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

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

ZURICH, Nov. 8, 2017 /CNW/ - 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.

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"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	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	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)