The Language Of The World
Although English is the most spoken language on earth, with over 1.4 billion speakers including 380 million native speakers, it still comes as somewhat of a surprise when you see it spoken so proficiently in various countries around the world. There are countless countries outside of the anglosphere where English is spoken readily and here are 20 that may surprise you.
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1. The Netherlands
High levels of English proficiency are rampant throughout The Netherlands, particularly in urban areas where tourism and commerce are prevalent. The Netherlands regularly leads in all English proficiency indexes mostly thanks to its education system, abundance of English media and the scarcity of the Dutch language globally which necessitates learning foreign languages.
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2. Singapore
Singapore, a deeply multicultural and bilingual country, has had English as its defacto official language since it gained independence in 1965. Although Malay, Chinese, and Tamil are also widely spoken among the county’s various ethnic groups, English serves as a universal language to be used by everyone in business, daily communication, and education.
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3. Austria
In addition to the country’s official language, German, Austrians on average are highly proficient in English. Thanks to an education system that has made English a mandatory subject in Austrian schools (combined with a robust tourism industry) English is widespread throughout the country, particularly among young people and professionals.
4. Denmark
Denmark has the highest English proficiency rates of all the Scandinavian countries. Many Danes feel perfectly comfortable conversating in English since it’s taught in school at a very young age and only further reinforced by the nation’s robust international business ties.
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5. Norway
Another in a long line of Scandinavian countries with high rates of English fluency, about 90% of Norwegians speak English at least at a basic level. Thanks to an education system that prioritizes language learning, in addition to widespread English media, Norway enjoys some of the highest English proficiency rates in the world.
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6. Sweden
With almost 90% of Swedes reporting English as their second language, it's not a stretch to say that the Swedes have an impressive command of the English language. Swedish citizens are introduced to English at a young age by way of their education system which is only further boosted by the widespread saturation of English media throughout the country.
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7. Belgium
Belgium, as a multilingual country with 3 official languages (French, German, and Dutch), has an understandably high level of English proficiency among its population. English is often employed as a second or third language, thanks to Belgium’s education system, which has made language learning an integral part of its curriculum.
8. Portugal
Despite the lower English proficiency rates of other Southern European countries like Italy and Spain, Portugal boasts a high level of English fluency among its citizens, easily landing the country in the top ten of non-native English-speaking countries worldwide. Portugal’s education system and English-language media's widespread prevalence are major contributing factors to the country’s high degree of fluency.
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9. South Africa
With over 11 official languages, it's safe to say that South Africa is one of the most multilingual nations in the world. So it should go without saying that English is an integral part of the country’s government, business, and education sectors since it’s the language most commonly used across all of the various ethnic groups.
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10. Germany
Almost 60% of Germans are fluent in English, with even more prominent proficiency in major cities and the country’s younger population. Learning English is highly emphasized by the German education system, and though not everyone retains their knowledge, English is heavily utilized in several major sectors like business and tourism.
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11. Croatia
Bolstered by a thriving tourism industry and high educational standards, Croatia has a high level of English proficiency among its citizens. Younger generations in particular have grown up with English, with around 60% of the overall population reporting that they are quite comfortable speaking English.
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12. Greece
With over 50% of the total population able to speak English, Greece is one of the world’s top-ranked non-native English-speaking countries. Many Greeks, especially in cities and tourist areas, heavily employ English in the country’s robust business and hospitality sectors.
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13. Poland
Poland’s English proficiency has seen a steep increase in recent years, easily ranking it amongst the top non-native English-speaking nations. Thanks to an education system that has made English a mandatory subject and a growing business sector, Poland has been able to increase its global presence with English proficiency at the forefront of their success.
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14. Finland
Despite Finland’s official languages being listed as Finnish and Swedish, the country has an astoundingly high rate of English proficiency, with about 70% of the population capable of speaking conversational English. Although not compulsory, most students in the Finnish education system opt to learn English, contributing to its prevalence in the country.
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15. Romania
Romania’s continued global integration since the fall of the Iron Curtain is most highlighted by the prevalence of English throughout the country. English fluency, particularly among younger generations and professionals, has seen a steep increase in light of the country’s ever-growing business and technological sectors.
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16. Bulgaria
With around 25% of Bulgarians claiming to have a workable knowledge of the English language, it's not a stretch to say that the Southeast European nation is surprisingly fluent in English. Proficiency rates are particularly high among young people and within urban areas, as the country’s increasing international ties require English for a variety of ventures in business and tourism.
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17. Hungary
If you’re planning to visit Hungary — especially a city like Budapest — then you’re in luck! Most Hungarians, especially in urban areas or among younger people, have some level of proficiency in English. This is thanks to their education system which places a heavy emphasis on promoting English fluency in the Central European nation.
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18. Slovakia
Slovakia’s English fluency has seen a sharp increase in recent years, with most people under the age of 40 having received compulsory language education in school. The country’s extensive business ties and ascendance to the European Union have all but guaranteed a high level of English proficiency among its citizens, especially in urban areas.
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19. Kenya
As one of its two official languages (alongside Swahili), English is prominently spoken across Kenya. Not only that, but English also happens to be the language most prominently used in several key sectors of Kenyan society including schools, government, business, and the media. So it should come as no surprise to learn that around 2.7 million Kenyans are fluent in English.
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20. Philippines
Believe it or not, English is one of two official languages in the Philippines (alongside Filipino/Tagalog). Although the country has 19 nationally recognized languages, English is heavily emphasized among all of the country’s various ethnic groups, particularly in education, government affairs, and the media.
