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Malaysia and the Philippines have done well in English proficiency, while Hong Kong, South Korea and Vietnam appear in the 'moderate proficiency' list.
- With inputs from Sarah Gideon
Malaysia ranks top among Asian markets studied when it comes to English proficiency, according to the EF English Proficiency Index (EF EPI) 2025.
Released by Education First (EF), the latest index ranks adult English proficiency across 123 countries and regions, based on results from 2.2mn test takers worldwide.
With a score of 581 out of 650, Malaysia placed 24th globally and firmly within the high-proficiency band, making it the highest-ranked Asian market in this year’s index.
To note, the Index only features markets where English is not considered, in general, to be the native language; thus, markets not featured could possibly be because they are considered native English speakers, or because a minimum of 400 test takers were not available.
Asian markets with the highest and lowest English proficiency
Following Malaysia, the Philippines ranked second in Asia with a score of 569, also within the high-proficiency band. Hong Kong came next with 538, placing it in the moderate-proficiency tier.
Further down the list, South Korea scored 522, while Vietnam recorded 500, reflecting moderate proficiency levels across both markets. Larger Asian economies such as India (484), China (464), and Indonesia (471) fell into the low-proficiency band, highlighting possibly persistent gaps across the region.
Overall, the top 15 Asian markets in English proficiency are:
- Malaysia (24th globally)
- Philippines (28th globally)
- Hong Kong (39th globally)
- South Korea (48th globally)
- Nepal (58th globally)
- Bangladesh (62nd globally)
- Vietnam (64th globally)
- Pakistan (67th globally)
- Sri Lanka (73rd globally)
- India (74th globally)
- Bhutan (79th globally)
- Indonesia (80th globally)
- China (86th globally)
- Laos (88th globally)
- Turkmenistan (91st globally)
Market snapshot
Malaysia:
Per the index, Malaysia's score jumped 15 points from the previous ranking, with a global average score of 488. By skill, the country ranked as follows:
- Reading score: 596
- Listening score: 576
- Writing score: 584
- Speaking score: 534
By region and cities within Malaysia, the total score breakdown was as follows:
Regions
- Pulau Pinang: 589
- Kedah: 588
- Pahang: 581
- Selangor: 581
- Perak: 580
- Negeri Sembilan: 574
- Kelantan: 572
- Sarawak: 571
- Malacca: 567
- Terengganu: 562
- Johor: 561
- Sabah: 561
Cities
- Kuantan: 601
- Shah Alam: 600
- Seremban: 598
- Kuala Lumpur: 588
- Kota Bharu: 584
- Ipoh: 582
- Johor Bahru: 577
- Malacca: 575
- Klang: 575
- Selangor: 567
- Kelantan: 562
- Perak: 554
- Terengganu: 553
Finally, by job function, the index noted the following scores:
- Operations: 602
- Teacher: 592
- IT: 590
- Accounting & finance: 582
- Marketing: 580
- Sales: 576
- Customer service: 564
- Human resources: 545
- Admin & clerical: 544
Philippines:
The Philippines' 2025 score dropped one point from the previous index, with the country's global average score standing at 488.
Scores by skill:
- Reading score: 596
- Listening score: 576
- Writing score: 584
- Speaking score: 534
Scores by region and city:
Regions
- Cordillera Administrative Region: 606
- Davao: 587
- National Capital Region: 586
- Eastern Visayas: 581
- Central Visayas: 576
- Soccsksargen: 572
- Calabarzon: 571
- Central Luzon: 571
- Mimaropa: 569
- Caraga: 568
- Bicol: 568
- Zamboanga Peninsula: 563
- Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao: 560
- Cagayan Valley: 560
- Western Visayas: 549
- Northern Mindanao: 544
- Ilocos: 533
Cities
- Manila: 603
- Angeles: 600
- San Jose del Monte: 598
- Quezon City: 594
- Dasmarinas: 593
- San Fernando City: 590
- Tacloban City: 590
- Legazpi City: 589
- Makati City: 589
- Naga City: 589
- Baguio: 587
- Antipolo: 587
- General Santos: 586
- Cebu City: 585
- Puerto Princesa City: 584
- Valenzuela City: 583
- Davao City: 579
- Calamba: 578
- Dagupan: 578
- Iligan City: 578
- Butuan City: 576
- Bulakan: 569
- Cagayan de Oro: 567
- Tuguegarao City: 567
- Lapu-Lapu City: 566
- Zamboanga City: 564
- Lucena City: 563
- Batangas: 562
- Ormoc City: 561
- Dumaguete: 559
- Tarlac City: 555
- Olongapo City: 555
- Santiago City: 552
- Cabanatuan City: 551
- Bacolod: 547
- Iloilo: 546
By job function:
- Strategy & project management: 621
- Operations: 610
- Marketing: 600
- Accounting & finance: 599
- Teacher: 599
Hong Kong
The SAR, which ranked third in Asia, did actually see a drop by 11 points since the last edition of the ranking. Those ages 31-40 were considered to be the most proficient English speakers.
Scores by skill:
- Reading score: 550
- Listening score: 526
- Writing score: 527
- Speaking score: 494
Scores by region and city:
Regions
- Kowloon: 551
- Hong Kong Island: 531
- New Territories: 523
Details on the methodology, here.
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