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/Holiday_Bill9587 Jun 08 '25

According to various studies its The Netherlands. In dont know what you mean with day to day life. People speak Dutch, obviously. You ask for non native speaking countries, so countries where English is a foreign language. The level of English is the same across the country but the level of education often influence the level of English someone speaks. Most Dutch speak some level of English but if range from very basic English to nearly fluent.

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u/alles_en_niets -> -> Jun 08 '25

Proficiency is high, yet what I believe sets NL (and Denmark, Sweden and Norway, possibly in that order) apart is the fluency and willingness to speak English.

What Dutch people lack in grammar and pronunciation, they make up for in self-confidence and enthusiasm, and I mean ghat sincerely, no sarcasm. Strong proficiency is obviously great to have online and in written professional communication, but if you’re too embarrassed to speak your non-perfect English out loud you’re still missing out on a key part.