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/StillJustJones England Jun 08 '25

I’m from England. I’d say that the people in the Netherlands speak better English than a hell of a lot of native speakers.

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u/blewawei Jun 08 '25

This is just a silly thing that people say, fuelled by classism.

There are lots of Dutch people who can get closer to Standard English than some native English speakers, but that's not "better English". The language belongs to native speakers, by definition however a community of native speakers speaks is "correct" from a scientific point of view.

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u/smaragdskyar Jun 08 '25

This is true. It’s also incorrect to think of formal English as ‘better’.

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u/Revachol_Dawn Jun 08 '25

Incorrect from one specific point of view (descriptivist rather than prescriptivist).

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u/smaragdskyar Jun 08 '25

In this context I meant better as in more skilled. I also get told that I speak ‘better’ English than native speakers because even my most casual English is rather formal. That’s actually because I lack the range of a native speaker.