Sweden Returns to Top Spot in World Ranking of English Proficiency Reveals EF’s Annual Proficiency Index

EF Education First released its annual global ranking of English proficiency today, drawing on data from 1.3 million non-native English speakers in 88 countries and regions. For the fourth time in eight years, Sweden tops the EF English Proficiency Index (EF EPI), bumping last year's top-scorer, the Netherlands, to second place.

EF Education First released its annual global ranking of English proficiency today, drawing on data from 1.3 million non-native English speakers in 88 countries and regions. For the fourth time in eight years, Sweden tops the EF English Proficiency Index (EF EPI), bumping last year's top-scorer, the Netherlands, to second place.

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"Our EF EPI research shows that countries and individuals continue to invest in English education, recognizing the importance of the language as a lever for competitiveness," said Dr. Minh N. Tran, EF's Senior Director of Research. "Since EF started publishing this ranking, it has become the de facto reference point for governments, companies, and educators when they discuss English skills."

Key findings of this year's EF EPI include:

The EF EPI is based on test scores from the EF Standard English Test (EF SET), the world's first free standardized English test. Thousands of schools, companies, and governments worldwide use the EF SET for large-scale testing.

The EF EPI 2018 report and regional fact sheets are available for download at http://www.ef.com/epi. The EF EPI 2018 ranking is below.

About EF Education First 

EF Education First is a global education company focusing on language, academic, cultural exchange, and educational travel programs. With a mission to open the world through education, EF was founded in 1965 and has 580 schools and offices in more than 50 countries.

EF English Proficiency Index 2018 Ranking of Countries and Regions: