What is the European Union? For most of us, it’s a geographic entity we rarely think about. But for many people around the world, it represents a new way of living and working together in peace and prosperity. The EU is a political and economic union of 28 member states that use common institutions to govern themselves.
The British Isles are known for their great food, modern transport systems, and beautiful landscapes. They are also known for the English language. With over 60 million native speakers, English is the most spoken language in Europe. Here’s a list of the countries that speak English as their official language. See more countries with English as official language.
Europe is home to the largest number of English speakers in the world. But which countries have the most people who speak English as their first language? The answer may surprise you.
It’s a common saying that “England is the mother of all nations.” However, no one has yet to prove the latter by turning the former into an empire. Therefore, we will take a look at the European countries that speak English and rank them according to their population size and economy growth rate. See also, what countries speak English.
Top 10 English Speaking Countries in Europe
Whilst more than three-quarters of Europeans can speak English, some countries have much higher English proficiency rates than others.
Here is a list of the ten English speaking European countries where conducting business in English shouldn’t cause you any trouble whatsoever.
Bear in mind that the list is not compiled in any particular order! See more countries in europe that speak English.
Ireland
Some may say that it isn’t fair to include Ireland in this list, since English is its official state language, but the facts are that the country remains a member of the European Union, and its geographical location indicates that it is, in fact, one of the 51 European countries. With an English proficiency of 100%, it undeniably falls into the category of the top English speaking countries located in Europe!
Germany
One of the most well-known positive stereotypes about Germans is that they’re extremely efficient at everything they do.
It shouldn’t come as a surprise, then, to learn that they can command one of the most commonly used business languages in the world with relative ease – 62.35% is the percentage of English speakers over there. learn English
The Netherlands
With a proficiency of 71.45%, the Netherlands is the country with the highest proficiency in English in all of continental Europe.
Whether it’s the similarities between English and Dutch, or some other factor, the population of this region can speak English at near-native levels.
Sweden
The Swedes don’t lag too far behind the Dutch. With proficiency being 70.40%, you shouldn’t have any trouble using the English language in Sweden.
This country’s population of speakers over 65 years old is also the third highest in Europe.
Denmark, Norway, Finland
The Scandinavians may not appreciate their countries being grouped together in this way, but when it comes to proficiency in English in Europe, this region is simply the best.
Proficiency rates in all these countries lie between 65% and 69%, and whilst none of them break Sweden’s record of 70%, these are still very commendable scores.
Belgium
With Brussels being the capital of the European Union, as well as of a multilingual country, it shouldn’t surprise anyone that the people of Belgium are more than adept at learning foreign languages.
The official English language proficiency rate in Belgium is 61.58%.
Poland
Poland is a stellar example of the former Eastern Bloc’s countries’ efforts to increase the level of English amongst their native populations.
A whopping 62.07% of Poles can speak English at a satisfactory level, which puts them right up there with countries that have been using it in business for much longer than Poland has!
Austria
With a proficiency rate of 62.18%, the Austrians can boast quite an impressive record when it comes to the percentage of its population who can speak English as a second language.
They do have it easier than most since the native language of Austria is German, and English belongs to the Germanic family of languages.
As you can see, European countries are more than adept at using the English language. However, they also take great pride in their own tongues, particularly in countries such as France, Italy, or Spain.
If you’re a British business owner looking to expand into Europe, It will help you avoid misunderstandings arising because of the complexities of language.
Finally, properly localized products and services will definitely increase your sales figures and brand awareness amongst European consumers.
In conclusion, English is the language of business and communication. It has become a part of everyday life for millions across the globe, so it’s vital that you master it as soon as possible.
If you have any questions about this article or would like to ask me anything in particular. You may like how to learn English, is English hard to learn.