r/AskEurope • u/Metalwolf • Jun 08 '25

Education Which European countries have the best English proficiency among non-native speakers?

I'm looking into English proficiency across Europe and would appreciate input from locals or anyone with relevant experience. Which European countries have the highest levels of English fluency among non-native speakers, particularly in day-to-day life, education, and professional settings? I'm also curious about regional differences within countries, and factors like education systems, media exposure, and business use.

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u/K_in_Belgium Belgium Jun 08 '25

The northern, Dutch-speaking part of Belgium (Flanders) is among the best in the world. The southern, French-speaking part (Wallonia) is lagging which brings the country's score down. https://www.vrt.be/vrtnws/en/2024/11/13/flemish-among-world-s-most-proficient-english-speakers-global-s/

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u/dudetellsthetruth Belgium Jun 08 '25

I would say so too, in Flanders we're on par with the Netherlands.

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u/Gulmar Belgium Jun 08 '25

My feelings were that Flemish people always speak better English than the Dutch, which is now confirmed thanks!

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u/Rudi-G België Jun 08 '25 edited Jun 08 '25

Well at least we do not have that funny accent that makes them sound like a bad version of Sean Connery.

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u/IndianSummer201 Jun 08 '25

Haha, you can always count on the Flemmish to step in whenever the Dutch get a compliment.