Japan’s English proficiency index drops to 92nd

For the past 13 years, the EF English Proficiency Index has been ranking countries and regions on their English skills. In the first survey in 2011, Japan ranked highly, at 14th, even though only 40 countries provided testing data at that time. Since then, the number of participating countries has continued to increase, and Japan’s ranking has declined year by year, except in 2013, when it ranked 26th, the same ranking as in 2012. This year’s survey covered 116 countries and regions, and Japan ranked 92nd; a new low. Ranked 87th in 2023.

Japanese English proficiency dropped by three points in 2023

According to NHK, the ranking is based on data collected in online tests taken by more than 2 million people in areas where English is not the first language. The maximum score a country can achieve is 800 points. This year Japan scored 454 points, Considered low proficiency. that is down three point Starting in 2023, Tokyo ranks highest in Japan with a total score of 496 points, ahead of Osaka (488 points) and Kawasaki (482 points). “I“Japan’s English level may not be declining, but it may not be keeping up with the growth of English levels in other countries and regions.” said a representative of EF Education First’s Japanese subsidiary.

Netherlands named best non-English speaking country for sixth year in a row

The Netherlands tops the list for the sixth consecutive year, although its score of 636 points is 11 points lower than in 2023. Topping the list are Norway (610 points), Singapore (609 points), Sweden (608 points) and Croatia (607 points). The report shows that global English proficiency has declined for the fourth consecutive year, with 60% of countries scoring lower this year than last year. The study found that English proficiency in Asia has declined more than any other region in the world compared to 12 months ago.

Related posts