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 2023.[7][8]
600 and above (Very high)
599 – 550 (High)
549 – 500 (Moderate)
499 – 450 (Low)
Below 450 (Very low)
No data or English is official or de-facto national language
Methodology
editThe EF EPI 2024 edition was calculated using test data from 2.1 million test takers in 2023. The test takers were self-selected. 116 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]
Report
editThe 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 2023 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]
Primary conclusions
edit- Exports per capita, gross national income per capita and innovation all correlate positively with English proficiency.[10]
- English proficiency levels are evolving at different rates in different countries, including a few countries with declining English skills.[11]
- Europe has the highest proficiency in English, while the Middle East averages the lowest.[12]
2024 country rankings
editBelow are the latest country scores, proficiency bands, and rankings as published in 2024.[1]
| Country or region | Score | Proficiency band |
|---|---|---|
| 636 | Very high proficiency | |
| 610 | Very high proficiency | |
| 609 | Very high proficiency | |
| 608 | Very high proficiency | |
| 607 | Very high proficiency | |
| 605 | Very high proficiency | |
| 603 | Very high proficiency | |
| 602 | Very high proficiency | |
| 600 | Very high proficiency | |
| 598 | High Proficiency | |
| 594 | High Proficiency | |
| 593 | High proficiency | |
| 592 | High Proficiency | |
| 590 | High proficiency | |
| 588 | High proficiency | |
| 586 | High proficiency | |
| 585 | High proficiency | |
| 584 | High proficiency | |
| 581 | High proficiency | |
| 578 | High proficiency | |
| 576 | High proficiency | |
| 570 | High proficiency | |
| 569 | High proficiency | |
| 568 | High proficiency | |
| 567 | High proficiency | |
| 566 | High proficiency | |
| 563 | High proficiency | |
| 562 | High proficiency | |
| 558 | High proficiency | |
| 557 | High proficiency | |
| 550 | High proficiency | |
| 549 | Moderate proficiency | |
| 545 | Moderate proficiency | |
| 543 | Moderate proficiency | |
| 539 | Moderate proficiency | |
| 538 | Moderate proficiency | |
| 538 | Moderate proficiency | |
| 537 | Moderate proficiency | |
| 536 | Moderate proficiency | |
| 535 | Moderate proficiency | |
| 534 | Moderate proficiency | |
| 534 | Moderate proficiency | |
| 533 | Moderate proficiency | |
| 532 | Moderate proficiency | |
| 531 | Moderate proficiency | |
| 528 | Moderate proficiency | |
| 525 | Moderate proficiency | |
| 525 | Moderate proficiency | |
| 524 | Moderate proficiency | |
| 523 | Moderate proficiency | |
| 522 | Moderate proficiency | |
| 520 | Moderate proficiency | |
| 519 | Moderate proficiency | |
| 518 | Moderate proficiency | |
| 513 | Moderate proficiency | |
| 512 | Moderate proficiency | |
| 510 | Moderate proficiency | |
| 507 | Moderate proficiency | |
| 505 | Moderate proficiency | |
| 503 | Moderate proficiency | |
| 500 | Moderate proficiency | |
| 499 | Low proficiency | |
| 498 | Low proficiency | |
| 498 | Low proficiency | |
| 497 | Low proficiency | |
| 496 | Low proficiency | |
| 493 | Low proficiency | |
| 492 | Low proficiency | |
| 490 | Low proficiency | |
| 489 | Low proficiency | |
| 488 | Low proficiency | |
| 487 | Low proficiency | |
| 486 | Low proficiency | |
| 485 | Low proficiency | |
| 480 | Low proficiency | |
| 479 | Low proficiency | |
| 473 | Low proficiency | |
| 471 | Low proficiency | |
| 469 | Low proficiency | |
| 468 | Low proficiency | |
| 466 | Low proficiency | |
| 465 | Low proficiency | |
| 465 | Low proficiency | |
| 464 | Low proficiency | |
| 463 | Low proficiency | |
| 462 | Low proficiency | |
| 459 | Low proficiency | |
| 457 | Low proficiency | |
| 456 | Low proficiency | |
| 456 | Low proficiency | |
| 455 | Low proficiency | |
| 454 | Low proficiency | |
| 449 | Very low proficiency | |
| 448 | Very low proficiency | |
| 447 | Very low proficiency | |
| 447 | Very low proficiency | |
| 445 | Very low proficiency | |
| 439 | Very low proficiency | |
| 432 | Very low proficiency | |
| 432 | Very low proficiency | |
| 431 | Very low proficiency | |
| 429 | Very low proficiency | |
| 427 | Very low proficiency | |
| 421 | Very low proficiency | |
| 417 | Very low proficiency | |
| 415 | Very low proficiency | |
| 414 | Very low proficiency | |
| 413 | Very low proficiency | |
| 412 | Very low proficiency | |
| 409 | Very low proficiency | |
| 408 | Very low proficiency | |
| 405 | Very low proficiency | |
| 401 | Very low proficiency | |
| 399 | Very low proficiency | |
| 399 | Very low proficiency | |
| 394 | Very low proficiency |
2023 city rankings
edit| City | 2023 score | 2023 proficiency band |
|---|---|---|
| 646 | Very high | |
| 640 | Very high | |
| 639 | Very high | |
| 637 | Very high | |
| 629 | Very high | |
| 625 | Very high | |
| 622 | Very high | |
| 621 | Very high | |
| 621 | Very high | |
| 617 | Very high | |
| 614 | Very high | |
| 612 | Very high | |
