omniture

EF's Global Ranking of English Skills Shows Netherlands Still on Top

EF Education First (EF)
2017-11-08 11:00 1395

ZURICH, November 8, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

Global survey of over one million adults maps worldwide trends in English proficiency  

The Netherlands still has the world's best non-native English speakers, according to the EF English Proficiency Index (EF EPI) released today by EF Education First. This year's EF EPI results were first announced at a reception in the U.K.'s House of Commons.

generated by system

generated by system

"Given the vast sums that parents, governments, and companies invest in English training, the EF EPI serves as a valuable resource for sparking a discussion on the best ways to improve a country's English level," said Minh N. Tran, EF Senior Director of Research. "In today's global economy, the advantages of learning English transcend borders."

The EF EPI 2017 ranks 80 countries and territories based on data from more than one million adults who took the EF Standard English Test (EF SET), the world's first free standardized English test. The EF SET provides language learners access to a high-quality, standardized English test. The EF SET has been used worldwide by thousands of schools, companies, and governments, where large-scale testing was previously cost prohibitive.

Highlights of the EF EPI 2017 include:

  • For the first time, Africa is included in the EF EPI as a distinct region with nine African countries represented. The region has the largest gender gap, with African women outperforming men and scoring above the global average.
  • Europe leads the world in English proficiency, with eight European countries in the top 10. The Middle East occupies the lowest ranks.
  • Asia has the world's second best proficiency, but the largest gap between individual country scores.
  • Colombia, Guatemala, and Panama all improved enough to break out of the Very Low Proficiency band. Despite significant spending on education within Latin America, the region still performs below global averages.
  • Worldwide, women speak English better than men, although the gap is narrower for some world regions than in previous editions of the EF EPI.
  • English proficiency is linked to economic competitiveness, social development, and innovation. Countries with higher English proficiency tend to have higher average incomes, better quality of life, and greater investment in research and development.

The EF English Proficiency Index for Schools (EF EPI-s), a companion report to the EF EPI, was also released today. The EF EPI-s examines the acquisition of English skills by secondary and tertiary students from 26 countries.

The EF EPI and EF EPI-s reports and country fact sheets are available for download at http://www.ef.com/epi. The full EF EPI 2017 ranking is below.

About EF Education First 

EF Education First is an international education company that focuses on language, academics, and cultural experience. Founded in 1965, EF's mission is "opening the world through education." EF has more than 500 schools and offices in over 50 countries.

EF English Proficiency Index 2017:

Rank

Country / Region

EF EPI Proficiency Band

1

Netherlands

Very High

2

Sweden

Very High

3

Denmark

Very High

4

Norway

Very High

5

Singapore

Very High

6

Finland

Very High

7

Luxembourg

Very High

8

South Africa

Very High

9

Germany

High

10

Austria

High

11

Poland

High

12

Belgium

High

13

 Malaysia

High

14

Switzerland

High

15

Philippines

High

16

Serbia

High

17

Romania

High

18

Portugal

High

19

Hungary

High

20

Czech Republic

High

21

Slovakia

High

22

Bulgaria

Moderate

23

Greece

Moderate

24

Lithuania

Moderate

25

Argentina

Moderate

26

Dominican Republic

Moderate

27

India

Moderate

28

Spain

Moderate

29

Hong Kong

Moderate

30

South Korea

Moderate

31

Nigeria

Moderate

32

France

Moderate

33

Italy

Moderate

34

Vietnam

Moderate

35

Costa Rica

Moderate

36

Mainland China

Low

37

Japan

Low

38

Russia

Low

39

Indonesia

Low

40

Taiwan

Low

41

Brazil

Low

42

Macau

Low

43

Uruguay

Low

44

Mexico

Low

45

Chile

Low

46

Bangladesh

Low

47

Ukraine

Low

48

Cuba

Low

49

Panama

Low

50

Peru

Low

51

Colombia

Low

52

Pakistan

Low

53

Thailand

Low

54

Guatemala

Low

55

Ecuador

Low

56

Tunisia

Low

57

United Arab Emirates

Low

58

Syria

Very Low

59

Qatar

Very Low

60

Morocco

Very Low

61

Sri Lanka

Very Low

62

Turkey

Very Low

63

Jordan

Very Low

64

Azerbaijan

Very Low

65

Iran

Very Low

66

Egypt

Very Low

67

Kazakhstan

Very Low

68

Venezuela

Very Low

69

El Salvador

Very Low

70

Oman

Very Low

71

Mongolia

Very Low

72

Saudi Arabia

Very Low

73

Angola

Very Low

74

Kuwait

Very Low

75

Cameroon

Very Low

76

Algeria

Very Low

77

Cambodia

Very Low

78

Libya

Very Low

79

Iraq

Very Low

80

Laos

Very Low

Source: EF Education First (EF)
collection