Flemish people rank among the world’s top non-native English speakers
Flemish people have the best English proficiency in the world among non-native speakers, according to the latest Education First (EF) English Proficiency Index. Walloons place 32nd, but still outperform France and have shown improvement. Belgium as a whole now ranks ninth, marking a rise from thirteenth place in last year's ranking. The country now scores 608 for English proficiency, up from 592 in 2024.
Flanders leads all regions with a score of 654, surpassing even the Netherlands (624), which traditionally tops the index. Croatia follows with 617 points, with Austria close behind at 616.
Within Belgium, West Flanders, Antwerp and East Flanders achieve the strongest results, while Luxembourg, Namur and Walloon Brabant rank lowest. The Brussels-Capital Region sits between Flanders and Wallonia, placing 26th among capital cities. Notably, Belgian young people aged 18 to 20 score the lowest of all age groups, while those in their twenties and thirties perform best.
EF, which provides global education through cultural exchanges, is unsurprised by Flanders' strong performance and Wallonia’s relative lag. “Walloon culture has historically been more oriented toward France; think of English films dubbed into French. There is also less focus on English in education and the workplace. In Flanders, children grow up with English-language series and films, laying the foundation for a better command of that language later in life. However, we also see that in Wallonia, the focus on English is increasing, both in education and in the business world.”
The EPI ranking is based on data from 2.2 million adults who took an online EF test, including 6,895 Belgians. For the first time, the assessment included active knowledge, such as speaking and writing, in addition to listening and reading comprehension. These productive skills proved relatively more challenging for Belgian participants.
#FlandersNewsService | © BELGA PHOTO SISKA GREMMELPREZ
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