In this article, we will talk about the 15 countries that speak English the best. If you want to skip our detailed analysis, you can go directly to the 5 Countries that Speak English the Best.
English is one of the most spoken languages in the world, and the number of English speakers is growing worldwide. According to Tomedes, the number of English speakers increased from 1.05 billion in 2011 to 1.30 billion in 2021, showcasing a growth rate of 23.31% in a decade. Moreover, English is also one of Europe's most commonly spoken languages. According to data from Eurostat, more than 88% of the pupils in upper secondary education in the European Union were learning English as a foreign language in 2021. To read more about languages, you can look at the Top 25 Most Spoken Languages In The World 2024 and 15 Most Valuable Languages to Learn for International Business.
Economic Outlook of Europe
The European economy is suffering from delayed rebound growth. However, on the bright side, inflation is easing faster. According to the Winter 2024 report by the European Commission, the economic activity in the euro area and the European Union expanded by only 0.5% in 2023. Furthermore, the growth outlook forecasts for 2024 have been revised to 0.9% in the European Union and 0.8% in the euro area. Despite the cut-down, the economy is expected to grow at 1.7% and 1.5% for the European Union and euro area, respectively. To learn more about European markets you can read 17 European Countries with the Highest Unemployment Rates and the 15 Top Performing European Stocks So Far in 2024.
The slower-than-expected growth rates of the European economy are attributed to factors including modest growth for the past two consecutive years, owing to the pandemic, falling household purchasing power, and collapsing external demand. Therefore, the economy entered 2024 on a weaker footing, leading to a subdued growth projection for the year. On February 22, Reuters reported euro zone business activity was inching towards growth in February as the dominant services sector broke a six-month streak of contraction, thus easing the business activity. Moreover, the HCOB’s preliminary composite Purchasing Manager’s Index (PMI), compiled by S&P Global, increased from 47.9 in January to 48.9 in February 2024, ahead of expectations of 48.5.
Top Companies Driving Growth in European Markets
Some of the leading players in the European economy include TotalEnergies SE (EPA:TTE), Stellantis NV (BIT:STLAM), and BP plc (LON:BP).
TotalEnergies SE (EPA:TTE) is a leading multinational multi-energy company based in France. The company operates through drilling, oil and gas production, refining, transporting, and storing petrochemical products. TotalEnergies SE (EPA:TTE) also involves itself in power generation through oil, gas, and renewable energy resources. Operations of TotalEnergies SE (EPA:TTE) extend to Europe, Asia-Pacific, Africa, the Middle East, and America. On March 4, TotalEnergies SE (EPA:TTE) reported it signed a partnership with Bapco Energies to enhance the trading of petroleum products. As a result of this partnership, TotalEnergies SE (EPA:TTE) will support Bapco Energies in optimizing its Sitra refinery, which is being upgraded to trade in petroleum products.
Stellantis NV (BIT:STLAM) is a global automobile manufacturing company. The company designs, engineers, and distributes cars and automobile parts worldwide. Stellantis NV (BIT:STLAM) also operates in car retail and dealer financing, leasing, and rental services through its subsidiaries and partnerships. Some of the leading car brands by Stellantis NV (BIT:STLAM) include Alfa Romeo, Dodge, Fiat, Jeep, and Citroen. The company is headquartered in the Netherlands. On March 6, Stellantis NV (BIT:STLAM) announced its partnership with NEXUS Automotive International to boost the parts and after-sale market at a global level. As a result of this strategic partnership, NEXUS Automotive International customers will get Stellantis NV (BIT:STLAM) 360-degree products and services along with the current portfolio of NEXUS and will expand the reach of NEXUS Automotive International to North America, the Middle East, and Asia Pacific regions.
