If there is one thing Europeans collectively love—besides debating cheese regulations, forming coalitions that last shorter than a TikTok trend, and pretending they don’t secretly enjoy Eurovision—it's competing over who speaks the best English. Forget GDP growth, inflation targets, or carbon neutrality goals. This is the battle that really matters: who can order a latte in London without panicking, who can flirt in Dublin without Google Translate, and who can watch The Crown without subtitles.
According to the saints at EF who have dedicated their lives to measuring just how well the world can say "Actually, it’s pronounced croissant" in English, the Netherlands has once again secured the top spot. For the seventh year in a row.
Seven! In EU-years, that’s basically an eternity. That’s longer than some governments last, longer than the shelf life of a European infrastructure plan, and longer than the time it takes a German train to show up late.
But before you picture the Dutch partying in the streets shouting, “We rule the verbs!”—calm down. There’s a catch.
Their score actually dropped by 12 points since 2024.
Yes. The reigning champions got worse. And still won. You know the competition is shaky when the gold medalist is slowly sliding downhill but everyone else is sliding faster.
Let’s unpack this linguistic soap opera.
The Netherlands: Still King of English, Even While Declining Like a Discount Stock
The Dutch are famous for three things:
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Bicycles
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Stroopwafels
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Speaking English better than most native English speakers
The EF Index confirms number three yet again. Even though Dutch proficiency slipped by 12 points, they remain number one globally. Not just in Europe. Not just in the EU. In. The. World.
Yes, somewhere in Amsterdam, a barista is cheerfully asking tourists, “Would you like your oat-milk cortado extra hot?” with more grammatical precision than the average American lawmaker writing a tweet.
But the decline does raise questions. Did they get too confident? Did they start replacing English practice sessions with doom-scrolling political news? Did the entire nation collectively forget how to use phrasal verbs? Or maybe, just maybe, their downward shift is what happens when you’ve reached the English equivalent of Enlightenment and there’s nowhere left to go but down.
Regardless, they still crushed everyone else, so the Netherlands gets to keep wearing the crown and polishing the trophy inscribed with “We speak English because we want to, not because we have to.”
Croatia & Austria: The Surprise Climbers Who Came to Win
Rounding out the top three are Croatia and Austria, now moving up like they got a sudden scholarship to the University of Fluent Shade.
Croatia rose by 10 points. Austria shot up by 16. That’s practically a glow-up montage.
These two aren’t messing around. They looked at the Dutch slipping a little and said, “Oh? Opportunity!” the way France reacts when a British prime minister resigns.
Croatia’s rise may be linked to the fact that tourism accounts for a large chunk of their economy. Nothing motivates English practice quite like having to explain, daily, that no, you cannot “pay with exposure” and no, the sea is not heated, and no, you cannot just dock your yacht wherever the vibes feel right.
Austria, meanwhile, improving sharply might reflect its ongoing campaign to prove it is not just “Germany Lite.” They heard the stereotype and responded:
“Actually, we are capable of absolutely roasting you in English, danke.”
The Elite Twelve: EU Countries With “Very High Proficiency” (AKA, Those Who Can Negotiate a Contract Without Sweating)
There are 12 EU countries in EF’s “very high proficiency” tier. This means they can:
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Use nuanced and appropriate language in social situations
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Read advanced texts with ease
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Negotiate a contract with a native English speaker without needing a nap afterward
Basically, these are the EU’s linguistic honor students.
Who are they? The usual suspects:
The Nordics (of course), the Netherlands (obviously), plus the Central European overachievers who treat English lessons the way the French treat baguettes: as an essential, non-negotiable core of civilization.
Meanwhile, the rest of Europe is looking at these 12 like, “Congrats, but can you translate a plumber’s invoice? No? Exactly.”
Still, making it into the top tier is a real achievement. These countries are the reason English teachers across Europe can afford holidays.
But let's not get too sentimental. Because on the other end of the spectrum…
Italy, France & Cyprus: The EU’s Moderate-English Legends
I’ll say this gently:
According to EF, the EU’s weakest English performers are Italy, Cyprus, and France.
And before anyone gets offended—this is not surprising. It is the most statistically confirmed, historically consistent fact in Europe besides “The UK will always be confused about what it wants.”
