Europe



If you want to head on vacation but don’t have time to brush up on foreign languages, it may be time to head to Scandinavia.

Swedish people ranked first in a study of English proficiency in countries around the world.

Swedish people ranked first in a study of English proficiency in countries around the world. Image by Gwydion M. Williams / CC BY 2.0

A yearly study ranks non-English-speaking countries based on their resident’s proficiency in English. This year, Sweden ranked first in the English Proficiency Index, followed by the Netherlands, Denmak, Norway and Finland.

If you’re looking to break out a phrase book, Libya ranked last out of the 70 countries included. Also ranking low on the list were Cambodia, Saudi Arabia, Algeria and Iraq.

The report noted the connection between English proficiency and income, internet connectivity and other factors.

The best English-speakers were generally 18 to 20 years old, according to the report, and women spoke better English than men in almost every country.

European countries generally ranked highly on the list, however the report notes that “France stands out in Europe for its low English proficiency”, with the country ranking 37th overall, between Chile and Ecuador.