If you’re planning to launch new business projects in Europe, it can be helpful to know which countries speak English. There are many different cultures and languages across the continent, so it’s important to be aware of the language barrier beforehand. The good news is that there are many English-speaking countries in Europe: from the United Kingdom and Ireland in the west, all the way down to Bulgaria in Eastern Europe.

What Countries Speak English in Europe?

Here are the list of all European countries that speak English, together with total English speakers and their proficiency.

Stay with us to learn more about the most noticeable English-speaking places in Europe:

#1 United Kingdom

91.1% of regular residents over the age of three speak English (or Welsh in Wales) as their primary language. Another 7.1% are fluent in English (or Welsh in Wales), but they use it as a second choice. That makes a total of 98.2% English speakers in the United Kingdom!

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#2 Republic of Ireland

With almost 98 % of the population speaking English, one of Europe’s top ten regions with English speakers is Ireland. English remains the essential language on the island. However, Irish people have developed what’s known as Hiberno-English. Hiberno-English incorporates Irish grammatical style into English.

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#3 Netherlands

According to the sixth annual EF English Proficiency Index (Ef.com), the Netherlands is the top English-speaking nation among non-native countries in Europe. Almost 95% of the population can speak English! Dutch is not only one of the easiest languages for English speakers to learn, but the Netherlands also has a thriving culture and economy, making it a great option for people looking for work or a better life.

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#4 Iceland

Around 90% of Icelanders can communicate in English. This number is extremely high in comparison to some other European nations. Icelanders can’t stay away from English because tourism is the country’s main source of revenue. The official language is Icelandic, but the majority of the people also speak Danish, German, Spanish, and French, and they welcome the chance to improve their language skills.

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#5 Malta

English is spoken by around 88% of the population, and Maltese English is similar to British English. Since English is taught to children at a young age in schools and is a co-official language with Maltese, it is spoken almost everywhere in Malta.

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#6 Sweden

Swedish people are close to native, with an English proficiency of 71% (Statista.com). Since English is taught in schools from a very early age, almost all adults in Sweden can speak it well. While older people over the age of 60 may occasionally have trouble speaking English, anyone younger than that will be able to do so in Sweden.

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#7 Norway

Norway truly exudes enthusiasm for English as a second language, with proficiency rates of up to 68%. As a result, including this nation on the list is only right. Because these areas were inhabited by Vikings for a very long time, the Norse language appears to have had a significant impact on the English language.

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#8 Denmark

As the list of English-speaking countries in Europe goes on, it’s obvious the next one is Denmark. Danish is still in high demand, but English proficiency is higher at 67%. And that is only the adult population count. The ease with which Danes speak English is reflected in daily life in Denmark, where foreigners can easily navigate without speaking Danish.

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#9 Luxembourg

The adult population of Luxembourg is 66% fluent in English. The nation speaks three official languages: German, French, and Luxembourgish. English is still commonly used. Additionally, the country’s language diversity should not come as a surprise given that, like Austria, it is a landlocked nation.

#10 Finland

Although not quite as widespread as in the other Scandinavian nations, English is widely spoken in Finland. Compared to the majority of other countries outside of Scandinavia, approximately 66% of Finns say they can speak English fluently, which is a very high percentage.

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#11 Slovenia

Although English is widely spoken as a second language, it is not an official language in Slovenia. 65% of Slovenians claim to be able to speak English to a satisfactory level, while 36% of Slovenians claim to speak English fluently. The country’s high level of education is frequently cited as the cause of this high level of English proficiency.

#12 Germany

The Germans have always demonstrated a high level of industrial efficiency. So, they have always maintained a firm grasp on the English language in the interest of efficiency. After all, that is the business language of today. Germans dominate European business, with an English proficiency of 64%.

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#13 Belgium

In spite of the fact that English isn’t one of the country’s three official languages in Belgium (French, German, and Dutch), it is still very common. English is the fourth most well-known language, spoken by 64% of the individuals. The majority of them speak English at varying levels of fluency.

#14 Austria

Austria is home to a variety of languages and dialects. After all, it borders eight different nations. With a proficiency in English of 63%, Austria is also one of the English-speaking European countries.

#15 Poland

The Polish language is attempting to establish itself in the UK due to the rising number of Poles traveling abroad. Polish people are now aware of the significance of English in the global community. Around 62% of Poles overall are reported to be able to speak English to some degree, with a higher percentage in major cities. English is spoken fairly widely in Poland.