These three nations fall into the “moderate proficiency” category, which EF defines as:
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Able to participate in meetings in one’s area of expertise
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Understanding song lyrics
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Writing professional emails on familiar subjects
Which is basically:
“You can do your job, sing along to Taylor Swift, and email your boss. You're fine.”
But let's explore each country’s struggle:
Italy: The Land Where Hand Gestures Are the Real Second Language
Italy doesn’t need perfect English. Italians can communicate anything using a combination of hand gestures, eyebrow movements, and the universal language of dramatic sighs.
Why would they spend years learning English grammar when they can yell things like:
“Mamma mia, why you park like this?!”
and be understood by the entire planet?
EF says Italy is in the moderate tier. Italy says, “We’re busy making pasta.”
France: Fluent in Everything Except English
We all love France. Gorgeous country. Beautiful language. A proud culture that uniquely blends elegance with the ability to light a cigarette in any weather condition.
But when it comes to English… France has a special relationship.
French schools teach English. French students learn English. Many French people understand English.
And yet, something magical happens when you try speaking English to a French person: the laws of linguistics break.
It’s not inability. It’s tradition.
France doesn’t speak English poorly—they refuse to speak English excellently. For cultural reasons. For philosophical reasons. For reasons involving national dignity and the preservation of vowel purity.
Ranked low? Yes. Surprised? Absolutely not.
Cyprus: The Quiet Member of the Club
Cyprus is in the moderate tier too, which is surprising given that the island is already bilingual in multiple ways and has heavy British influence.
But EF’s data suggests that while many Cypriots speak English well socially, their scores in formal testing dip. This is understandable. No one wants to take a standardized test after spending years listening to tourists ask, “Why is the water so salty today?”
The Five Moderate Countries: Lithuania, Spain, France, Cyprus, Italy
These countries share the moderate proficiency label. They can all:
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Participate in meetings
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Understand song lyrics
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Write professional emails
So if you're a manager in Barcelona, a politician in Vilnius, or a hotel clerk in Nicosia, you can get through your day just fine.
But here’s the fun part:
EF says they can understand song lyrics.
EF does not say they can understand rap lyrics.
Let’s not push anyone too far.
EU English Skills: Great at Reading & Listening, Mediocre at Speaking & Writing
According to EF, Europeans are fantastic at the passive skills: reading and listening.
You want them to read a dissertation? Sure.
Listen to a podcast at 1.5x speed? Easy.
But ask them to speak in English, and suddenly every accent turns into “I learned this from Netflix.”
Ask them to write an email, and grammar anxiety sweeps the continent.
The pattern makes sense: reading and listening require no performance. Europeans can quietly judge the English language from afar without having to produce any sentences themselves.
Speaking and writing require vulnerability. And Europeans are only vulnerable when discussing football penalties or their thoughts on the latest Eurovision fiasco.
The Gender Gap That Nobody Asked For
EF also revealed a fascinating twist:
Between 2014 and 2025, English proficiency in Europe increased by:
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40 points for men
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20 points for women
A gap! In language ability! In the 21st century!
Why?
No one knows.
Not EF. Not Eurostat. Not even the group chat.
Possibilities include:
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Men spending more time on English-speaking gaming platforms
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Women wisely choosing to have real social lives
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Men googling “How to impress date with fancy English phrase”
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Women already having better grammar in their native languages and thus feeling no urgency to study another one
Whatever the reason, the gap exists. And Europe will undoubtedly hold eight conferences trying to figure it out.
Young Adults Are Doing Worse Than Before the Pandemic
This is the real twist.
EF reports that 18- to 20-year-olds now have lower proficiency than they did pre-COVID.
And 2025 brought further declines in more EU countries than improvements.
So the future of European English looks… stressed.
It’s not that young adults can’t learn English. It’s just that they’ve spent the last few years:
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Surviving a pandemic
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Navigating rising living costs
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Watching political chaos unfold
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Sending unhinged DMs
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Consuming content where the most common English phrase is “no one’s gonna know”
It’s a miracle they remember how to say “hello.”
Why English Still Dominates Everything
Despite all these gaps, declines, and inter-country sniping, English remains the top foreign language studied across the EU.
In 2023:
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96% of upper-secondary students learned English
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80.1% of vocational students learned English
Imagine being part of the 4% who didn’t study English. They must be living interesting lives. Peaceful lives. Lives where they never have to read an English email that begins with “Circling back.”
