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.
[English: Who speaks English?](_blank)
The Economist. Retrieved on 2011-05-29. It is the product of
EF Education First
EF Education First (abbreviated as EF) is an international education company that specializes in language training, educational travel, academic degree programs, and cultural exchange. The company was founded in 1965 by Bertil Hult in the Swe ...
, an international education company, and draws its conclusions from data collected via English tests available for free over the internet.
[Study Offers Snapshot of Global English-Language-Learner Trends](_blank)
Education Week. Retrieved on 2017-01-17.[The EF SET powers the EF EPI](_blank)
EF SET. Retrieved on 2017-10-05. The index is an online survey first published in 2011
[The EF EPI](_blank)
ef.com. Retrieved on 2017-10-05. based on test data from 1.7 million test takers.
New York Times. Retrieved on 2017-01-17. The most recent edition was released in November 2022.
Methodology
The EF EPI 2022 edition was calculated using test data from 2.1 million test takers in 2021. The test takers were self-selected. 111 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.
[EF English Proficiency Index – Comparing English skills between countries – EF EPI](_blank)
Ef.com. Retrieved on 2018-11-09.
Report
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 2022 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.
Primary conclusions
#
Exports
An export in international trade is a good produced in one country that is sold into another country or a service provided in one country for a national or resident of another country. The seller of such goods or the service provider is an ...
per capita,
Gross National Income
The gross national income (GNI), previously known as gross national product (GNP), is the total domestic and foreign output claimed by residents of a country, consisting of gross domestic product (GDP), plus factor incomes earned by foreign ...
per capita and innovation all correlate positively with English proficiency.
[Minh Tran: Countries with High English Proficiency Are More Innovative](_blank)
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.
# English proficiency levels are evolving at different rates in different countries, including a few countries with declining English skills.
Voice of America. Retrieved on 2017-1-17.
#
Europe
Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a subcontinent of Eurasia and it is located entirel ...
has the highest proficiency in English, while the
Middle East
The Middle East ( ar, الشرق الأوسط, ISO 233: ) is a geopolitical region commonly encompassing Arabia (including the Arabian Peninsula and Bahrain), Asia Minor (Asian part of Turkey except Hatay Province), East Thrace (Europ ...
averages the lowest.
[Which countries are best at English as a second language?](_blank)
World Economic Forum. Retrieved on 2017-1-17.
2022 country rankings
Below are the latest country scores, proficiency bands, and rankings as published in 2022.
2022 city rankings
Similar reports
The
European Commission
The European Commission (EC) is the executive of the European Union (EU). It operates as a cabinet government, with 27 members of the Commission (informally known as "Commissioners") headed by a President. It includes an administrative body ...
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.
SurveyLang project
European Commission. Retrieved on 2012-09-20.
See also
* English as a second or foreign language
English as a second or foreign language is the use of English by speakers with different native languages. Language education for people learning English may be known as English as a second language (ESL), English as a foreign language (EFL ...
* Test of English as a Foreign Language
Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL ) is a standardized test to measure the English language ability of non-native speakers wishing to enroll in English-speaking universities. The test is accepted by more than 11,000 universities a ...
References
External links
*
{{Population country lists
International rankings
English language
English-language education
EF Education First