more than any single teaching method.
