Croatia achieved an outstanding result on the global level, placing second in the world in English language proficiency, according to the latest EF English Proficiency Index (EF EPI) for 2025.

This success represents an excellent jump of nine places compared to the EF EPI report for 2023, when Croatia held 11th position, but also significant progress from 5th place, which Croatia held in the EF EPI report for 2024.

Croatia has thus placed itself at the very top globally, immediately behind the leading Netherlands.

'Very high proficiency'

With 617 points achieved, Croatia confirmed its status within the highest category of the Index, 'Very High Proficiency' (Very High Proficiency).

This historic ranking positions Croatia ahead of traditionally highly ranked countries in Europe and the world. Our country outperformed strong European economies and states known for a high level of education, including:

• Austria (3rd place)
• Germany (4th place)
• Norway (5th place)
• Denmark (6th place)

Although English is an official language in the 12 highest-ranked countries (such as Singapore and the Philippines), Croatia achieved the greatest growth in the region, with a score improvement of 10 points.

Importance for competitiveness

The EF EPI research, which included more than 2.2 million respondents from 123 countries and regions, emphasizes the strategic importance of the English language for economic competitiveness and innovation.

It is important to note that the EF EPI ranks countries and regions exclusively according to the level of English proficiency among speakers for whom English is not their native language. Therefore, countries such as the United States of America, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and other English-speaking countries are not included in the main ranking of the Index, given that their level of English proficiency is assumed to be native.

This year's Index for the first time also included a more detailed assessment of productive skills (speaking and writing), alongside the standard testing of comprehension (reading and listening), thereby confirming not only understanding, but also the active use of the English language among the Croatian population.

This result is a strong indicator of high language competence and the quality of the education system, making Croatia an exceptionally attractive destination for international investment and global business partners.

Limitations of the EF EPI research

The sample is not fully representative; only individuals who were motivated to voluntarily take the EF SET test are tested, which means this is not a random sample of the entire population. The online nature of the test excludes people without internet access, which may distort the results, because the testing is focused on the urban and highly educated population.