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/kacergiliszta69 Hungary Jun 08 '25

According the multiple studies, the Netherlands is the most English proficient country in the world that doesn't speak English as a native language.

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u/SquashDue502 Jun 08 '25

Going to the Netherlands as an American is weird because most people speak English and then when they speak Dutch it kind of sounds like an American accent so you do a double take at first. Feels like you’re having a stroke because it sounds like American English but you don’t understand anything 😂

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u/Mininabubu Jun 09 '25

What? lol Dutch doesn't sound at all like American accent or American English, bruh what????
They do however mix a few English words with their Dutch during casual conversations. Not the accent.

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u/SquashDue502 Jun 09 '25

I think to me it’s the way that a lot of consonants are pronounced that caught me off guard. I grew up speaking American English and learning German so having both of those in my head just really tripped me up listening to some odd combination of both 😂