English is spoken across much of the world, but some countries have developed levels of proficiency that may not match how they are commonly perceived.
The 2025 EF English Proficiency Index places several countries outside the usual list of English-speaking leaders among the countries with high or very high proficiency. Their results reflect factors including education, trade, media, tourism, colonial history and the need to communicate across different language groups.
Read also: 10 hardest languages for English speakers to learn
Here are 10 countries where English proficiency stands out.
1. Croatia
