TripZillaDo you get anxious about potential language barriers when you travel the world? Are you more comfortable travelling in a country where you can easily be understood?
If so, this list is for you.
There are plenty of countries in the world that are accommodating to English-speakers, even when English is not the native language of the country.
The annual EF English Proficiency Index ranks 80 countries according to their English skills, and these are the results of the 2017 index:
1. The Netherlands
2. Sweden
3. Denmark
4. Norway
5. Singapore
6. Finland
7. Luxembourg
8. South Africa
9. Germany
10. Austria
11. Poland
12. Belgium
13. Malaysia
14. Switzerland
15. The Philippines
Snagging the top spot is the Netherlands, where English is a required subject for all students, followed by Sweden, Denmark and Norway. European countries dominate the list, boasting the highest overall average of English language proficiency for any region.
In Asia, Singapore leads the pack, ranking the fifth highest in the world, followed by Malaysia (#13) and the Philippines (#15)
South Africa is the only country in the continent of Africa to be labelled as having “very high” proficiency level. Though Africa is just below the world average as a whole, it fares better than both Latin America and the Middle East.
Wondering about the countries where it could be difficult to get around despite knowing English? Here are the ten countries that occupy the lowest ranks for English proficiency: Laos, Iraq, Libya, Cambodia, Algeria, Cameroon, Kuwait, Angola, Saudi Arabia and Mongolia.
For more information, view the EF EPI website.
