The Netherlands is once again, for the seventh consecutive year, the country in the world where English is best spoken as a second language. Portugal appears in sixth place.
English remains the world’s dominant international language, but a new report reveals persistent gaps in the way Europeans use it, particularly in speaking and writing.
According to the EF 2025, EU citizens demonstrate reading and listening skills notably stronger than productive skills, reflecting an imbalance in the way English is learned and applied across the bloc.
Os Netherlands took first place for the seventh year in a row, maintaining its position as the best country in the world for non-native English speakers. However, Dutch proficiency dropped 12 points in relation to 2024.
Croatia and Austria came next, showing significant gains of 10 and 16 points, respectively. In total, 12 EU nations They now fall into the higher proficiency range of EF, characterized by the ability to negotiate contracts with native speakers, read advanced texts with ease, and use refined language in social and professional contexts. Portugal is included in this groupappearing in sixth position worldwide.
At the other end of the spectrum, Italy, Cyprus and France They had the worst ratings among EU members, all in the moderate proficiency category. Speakers in this group can handle work meetings, write professional emails about family matters, and understand everyday song lyrics, but may struggle with more complex communication demands. In total, five EU countries — Lithuania, Spain, France, Cyprus and Italy — fall into this intermediate-level group.
The 2025 index is based on results from tests of 2.2 million adults in 123 countries and regions. Despite the almost universal presence of English in European education, proficiency gaps persist. EF reports that young adults aged 18 to 20 are the only demographic group whose English skills have declined over the past decade, with more countries showing further declines than improvements by 2025. gender gap is also increasing: Between 2014 and 2025, men’s proficiency in Europe increased by 40 points, compared to just 20 points for women.
