Netherlands has world's highest English proficiency for non-native speakers

Netherlands residents are the best non-native English speakers in the world, according to the EF English Proficiency Index. In the ten years that this index has been ranking English proficiency in various countries, the Netherlands has topped the ranking four times, and has never ranked lower than third.

The index based its figures on English test results of 2.2 million adults in 100 countries around the world. The participants had to complete various tests, including reading advanced texts, using "nuanced and appropriate" language in social settings, and negotiating a contract with a native English speaker.

The Netherlands scored very well, with women in the country scoring 81.88 percent on average, compared with 81.25, the mean average for men. The global average is 62.75 and 62.25 respectively, and the European average 68.5 and 69.13 percent.

Nine of the top 10 countries in this ranking are in Europe. Singapore and South Africa are the first non-European countries in the ranking, in 10th and 12th place respectively.

The top 10:

1. Netherlands
2. Denmark
3. Finland
4. Sweden
5. Norway
6. Austria
7. Portugal
8. Germany
9. Belgium
10. Singapore