The Rise of AI in English Learning: Because of Course It Had to Get Involved
Just when you thought this was only about humans, AI walks in and says:
“Actually, I can help with that.”
AI is reshaping English learning:
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Automated scoring for speaking and writing
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Lesson planning
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Learning apps that gently shame you until you review vocabulary
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Online tutors who never sleep
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Translation tools that fix your grammar while silently judging you
According to EF, AI can grade exams “quickly and accurately.”
Which is amazing, because nothing says “personalized education” like an algorithm telling you your speaking test was a little flat.
But experts warn:
Use AI responsibly.
Provide guidelines.
Watch for drawbacks.
Translation: Don’t let a machine replace your English teacher unless you want a generation that thinks idioms like “kick the bucket” refer to actual buckets.
The Real Reason Europe Cares About This Ranking
Let’s be brutally honest:
Europeans love this Index because it gives them permission to brag.
The high scorers get to swagger around like they’re linguistic royalty.
The middle scorers get to say, “At least we’re better than France.”
The low scorers get to insist their culture is too beautiful to be tainted by English prepositions.
Everyone wins.
Even the UK, watching from outside the EU, probably feels flattered that the EU continues treating English like the golden goose of global communication—even though the UK abandoned modern foreign languages long ago in favor of yelling loudly and hoping everyone else understands.
A Not-At-All Scientific Ranking of Why Each EU Country Performs the Way It Does
Let’s break it down with the honesty no official report would dare to use.
Netherlands
They’re good at English because they decided early on that subtitles are cheaper than dubbing and that speaking English means more customers.
Sweden, Denmark, Finland
It’s dark half the year. What else are they supposed to do but binge English content?
Austria
Determined not to be overshadowed by Germany, especially in anything involving grammar.
Croatia
Tourism. All tourism. Every English sentence spoken in Croatia exists because someone asked, “Is this beach private?”
Germany
Germans treat grammar as a sport, so English is just an extra exercise routine.
Portugal
They realized long ago that their pop music might cross borders one day, so best to be ready.
Spain
Dubbing culture slowed them down, but reggaeton lyrics are bringing new motivation.
France
National resistance to English continues, but the Internet pushes them forward anyway.
Italy
Why use English when vibes communicate everything?
Lithuania
Actually improving steadily, but still grouped in moderate proficiency because averages hide overachievers.
Cyprus
Casual English is great. Exam English? Less fun.
So… Which EU Country Speaks the Best English?
Official answer: The Netherlands. Again.
Snarky answer:
The Netherlands, but mostly because everyone else keeps tripping over the same phrasal verbs.
But here’s the twist: the real question isn’t who speaks English best.
It’s why Europe still cares this much.
Because English is:
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The language of EU summits
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The language of YouTube tutorials
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The language of apologies from big tech companies
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The language in which European leaders argue on Twitter
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The language of vaguely threatening corporate emails that begin with “Just following up”
English is the linguistic duct tape holding together the global mess.
Europeans don’t learn English because they want to impress London.
They learn it because it makes everything else easier.
The Future: Will AI Make This Entire Ranking Irrelevant?
Possibly.
Picture 2030:
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Everyone speaks into their phone
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The phone instantly outputs flawless English
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No one remembers irregular past tense
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EF releases a report titled “Human English Proficiency Drops to Zero as AI Does All the Work”
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Teachers sigh dramatically in all 24 EU languages
But until that day comes, people still have to take tests.
Still have to speak in job interviews.
Still have to send awkward emails like:
“Dear Sir or Madam, please find the attached.”
So the ranking lives on.
Conclusion: The EU’s English Skills Are Impressive, Chaotic, and Weirdly Entertaining
In summary:
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The Netherlands still wins
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Austria and Croatia are rising
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Italy, France, and Cyprus need a motivational playlist
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Reading and listening are strong
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Speaking and writing need therapy
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Men gained more proficiency
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Young adults lost some
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AI is coming to reorganize everyone’s linguistic lives
Europe’s relationship with English is messy, competitive, dramatic, and extremely fun to watch.
And let's be real:
Even the worst EU English speaker can still produce better grammar than an English-speaking politician on social media.
The bar is low.
Europe, meanwhile, is raising it—slowly, unevenly, but entertainingly.
And we wouldn’t want it any other way.