The EF English Proficiency Index (EF EPI) attempts to rank countries by the equity of English language skills amongst those adults who took the EF test.[2] It is the product of EF Education First, an international education company, and draws its conclusions from data collected via English tests available for free over the internet.[3][4] The index is an online survey first published in 2011[5] based on test data from 1.7 million test takers.[6] The most recent edition was released in November 2021.[7][8]
The EF EPI 2021 edition was calculated using test data from 2 million test takers in 2020. The test takers were self-selected. 112 countries and territories appear in this edition of the index. In order to be included, a country was required to have at least 400 test takers.[9]
The report is composed of a country ranking table, several pages of analysis with graphs correlating other economic and social factors with English proficiency, and analysis of each region or continent. The 2021 report includes English proficiency levels by gender, age group, and region, within countries, and some English proficiency scores by city. The website displays portions of the report and has analysis of English skills in many countries and territories.[9]
Below are the latest country scores, proficiency bands, and rankings as published in 2021.[1]
2021 Rank | Country | 2021 Score | 2021 Proficiency Band |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Netherlands | 663 | Very High Proficiency |
2 | Austria | 641 | Very High Proficiency |
3 | Denmark | 636 | Very High Proficiency |
4 | Singapore | 635 | Very High Proficiency |
5 | Norway | 632 | Very High Proficiency |
6 | Belgium | 629 | Very High Proficiency |
7 | Portugal | 625 | Very High Proficiency |
8 | Sweden | 623 | Very High Proficiency |
9 | Finland | 618 | Very High Proficiency |
10 | Croatia | 617 | Very High Proficiency |
11 | Germany | 616 | Very High Proficiency |
12 | South Africa | 606 | Very High Proficiency |
13 | Luxembourg | 604 | Very High Proficiency |
14 | Serbia | 599 | High Proficiency |
15 | Romania | 598 | High Proficiency |
16 | Poland | 597 | High Proficiency |
17 | Hungary | 593 | High Proficiency |
18 | Philippines | 592 | High Proficiency |
19 | Greece | 591 | High Proficiency |
20 | Slovakia | 590 | High Proficiency |
21 | Kenya | 587 | High Proficiency |
22 | Estonia | 581 | High Proficiency |
23 | Bulgaria | 580 | High Proficiency |
24 | Lithuania | 579 | High Proficiency |
25 | Switzerland | 575 | High Proficiency |
26 | Latvia | 569 | High Proficiency |
27 | Czech Republic | 563 | High Proficiency |
28 | Malaysia | 562 | High Proficiency |
29 | Nigeria | 560 | High Proficiency |
30 | Argentina | 556 | High Proficiency |
31 | France | 551 | High Proficiency |
32 | Hong Kong | 545 | Moderate Proficiency |
33 | Spain | 540 | Moderate Proficiency |
34 | Lebanon | 536 | Moderate Proficiency |
35 | Italy | 535 | Moderate Proficiency |
36 | Moldova | 532 | Moderate Proficiency |
37 | South Korea | 529 | Moderate Proficiency |
38 | Belarus | 528 | Moderate Proficiency |
39 | Albania | 527 | Moderate Proficiency |
40 | Ukraine | 525 | Moderate Proficiency |
41 | Bolivia | 524 | Moderate Proficiency |
42 | Ghana | 523 | Moderate Proficiency |
43 | Cuba | 521 | Moderate Proficiency |
44 | Costa Rica | 520 | Moderate Proficiency |
44 | Dominican Republic | 520 | Moderate Proficiency |
44 | Paraguay | 520 | Moderate Proficiency |
47 | Chile | 516 | Moderate Proficiency |
48 | India | 515 | Moderate Proficiency |
49 | Mainland China | 513 | Moderate Proficiency |
50 | Georgia | 512 | Moderate Proficiency |
51 | Russia | 511 | Moderate Proficiency |
52 | Tunisia | 510 | Moderate Proficiency |
53 | Uruguay | 509 | Moderate Proficiency |