BP plc (LON:BP) is a leading oil and gas-producing company based in London. The company engages in the exploration, development, and delivery of hydrocarbon products to more than 70 countries around the globe. BP plc (LON:BP) has an international presence in Asia, Africa, Europe, and North and South America. On February 2, BP plc (LON:BP) announced the appointment of Kate Thomson as Chief Financial Officer and board member. She immediately assumed office and has been the interim Chief Financial Officer since September 2023. Moreover, Kate Thomson has been with BP plc (LON:BP) since 2004, holding many senior-level financial roles, including the group treasurer. On February 6 BP plc (LON:BP) reported earnings for the fiscal fourth quarter of 2023. The company reported earnings per share of $1.07 and beat estimates by $0.07. The company's revenue for the quarter amounted to $52.1 billion. Here are some comments from BP plc's (LON:BP) Q4 2023 earnings call:
Over the past 4 years, we've been accelerating our efforts to create a third value chain, lower carbon power and hydrogen. For example, using solar-wind to create lower carbon hydrogen to provide to our plants and customers and using those electrons to service the growing electricity demand through our EV charging business. Why? Because we can deliver higher margins with lower emissions. All of these chains are then optimized by our fantastic trading organization, driving superior returns to what a pure play can deliver. And the more we can interlink them, the more we can expand the returns. Over the past 4 years, we've delivered, on average, around a 4% uplift to group return on average capital employed across these chains through these efforts.
With this context, let’s look at the 15 countries that speak English the best.
15 Countries that Speak English the Best
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Our Methodology
To gather the list of 15 countries that speak English the best, we sourced our data from the EF English Proficiency Index Report 2023. The English Proficiency Index uses English Proficiency (EF EPI) scores to rank countries across different proficiency bands, including very high, high, moderate, low, and very low. We selected the top 15 countries with the highest EPI scores and ranked them in ascending order.
Please note that we only looked for non-English speaking countries and ruled out the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, and Canada. Moreover, we have cited GDP per capita and population figures, as of 2022, for each country from the World Bank.
15 Countries that Speak English the Best
15. Romania
EPI Score: 596
Romania ranks first on our list. It is a European country with a population of approximately 19.04 million and a GDP per capita of $15,076.5. It ranks high on the English Proficiency Index 2023 with a score of 596.
14. Finland
EPI Score: 597
Finland ranks 14 on our list of best English-speaking countries in the world. It is in Europe, with a population of 5.56 million and a GDP per capita of $53,654.8. It ranks under the ‘high proficiency’ countries per the English First EPI Index. It has an EPI score of 597.
13. Poland
EPI Score: 598
Poland is another European country with a population of 36.8 million and a GDP per capita of $18,688. Though the official language of the country is Polish, it still ranks high on the English proficiency index with an EPI score of 598.
12. Greece
EPI Score: 602
Greece ranks 12th on our list. It is situated in Europe and is a $217.58 billion economy with a GDP per capita of $20,867.3. The official language of Greece is Greek, but it still ranks under the ‘very high’ category of the English proficiency index, with an EPI score of 602.
11. Croatia
EPI Score: 603
Croatia is a small European country. It has a population of 3.85 million, and Croatian is its official language. Croatia ranks 11th on our list of 15 countries that speak English the best, with an EPI score of 603.
10. Germany
EPI Score: 604
Germany is another European country with a population of 83.8 million and a GDP per capita of $51,203.5. Though German is the official language of Germany, it still ranks higher on the English proficiency index with an EPI score of 604.
9. South Africa
EPI Score: 605
Ranking 9th on our list, South Africa. It is situated at the southernmost end of the African continent. It has a population of 59.9 million and has many official languages. It ranks high on the English proficiency index with an EPI score of 605.
8. Portugal
EPI Score: 607
Portugal is a southern European country that borders itself with Spain. It has a population of 10.4 million and speaks Polish as its official language. Poland ranks 8th on our list and has an EPI score of 607.
7. Belgium
EPI Score: 608
Belgium is a Western European country with a population of 11.69 million. It has a GDP of $594.1 billion and a GDP per capita of $51,247. Belgium has three official languages, including Dutch, French, and German. It ranks under the “very high” category of the English proficiency index with an EPI score of 608.
6. Sweden
EPI Score: 609
Sweden is a Scandinavian country with a population of 10.49 million. Thousands of coastal islands and glaciated mountains categorize the country. Sweden's official language is Swedish, but it still ranks high in the English proficiency ranking, with an EPI score of 609.
