Which cantons in Switzerland speak the best English?

The Education First English Proficiency Index (EF EPI) has revealed that Switzerland’s English proficiency level has risen for the first time in four years. However, the nation with four official languages still ranked low compared to its European neighbours.

EF’s 2025 English Proficiency Ranking 

Each year, the language course provider EF releases the English Proficiency Index, which compares English proficiency levels across countries with non-native English speakers. 

This year’s index is based on the test results of 2,2 million non-native English speakers from 123 countries and regions. Exam sitters took EF’s Standard English test in 2024, which analysed their English reading, listening and, for the first time, speaking skills. Each nation is then given a score out of 800 based on the average test scores.

The 2025 ranking found that “English remains the world’s most widely shared language for international communication,” according to EF’s head of assessment, Kate Bell. Speaking came out as the weakest of the language skills in over 50 percent of the countries involved.

In particular, young adults (under 25 years old) continued to score lower for English proficiency after the COVID-19 pandemic when compared to older age groups. 

How well does Switzerland speak English in 2025?

After four years of dropping down the EPI rankings, Switzerland has climbed back into the top 30, but only just. Switzerland ranked 29th in 2022, 30th in 2023, 31st in 2024 and has finally risen back to 30th in 2025.

Overall, the alpine nation scored 564 out of 800. English reading was the strongest language skill in Switzerland, with a score of 576, followed by listening (557), writing (515), and speaking (481).

Deputy managing director of EF Switzerland, Simone Moser, said the improvement in the ranking this year is due to “young Swiss people becoming more aware of their language skills,” reports Watson. Those aged between 18 and 30 years old saw their score improve from 544 in 2024 to 567 in 2025. In comparison, people aged 31 and above saw a drop in score.

Which Swiss canton speaks the best English?

The results found some regional differences too. German-speaking Switzerland received the best score with 583 points, followed by French-speaking Switzerland (539) and Italian-speaking Ticino (526). Watson attributes the differences to English being incorporated in the Swiss school system earlier in German-speaking cantons.

Basel-Stadt (616) topped the rankings of the 18 Swiss cantons analysed by EF, followed by Zug (596), Zurich (592), Aargau (583) and Basel-Landschaft (579) rounding off the top five. In comparison, Vaud (542), Fribourg (537), Geneva (536), Neuchâtel (532) and Ticino (526) made up the bottom five.

When comparing Swiss cities, Zurich was rated as the most proficient in English with a score of 621, followed by Basel (620), Lucerne (610), Bern (601), Winterthur (592), Lausanne (575) and lastly Geneva (555).

Countries with the best non-native English skills in 2025

Here are the 10 countries with the most proficient non-native English proficiency in 2025, according to EF:

1. The Netherlands
2. Croatia
3. Austria
4. Germany
5. Norway
6. Portugal
7. Denmark
8. Sweden
9. Belgium
10. Slovakia

To read the full EF English Proficiency Index 2025, head to the EF website.