Southern Europe lags in English proficiency, EF report shows
EF ranks Spain 36th in English proficiency, while France (49) and Italy (46) score lower. Portugal stands out as the world's sixth best.
English · Original discussion in Spanish · Published
Spain 36, France 49, Italy 46: Southern Europe stalls on English
The latest annual EF report places Spain at rank 36 globally for English proficiency, behind most European nations. This recurring data point no longer shocks anyone. However, France and Italy draw attention: ranked 49 and 46 respectively, they fall well below Spain’s benchmark with a downward trend that remains uncorrected. In contrast, Portugal, which held rank 12 in 2019, is now the sixth country worldwide with the highest level.
The question isn’t new, but lacks a convincing answer: what fails in French and Italian education systems so citizens don’t learn the lingua franca of commerce, science, and technology?
Domestic market as excuse
A first explanation circulates strongly: countries with widely spoken languages can afford to ignore English. France and Italy have huge internal markets, powerful cultural industries, and enough speakers to make the effort unnecessary for daily life. An average French person can work, consume, get informed, and be entertained without leaving their language. The same occurs, with nuances, in Spain, where the Spanish-speaking American market offers a cushion of hundreds of millions of people.
Some argue this structural comfort creates real disincentives. If your language suffices for living, why study another? The argument has logic, but faces an uncomfortable counterexample: Germany. Germans also have a strong domestic market and a weighty language, yet their English level is notably higher than that of French and Italians. The domestic market excuse doesn’t explain this difference.
Linguistic pride and Latin heritage
Another analytical stream points to cultural factors. France has built centuries-long active defense policies for its language, with institutions dedicated to protection and historical resistance to English hegemony in international forums. That attitude, once sensible, may have become a burden. English is perceived as a threat to identity, not a tool.
In Italy, the problem seems more practical than identity-based. Several analyses note specific phonetic difficulties: Italians find it especially hard to pronounce sounds absent in their language, like the -ing ending or the h articulation in basic words. This initial barrier discourages many before reaching functional levels. The result is a vicious cycle: learned poorly, used little, forgotten quickly.
Technology as perfect excuse
A third factor, more recent, has entered the equation forcefully: automatic translation. Current tools translate text in real time, recognize voice, translate signs via mobile cameras, and allow basic conversations without knowing a word of the language. For those who only need to read technical documentation or understand a message, the English barrier has become permeable without studying.
The disorienting data is that Portugal, with a small domestic market and a language useless outside its borders, has climbed to sixth place worldwide. Necessity drives action. And necessity doesn’t press hard enough in France and Italy.
Key data from the 2024 EF Report
The latest annual EF report places Spain at rank 36 globally for English proficiency, behind most European nations. This recurring data point no longer shocks anyone. However, France and Italy draw attention: ranked 49 and 46 respectively, they fall well below Spain’s benchmark with a downward trend that remains uncorrected. In contrast, Portugal, which held rank 12 in 2019, is now the sixth country worldwide with the highest level.
The question isn’t new, but lacks a convincing answer: what fails in French and Italian education systems so citizens don’t learn the lingua franca of commerce, science, and technology?
Domestic market as excuse
A first explanation circulates strongly: countries with widely spoken languages can afford to ignore English. France and Italy have huge internal markets, powerful cultural industries, and enough speakers to make the effort unnecessary for daily life. An average French person can work, consume, get informed, and be entertained without leaving their language. The same occurs, with nuances, in Spain, where the Spanish-speaking American market offers a cushion of hundreds of millions of people.
Some argue this structural comfort creates real disincentives. If your language suffices for living, why study another? The argument has logic, but faces an uncomfortable counterexample: Germany. Germans also have a strong domestic market and a weighty language, yet their English level is notably higher than that of French and Italians. The domestic market excuse doesn’t explain this difference.
Linguistic pride and Latin heritage
Another analytical stream points to cultural factors. France has built centuries-long active defense policies for its language, with institutions dedicated to protection and historical resistance to English hegemony in international forums. That attitude, once sensible, may have become a burden. English is perceived as a threat to identity, not a tool.
In Italy, the problem seems more practical than identity-based. Several analyses note specific phonetic difficulties: Italians find it especially hard to pronounce sounds absent in their language, like the -ing ending or the h articulation in basic words. This initial barrier discourages many before reaching functional levels. The result is a vicious cycle: learned poorly, used little, forgotten quickly.
Technology as perfect excuse
A third factor, more recent, has entered the equation forcefully: automatic translation. Current tools translate text in real time, recognize voice, translate signs via mobile cameras, and allow basic conversations without knowing a word of the language. For those who only need to read technical documentation or understand a message, the English barrier has become permeable without studying.
The disorienting data is that Portugal, with a small domestic market and a language useless outside its borders, has climbed to sixth place worldwide. Necessity drives action. And necessity doesn’t press hard enough in France and Italy.
Key data from the 2024 EF Report
- Spain: Rank 36
- Italy: Rank 46
- France: Rank 49
- Portugal: Rank 6 (was 12 in 2019)
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Summary of a discussion on Burbuja.info - Foro de economía, actualidad y política., translated from Spanish and reviewed before publication. Read the full discussion (123 replies).
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