#16 Switzerland

In general, Switzerland has a fairly high level of English proficiency, with 62% of the population able to speak some English. However, proficiency varies by canton, with English speakers being more prevalent in German-speaking cantons than in French- or Italian-speaking cantons.

#17 Romania

Romania has been identified as one of the nations where English is widely understood and spoken. According to Statista.com, Romania’s English proficiency ranks 12th in Europe, higher than France, Spain, Italy, or Greece. 60% of Romanian people can speak English very well.

#18 Croatia

In Croatia, English is spoken by about 60% of the population, making it a very common language. It is difficult to find up-to-date statistics on English fluency, but English speakers are particularly prevalent in major cities and tourist areas, particularly along the coast.

#19 Serbia

In general, English is spoken so frequently in Serbia that you can get by without knowing any Serbian in most of the country, especially the capital, Belgrade. Although many older Serbs can also speak English, younger people under the age of 40 typically have a better grasp of the language. According to official stats from Statista.com, 60% of local people can speak English.

#20 Portugal

In Portugal, English is spoken by 60% of the population, particularly in the larger cities and the Algarve. Visitors frequently inquire whether English is widely spoken in Portugal, whether they are moving there or just visiting, and the general response is yes. Speaking only English, many foreigners manage to live comfortably and reasonably well.

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#21 Hungary

In Hungary as a whole, English is widely spoken, with about 60% of the population able to speak it. In Budapest, the capital, English is widely spoken, but it is much less common in smaller towns and rural areas, where older people speak English much less well.

#22 Czech Republic

Overall, it is thought that about 58% of Czechs can speak English at some level. However, this rate is much higher in Prague, the capital, where you should be able to use English in the main tourist attractions. There are fewer English-speaking people in other parts of the country, so knowing some basic Czech phrases will be helpful.

#23 Slovakia

58 % of Slovaks can communicate in English. Age (the younger a person is, the more likely they are to speak English) and location are two factors that influence the probability of speaking English.

#24 Bulgaria

The overall level of English proficiency in Bulgaria is good enough, with 58 % of the population speaking the language. Due to the large number of tourists, English is very common, particularly in the central areas of Sofia, the capital, and certain areas of the Black Sea coast.

#25 Lithuania

English is the most widely spoken foreign language in Lithuania and the most widely taught by Lithuanians, with 58% of the population being able to speak English well enough. English is widely used in modern museums, hotels, tourist signs, and city/resort restaurant menus. It became the “top language” of the “prestigious West,” and it was also popular for some important local trademarks and songs.

#26 Spain

Approximately 56% of the population is able to speak English to some degree. Many of these individuals cannot speak it very fluently at all, so English is not very widely spoken in Spain. However, English is more common in the south of Spain and in the main tourist areas.

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#27 Italy

About 56% of Italians, or just over a half, are able to speak English. A significant number of these people could use moderate English in any case. In Italy, people who speak English fluently tend to be students or professionals with advanced degrees.

#28 France

In fact, only 55% of French people claim to be able to speak English. The younger generation is somewhat self-conscious because teachers are strict and focus more on grammar than speaking, whereas the older generation did not need to learn English at school.

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#29 Belarus

Belarusians typically speak Russian as their first language and English as their second. This is because Belarus used to be a part of the Soviet Union, and Russian is still the most spoken language there. Even though English isn’t spoken as much as Russian is, 54% of the people can still communicate in English, especially in Minsk, the capital.

#30 Estonia

People in Estonia are willing and able to converse with you in a variety of languages. Most people speak English, Finnish, and Russian, but many also speak French, German, or Swedish. The fact that 54% of Estonians speak English makes them stand out.

#31 Russia

When compared to the top countries where English is spoken as a second language, the number of Russians who speak English is moderate to low – about 53 % of the population. Previously low motivation to travel and work for multinational corporations is rising in Russia. As a result, more and more people are looking for English classes.

#32 Ukraine

Around 53% of Ukrainian grown ups, aged 20 to 35, speak informal English. English is informally the third most well-known language in the country. In spite of the way that most different dialects are spoken exclusively in a couple of nations, Russian is used by countless individuals. There are generally English speakers on staff at cafés, bars, and lodgings in Ukraine, yet not every person does.

