Nigeria, Africa's most populous country of more than 180 million people and the largest democracy in the continent where English is the official language has been ranked 31st among 80 countries in the EF English Proficiency Index 2017.
South Africa is the only African country ranked in the top 10 countries.
EF's Global Ranking of English Skills Shows Netherlands Still on Top
Global survey of over one million adults maps worldwide trends in English proficiency
The Netherlands still has the world's best non-native English speakers, according to the EF English Proficiency Index (EF EPI) released today by EF Education First. This year's EF EPI results were first announced at a reception in the U.K.'s House of Commons.
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"Given the vast sums that parents, governments, and companies invest in English training, the EF EPI serves as a valuable resource for sparking a discussion on the best ways to improve a country's English level," said Minh N. Tran, EF Senior Director of Research. "In today's global economy, the advantages of learning English transcend borders."
The EF EPI 2017 ranks 80 countries and territories based on data from more than one million adults who took the EF Standard English Test (EF SET), the world's first free standardized English test. The EF SET provides language learners access to a high-quality, standardized English test. The EF SET has been used worldwide by thousands of schools, companies, and governments, where large-scale testing was previously cost prohibitive.
Highlights of the EF EPI 2017 include:
- For the first time, Africa is included in the EF EPI as a distinct region with nine African countries represented. The region has the largest gender gap, with African women outperforming men and scoring above the global average.
- Europe leads the world in English proficiency, with eight European countries in the top 10. The Middle East occupies the lowest ranks.
- Asia has the world's second best proficiency, but the largest gap between individual country scores.
- Colombia, Guatemala, and Panama all improved enough to break out of the Very Low Proficiency band. Despite significant spending on education within Latin America, the region still performs below global averages.
- Worldwide, women speak English better than men, although the gap is narrower for some world regions than in previous editions of the EF EPI.
- English proficiency is linked to economic competitiveness, social development, and innovation. Countries with higher English proficiency tend to have higher average incomes, better quality of life, and greater investment in research and development.
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The EF English Proficiency Index for Schools (EF EPI-s), a companion report to the EF EPI, was also released today. The EF EPI-s examines the acquisition of English skills by secondary and tertiary students from 26 countries.
The EF EPI and EF EPI-s reports and country fact sheets are available for download at http://www.ef.com/epi. The full EF EPI 2017 ranking is below.
About EF Education First
EF Education First is an international education company that focuses on language, academics, and cultural experience. Founded in 1965, EF's mission is "opening the world through education." EF has more than 500 schools and offices in over 50 countries.
EF English Proficiency Index 2017:
01 Netherlands
02 Sweden
03 Denmark
04 Norway
05 Singapore
06 Finland
07 Luxembourg
08 South Africa
09 Germany
10 Austria
11 Poland
12 Belgium
13 Malaysia
14 Switzerland
15 Philippines
16 Serbia
17 Romania
18 Portugal
19 Hungary
20 Czech Republic
21 Slovakia
22 Bulgaria
23 Greece
24 Lithuania
25 Argentina
26 Dominican Republic
27 India
28 Spain
29 Hong Kong
30 South Korea
31 Nigeria
32 France
33 Italy
34 Vietnam
35 Costa Rica
36 China
37 Japan
38 Russia
39 Indonesia
40 Taiwan
41 Brazil
42 Macau
43 Uruguay
44 Mexico
45 Chile
46 Bangladesh
47 Ukraine
48 Cuba
49 Panama
50 Peru
51 Colombia
52 Pakistan
53 Thailand
54 Guatemala
55 Ecuador
56 Tunisia
57 U.A.E.
58 Syria
59 Qatar
60 Morocco
61 Sri Lanka
62 Turkey
63 Jordan
64 Azerbaijan
65 Iran
66 Egypt
67 Kazakhstan
68 Venezuela
69 El Salvador
70 Oman
71 Mongolia
72 Saudi Arabia
73 Angola
74 Kuwait
75 Cameroon
76 Algeria
77 Cambodia
78 Libya
79 Iraq
80 Laos
SOURCE EF Education First (EF)
CONTACT: Adam Bickelman, Adam.bickelman@ef.com, +1-617-510-1240
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