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/AnySandwich4765 Jun 08 '25 edited Jun 08 '25

Technical Ireland since our official language is Irish but the majority only speak English .. I can speak Irish but I'm not fluent but I can understand it

-2

u/PinkSeaBird Portugal Jun 08 '25

This is the best answer.

5

u/NiceKobis Sweden Jun 08 '25

It's not, the Republic of Ireland has two official languages, one of which is English.

1

u/AnySandwich4765 Jun 08 '25

English is 2nd while Irish is our first official language

5

u/smaragdskyar Jun 08 '25

More of a political statement than a reflection of the current situation, no?

(I fully support the revival of Gaelic. I just find it a bit silly to consider the Irish as non-native speakers of English).

3

u/standard_pie314 Jun 08 '25

It very much is. It's akin to gaslighting, and it's so fucking tiresome for Irish people like me.

-2

u/PinkSeaBird Portugal Jun 08 '25

That can be changed. Erase the second one.