| 611 | Very high | |
| 610 | Very high | |
| 609 | Very high | |
| 605 | Very high | |
| 602 | Very high | |
| 600 | Very high | |
| 594 | High | |
| 592 | High | |
| 592 | High | |
| 592 | High | |
| 589 | High | |
| 587 | High | |
| 586 | High | |
| 579 | High | |
| 578 | High | |
| 573 | High | |
| 564 | High | |
| 562 | High | |
| 559 | High | |
| 559 | High | |
| 558 | High | |
| 555 | High | |
| 553 | High | |
| 552 | High | |
| 551 | High | |
| 551 | High | |
| 549 | Moderate | |
| 549 | Moderate | |
| 549 | Moderate | |
| 549 | Moderate | |
| 547 | Moderate | |
| 545 | Moderate | |
| 543 | Moderate | |
| 542 | Moderate | |
| 542 | Moderate | |
| 538 | Moderate | |
| 538 | Moderate | |
| 536 | Moderate | |
| 536 | Moderate | |
| 534 | Moderate | |
| 533 | Moderate | |
| 531 | Moderate | |
| 528 | Moderate | |
| 528 | Moderate | |
| 527 | Moderate | |
| 521 | Moderate | |
| 521 | Moderate | |
| 521 | Moderate | |
| 521 | Moderate | |
| 520 | Moderate | |
| 515 | Moderate | |
| 515 | Moderate | |
| 514 | Moderate | |
| 513 | Moderate | |
| 513 | Moderate | |
| 513 | Moderate | |
| 512 | Moderate | |
| 511 | Moderate | |
| 510 | Moderate | |
| 506 | Moderate | |
| 503 | Moderate | |
| 503 | Moderate | |
| 500 | Moderate | |
| 500 | Moderate | |
| 500 | Moderate | |
| 491 | Low | |
| 485 | Low | |
| 484 | Low | |
| 484 | Low | |
| 477 | Low | |
| 476 | Low | |
| 475 | Low | |
| 470 | Low | |
| 466 | Low | |
| 462 | Low | |
| 458 | Low | |
| 457 | Low | |
| 451 | Low | |
| 446 | Very low | |
| 445 | Very low | |
| 442 | Very low | |
| 440 | Very low | |
| 436 | Very low | |
| 436 | Very low | |
| 433 | Very low | |
| 428 | Very low | |
| 427 | Very low | |
| 425 | Very low | |
| 425 | Very low | |
| 422 | Very low | |
| 421 | Very low | |
| 410 | Very low | |
| 409 | Very low | |
| 408 | Very low | |
| 400 | Very low | |
| 392 | Very low |
Similar reports
editThe 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]
Criticisms
editThe EF English Proficiency Index has been the subject of criticism in literature. From the point of view of methodology, it suffers from self-selection bias. Instead of testing the level of English proficiency in the population, it tests the level of English of those who self-select. [14] Moreover, the countries at the top of the rankings are often those whose official languages are gradually subject to 'domain loss' in favour of English, because they are being used less and less in scientific research, academic teaching and multinational corporations.[15] The selection bias is noted but not mitigated in EF's analysis.[16]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ a b "EF EPI 2024 - EF English Proficiency Index". 2024. Retrieved 4 January 2025.
- ^ English: Who speaks English? Archived 2 December 2017 at the Wayback Machine. The Economist. Retrieved on 2011-05-29.
- ^ Study Offers Snapshot of Global English-Language-Learner Trends Archived 16 November 2015 at the Wayback Machine. Education Week. Retrieved on 2017-01-17.
- ^ The EF SET powers the EF EPI Archived 24 March 2019 at the Wayback Machine. EF SET. Retrieved on 2017-10-05.
- ^ The EF EPI Archived 30 August 2018 at the Wayback Machine. ef.com. Retrieved on 2017-10-05.
- ^ Low English Levels Can Hurt Countries' Progress Archived 17 February 2017 at the Wayback Machine. New York Times. Retrieved on 2017-01-17.
- ^ "EF English Proficiency Index" (PDF). ef.com. Archived (PDF) from the original on 30 May 2021. Retrieved 29 July 2023.
- ^ Women and managers are better at speaking English, study on proficiency finds Archived 16 April 2019 at the Wayback Machine. Business Insider. Retrieved on 2018-11-09
- ^ a b EF English Proficiency Index – Comparing English skills between countries – EF EPI Archived 18 June 2015 at the Wayback Machine. Ef.com. Retrieved on 2018-11-09.
- ^ Minh Tran: Countries with High English Proficiency Are More Innovative Archived 2 February 2017 at the Wayback Machine. Harvard Business Review. "Minh Tran is Director of Research and Partnerships for EF Education First and a member of the team that launched the EF Standard English Test." Retrieved on 2017-01-17.
- ^ How Well Does Your Country Speak English? Archived 30 January 2017 at the Wayback Machine. Voice of America. Retrieved on 2017-1-17.
- ^ Which countries are best at English as a second language? Archived 8 August 2017 at the Wayback Machine. World Economic Forum. Retrieved on 2017-1-17.
- ^ SurveyLang project Archived 23 November 2015 at the Wayback Machine. European Commission. Retrieved on 2012-09-20.
- ^ [1] Archived 28 April 2023 at the Wayback Machine. Michele Gazzola & Daniele Mazzacani, "Il valore economico del plurilinguismo". Retrieved on 2023-01-17.
- ^ [2] Archived 8 March 2023 at the Wayback Machine. "English takes over at Dutch universities, just 40% of courses still in Dutch", DutchNews.nl. Retrieved on 2016-08-26.
- ^ Bolton, Kingsley; Bacon‐Shone, John (2020). "The Statistics of English across Asia". The Handbook of Asian Englishes. Wiley. p. 49–80. doi:10.1002/9781118791882.ch3. ISBN 978-1-118-79180-6.