54 | El Salvador | 508 | Moderate Proficiency |
55 | Honduras | 506 | Moderate Proficiency |
56 | Peru | 505 | Moderate Proficiency |
57 | Macau | 504 | Moderate Proficiency |
58 | Iran | 501 | Moderate Proficiency |
59 | Armenia | 499 | Low Proficiency |
60 | Brazil | 497 | Low Proficiency |
61 | Guatemala | 493 | Low Proficiency |
62 | Nepal | 492 | Low Proficiency |
63 | Ethiopia | 491 | Low Proficiency |
63 | Pakistan | 491 | Low Proficiency |
65 | Bangladesh | 490 | Low Proficiency |
66 | Vietnam | 486 | Low Proficiency |
67 | Tanzania | 485 | Low Proficiency |
68 | Mozambique | 482 | Low Proficiency |
69 | United Arab Emirates | 480 | Low Proficiency |
70 | Turkey | 478 | Low Proficiency |
71 | Morocco | 477 | Low Proficiency |
72 | Bahrain | 476 | Low Proficiency |
73 | Panama | 475 | Low Proficiency |
73 | Venezuela | 475 | Low Proficiency |
75 | Algeria | 474 | Low Proficiency |
76 | Nicaragua | 470 | Low Proficiency |
77 | Madagascar | 469 | Low Proficiency |
78 | Japan | 468 | Low Proficiency |
79 | Qatar | 467 | Low Proficiency |
80 | Indonesia | 466 | Low Proficiency |
81 | Colombia | 465 | Low Proficiency |
82 | Sri Lanka | 464 | Low Proficiency |
83 | Mongolia | 461 | Low Proficiency |
84 | Kuwait | 458 | Low Proficiency |
85 | Egypt | 455 | Low Proficiency |
86 | Azerbaijan | 451 | Low Proficiency |
87 | Afghanistan | 448 | Very Low Proficiency |
88 | Uzbekistan | 447 | Very Low Proficiency |
89 | Syria | 445 | Very Low Proficiency |
90 | Ecuador | 440 | Very Low Proficiency |
90 | Jordan | 440 | Very Low Proficiency |
92 | Mexico | 436 | Very Low Proficiency |
93 | Myanmar | 429 | Very Low Proficiency |
94 | Angola | 428 | Very Low Proficiency |
94 | Cameroon | 428 | Very Low Proficiency |
96 | Kazakhstan | 426 | Very Low Proficiency |
97 | Cambodia | 423 | Very Low Proficiency |
98 | Sudan | 421 | Very Low Proficiency |
99 | Ivory Coast | 420 | Very Low Proficiency |
100 | Thailand | 419 | Very Low Proficiency |
101 | Kyrgyzstan | 418 | Very Low Proficiency |
102 | Oman | 417 | Very Low Proficiency |
103 | Tajikistan | 405 | Very Low Proficiency |
104 | Saudi Arabia | 404 | Very Low Proficiency |
105 | Haiti | 403 | Very Low Proficiency |
106 | Somalia | 401 | Very Low Proficiency |
107 | Iraq | 399 | Very Low Proficiency |
108 | Libya | 390 | Very Low Proficiency |
109 | Rwanda | 389 | Very Low Proficiency |
110 | Democratic Republic of Congo | 386 | Very Low Proficiency |
111 | South Sudan | 363 | Very Low Proficiency |
112 | Yemen | 360 | Very Low Proficiency |
City | 2021 Score | 2021 Proficiency Band |
---|---|---|
Amsterdam | 682 | Very High Proficiency |
Copenhagen | 668 | Very High Proficiency |
Helsinki | 659 | Very High Proficiency |
Vienna | 658 | Very High Proficiency |
Stockholm | 646 | Very High Proficiency |
Porto | 643 | Very High Proficiency |
Johannesburg | 641 | Very High Proficiency |
Lisbon | 638 | Very High Proficiency |
Zagreb | 635 | Very High Proficiency |
Oslo | 633 | Very High Proficiency |
Budapest | 628 | Very High Proficiency |
Berlin | 622 | Very High Proficiency |
Hamburg | 622 | Very High Proficiency |
Warsaw | 621 | Very High Proficiency |
Athens | 616 | Very High Proficiency |
Bucharest | 612 | Very High Proficiency |
Belgrade | 604 | Very High Proficiency |
Nairobi | 601 | Very High Proficiency |
Brussels | 598 | High Proficiency |
Davao City | 597 | High Proficiency |
Kuala Lumpur | 596 | High Proficiency |
Manila | 595 | High Proficiency |
Paris | 595 | High Proficiency |
Bratislava | 594 | High Proficiency |
Sofia | 591 | High Proficiency |
Prague | 590 | High Proficiency |
Chennai | 586 | High Proficiency |
Mumbai | 586 | High Proficiency |
Lyon | 580 | High Proficiency |
Bangalore | 579 | High Proficiency |