#33 Georgia

52% of Georgians, most of whom are in their 20s or younger, speak English, more so if they live in a big city or have a higher education level. With the intention of having at least one English teacher in each village, the Georgian government launched a significant effort to teach the nation English in 2010 and has since recruited thousands of native English speakers, primarily from the United States.

#34 Greece

Greece has about 10.8 million people living there. About 5.5 million Greeks, or 51% of the population, speak English. A lower percentage of the population typically speaks English in countries in southern Europe. People who speak English typically have higher levels of education, reside in cities, and are wealthier.

#35 Albania

Due to the large Albanian diaspora, Albanians are able to communicate in a variety of languages, including English. 51% of the Albanians or actually the majority of younger Albanians speak English. There is a rising number of Albanian children who are proficient or semi-fluent in English.

#36 Turkey

47% of Turks are able to communicate in English as a second language. In tourist areas like Antalya and Istanbul, English-speaking people are more prevalent. As expressed by Statista.com, Turkey positioned 31st among the main 32 non-local European nations with information on English.

#37 Azerbaijan

With over 9 million people living there, Azerbaijan is a diverse nation. 46% of Azerbaijanis speak English. Azerbaijani is the country’s official language, but English is also widely spoken.

#38 Latvia

The younger generations of ethnic Latvians typically speak English much better than Russian (and would switch to using English when communicating with people from other countries). Additionally, there is a lot of English in tourist materials. The degree of English capability in Latvia is 46% percent of the populace. It is generally spoken in the capital Riga.

Do All Countries in Europe Speak English?

No, not every European nation speaks English widely. But actually in every country in Europe there are English speakers nowadays. In some countries it is easier to find them than in others.

How Many Countries in Europe Speak English?

In addition to being the single most important language in the world when it comes to international business activity, it is spoken as a second language in the majority of European countries that speak English. In Europe, it is estimated that 370 million people speak English.

Which European Countries Don’t Speak English at All?

English is the most widely used language in Europe, connecting people of different cultures. However, not all European nations have the highest English proficiency. You already know which European countries speak English, but truth be told, there are numerous places where your English knowledge wouldn’t be so helpful. Here are some of those countries:

• Montenegro – since 2007, Montenegrin has been used as the official language, but Serbian, Bosnian, Albanian, and Croatian are also spoken. 25% of the population asserts English proficiency.
• Liechtenstein – the official languages of Liechtenstein are German, French, and English, which is only spoken by about 15% of the population as a second language.
• Monaco – the country has a very small English-speaking population. The majority of them are Canadians, Americans, Irish, and British, accounting for 8.5% of the population.
• Andorra – even though the only official language in Andorra is Catalan, you can also speak Spanish, French, and Portuguese. Less than 9% of people there speak English, mostly in tourist areas. English is also becoming more prominent in the educational system of Andorra, particularly in the international schools there.
• San Marino – in San Marino, there are two official languages: a Sammarinese dialect and standard Italian. However, Sammarinese expressions and phrases are also frequently used, and standard Italian is the language that is spoken on a daily basis. Some of the Sammarinese population speaks English as a third language.
• Holy See – you shouldn’t be worried about the language barrier in the Vatican. Even though the so-called “dead language” is spoken by many Vatican residents, most workers there do understand and speak English;
• North Macedonia – English is becoming increasingly popular throughout Macedonia. English classes are presented in the instructive foundations of the country. 5.7% of people born in North Macedonia speak only English.
• Bosnia and Herzegovina – there is no authority information on the level of English speakers in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Nevertheless, English is widely spoken throughout the country, particularly among young people. The first nation in the world to require children to learn English as a second language is Bosnia and Herzegovina.
• Moldova – in Chisinau, Moldova, English is common, as it is in many global capitals. However, in other parts of Moldova, most people only speak Romanian, Russian, or both. Across the nation, English is taught as a foreign language in many schools. However, the majority of Moldovans lack a solid understanding of advanced English.

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What European Countries Use English as Their Official Language?

The English language is one of the official languages of the Republic of Ireland, Malta, Northern Ireland, Scotland, Wales, the Crown dependencies Isle of Man, Jersey, Guernsey, and the European Union. It is also the sole official language of Gibraltar, Akrotiri and Dhekelia.

Conclusion

As it stands today, English has become somewhat of a lingua franca for Europeans, regardless of their native language. That gives them access to more opportunities, both socio-economically and academically.

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