Lagos | 576 | High Proficiency |
Milan | 571 | High Proficiency |
Seoul | 571 | High Proficiency |
Barcelona | 569 | High Proficiency |
Madrid | 569 | High Proficiency |
Buenos Aires | 567 | High Proficiency |
Córdoba | 561 | High Proficiency |
San José | 553 | High Proficiency |
Rome | 552 | High Proficiency |
Santiago | 552 | High Proficiency |
Hanoi | 548 | Moderate Proficiency |
Hyderabad | 548 | Moderate Proficiency |
São Paulo | 546 | Moderate Proficiency |
Hong Kong | 545 | Moderate Proficiency |
Shanghai | 543 | Moderate Proficiency |
Minsk | 538 | Moderate Proficiency |
Saint Petersburg | 537 | Moderate Proficiency |
Moscow | 535 | Moderate Proficiency |
Santo Domingo | 535 | Moderate Proficiency |
Accra | 534 | Moderate Proficiency |
Lima | 532 | Moderate Proficiency |
Kyiv | 531 | Moderate Proficiency |
Guadalajara | 528 | Moderate Proficiency |
Havana | 534 | Moderate Proficiency |
Delhi | 524 | Moderate Proficiency |
Beijing | 523 | Moderate Proficiency |
Tbilisi | 523 | Moderate Proficiency |
Dar Es Salaam | 522 | Moderate Proficiency |
Surabaya | 522 | Moderate Proficiency |
Addis Ababa | 521 | Moderate Proficiency |
Taipei | 521 | Moderate Proficiency |
Tirana | 520 | Moderate Proficiency |
Brasília | 517 | Moderate Proficiency |
Tokyo | 516 | Moderate Proficiency |
Montevideo | 515 | Moderate Proficiency |
Shenzen | 515 | Moderate Proficiency |
Tunis | 515 | Moderate Proficiency |
Tehran | 514 | Moderate Proficiency |
Rio de Janeiro | 512 | Moderate Proficiency |
Bandung | 512 | Moderate Proficiency |
Dhaka | 512 | Moderate Proficiency |
Monterrey | 512 | Moderate Proficiency |
Dubai | 511 | Moderate Proficiency |
Karachi | 511 | Moderate Proficiency |
Kazan | 511 | Moderate Proficiency |
San Salvador | 510 | Moderate Proficiency |
Jakarta | 506 | Moderate Proficiency |
Chengdu | 505 | Moderate Proficiency |
Panama City | 505 | Moderate Proficiency |
Caracas | 504 | Moderate Proficiency |
Macau | 504 | Moderate Proficiency |
Guangzhou | 498 | Low Proficiency |
Wuhan | 498 | Low Proficiency |
Guatemala City | 497 | Low Proficiency |
Maputo | 493 | Low Proficiency |
Algiers | 492 | Low Proficiency |
Ankara | 489 | Low Proficiency |
Medellín | 489 | Low Proficiency |
Bogotá | 486 | Low Proficiency |
Casablanca | 482 | Low Proficiency |
Istanbul | 482 | Low Proficiency |
Cairo | 480 | Low Proficiency |
Ho Chi Minh City | 480 | Low Proficiency |
Quito | 480 | Low Proficiency |
Managua | 475 | Low Proficiency |
Mexico City | 475 | Low Proficiency |
Doha | 472 | Low Proficiency |
Bangkok | 471 | Low Proficiency |
Nur-Sultan | 470 | Low Proficiency |
Almaty | 466 | Low Proficiency |
Tijuana | 464 | Low Proficiency |
Amman | 460 | Low Proficiency |
Baku | 459 | Low Proficiency |
Cali | 458 | Low Proficiency |
Ulaanbaatar | 454 | Low Proficiency |
Damascus | 451 | Low Proficiency |
Tashkent | 446 | Very Low Proficiency |
Khartoum | 441 | Very Low Proficiency |
Yangon | 441 | Very Low Proficiency |
Kabul | 440 | Very Low Proficiency |
Bishkek | 437 | Very Low Proficiency |
Luanda | 436 | Very Low Proficiency |
Riyadh | 432 | Very Low Proficiency |
Baghdad | 431 | Very Low Proficiency |
Jeddah | 424 | Very Low Proficiency |
Mogadishu | 423 | Very Low Proficiency |
Abidjan | 421 | Very Low Proficiency |
Tripoli | 421 | Very Low Proficiency |
Yaoundé | 420 | Very Low Proficiency |
Dushanbe | 412 | Very Low Proficiency |
Kigali | 405 | Very Low Proficiency |
Kinshasa | 403 | Very Low Proficiency |
Juba | 375 | Very Low Proficiency |
The European Commission performed a language survey, SurveyLang, which tested a representative sample of 15-year-old European students on their foreign language skills. The report and data sets were released for 13 European countries in June 2012.[13]